musings | teacher feature

"It's a shame in this day and age to not have computers and Internet access for your students," says Carol Paine, a seventh-grade life science teacher from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ninety-two percent of more than 750 students at Wesdale Middle School in Baton Rouge are minority students. "Out of the 135 students that I teach," Paine explains, "95 percent are 'free lunch' students." Paine's school has very little funding for "extras" like computers, software, Internet hookups and other equipment. The last time Paine got new classroom computers was 10 years ago.

Last year, Paine took action. She applied for grant money to buy new computers, software, and printers from Bellsouth, Exxon, Learn, and a local grant agency. "It's the only way you get anything," she said. "I used Biodiversity Counts as my focus." Biodiversity Counts, developed by the Museum's National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology, can be used in conjunction with any core life science curriculum, or with other biodiversity and environmental curriculum materials. The program is currently being revised, and while the details of the new version are not yet finalized, it will continue to feature an extensive resources section.

In her grant proposals, Paine explained that she had participated in the Biodiversity Counts pilot, but that something was lacking. Her students couldn't utilize the interactive features such as online discussions with students across the country, or ask questions of Museum scientists. The computers were too slow, and Paine didn't have reliable Internet access. Paine's efforts paid off. She was awarded six brand-new computers, new software, and two new printers for her classroom. She's also getting a T-1 line to run through her classroom. "The American Museum of Natural History has really helped me move my classroom into the 21st century!" she cheered. Paine has big plans to integrate the new and improved technology into her science classes. For example, Paine hopes to post a Web page that chronicles all of her students' scientific discoveries.

If you're interested in submitting a grant proposal, you may want to check out Technology and Learning's Web site for information on grant writing and funding opportunities.