As an undergraduate at UCSC viewing your suburb video brings about a plethora of inquiries regarding your audience:

*How are the 'necks that turn heads' affected by your ingenuous project?

*Policy makers will only become policy changers for the good of the upcoming generation if your purpose appeals to their pockets. By this I mean, what are the 'angles' that grabs at the 'global village ideals' of helping while securing votes (job security). Also, how can your project appeal to these policy suites bent on popularity status without disrupting their time constraints?

*Who lobbies (wines and dines) these public representatives? What have been their successful strategies, thus far?

I thrust forward with my fellow students to pave pathways of educational solutions with integrity while fine-tuning the clever old school of 'business as usual' while, at the same time, avoid the 'good old boys club'.

Describe your initial reactions or thoughts as you watched this video.

I really loved how several teachers came together to construct this project. It was so exciting to see these students learning about so many different subjects in the same project. I loved how the engineering student from Tufts Uni. was so good at explaining that engineers do the same type of testing on things they design before they build them.

What did you learn about technology integration from this video?

That it can be a group and cross-curriculum effort that will benefit students AND teachers.

What did you learn about pedagogy (the art of teaching) from this video?

I immediately thought of three different projects that I could do that used this type of real world field trip to inspire physics, engineering, history, biology and chemistry subject matter. This was an amazing project that I hope I can someday be part of a teaching team willing to do something like this with the ship channel, the hurricane levies or NASA.

Do you think these types of projects are possible for you and your students? Why or why not?

Yes, all I would need to implement something like this is about three weeks of planning, a little bit of money, and a willing high school science team to make this project happen.

I liked the idea that the students earned the right to go on the field trip by completing their passport. I liked the idea that the students were using digital photos to chronicle their field trip and then uploading them to the computer for their projects. This allowed them to have hands on experiences with how technology integrates in today's world. The testing lab very effectively utilized manipulatives that allowed the students to do hands on exercises to see and feel their lesson. I think similar projects could be used in my high school math classes. Geometry would be more conducive for this type project but projects for Algebra and Pre-Calculus could be designed also.

What an inspiring, smart, and common-sense-based video. It was wonderful to see these students using technology, in addition to, not to the exclusion of, basic instruction - as many preach whilst jumping on the digital bandwagon.

I think the most important aspect of the video is that the architecture of theme units fits perfectly with using technology holistically. Also important, but only implied, is that the unit must have had professional guidance. How else could the unit have been translated into several languages? This is a great idea - have the input of teachers for the outline and then have specialists maximize the digital possibilities. I believe the benefits are too great, in many cases, to have amateurs (most teachers) trying to produce high quality digital media products.

Great video. Theme Units make so much sense.

My name is Lenica Ruiz, I am a preservice teacher attending classes at Arizona State University, the Polytechnic Campus. The faculty at Ferryway School is doing an amazing job with integrating technology into their curriculum. I think it is very important to for to students to be creative with projects by adding their own special touches to it. By using technology in the class whenever possible, is certainly the way to attain this goal. To have a group of teachers all working collaboratively towards one goal is inspiring as a future teacher.

I am a preservice teacher attending classes on the ASU Polytechnic campus. I thought that the model being used at Ferryway School was one which could be very successful, but needed the support of the district and school administration, as well as funding, to be successful. I like to believe that all teachers want their students to experience success and to learn and grow as individuals, but I also think that sometimes educators can feel as if they are in a skirmish with the administration and fighting a losing battle over budgeting constraints. I think it is wonderful that these educators took the time to plan this curriculum, apply for technology grants, and follow through by broadening the scope of the new program to include the fourth grade, due to its success. This is the type of learning environment I think we all would like to be a part of when we are in the classroom.

I am a pre-service teacher at Arizona State University and I believe that technology in the classroom is a must. This video was such an inspiration. The teachers and staff at Ferryway High have done a remarkable job incorporating technology into the classroom. I think that by taking one concept and incorporating all of the subjects is a wonderful way for students to be successful. I look forward to integrating technology in my classroom in the future.

My name is Michaella Palmer and I am a pre-service teacher at ASU in Mesa, AZ. We are learning so many things in school, but I have not had the opportunity to see some of these "theories" implemented. The teachers at Ferryway School are doing this very well. It is so exciting to see that teaching can be fun for us teachers and students. As teachers we have to be skilled at integrating all of these subjects with technology. What fantastic projects they are doing. I hope that when I have my own classroom I will be able to implement the same types of activities where the students are in control of their learning. There is not a better way for them to learn.