Two teachers win Golden Apple Awards

Two Noblesville teachers - Marc Slain of Noblesville High School and Susan Julian of Hazel Dell Elementary School - are among the recipients of IPALCO's 2001 Golden Apple Awards.

The Golden Apple Awards program honors central Indiana teachers who excel in using math, science, or technology in the classroom.

Mr. Slain, a Spanish teacher, was honored for his "Project Movie" which integrates technology into the standard curriculum. Mrs. Julian, a kindergarten teacher, was recognized for "The School Bus Project," a project that provides practical ways for children to represent, use, and improve upon their math skills.

Both received $2,000 and a golden apple statue. Their schools each received $1,000.

Mr. Slain incorporated the movie project into the curriculum for his fifth-year Spanish classes using technology as a spark to enhance creativity and capture the interest of students.

He calls it his "contagious project."

"It never fails that as I begin this project with my Spanish 5 students, other students will see what we are doing and will want to become involved. They then choose to come in and learn how to use this type of video editing and use it as a tool to enhance a different project in another class," he said.

"Not only are my immediate students helped, but those in other classes join in the excitement of learning."

Students video tape various people and places throughout the community. They create a mini digital movie, clipping, splicing, and manipulating their video clips to form a cohesive plot and story line. They then add Spanish narration and background music.

The project helps students develop strategies to communicate in Spanish and to develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifetime learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.


The School Bus Project
As a kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Julian believes her job is to provide children with a classroom rich in opportunities and challenges.

"My rewards are not measured in dollars but in the successes and smiles of children who awaken to the joys of learning."

Mrs. Julian gives students directions for their learning with the school bus project.

The project encourages kindergartners to take pride in their accomplishments, instilling in them a sense of leadership and responsibility for their education.

A number of academic skills are integrated into the project. Children learn to speak in front of groups and to cooperate with others. They also learn to research and interview, graph, measure, and sort information.

A highlight of the project is a trip to the Noblesville Schools' bus garage where students interview bus drivers and measure the parts of a school bus. Back at school, they create a life-size school bus to illustrate what they have learned.

"I'm amazed that something so simple as a bus could evolve into so many learning situations," she said.