P.O. Box 493, Sonoma CA 95476 (707) 935-9566

Students in Kindergarten teacher Melissa Keylon's class created individualized photo books using technology that Melissa learned as a participant of Merit.
(Merit is a program, sponsored by SVEF, that helps teachers develop technology skills so they can integrate technology into their classroom.)

Each student took photos and wrote stories about their activities at home and school.



Students combined photos with original art for their creations.

Utilizing laptops, students edited and designed layout for their finished product,



just like professional photojournalists.

Congratulations to the 2009 EWYL Graduates:

Shirley Austin-Peeke, Lydia Calderon, Lucia Chavez-Goodman, Cheryl Coldiron, Brigitta Crews, Tracy Dorrance, Curtis Duff, Doris Estudillo, Emily Grzyb, Fred Haas,  Melissa Keylon, Diane Lopez, Danielle Lovejoy, Alita Matthews, Alison Manchester, Lyndsey Munn, Pamela Murray, Karen O'Hara

PURPOSE

The purpose of the MERIT Sonoma program is to successfully train Sonoma Valley public school teachers in the use of technology to enhance their ability to integrate technology within curriculum to enhance student learning.

HISTORY

The Earn While You Learn Institute (EWYL), first launched at Foothill College in Los Altos, CA in 2000, is a donor-funded, project-based learning technology institute with a yearlong requirement and follow-up.  EWYL is the brainchild of Gay Krause, a former school principal and teacher, who developed and secured funding for the Krause Center for Innovation (KCI) located at Foothill College. In the summer of 2004, two Sonoma Valley teachers attended the Earn While You Learn Institute at KCI. From that beginning a program was launched here in Sonoma, with major funding supplied by the Vadasz Family Foundation and the rest of the funding, raised locally by SVEF.

Through these funds we were able to create The Sonoma Valley Technology Center at the Myron De Young Library on our high school campus and establish a Sonoma EWYL cohort in conjunction with the KCI. 

Over the past 5 years, EWYL, now called MERIT which stands for Making Education Relevant and Interactive through Technology has helped teachers develop technology skills by participating in a two week, intensive summer institute.  The participants learn basic software applications and how to utilize the web.  The teacher select a topic for their graduation project which is completed with their regular classroom during the school year.  The finished projects are presented at graduation and are entered into the California Student Media Festival.  This year a number of Sonoma Valley teachers were selected to receive awards for their projects. 

BENEFITS FOR TEACHERS

Many of our teachers have expressly mentioned how this program has boosted their motivation for teaching and has enhanced their sense of professionalism. Another tangible benefit for the EWYL teachers is that participating in the program yields CEU credits through Foothill College.  This innovative program provides teachers with the opportunity to focus on creating rich and enduring learning experiences for students. 

TEACHER TESTIMONIALS

"Earn While You Learn made it possible for me to learn amazing technology that I otherwise would never have learned.  Besides working full time and raising teenagers, I also volunteer in my community.  I have taken computer classes in the past, but none have given me to personal attention I needed to a) learn the skills I cared to learn and b) make me want to learn and practice more on my own.  It would have been hard to justify taking so much time away from my family if I hadn't been earning money at the same time. I also taught my teens the skills I learned, as practice for teaching my classes!"
             -Barb Ciapponi - Sonoma Valley High School

"My comfort level with technology has improved tremendously and I found that students' behavior and work engagement improves significantly when using technology. This is the first time in 30 years of teaching that hairs have stood up on the back of my neck." 

            - Peggy Burris - Sonoma Valley High School

"(EWYL) is the best training I have received in 15 years of teaching."

            - Ken Bystrom - Sonoma Valley High School

"THANK YOU for E.W.Y.L.!!! You have truly changed how I think about education and about how important it is to equip young children with the technological skills necessary for a successful future in the real world!!!"

             - Diane Dalenberg - El Verano Elementary