IRVING, Texas - When Brandy Avant looks around her social studies classroom at MacArthur High School, she sees obvious signs of change. This is not the same learning environment that was the norm when she began teaching nine years ago. Desks are no longer arranged in neat rows. Instead, students cluster in small groups, talking among themselves about their projects. They use laptops—one for each student, and all on a wireless network—to do online research and build multimedia projects that capture their understanding.

"I used to be more teacher-focused," Avant says. "I would lecture and then have the students do activities that I planned. I don't do that anymore. I ask them questions and have them go find the answers. I give hints and facilitate, but it's more student-centered learning." Integrating technology in deeper ways has meant changing some old teacher habits, she admits. "Letting go of the silence was the hardest thing, but I realized we have to let students work together and help each other. Now, I get uncomfortable if my class gets too quiet."

Access to technology helps foster a learner-centered classroom.

For a world geography project, for example, each student created a Web page to showcase what he or she had learned about a specific country. The assignment was to include not only written information, but also a series of maps to represent population, physical features, natural resources, political boundaries, and other details. Avant wanted students to use higher-order thinking skills to analyze that geographic information. "I wanted them to prove that they understand why people settled where they did in this country, and to use their maps to support their analysis."

In this open-ended project, students were free to decide what their Web pages would look like. One student decided to add a recording of his country's national anthem. Before long, music was coming from all corners of the room as students began downloading recordings of their country's anthem. Some students used the anthems as background for video clips or animations. "We never would have heard these wonderful songs if one student hadn't taken the lead," Avant reflects.

From the teacher's perspective, the project illustrates many of the benefits of integrating technology into learning. "The students gained the knowledge they're supposed to have, according to our standards. But adding technology takes learning to a different level. This project led to each student developing a personal product. They got to design it, and they learned new ideas from each other. I wouldn't have known how to put music behind a video clip, but suddenly it's happening because students took the lead. That was interesting to watch—kids helping kids. It's been wonderful."

In this self-paced learning environment, Avant observes, "No one's getting bored." She has diverse learners, including some students who are gifted, others who are receiving special education, and many who are English language learners. Their final Web pages were loaded with information and as varied as the individual learners in the room.

MacArthur High is a school known for using technology in innovative ways to support learning. The district has invested in a laptop for every student and teacher, video conferencing equipment, digital video gear, and a host of other technologies. Extensive professional development has supported teachers so they can make effective use of the new resources. In recognition of these schoolwide efforts, MacArthur was named one of two top winners in the Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards for 2004.

As an experienced and enthusiastic user of classroom technology, Avant has also taken a leadership role in providing professional development for her colleagues. A summer institute enlisted local teachers as leaders to talk about technology integration strategies. That's a sign of the school's growth, Avant says. "Instead of bringing in someone from the outside, we have our own teachers sharing our insights with our colleagues." 

Before she started teaching, Avant worked in advertising and used computers for graphic design. While she had a solid understanding technology when she began teaching, it's taken her a few years to learn how to effectively integrate technology to meet learning goals. "I was a little uncomfortable at first, using computers to get to standards. At first, I felt like I was teaching computers instead of the subject matter. But now, I'm more comfortable. I let students help each other when it comes to using technology, and I'm there to facilitate. If there's something technical we don't know, we can learn together."

Using technology to support new approaches in the classroom "has rejuvenated me," Avant says. "I'm not doing the same old lessons we always did in geography. I'm spending the summer thinking about how to improve next year's projects, and I'm excited because I'm learning."

To learn more about the Intel and Scholastic Schools of Distinction Awards, including a case study about MacArthur High School, go to www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction.