Goal 1: To enable students to achieve high academic standards in art and other core subject areas.

REVISION: To enable students to achieve high academic standards by integration of the arts and technology in all core subject areas.

Objective 1.1 80% of students in classes using the modules will show evidence of improved academic achievement as indicated by: a) decline in absenteeism, b) increased student self-concept as indicated by student attitude surveys and focus groups, c) students performing at higher levels as determined by each school's assessment of student progress and electronic portfolios where used.

REVISION: 80% of students in classes using the modules will show evidence of improved academic achievement as indicated by: a) decline in absenteeism, b) increased student self-concept as indicated by student attitude surveys and focus groups, c) students performing at higher levels as determined by assessments of student progress and electronic portfolios.

Activities Timeline

• A longitudinal survey of student attendance records. 1996-2000
• Perform an annual student attitude survey. 1996-2000
• Annual focus groups for students. 1996-2000
• Collect information on student performance (electronic portfolios). 1996-2000
• Students will create an electronic portfolio and/or multimedia presentations. 1996-2000

Suggested Additions:

• Provide students access to technology resources that support and guide self-directed learning 1996-2000
• Structure learning environments to empower students to make interdisciplinary connections 1996-2000
• Use the arts as the infrastructure t building holistic teaching-learning experiences 1996-2000
• Engage students in reflective processes of evaluating their own learning 1996-2000
• Promote critical thinking & problem solving through increased discussion, debate, 1996-2000
• Cooperative learning groups and interdisciplinary teaching strategies
• Case studies (virtual cases compiled monthly on-line in response to questions) 1996-2000
• Tracking referral for SPED to monitor trends
• Document evidence of student behaviors associated with engaged learning (indicators from "Plugging In") 1996-2000
• Evidence of more analytical thinking (Such as from student Product analysis) 1996-2000
• Electronic tracking of disciplinary to monitor trends 1996-2000
• Decline in teacher absences 1996-2000

Goal 2: To provide students and educators in rural and disadvantaged urban areas with equal access to the information and resources available from state and national institutions associated with the arts.

Activity I: The Electronic Art Museum in the Classroom

Objective 2.1 A minimum of 750 art images and performing arts resources will be available through the Internet along with curriculum and contextual information for use by educators and students. Images will come from the collections of the Smithsonian NMAA; the Getty Museum; the Joslyn; the Sheldon, the MONA, the Kennedy Center, and regional performing arts agencies.

Activities Timeline

• Museums will suggest appropriate images for which copyright issues have been resolved, and teachers may select from that pool of images. 1996-2000
• Suggestions by teachers for specific themes, cultures, or time periods will be utilized by museum staff in guiding their efforts to make resources available electronically. 1996-2000
• The five museums will digitize 750 art images resources from their collection (collectively each year). 1996-2000
• Hypertextual and contextual information to accompany each image will be developed. 1996-2000
• Educators will access the images along with contextual information. 1996-2000
• Teachers will review the Smithsonian's thematic cluster CDs for potential resources. 1996-2000
• A database of images will be created. 1996-2000
• Museum links will be updated regularly on the ARTnet web site. 1996-2000
• Teacher requests regarding arts resources that would be most useful will be communicated to partner agencies to guide planning 1996-2000
• Make teachers aware of new programs on-line (such as those from NMAA: Mythology and Paul Manship, Pueblo Indian Watercolors, and a William H. Johnson Teaching Guide) as teaching resources. 1996-2000
• Utilize museumsí mailing lists for education packets, materials, and exhibits. 1996-2000

Objective 2.2 Museum educators at the Joslyn Art Museum, the Sheldon and MONA will each develop at least one educational outreach program using appropriate technologies such as the Internet, kiosk, and interactive multi-media.

Activities Timeline

• Museums will develop and document outreach programs using CD/ROM and/or Internet. 1996-2000
• Work with museums to keep them updated on what outreach programs would be most helpful to teachers (ie, math and science areas, multicultural connections) 1996-2000

Goal 3: To enable educators to effectively use appropriate technologies for teaching and learning in art and other core subject areas.

REVISION: To enable educators to effectively use appropriate technologies for constructivist teaching and learning across the curriculum.

Activity II: Computer-Based Educational Strategies

Activity III: Professional Development and Support for Educators

Objective 3.1 Through collaboration with private companies, project educators will test and evaluate five commercial technology tools (i.e. software packages) per year for applicability to classroom settings and instructional objectives.

REVISION: Objective 3.1 Through collaboration with private companies, project educators will test and evaluate commercial technology tools (i.e. software packages) annually for applicability to classroom settings and instructional objectives.

Activities Timeline

• Educators will test, evaluate, and adapt commercially produced technology tools in classroom settings. 1996-2000
• Electronic portfolio software packages will be examined and evaluated by teachers. 1996-2000
• Teachers and students will collaborate using video conferencing. 1996-2000
• Assist with developing a software evaluation form for teachers to utilize 1996-2000

Objective 3.2 By 1996, each school site in participating districts will have access to technology resource persons available to assist teachers in evaluating and selecting appropriate technologies.

REVISION: By 1996, each school site in participating districts will have access to technology resource persons available to assist in evaluation, selection, and application of appropriate technologies.

Activities Timeline

ADDITION:

• Assist teachers in evaluating and selecting appropriate technologies. 1996-2000
• Technology resource persons from participating districts, NDE, UNO, the ESU's, and from commercial companies will be identified and consulted for technical assistance when needed. 1996-2000
• Technology resource persons will conduct software and hardware workshops. 1996-2000

Objective 3.3 By 2000, 300 Nebraska educators, including 60 educators of rural and urban disadvantaged students, will be trained on computer-based educational strategies and integrated constructivist curriculum to effectively integrate art and other core subjects.

REVISION: By 2000, 300 Nebraska educators, including 60 educators of rural and urban disadvantaged students, will be trained on computer-based educational strategies and interdisciplinary constructivist curriculum to effectively integrate art and technology in all core subjects areas.

Activities Timeline

• Each participant will identify a partner with whom to collaborate on curriculum integration. The partnerwill attend a one day curriculum integration workshop. 1996-2000

ADDITION: Participating teachers will attend summer workshops and institutes to prepare them in the areas of the arts, technology, constructivism, and interdisciplinary teaching utilizing the resources of partner agencies and organizations such as the NDE, NMAA, Kennedy Center, NAC, and state art agencies.

• Teachers will review, analyze, and integrate arts resources. 1996-2000
• Workshops on curriculum integration, constructivism, electronic portfolios, and technology will be held. 1996-2000
• Provide teachers with workshops on creating slide shows, HyperStudio stacks, Web pages; interdisciplinary unit construction; data collection strategies (include UNO eval team); team building strategies; working with Listserv and with accessing images from the Internet.
• Site Coordinators will create a list of materials/software/hardware needs from teacher requests.

Objective 3.4 By 2000, 90% of project participants will demonstrate an increase in skills and knowledge in: a) use of computer based educational strategies and resources, b) constructivism, c) curricula integrating art and other core subjects, d) use of electronic portfolio and other appropriate assessment strategies.

REVISION: By 2000, project participants will demonstrate an increase in skills and knowledge in: a) use of appropriate technologies, b) constructivism, c) integrating art across the curricula, d) interdisciplinary curriculum development and instruction, e) use of electronic portfolio and other appropriate assessment strategies.

( The percentages in objective 3.4, objective 3.5, objective 3.6 and objective 4.2 should be eliminated because they are too qualitative to measure by percentage.)

Activities Timeline

ADDITION:

• Each participant will attend at least 80% of professional development activities offered 1996-2000
• Each participating district will work with their ESU for technology support and mentors. 1996-2000
• Each participant will be assigned a curriculum integration mentor from the Prairie Vision faculty. 1996-2000
• NDE curriculum directors and specialists will provide assistance in core subject areas. 1996-2000
• Each participant will use electronic portfolios and other appropriate assessment strategies to reflect on their progress. 1996-2000

Objective 3.5 90% of project participants will successfully complete a minimum of 80% of the professional development activities they choose in their Professional Growth Plans.

REVISION: Project participants will successfully complete a continuous professional growth plan, evaluate their performance relative to that plan at least annually, and modify it to reflect their progress.

Activities Timeline

• Each participant will create a Professional Growth Plan. 1996-2000

ADDITION:

• Participantís growth plan will be submitted to Community Discovered Office and progress reviewed by the evaluation team 1996-2000

ADDITION:

• Site coordinators will review progress toward meeting the specific objectives of the growth plans and assist participants in updating the plan as a Continuous Growth Plan.

Objective 3.6 90% of project participants will report positive attitudes towards the use of technology as an educational tool.

REVISION: Project participants will report attitudes towards the integration of the arts and educational tools in an interdisciplinary constructivist teaching approach.

Activities Timeline

• A survey of teacher attitudes and teacher interviews regarding integration of the arts and technology, adoption of constructivism, and interdisciplinary pedagogy will be completed each year. 1996-2000
• Links with participants will be made throughout the school year as encouragement and support to their 1996-2000 unit development.

Goal 4. To enable educators to implement effective integrated curricula incorporating art and other core subjects.

REVISION: To enable educators to implement effective integrated curricula incorporating the arts and technology.

Activity IV: Integrated Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Strategies

Objective 4.1 Constructivist curriculum modules will be developed by each participant and implemented incorporating one or more of the following: a) Internet digitized images and museum resources, b) other Internet resources, c) multi-media projects, d) electronic portfolios, and e) other computer applications. (Goals 1-4)

Activities Timeline

• Each teacher will develop two units during the first year and one unit in each successive year throughout the term of the grant .1996-2000
• The units will be indexed and placed on each district's world wide web server. 1997-2000

REVISION: The units will be indexed and placed on the Community Discovered world wide web server.

• Participants will receive school year and summer support to work on their projects. 1996-2000
• First year = 15 days summer, 8 sub-covered days school year, partners 2 summer and 3 school
• Second year = 5 days summer, 8 sub-covered days school year, partners 2 and 3
• Partners will work with mentors and agency partners in collaboration with participants 1996-2000
• Teachers will communicate with museum docents in creating curriculum for their classrooms

ADDITION:

• Evaluate the efficacy of the allotted time for participation in workshops and curriculum development and revise as needed to support the goals of the project. 1997-2000
• Partners will take advantage of professional development opportunities through the project. 1997-2000

Objective 4.2 Participating teachers will effectively use one or more computer-based education strategies in their classrooms. Strategies will include Internet resources, electronic portfolios, Hypertext, multimedia, and others.

Activities Timeline

• Site coordinator will work with each participating teacher to develop units 1996-2000
• Site coordinator and evaluators will provide feed back 1996-2000
• Arts agencies will provide assistance and resources 1996-2000

Objective 4.3 By 2000, the project will produce a comprehensive system of world wide web pages containing links to art resources and sample lessons developed by participating schools and available to Prairie Visions Consortium members through ARTnet.

REVISION: By 2000, the project will produce a comprehensive system of world wide web pages containing links between appropriate resources and the curriculum units developed by participating educators.

Activities Timeline

REVISIONS:

• The site coordinators will identify links to art resources, curriculum integration units, and assist teachers to integrate these in all subject areas. 1996-2000
• The Project Director will coordinate the development and integration of the web site across all aspects of the project. 1996-2000
• The Art and Technology Coordinator, working with the computer specialist and museum resource personnel, will develop the district pages and units using a standard format. 1996-2000
• A database of units and art resources will be complied and available on the web site. 1996-2000

REVISION:

• The Art and Technology Coordinator and Computer Specialist will develop and compile a database of units and art resources.
• ARTnet facilitator will link project resources to Prairie Vision members 1996-2000

REVISION:

• The Art and Technology Coordinator and Computer Specialist will link project resources to other resources and organizations accessible on the world wide web.

Goal 5: To create a national network of educators to support the development and implementation of appropriate learning strategies integrating art and technology with other core subject areas.

Activity V: Nationwide Community for Art and Technology Integration

Objective 5.1 ARTnet will be in place to provide curriculum models, museum resources, and continuing opportunities for information sharing, collaboration and support among educators.

Activities Timeline

• ARTnet will link participants and experts 1996-2000
• ARTnet will provide access to curriculum modules, digitized images, and other museum resources 1996-2000
• ARTnet will support the ARTnet listserv and project related distribution lists

REVISION:

• The Art and Technology Coordinator and Computer Specialist will support the ARTnet Web System, The Community Discovered Web Site, The Community Discovered listserv, and project related distribution lists.
• The NMAA Education Dept will communicate with ARTnet and Prairie Visions in creating summer training Timeline for teachers that meets the objectives of The Community Discovered Grant. 1996-2000

REVISION:

• NMAA Education Department, ARTnet, and Prairie Visions, will communicate with the Community Discovered staff in creating summer training opportunities for teachers that can meet the objectives of the Community Discovered Grant.

Objective 5.2 Cross-state partnerships will be encouraged to support replication and enhancement of project activities.

Activity Timeline

REVISION:

• Electronic portfolios will be available on-line so the resources can be shared with other Challenge Grants, and other interested projects. 1996-2000

Objective 5.3 As a pilot cross-state partnership, the Community Discovered project and other projects will collaborate to expand on an effective integrated project in which teachers and students within the project will have the opportunity to communicate electronically with other teachers and students.