One Class at a Time for March 2017

The 20th year of your career is a time to celebrate.

For one teacher at the West Prairie Middle School, her two decades of being inside the classroom was recently honored, but not in a way you'd expect.

Thanks to our sponsors Continental Cement, Green America Recycling, and ETC Computerland, Mrs. Joan Biswell was honored as the March recipient of our One Class at a Time grant.

Inside West Prairie Middle School is Joan Biswell's science class.

"What I like about science is I get to learn more things about the body, the genetics, and certain types of animals and stuff like that," said 8th grader Nick Turner.

Technology is also a big player in science. When she started teaching, Biswell worked with pencils and paper. Eventually, computers made their way into school.

"We did go from one computer in the classroom to now everyone has iPads," says 8th grader Jenna Nelson.

Being a smaller district, Biswell teaches several different science curriculums, from Earth Science to Biology, and just about everything in between. She was actually on her way out of the classroom when she got some special visitors.

"I'm constantly trying to get the 21st century skills built in where they are using technology and applying the research that we do," said Biswell.

Biswell plans to use the thousand dollar grant on some iPad friendly equipment to do work with ultra violet light and sound waves.

"They are a probe that sends the signal via Bluetooth to the iPad. I'm buying enough for six sets so I can break the students into teams to perform experiments," said Biswell.

This product will allow the students to do their own study of some wave pattern products when they do their research.

For more information on One Class at a Time initiative by clicking here.