Microsoft Corp. and the Corporation for National and Community Service recently announced six schools — from California, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia — that have been selected to participate in the Service & Technology Academic Resource Team (START). The initiative recognizes the leadership shown by students and teachers in schools across America who are working together in meaningful ways to revitalize learning, schools and communities through the use of technology.
East Garner Magnet Middle was selected on the basis of its Students Working to Advance Technology (SWAT) team. Students serving on the SWAT team teach fellow classmates about technology in computer labs, take part in community service projects including teaching library patrons to use Microsoft Office, design Web sites for teachers, assist teachers with Internet research, and videotape news broadcasts. Through the program, students are gaining technology training and leadership skills and valuable community service experience.
START redefines the role of the student in the classroom and creates a new kind of collaboration between students and teachers through technology-focused service-learning. The goal is to utilize the technology skills of students to partner with teachers and determine where technology best fits into the learning environment. The selected schools will receive grants and serve as national laboratory sites and as examples of how schools can integrate service-learning and technology into the classroom.