Introduction

The Stanton/Heiskell Center studies the effect of emerging telecommunication technologies on society, primarily as the technologies impact underserved communities. Over the last 15 years, since the Center was established, technology has had a profound influence in the worlds of business, entertainment, science and government. Where its impact is less understood is in the learning environments of our K-12 public education systems.

Recent reports indicate that an unacceptable number of middle school children fail to read on grade level. More frequently these children live in low-income, underserved communities, both urban and rural. In New York City, close to 70% of 8th grade students do not meet the minimum grade-level standards in reading established by the New York State Board of Regents. This statistic is mirrored across the country and suggests that underserved middle school students require additional attention to help them progress and successfully complete their studies.

In addressing this problem, the government passed the “No Child Left Behind” legislation mandating improved student achievement. As a result, the schools are placing renewed emphasis in the development of literacy and math skills. The Center created Project Stretch to be a resource to the schools and the home to combat this problem.

Project Stretch brings a structured, educational, computer-based curriculum to existing after school programs to assist middle school students to improve their critical thinking, communication, and literacy skills. The learning activities enable each participating program to adapt and enrich the curriculum according to their students' specific needs and teachers’ experience. The goal is to improve the traditional literacy and computer literacy skills of underachieving students.

In our view, literacy—reading, writing, and speaking—is best taught when integrated into the students' daily experiences. Project Stretch emphasizes the vital connections between living and learning. It uniquely engages the computer technologies in making these connections through a project-based curriculum and products that are socially relevant to the student and teacher alike.

Stretch provides a variety of services: 1) a computer-based curriculum grounded in the everyday lives and needs of students; 2) educational resources, Stretch interactive Web site and guidebooks, based on research and classroom-tested methodologies; 3) highly trained resource staff, classroom teachers, and agency staff through a strong staff development program on and offline; 4) donated computers in the home; 5) outreach to parents and the necessary leadership to promote ongoing dialogue and interaction among parents, students, teachers, community organizations, and the university.

This guidebook, a resource to teachers and parents, describes the project, discusses its theories, curriculum, learning and teaching strategies, and provides clear examples of how to adapt the curricular activities to meet the needs and expectations of teachers and students. It is organized into five chapters as follows. The first, Literacy in Today's World, discusses the transformation of reading and writing behaviors as a result of the everyday use of computers and the Internet. Chapter 2: What is Project Stretch, defines our project, discusses the students involved and the places where we have been working. The third, Why Project Stretch, reflects on the different approaches to using technology in educational settings and then discusses how Project Stretch is different. Chapter 4: The Teaching and Learning Contents of Project Stretch describes our teaching and learning objectives and presents the primary contents to be taken into consideration in the teaching process, and Chapter 5: Teaching Project Stretch, describes how teaching is organized in a project-based curriculum. Following these, you will find Phase 1 : samples of activities, Phase 2 : samples of student projects and Appendices A & B, which contain various tables and worksheets that will be helpful in the teaching process.

Our partners are recognized non-profit after school agencies that oversee neighborhood after-school programs in schools and/or community centers, parents, City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, NYC schools and corporate foundations. This project will help shape a network of stakeholders—parents, students, classroom teachers and staff from community-based organizations, university faculty and students, and the private sector—who use the power of computers and networking technologies, coupled with intensive support from caring adults, to scaffold better outcomes for all students.

I wish to thank the Children's Aid Society, The After-School Corporation, the Jacob A. Riis Neighborhood Settlement House, the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation, and their teaching staff for their participation and enthusiastic support, as well as the Stretch staff of CUNY doctoral students for their devotion and commitment to the project. Stretch was made possible with the technical and financial assistance of major funders, AT&T and Citigroup. Additional resources were provided by Con Edison, Disney, and JP MorganChase Foundations. Throughout, the CUNY Graduate Center support has been crucial to the development of Project Stretch.

Helen Birenbaum
Executive Director
Stanton/Heiskell Center