La+Crosse+School+District

**Welcome to the La Crosse School District's WTI Lighthouse Project!**
Vicki Lyons, Director of Technology Services. Regina Siegel, Principal, Emerson Elementary Rob Tyvoll, Supervisor of Academic Programs Randi Anderson, Supervisor of Math Program Dr. Marcie Wycoff-Horn, Dean, School of Education, UW-La Crosse

Final Project Summary Video http://youtu.be/oS0SrLJmxEg

Overview
Fourth and fifth grade teachers at Emerson Elementary are collaborating with UW-La Crosse Math Education faculty in the development of interactive math lessons based on the common core. UWL education students work collaboratively with classroom teachers to develop interactive whiteboard lessons the meet the standards and outcomes identified in each unit. These students also observe and participate in the classrooms as the teaching takes place. Units of instruction are being developed to demonstrate levels of student achievement. Smart Tables (when they are available through the manufacturer) will be added into the interactive classroom. Additionally, grades K-3 staff are working to infuse interactive technologies into their classrooms in science utilizing the district's strong hands-on science curriculum and resources providing another means for students to interact with science content and explore their world through the eyes of a 'scientist'.

Collaboration efforts between UW La Crosse and the School District of La Crosse are strong, long lasting, and continuous. These collaborations include:
 * Establishment of Professional Development Schools (Central High, Logan High, Longfellow Middle, Emerson Elem, Southern Bluffs Elem, and Northwoods Elem) allowing for pre-service teacher education students to partner with faculty in all content areas exploring what life is like for students and teachers. This experience happens early in the prospective teacher's college program ensuring they are committed to the teaching profession. These students have ongoing university classroom sessions held at the university and at the district schools to share experiences, hold discussions, and collaborate to understand the role of teachers in an educational setting. Plans being made for future collaboration conducted through high definition video conferencing allowing for as needed conversations, real time observation, interaction with whiteboard technologies to teach innovative lessons, and supported by ongoing online discussions, sharing, and resource development.
 * Partnerships for Field Experiences in all district schools
 * Collective professional development around technology integration and instructional strategies; science, math, and historical instructional strategies and "thinking" in the field
 * Discussions on the development of a "community network" allowing for the collaborations that exist to move to an electronic/video based application

Project Activities

 * UWL faculty facilitated conversations on development of math units of instruction based on the district's work unpacking the math common core
 * UWL faculty and students are fully involved in the development and teaching of these units providing an excellent "circle" of creation, implementation, assessment, and revision
 * La Crosse faculty have received intensive instruction on use of interactive whiteboards using elementary math concepts as the unifier of that instruction
 * The district is developing an "electronic depository" through its intranet to share these units, lessons, and supporting electronic files to be used by all 4th/5th grade teachers in the district

The project is well underway! Take a look at the summary video! http://youtu.be/oS0SrLJmxEg The ongoing partnership with UW-L is the basis for our quick implementation and high quality collaboration.