News - Galaxy Classroom

For immediate release
August 24, 2000

Students look forward to
a Galaxy of learning

    Students at elementary schools in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board will be blasting into the TVO Galaxy Classroom this fall.
    TVO Galaxy Classroom is a powerful learning system that has a proven impact on student achievement, interest, and self-esteem. It integrates technology into the classroom, including television programming, fax, phone e-mail and websites with a "hands-on, minds-on" approach. It provides an open ended journey that exposes students to real scientific inquiry and language skill development through a series of mysteries and adventures.
    The Galaxy Classroom was piloted at 13 Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board elementary schools last year to rave reviews from staff and students.
    There are eight curriculum packages available with the TVO Galaxy Classroom, including, C Squared, S.N.O.O.P.S., Fixer Uppers and The House.

C Squared is an interactive science curriculum for grade 6 students. The adventures use real science inquiries to help students learn about the natural world.
S.N.O.O.P.S. takes grade 3 students on a journey of scientific learning. The mysteries keep students asking about the world around them.
Fixer Uppers offers grade 2 science for real life. They follow a second grader, Keisha, and her father as they fix up their apartment building. The science explorations are based on a series of "What if" questions.
The House is a language arts curriculum for grade 4. The programs follow a continuing story about the lives of a group of multicultural students who interact in an after-school community centre.

Professional development for the TVO Galaxy Classroom is an intensive one-day institute for teachers. There is also a help line as well as a wide range of support materials and resources. Teachers from the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board will be attending the first TVO Galaxy Classroom institute on August 30 at the Board Office in Belleville.

For information contact:
Grant Montgomery, Curriculum Co-ordinator, 966-9491 ext. 2133