Tech Valley High School freshmen will discuss ways to end world religious conflict during a Socratic Seminar on March 2.

About 30 students from the school will split into two groups to have an open discussion on the belief systems of the world’s major faiths and to answer questions including – how to solve world religious strife.

“It will be an open discussion based on their research and trips to the various religious houses,” said teacher Thomas Morrill.

During the last month, TVHS students have visited a Catholic church, a Muslim mosque, a synagogue, Hindu temple and Buddhist Temple. While there, they have met with religious leaders and asked their opinions on a variety of topics.

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Imagine a world where dissections are a thing of the past; microscopic elements like cells can be viewed from all angles, both inside and out; and students wish their science classes would never end. Broadalbin-Perth High School biology teacher Brian Henry caught a glimpse of that world this week when his classroom became the first in the area to try a new 3D projection system.

Henry’s Honors Living Environment students donned battery-powered 3D glasses to view three-dimensional models and instructional videos during a demonstration of the technology on Tuesday morning. Henry first showed an animated model of the human heart, rotated it in midair, then virtually sliced it in half to allow students to see the four chambers of the heart. He then activated a feature to show virtual blood pumping into and out of the heart, allowing students to see the path the blood takes in a way they could never experience through a textbook.

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If Charlemagne had an iPhone and could send text messages, what would he say? Phil Schoff’s freshman history class at Canajoharie High School is doing their best to figure out that question.

Mr. Schoff instructed his class to create a text dialogue between the former emperor of Rome and a suggested historic figure such as Pope Leo III, Alcuin of York, Charles Martel (his grandfather), a poor Frankish farmer, or a warrior.

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What do most high school seniors and presidents have in common? They want to leave their “legacy” behind.

High school seniors in Brigitte Jackson’s Participation in Government class recently left their mark as they researched past presidents’ legacies in determining who should run for the 2012 Presidential Election.

“The premise of the project was to help students understand that political, social, and economic issues transcend time and frequently reoccur in modern day elections,” said Jackson.

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Seventh-graders in Diane Babin’s Family and Consumer Science classes at Schalmont Middle School are learning a valuable lesson, one stitch at a time, about the importance of helping others. Students sewed 51 hug-a-heart pillows during Diane Babin’s Family and Consumer Science class, which were donated to Ellis Hospital heart surgery patients.

This semester, students sewed and donated turbans for chemotherapy patients, beds for sheltered animals, teddy bears for sick children and heart-shaped pillows for hospital patients. The project is part of a class unit, called Community Connections, that supports the middle school’s commitment to building good character traits.

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Students in teacher Greg Sherwin’s 3rd grade class at Shaker Road Elementary School in the South Colonie School District have posted their latest video book reviews online!

After reading a book, groups of students discuss their thoughts on camera. Each member of the group chooses their favorite character and tells if they would recommend the book to a friend or not. View the book reviews

Kung fu – and a life lesson for local school’s  Chinese students

Translated literally from Chinese to English, kung fu means skill acquired through hard work. That’s a fitting description for presentations that Chinese martial arts teacher Lucas Geller recently gave to Niskayuna High School Chinese classes earlier this month.

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Special and Alternative Education students at WSWHE BOCES Myers Education Center are taking an environmental stand – and they are documenting it on video too.

During their lunch break and with a camera rolling, TSP South students are seen collecting, sorting, and recycling used plastic bags in the video. Students not only recycle the materials, but also knit or crochet new creations from the bags, creating reusable shopping bags, doormats and other products.

Check it out!

A video created and produced by students from the Schoharie Central School District has advanced to the final round of a Samsung competition. Students were invited  to answer the challenge, “Show how science or math can help the environment in your community.”

More than 1,500 application essays were submitted by teachers and students across the country. The top 25 were chosen and sent video production kits containing a Samsung laptop, camcorder and software from Adobe. The Schoharie video was among the 12 finalists that have been selected and are featured on this site. Through the work of these students, Schoharie CSD could win computer and audiovisual technology that’s worth $100,000, a trip to the winner announcement ceremony and even a classroom assistance dog.

Working with Cornell Cooperative Extension, the students tested and analyzed soil on Schoharie valley farms for contaminants, nutrients, and pH values in the aftermath of flooding in that region last fall. You can see their whole video at the top of this post. To vote for Schoharie, click here!

The focus in the news lately has been education funding and teacher evaluations.

While leaders and bureaucrats at the state level are busy legislating what “should” be happening in our schools, and media stories tend to focus on what “shouldn’t” be happening in our schools, it is easy to lose sight of all of the amazing things that are happening in our local schools every day.

To help keep a focus on the most important aspects of education —  you know, things like students, teaching, learning, etc. — we’ve decided to devote this whole week to featuring “Stories from our Schools.”

Our first story talks about a cool partnership between Germantown High School and Taconic Farms, a Columbia County company that provides animals for biomedical researchers around the globe. Check it out here: Small district finds avenue to big science.

Let us know about the good things happening in your schools by emailing us at edspeaks@gw.neric.org!