Real world learning at TechBoston Academy includes placing students in internships, after-school programs, and specialized projects that apply their academic lessons to real world scenarios.

Lowell Field Trip

TechBoston Academy students took a trip to the Lowell Textile Mills during the 2002-2003 school year. Students visited the exhibits at the Lowell National Park site, using various forms of media to record their experience. Students used mp3 recorders to capture the sound of the mills and interview park rangers about how the mills worked and what life was like for workers during the 1800s. Other students took pictures of the site with digital cameras, and a digital camcorder taped video of the trip. Students then used all of these resources as well as videos from American Memory shot by Thomas Edison at the turn of the Century to create a video documentary for Mr. Weatherford's US History class. The video's were based on Massachusetts State History Standards regarding the emergence and impact of the textile industry in New England , with emphasis on new technologies, immigration, and the role of women. Special thanks to Lowell National Historical Park for their help.

"I liked going to the Mills instead of hearing about it through a book because it was more hands on. We got to become part of the history by seeing how all the machines worked and talking with the Park Rangers." - Jason, (TBA student)
"Creating a video was fun. I like seeing History instead of always just reading about it." - Andy, (TBA student)

Student Examples
Videos have been reduced in quality and size for the Web
Jason (link to video)
Ashley (link to video)

Resources
Project Lesson Plans (link to movie project plans PDF)
Student Instructions and Rubric (Link to Lowell student handout and rubric PDF)

Technology Goes Home
( http://www.tghboston.org/ )

TechBoston Academy and The Boston Digital Bridge Foundation have partnered to make TBA the first High School site for the Technology Goes Home Program. TGH provides students and parents with basic computer training while integrating city and sate learning standards. TGH@School strengthens connections between families and schools while giving parents and students a chance to work together collaboratively. Mr. Weatherford, a History teacher at TBA, has taught the program for two years. At the conclusion of the 8 weak training program families receive a new computer, printer, and internet access at a low monthly fee. The course and computer training are provided for free or reduced cost. Over thirty TBA families have received computers through the program.

"My mother and I learned a lot about computers by participating in TGH, especially my mother because she didn't have much experience with computers. We learned about the programs like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. The class was helpful because it was easier for us to understand how to use the programs and have someone go through the way to do certain things step by step. I enjoyed working with my mother because I got to help her with things she didn't understand. My mother also enjoyed it because she got to learn about programs that she never used before. The computer I received has helped me a lot with my school work because I now have access to the internet and have other programs like PowerPoint and Inspiration so that I can do my homework at home instead of having to finish it all at school." -Ashley, ( TBA student and TGH participant )

Project 540
( http://www.project540.org )

The idea behind Project 540 is that students create a dynamic, moving initiative. A 540 degree turn is a revolution and a half. During Project 540, students identify the issues they really care about, look around, and examine the current landscape in their high school for student civic engagement. Through dialogue, students map out existing opportunities for everyone in the school to see. This brings them full circle, understanding and appreciating what their school and community have to offer. Then they take an additional turn to create recommendations that will enhance their opportunities for community involvement- a 540 degree turn for civic change.

During the first year of project 540, students identified a need for a student council and student involvement on the school governing board. Through project 540, students created a school constitution, a TBA student council, and have been assured voting membership on the new TBA school Governing Board.

Who knows what TBA students will
change this year?!

Boston.com
( http://www.boston.com )

TBA students took a field trip downtown to visit the design, development and marketing offices of Boston.com. The students, who were working on the school newspaper's first web issue at the time, saw first-hand how a major newspaper such as the Boston Globe is put online in the real world. Representatives from each department described their roles in the development process and fielded questions whose topics ranged from copyrighting laws on the web to generating revenue through advertising on a web page. Students presented their online newspaper, The Messenger@TechBoston Academy , to Boston.com employees and received feedback on their work-in-progress.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day
( http://www.jobshadow.org/ )

Each year, thousands of students statewide and hundreds of thousands of students nationally participate in Groundhog Job Shadow Day, a day dedicated to allowing young people to experience the workplace and think about career options.

Created in Boston in 1996, Job Shadow Day is a partnership among the Boston Public Schools, Boston Private Industry Council, the Massachusetts Department of Education and Junior Achievement. These organizations work together to engage local businesses and Boston Public School students for this day of exploration.

Groundhog Job Shadow Day extends school-to-career partnerships from the classroom to the workplace, engaging thousands of students who learn by combining challenging academics in the classroom with practical application through job shadowing, jobs, and internships. For many employers, the job shadow is the precursor to the summer jobs campaign, one of Mayor Thomas Menino's initiatives to help Boston students find rewarding summer employment.

TechBoston Academy typically has 20 students going out to various businesses on Job Shadow Day.