Much of my experience with the GIFT program involved an emphasis on Inquiry Based Learning. I attempted to write a simple lab using this approach. After writing this lab I decided to try this approach in the classroom and made a format with which to model future labs.     Newton's 3rd Law - an Inquiry Based Lab     My Model for Inquiry Based Labs

One of the new technologies I learned was implementing a web based bulletin board. A web based bulletin board is very similiar to internet newsgroups, but it resides on a web page. It involves either writing or using CGI scripts. I practiced on my mountain biking page first. As soon as I learn how to protect web pages and directories with a password I will implement a web based bulletin board on my classroom page. One of the other options currently considered (but not yet implemented) is a web board for the mousetrap car web page and on the GIFT homepage for GIFT fellows, facilitators, advisors and ..?.. to use for future communication.     Mountain Biking WWWBoard     A good source of CGI scripts: Matt's Script Archive

Can't wait for the mousetrap car now, eh? Well, keep in mind that I've got another week and a half of GIFT left as of this meeting, so what you see here is the nearly finished product! The mousetrap car will most likely be located at http://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/ceismc/programs/secme/mousetrap/ But it is definitely located at myteacher.home.mindspring.com/mousetrap/ for now. Keep in mind that it still has some work to be completed...

One of the direct consequences of learning new technology during my GIFT experience has been improvement on my classroom web page. I have improved the look and feel of the site, improved email interactivity from the site and added more science related l inks. Although not yet accessible to the public, I will have a password protected wwboard (see Item 3). http://science.kennesaw.edu/~mlanham

There are some things that simply cannot be documented, but IÕll make a brief list. Increased computer skills: Windows 95: IÕve learned more about using Win95 in a business setting; IÕve learned to "tweak" the operating system to run better when not on an optimum machine; IÕve learned how to use Win95 more efficiently; and IÕve learned to appreciate my M acintosh more! Internet: Before I started GIFT I knew a lot about the Internet. Many of my kids were always asking me how to do stuff on the net because they knew it was one of my interests. I have done more web authoring than IÕve done in the past, and learned to make it better!; IÕve learned to use, if not write, CGI scripting; and I found more research and reference sources relating to science, math and technology. Digital Imaging: I learned digital imaging from start to finish; from purchasing to publishing. During the first week of the GIFT experience I had an interesting and fun task: Buy a good digital camera! In the subsequent weeks IÕve taken hundreds of pictu res; learned to edit pictures (making the object visible on a white background when the original picture had no white background; optimizing pictures for printing; optimizing pictures for web publishing; etc.); and used the pictures for print and web publ ishing.

The day after     Saturday morning: The GIFT experience is over... The long traffic commute through the Cobb corridor is over (yeah!). Eating lunch out downtown everyday is over (boo!)...     Leaving yesterday felt strange - it wasn't like I was leaving a job - but more like finishing a project - but not quite. It wasn't a complete project in the sense that there is nothing else to do now that it is over. There is plenty to do! I've learned some new stuff! I have my personal web page to gloss over, my classroom page to jazz up, more java to learn (something I picked up last week), more scripts to implement, a project to get ready for... I've learned a lot this summer - I've done a lot too. This experience has given me the experience of doing - of accomplishing something I didn't think was possible - the vision to go further. Isn't that what us teachers are here to give to our students? How can a poor man give?     I suppose the only real people reading this now are future GIFT fellows trying to figure out what the heck is an Action Plan, but heck - life doesn't need an audience!     Well, now I've done it - I've been caught! Caught being mushily philosophical. But what the heck, I'm gonna leave it.         Happy Trails! Mike