Through the "Corny Project" my students were recognized at the Technology Fair in Topeka in 1999. This was an integrated project that culminated in a virtual field trip. This can be viewed at http://www.geocities.com/goodlandks/testcorn.htm. My class took a field trip to a farm to learn about corn harvest. Students rode the combine, listened to the farming couple explain just what goes into planting a field of corn, and learned about their grain storage system at the farm. Back in the classroom students researched corn production and the uses of corn. Students worked in collaborative groups to complete their projects. All subjects were integrated as the students figured the cost of planting corn in a section, wrote paragraphs to describe their photographs, studied the effects of weather on the crop, learned the history of corn in America, and used various technologies. Students used the digital camera and video camera, created a virtual field trip using Claris HomePage, created a movie in Avid Cinema, used the Internet for researching and AppleWorks for word processing. As a result of this project, I received Teacher of the Year from the Sherman County Soil Conservation District, Teacher of the Year from Sherman County Farm Bureau, and an Apple Innovation Award.

I have the desire to learn new things. If I don't know how to do something I read the manual, enlist my husband, or use the help menus. I am not afraid of using technology in my classroom or intimidated if the students know something I don't. I love change! I am never satisfied with the way things are. My lesson plans change each year. I started working with computers when they first came into our schools. I feel like I started learning technology early and have grown with it.

So many things have changed since computers have been in our schools. Communication with parents and students has changed from sporadic notes or newsletters to webpages. Students use my web pages for hotlists for researching, to find out about classroom procedures, to keep updated on what's happening, and to view some of their projects. I also find it easy to share information with other teachers through my website. (www.frazier5.com) I try to present new lessons via PowerPoint or iMovie. I also introduce these to students as methods of presenting a project. I have moved from a manual gradebook to an electronic gradebook and currently to PowerSchool. Lesson plans have gone from paper to computer also. Teacher tools and classroom management has helped ease the load. Technology has become an embedded part of learning in the classroom. I now teach students how to find answers rather than give them the answers, which is a much better arrangement for both of us.