Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Winter 2007 | страница 5

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He also noted that he directs
his students to many Java applets—little animations of very
specific science concepts that
number in the thousands.
Both he and Hall have noted
that the ability to see a concept
visually helps many students
who, as a visual generation,
grasp a concept more quickly
when they see it demonstrated.
“I have one student who
has not had a lot of success in
school, and he is sometimes
very difficult to manage in the
classroom but really engages
when the laptops are involved,”
says Amoroso.
Hall also said he was
finding the laptops
useful to push the
students to higher
achievement by
finding experiments and problems on the Web
that are more difficult than the ones
in the textbook.
“If they are
grasping something
She keeps coming back to the
easily, I can challenge them with
sense of collaboration the laptops
higher level assignments by just
have brought to the teachers. “We
having them click on a link I’ve set have always collaborated because
up,” he notes.
we are organized around teams,
Amoroso says his teaching
but this was such a rejuvenation
style is now quite different than
of that collaboration since much of
in the past. With all of his notes
the curriculum had been set, but
now online for students to review,
this is a new methodology.”
he writes
She
very little
believes the
“If they are grasping something
on the
collaboration
board and easily, I can challenge them
will reach
the stuout into all
with higher level assignments
dents take
departments
by just having them click
far fewer
since some
notes.
on a link I’ve set up...Solidly
of the things
“This
they are
connecting on a personal level
allows
learning are
is the most important thing.”
for more
applicable to
interactive
all teaching.
time, time
—Chris Hall,
to take
Editor’s
science teacher
questions,”
Note: About
he says.
a month
Hall, Amoroso and Lajoie all
after the majority of the technical
make a point to note that the lapglitches were ironed out, students
tops, while excellent tools, are no
were asked to complete a survey
substitute for the teacher-student
about their laptop usage to create
relationship.
some baseline data. While some
“Solidly connecting on a
students reported seeing little difpersonal level is always the most
ference after one month of having
important thing,” says Hall.
the laptops, the majority reported
Lajoie notes that with the lappositive experiences they were
tops teachers are “being empowhaving themselves or observing in
ered to discover new methodology
the classroom. In the next issue of
but also discovering when the
Postscripts we’ll talk more about
laptops are not the most effective
their experiences.
method of delivery.”

Thornton Academy’s Science Department
invites the public to view some of the class
content accessible by the science laptops by
going to TAOnline and registering as a guest
of the class.
To do this, visit Thornton Academy’s Web
site at www.thorntonacademy.org, and click
on “TAOnline.”

Campus Roundup
Davis Named National Merit
Scholarship Semi-Finalist
Thornton Academy senior Matt Davis
has been recognized as a Semi-Finalist in
the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program. To earn the honor of National Merit
Semi-Finalist, Davis placed among the top
Maine students who entered in the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
(PSAT/NMSQT) in October 2005.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation Web site, of the 1.4
million program entrants, roughly 50,000
Matt Davis ‘07
qualify for recognition in the National
Merit Scholarship Program. Of the 50,000
high scorers, roughly one-third or about 16,000 students qualify
as Semi-Finalists by being designated among the highest scoring
entrants in each state.
As a National Merit Semi-Finalist, Davis is now in consideration
for National Merit Finalist recognition, which includes further eligibility for several scholarship awards. The finalists are expected to
be named in this month.

TA Celebrates Pink Week
For the 10th year in a row, Thornton Academy faculty, staff,
students and administration united in October for the celebration
of Pink Week—a weeklong effort to raise awareness about breast
cancer, honor families and friends affected by breast cancer, and
to collect donations to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer
Foundation, recently renamed as Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
This year, Thornton staff and student efforts raised over $2,500
to give to the Foundation, more than double last year’s roughly
$1,200 raised.
Pink Week kicked off