New ways of learning
<p>Dale Johnson, consumer science teacher at Woodland Middle School, left, reacts Tuesday during a live presentation of a $9,745.34 grant from Jim Schmit, Idaho president for Qwest on the middle school's t.v. station, Woodland One.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - A school teacher in Coeur d'Alene received a big surprise Tuesday.
In front of his students in his Woodland Middle School classroom, Dale Johnson learned he had won a $9,800 grant to purchase video cameras, scanners and other multimedia equipment for students to use.
Johnson is one of 10 Idaho grant winners this year who will share in $90,000 in awards to be funded by the Qwest Foundation and administered by the Idaho Department of Education.
Qwest Idaho President Jim Schmit presented Johnson with the award.
"We have been very impressed with the creativity and overall excellence of the grant proposals," Schmit said. "This is a great opportunity for Qwest to make a positive difference in the education of Idaho students and to help teachers improve their effectiveness in the classroom."
The multimedia equipment purchased through Johnson's grant will be used by students in the classroom or outside the school.
The goal of the project is to have the students produce their own 1-3 minute videos on topics in the middle school curriculum.
Qwest's grant-funding program began after a statewide evaluation of technology in public schools in 2003 that found many Idaho teachers need support in integrating technology in the curriculum. After this year's grants are awarded, the Qwest Foundation will have provided $490,000 over seven years.