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Lars Jensen - Hosting webwork for high schools?

Lars Jensen - Hosting webwork for high schools?

by Arnold Pizer -
Number of replies: 0
inactiveTopicHosting webwork for high schools? topic started 9/6/2002; 6:12:29 PM
last post 9/10/2002; 4:27:37 AM
userLars Jensen - Hosting webwork for high schools?  blueArrow
9/6/2002; 6:12:29 PM (reads: 1464, responses: 4)
Our school district is submitting an NSF proposal, and we have been asked to be part of that. The district is seeking way to enhance education through collaborations with area colleges. In a meeting on this, I proposed that we (TMCC) help the district schools set up an on-line homework service. A possibility is to host webwork at our school, and provide support, set up problem sets for the schools. We could also provide in-service training of teachers, etc.

My questions on this are:

1) Do we have any prior examples of such use of webwork?
2) Are there anyone I should talk to about this?
3) Any suggestions for what to include in a budget?
4) Do you have any ideas or suggestions how to implement this?

Thanks,
Lars Jensen
Truckee Meadows Community College
Reno, NV

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userRichard M. Woodward - Re: Hosting webwork for high schools?  blueArrow
9/6/2002; 8:56:19 PM (reads: 1732, responses: 0)
Hello, Lars.

My plans for WebWork are very similar to yours. I am hoping to "Start a Movement," as Mike Gage says, in Rochester NY. I have one high school interested already, and I will be working hard at becoming the resident WebWork expert.

Keep me posted on how you proceed. I truly believe we can raise the bar significantly if we can get WebWork into High Schools.

Regards, Richard M. Woodward math@richardwoodward.com

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userMark Schmitt - Re: Hosting webwork for high schools?  blueArrow
9/7/2002; 4:18:53 AM (reads: 1734, responses: 0)
Lars,

I am currently using WeBWorK at my high school (Detroit Country Day School). We have algebra 2, precalculus, calculus, physics, and astronomy classes using the system. We're also working on putting up our speech class. As a side project this summer, I have helped a local university's geology department replace their scantron based lab quizzes with a secure WeBWorK system. The use of WeBWorK in our high school setting has been very successful, and now that the geology launch is nearly done, we are looking into a partnership with the university to spread WeBWorK to local public schools.

I think that WeBWorK makes a great fit when you have a high level of connectivity among the student population, and from experience, I know that WeBWorK can work even if there is no connectivity outside of school. I'd love to help you and Richard with these projects. If you have questions for me, I'd be happy to help answer. As for the questions you already asked:

1) Yes, there are some examples of WeBWorK in high schools. Ohio State and Rochester have both hosted some classes. I'm running my own server for our school.

3) In your budget, you will need to pay for a server. You may need to pay for your server's internet connection (check with your school). You will want to pay out some salaries, I'm sure. Depending on the financial state of the schools you are working with, you might want to help them get more/bigger computer labs to take advantage of WeBWorK during the day, or pay for staffing before/after school for kids without access at home. These are all ideas off the top of my head. I have no idea which of these NSF would or would not be willing to fund.

4) The first step to implementation, since you have a server at your school, is to find a high school teacher or two who want to give it a try. Start small. When people see how it works, it will grow. Do a lot of hand-holding for your first teachers. Keep them very comfortable, and they will absorb a lot of information, and teach you about lots of things you never considered.

Good luck! Feel free to contact me with any questions.

 

Mark

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userArnold K. Pizer - Re: Hosting webwork for high schools?  blueArrow
9/9/2002; 3:02:01 AM (reads: 1695, responses: 0)
Several other current CCLI grants which support institutions using WeBWorK have a high school component (e.g. Radford Univ., Alabama State University, and possibly ASU). However using WeBWorK in high school is not the major aim of any of these proposals.

Type WeBWorK into

http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a6/A6AwardSearch.htm

and you will get a list abstracts of current NSF grants supporting WeBWorK.

Arnie

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userJun Wang - Re: Hosting webwork for high schools?  blueArrow
9/10/2002; 4:27:37 AM (reads: 1708, responses: 0)
Yes, our grant has a high school component. We are in the process of contacting in-service centers and the department of education in Alabama to schedule workshops/seminars. Our aim is to "Start a Movement," in Central Alabama.

For high school component, we plan to use in-service centers to identify teachers that are interested in using online management technology and get them to use WeBWorK. We believe that once a teacher starts to use WeBWorK and gets familiar with it, he/she will like it as we do and be willing to spend time on it. The problem we anticipate is that WeBWorK may not be as user-friendly as other commercial systems and some teachers might be scared away before they get to know it. If we are lucky, we may find some experts like Richard and Mark. If not, we plan to host high school courses and do some background work for them initially until we can identify one expert user (not necessarily a computer expert) in each school.

This is our tentative plan yet to be implemented. We will keep this group posted.

Jun

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