Innovative Learning Grants 2017-18

The Mountain View Los Altos High School Foundation awarded 35 Innovative Learning Grant projects totaling $137,349 for the 2017-18 school year. 

Los Altos High Grant Recipients and Projects

• Lisa Bonanno: Bring Norman Zelaya and his books into the Expository Reading and Writing class to conduct a 12-week Writer’s Workshop at LAHS.
• Lisa Cardellini: Microcentrifuges and DNA fingerprinting lab equipment to create real-world research in forensics crime investigation-based biotechnology to analyze DNA.
• Lisa Cardellini and Meghan Strazicich: Earthwork Research Expedition Package for two teachers to receive training to conduct Case Study and develop curriculum.
• Karen Davis: Expand scope of class activities to attend the Vex Robotics competition that uses different hardware and allows students to begin building enhanced robots in the fall.
• Karen Davis: LIDAR Scanning Systems, high speed graphics processing Notebook for Robotics, ASI and Computer Science students to develop code to run autonomous driving devices, robots, automobiles, etc.
• Heather Laederich: EcoZone chambers for students to model interactions between three different ecosystems and collect, analyze, graph and interpret data and write formal scientific lab reports.
• Fernanda Macillo Garcia: fluoresence microscope and digital camera for laboratory activity to provide students with engaging real-world activity to deepen their understanding of science at the microscopic level.
• Fernanda Mazillo Garcia: Inverted microscopes, DNA and protein strains, plankton nets and id book to study the health of coastal ecosystems and cell biology.
• Jacob Russo: Field trip to Año Nuevo State Park to apply what students have learned and to listen to scientists speak about ecological and evolutionary issues and stimulate/cultivate interest in science.
• Terri Salsman de Rodriguez: World Language Celebration Days helps students develop insight into the nature of language and culture, how language connects with a variety of disciplines and enhances career opportunities.
• Greg Stoehr and Adam Randall: Augmented Reality sandbox project allows students to create topography models by shaping sand to learn the meaning of contour lines, watersheds, catchment areas, levees, etc.
• Greg Stoehr: Classroom set of hand-held, portable microscope cameras to capture photos of objects, and to create real-time videos as well as time-lapse videos in science classes and on field trips.
• Meghan Strazicich: Microscopes for visualizing cells/cultures to study normal and abnormal physiology and biochemistry of cells.
• Meghan Strazicich and Greg Stoehr: attend conference to create a sustainability program that utilizes technologies to solve local and global environmental issues.  Develop cross-cultural collaboration with students in Hawaiian archipelago.
• Alexandra Wilson: Trip to Marine Biology Research Institute for under-served and economically disadvantaged Biology students.
• Jeanne Yu: Attend Computer Science Career Fair and Expo through TEALS to raise awareness of career opportunities and internships for students.

Mountain View High Grant Recipients and Projects

• K. Bautista and S. Imai: fall field trip to Angel Island for Special Ed students to better understand the experience of immigrants and a spring field trip to Moss Landing for whale-watching.
• Sarah Block: Google cardboard enables students to take Virtual Reality tours of important and relevant American locations studied in EL and SDAIE CWI.
• Lauren Camarillo: Vertical Milling Machine for engineering and programming projects.
• Dave Campbell: Trip to DeYoung Museum for AP Spanish Literature and Culture students to study Aztec and Maya artifacts and to see modern art by Hispanic artists.
• Christopher Chang: Trip to Computer History Museum to enhance students’ understanding of how Calculus and other branches of mathematics are fundamental to computer programming.
• Jill Denny: Cost of reproduction to record, edit and produce music CDs for students in Madrigals, A Capella, Concert Choir and Chamber Choir.
• Brendan Dilloughery: 46 USB game controllers, trips to UCSC Silicon Valley Master’s in Games and Payable Media Program, iPads and a class set of DragonBox Elements so that students can program virtual robots by using the RobotC interface working with UCSC computer science students.
• Jason Kneebone: Design and fabricate string instrument and commission a piece for “orchestra and 3D-printed quartet”. View video of the process and the performance on YouTube.
• Judie Lee and Wei Lu: Field trip to SF and Asian Art Museum for students enrolled in Mandarin. Purchase iChineseReader (ICR) platform.
• Virginia Sullivan and Carla Gomez: Technology tools (iPad minis, wireless microphones) to film student discussion to identify students’ area of growth and share best practices for achieving reflective and megacognitive skills to collaborate effectively.
• Emily Pena Thornber: The Young Playwrights Project pairs gifted teaching artists and outstanding role models with theater students to create their own story in a 10 minute play.
• Stephen Widmark: Bronze placques that represent a model Solar System installed on the MVHS campus that will be used in the science curriculum.
• Ning Xu, Stephen Widmark, Gina Dunsmore: Vernier Projectile Launcher, Independence of Motion engages student to design a Performance Task and Set of Evaluative Criteria for projectile motion to investigate concepts in two dimensional kinematics.
• Christine Yow and Kim Rogers: Gas pressure sensor, temp and conductivity probes to increase student learning with pioneering technologies to collect, analyze and interpret scientific data in Chemistry.

Alta Vista High, Freestyle Academy and Middle College Grant Recipients and Projects

• Leo Florendo (Freestyle Academy): Isolation booth, microphone and other related equipment so that students can perform/record own writing in an audio/video format.
• Bonnie Michalek and Marciano Gutierrez (AV): Holocaust survivor to speak to students to deepen their connection to history and create a global awareness of events and become better people.
• Shannon Wernette (AV): planting and gardening supplies for real-world learning about sustainable food production.
• Shannon Wernette and Tomas Ibarra (AV): create a Makerspace to provide hands-on, creative ways to encourage students to design, experiment, build and invent while engaging in science, engineering and tinkering.
• M. Wilson and T. Langdon (MC): Fees for Stanford University’s Compassion Cultivation Training Program for all Middle College students.