Project MEET
Forming Technology Innovation Teams
The Bedford Public Schools will continue to implement an important district initiative that expands the use of technology and promotes improved learning for students this year. The program is modeled on a successful technology grant-funded initiative called Project MEET piloted at the John Glenn Middle School in 2001-02.
During the 2001-02 school year the John Glenn Middle School received a significant Project MEET grant (Massachusetts Educators Empowered by Technology) from the Massachusetts Department of Education. The grant allowed for forming a team of six teachers to study successful models for integrating technology into the curriculum, to receive specialized training on using selected software and equipment, and to develop a series of technology enriched lessons for use in their daily instructional programs. The pioneers of the JGMS MEET Project were science and math teachers Heather Haines, Charlie Puopolo, Brad Smithson, Judith Reynolds, Tony Ruscito, Terry Gerrish, and Mike Rinaldi.
Although grant funding expired in the spring of 2002, the Bedford Public Schools embarked on an ambitious plan to replicate the MEET initiative throughout the district by forming four new "innovation teams" based on the MEET model that would operate in all four schools beginning in 2002-03. The program further expanded in 2003-04 when 95% of the first year's team membership agreed to form "MEET Veterans" teams. The veteran teams in all four buildings continued to operate concurrently with the new teacher teams that were being formed and initiated. Veteran team members continued to follow the established program model described below. Because veteran members previously received training they did not participate in summer development activities or bi-weekly study group sessions, as did all new team recruits.
To participate on a MEET innovation team, each participating teacher agrees to adapt two current curriculum units they teach and to incorporate technology in new and effective ways. The first revised unit is typically presented to students in the fall of the school year and the other in the early spring. The new teams also agree to meet as a study group twice a month during the school year to continue their professional development and to share descriptions of work they have completed with other staff members during a specially convened faculty meeting in the spring.
In return for the commitment made by teachers, the district agrees to fully support teams and individual members in several important ways. Support is provided by organizing an intensive training/curriculum adaptation session for participants during the summer, by providing specialized technology tools and equipment, and by allocating increased time for Instructional Technology Specialists to support individual teachers in planning and presenting projects to students.
The Instructional Technology Specialists play a vital role in the success of the initiative. Donna Clements serves in this important role for Bedford High School teams, while Ann Denny-Brown and Janet Tortora fill the roles respectively with the John Glenn Middle School and Lane School teams. A significant part of their role is to provide guidance when members are planning projects and to ensure ample "just in time" support to individual teachers as the material is actually engaged in the resulting project. Another key role they fulfill is to serve as leader of bi-weekly study group meetings in which project problems are addressed, ideas are collectively shared and built upon, and new technology professional development activities occur throughout the year.
Student Work examples may be found on the links below:
- Bedford HS Student Work
- JGMS Student Work
- Lane School Student Work
- Davis School Student Work