Visit Peter's Classroom...
"The pace changes so rapidly. . .the first period class is small and low-key--all the quiet kids first. And from there I go to a classroom of a lot more aggressive learners, who really want to jump in and go with it." -- Peter Knowles, Teacher
The Students
In the Fall of 1998, Peter conducted the Global Challenge project
for the first time with two periods of ninth graders:
Period 1: 16 students, including:
9 boys, 5 girls
4 ESL students
4 Special Education students
5 Title I students
2 sophomores repeating the classPeriod 2: 26 students, including:
13 boys and 13 girls
3 ESL students
1 Special Education student
3 Title I students
White Salmon School District is located in a county that has the second lowest per capita income in the state of Washington and serves a lower socioeconomic population. On average, the district has about a 45% free and reduced lunch rate with Columbia High School at about 30%.
The Classroom Schedule
Columbia High School has followed a four-period, straight-block schedule
since the 1992-93 school year. Students enroll in four classes per semester,
each of which meets for 90 minutes each day.
The regular schedule is:
Period 1: 8:15 - 9:45
Period 2: 9:55 - 11:25
Lunch 11:25 - 12:00
Period 3: 12:00 - 1:30
Period 4: 1:40 - 3:10
The Course
The Foundations of the Social Studies course, like all courses
Peter teaches, is a one-year course completed in an 18-week semester.
Students receive the following information that outlines requirements
and grading policies:
Technology Access
Peter's classroom contains:
7 Macintosh computer workstations for general student use
3 additional Macintoshes (reserved for journalism)
2 Powerbook 145s
2 printers
1 scanner
1 digital camera
1 computer projector
In addition, the school has a Mac lab with fifteen Macintosh 5400s, available for students on a drop in basis, or for classes to sign up. The library has an E-mate and three Windows laptops available for student check out. The library also has approximately tenmore computers in a variety of locations throughout the facility, including seven Compaq's running Windows 95. Several DreamWriter word processors have been purchased for student checkout.