>>Gulfport, Mississippi's Harrison Central High School
hasn't changed much since it was founded in 1957.
It still has sports teams and cheerleaders.
It still offers practical courses in subjects
like cooking and horticulture.
But over the past several years there's been a quiet revolution
going on that has transformed Harrison's curriculum.
In almost every classroom cutting edge technology tools
are facilitating a new way of learning.
>>During the guilded age what could be said
about national politics.
Is it A, the republican party held the majority of voters?
>>Narrator: Now history lessons are as exciting as game shows.
>>What is your final answer?
>>Narrator: Digital cameras help reveal the principles
of physics.
>>Donnie: Are we collecting?
>>Narrator: Probes and laptops are used
in real world scientific explorations.
>>They even use technology
to improve their nationally ranked cheerleading squad.
>>Dianne: Okay, breathe three times.
In with the good, out with the bad.
And rest for just a minute.
>>When we had tryouts we realized a lot
of our cheerleaders were not as physically fit as they needed
to be to be able to go through a competition routine
that it only lasts two minutes
but those two minutes are jam packed with stunts.
So we try to come up with a conditioning program
and we use the computers and the probes
to tell us what the heart rate was before they exercised,
and then what it was afterwards and also the respiration.
>>Like without this stuff we'd have no idea
like how much things have changed in, you know,
where we started and where we're at now.
It lets people know you know
that they've either been working hard enough or they need
to work a little bit harder.
>>Narrator: Data from the cheerleader workouts is given
to students in an Algebra II class for analysis.
>>The cheerleaders gave us the information
and we have plotted it by using our calculators.
We used a thing called linear regression
to get basically the average increase or decrease.
>>Charlotte: These students are just learning how
to graph equations and instead of just plain graphing numbers,
we're graphing real data so they can have something meaningful
for their work.
>>Narrator: Math teacher, Charlotte uses technology
to help students make connections
between abstract concepts
and real world applications whether they're graphing local
hurricane tides-
>>On the tide tables it was point seven feet
at twelve-oh-five P.M. which our X values are the times
and Y values are-
>>Narrator: Or taking virtual field trips around the world.
>>Teacher: We're going to find antique carousels online
around the world.
>>Most of our kids never get out of Harrison County
so when I can send kids on a virtual field trip
around the world, it's just amazing.
[Student playing instrument]
>>Right now I'm tracing myself
so I can determine my velocity of the ball-
>>Narrator: In this physics class students use video
cameras, photo gates, and other high-tech gadgets
to explore the science behind their personal passions.
>>Olivia Graves: If you consider a minute ago you went
from up there to the floor in a thirtieth of a second.
So your acceleration and your average velocity was a
lot faster.
>>The idea that students are actually going to benefit
from sitting in the desk all day long I think is a fallacy
and a problem with education and this gets them moving around,
discovering, learning.
Discovery to me is the most important part of education.
>>I'm going to measure the sound wave and the acceleration
or velocity of my strokes.
Like I thought this course was going to be like oh my god,
physics formulas, math.
But actually when you're actually doing things it makes
it fun.
>>Narrator: Fun is also part of the lesson plan
for this American History class
which combines a game show format
with a new remote control technology called e-Clicks.
>>A, Colorado, B-
>>Karen: I notice that the kids really enjoy it
and I've actually compared test scores after I've done reviews
with the e-Clicks and with scores where we haven't done it
and their scores are actually better.
>>Or is it D, Troubelist?
>>Karen: Then it's good for me because I can go in,
print the results, and I can see who is having problems
with what area and I can cover it again if I need to.
>>Tell me why Wyoming wanted to have women vote?
>>Student: Most of the men were leaving so they brought women in
and gave them rights to vote so they would bring the-
it would bring all the men back to the state.
>>It helps you learn because it get everybody involved.
It's fun or whatever so we can just you know all be-
>>Together, interact, yeah.
>>Narrator: At Harrison students often get a chance
to interact with outside experts.
>>Expert: Usually you can do that by rapid profiling.
It's computer generated.
It's got two lasers.
>>Narrator: In this computer-ed tech class students get advice
on their individual computer designs
from an expert in plastics.
The buttons are in the eyes.
The right one is the distraught button
and when you push it it pops out of his mouth and it's kind
of like he's sticking his tongue out.
>>Expert: That's probably one
of the cheapest designs you probably could come
up with that here.
That's a good one.
>>Angela: We are going to actually plot points
at the edges of every building at the corners,
and then find the distance in between, and then we're going
to create what from ArcView?
>>Maps.
>>Angela: Okay very good, excellent.
>>Narrator: In this sophomore math class, seventh
and eighth graders from nearby North Gulfport Middle School are
the visiting experts teaching the older Harrison students how
to use GPS devices.
>>This shows you the coordinates.
There's the north coordinate.
There's the west coordinate.
>>Angela: The students in eighth grade are just beginning to grow
and mature and so for them to be able
to show older students is just an incredible experience
for them.
>>The northwest corner.
Yeah.
>>So write down "30 degrees".
>>For latitude, longitude, or elevation?
>>Latitude.
>>Angela: I have students who are high achievers.
We've got some that are low achievers and we've got some
in the middle and once they get their hands on this technology
that just doesn't even matter.
They rise up to the standard that you set for them
and this is something that's new, it's innovative,
and one day many of these kids will be doing this
for their career.
>>What was it, 30?
Uh-huh.
>>At this point you should know which types are probes
and what data collection you're going to be making.
>>Narrator: In an outdoor science classroom built
by students preparations are underway
for the weekly lab assignment.
After a 15 minute trek
on the school's nature trail students stop
at specific points along the stream to take water samples.
The data they collect and analyze is then passed
on to local water quality agencies.
>>How cold is it?
>>We're at three point eight.
>>Donnie: One way that you can excite kids is
by getting them outside of the classroom,
letting them get their hands on something
and get a feel of what's going on.
>>Take your one milliliter of water, pull your film up,
place it on the center, lay your film back down
and just run your finger across it.
That's all you've got to do.
>>When you can take kids out and actually show them something,
let them participate, let them figure out how to do it
on their own, and then let them interpret what they figure out,
then it has real meaning for them.
>>So you're doing PH over time?
Um-hum.
>>Donnie: So within a minute it's realistic to expect
that you would collect 900, 1,000 data sets?
>>Geez, okay.
>>Donnie: Okay?
>>Those are the kinds of skills
that I think kids need, analytical skills.
Not just simple memorization or comprehension.
You know we need to take them beyond that level to being able
to explain their reason.
>>It's a good water-quality indicator so
and then the crawfish are under fair water quality
so I guess the water down there is okay.
>>Teacher: And then you're going to graph it?
>>Narrator: For district technology coordinator,
Charlotte this is the kind of learning
that makes the challenge
of technology integration worth the effort.
>>Charlotte: I love to watch the students learn.
I like to see the light bulb go off.
I like to see the teachers feel successful that yes!
When you know you did it, that spark, when you see that happen,
when you see the classroom gel,
when you see the students sparkle,
when you have them running up to you and they want to be
at school and they want to learn,
you know that you've done what you're supposed to do
because learning is life-long and learning is exciting
and it's fun, but it's also personal.
And we try to make learning personal
in Harrison County Schools.
[Students cheering]
>> For more information on what works
in public education go to edutopia.org