Martin Technology Academy of Math and Science

It’s not about the stuff.

When Martin Technology Academy of Math and Science opens its doors in the fall of 2010, students will be met with lots of new technologies. 

Martin teachers are already utilizing cutting edge technology with Dell Latitude tablets daily for instruction. Teachers at Martin are transforming the way they share and process information through a new software program referred to as the cloud, getting ready to share this new tool with students next year. However, it’s not about the stuff.

Many new technologies will be available when the doors open in August 2010, but that’s not the real story of what’s happening at Martin.

The real story isn’t about the stuff; it’s about how the stuff will be used. These new technologies will be used as a vehicle to enhance teachers’ instruction, to transform students’ thinking, to bring concepts to life, to provide platforms for instant feedback, and to foster communities of shared discussions.

Best Practices
Martin Technology Academy of Math and Science will focus all instruction on five best teaching practices – Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. Research shows that just placing a piece of technology into a classroom does not increase student achievement. Best teaching practices with the support of technology increases student achievement. 

Preparing to Become a Charter
At Martin’s September 2009 PTO meeting, the community overwhelmingly voted to move forward with seeking charter status. The application for charter status is currently at the state department for review. 

To make the plans for Martin Technology Academy, staff members spent an entire school year studying other charter schools. Schools across the state and in other states were visited in making plans for the charter school. Martin was issued a grant to make this important data-gathering process possible.

The charter was officially approved June 2010 by the state department of education.

Teacher Training Preparing the Way
In preparation for opening as a charter, Martin Elementary teachers piloted computer software for the Hall County School System that allows users remote computer access to files and programs.

The program, made by Stoneware, is referred to as “the cloud” and is a virtual web desktop.  The cloud offers users increased access, file-sharing capability and universal access to calendars and schedules.

Users are able to access the cloud from any computer with Internet access. A user is able to work with files using programs available in the cloud, even if the user does not have the program installed on his or her computer. The ease of sharing information is a major benefit of using the cloud. Teachers are able to share important documents with ease. If a third grade teacher creates a graphic organizer to use with students, she can save it on the cloud where other teachers can access it to use with their students.

Teachers at Martin are transforming the way they share and process information, getting ready to share this new tool with students next year. Martin Elementary will open its doors to students as Martin Technology Academy of Science and Technology in August 2010. 

Math and Science Focus
While technology will be the vehicle used for instruction, math and science will also be a focus at Martin Technology Academy of Math and Science.

Martin plans to build on the inquiry method of teaching science. The inquiry method is designed to enable learners to come to conceptual understanding of scientific ideas new to them.  The inquiry process is driven by the learner’s curiosity and sustained by his or her sense of ownership of the process.  Structure and guidance by a teacher gives shape and direction to curiosity within the context of the teacher’s learning goals for science content, process, and attitudes. Students will use science notebooks to plan experiments, chart data, and write questions they still have. 

To Learn More
Read about Martin's charter school proposal and other Hall County charter schools in The Times' article Charters Could Shake Up Education.