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Pulaski Middle School is situated in New Britain, Connecticut, serving a largely inner-city population. Approximately 70 % of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and the racial breakdown is approximately 47 % Hispanic, 30 % White, 18 % African American, and 5 % Asian. In common with many schools serving similar populations, teachers can find it very difficult to manage the behavior of the students.

The state of Connecticut has pushed the bar for reading and writing, and has become a national leader in standards based education. The heart of this standards based education push was the revision of Connecticut's Common Core of Learning. The Core is organized under three major headings Foundational Skills, Discipline-Based and Interdisciplinary Skills, and Aspects of Character. The state has made great strides academically, however urban schools continue to struggle with academic achievement. This action research project is attempt to use literacy and technology as the means to inculcate the full meaning of The Common Core's "Aspects of Character" in their students.

This project began with an initial collection of data about school perceptions in one SED classroom of 14 students.

Initial data gathering centered on five questions:

Questions asked	Negative Response	Positive Response
How do you feel about school?	13	1
How do you feel about reading?	12	2
How do you feel about writing?	12	2
How do you feel about math?	13	1
How do you feel about technology?	0	14

The driving questions for this project:

1) Would using technology to explore the language arts change negative literacy perceptions?

2) Would changing negative literacy perceptions improve writing?

Both pre-service teachers and middle school students will use multimedia-writing projects to experience, explore, analyze and write about themselves; and respond to literature.

Students explore the writing process and respond to literature through individual and cooperative problem-solving experiences. They use computers for key boarding, word processing, hyper-studio, digital cameras and digital video as the corner stone for desktop publishing. CCSU students in my RLA 440 class, and Pulaski students (SED and multiple handicap], are introduced to Desktop Publishing as the invitation to literacy.

Stage 1: Fall 2000 - Desktop Publishing

Pulaski and CCSU students are learning to use on-screen layouts, use different fonts; right-justify text; layout multiple columns; insert and print art and text on the same page; and print camera-ready copy. Both CCSU and Pulaski students will produce a web page to publish their desktop publishing projects.

Stage 2: Spring 2001 iMovie

Pulaski and CCSU students will learn to create auto -biographical video portraits of themselves. Extending the desktop publishing experiences learning in the fall to I-Movie projects in the spring. Both CCSU and Pulaski students will use digital technology to produce five-minute iMovies to tell their personal stories.

PULASKI STUDENTS

• Students are immersed in appropriate literature linked to Connecticut Common Core Aspects of character. All reading material used in this project is low level high interest literature.
• Students are exposed to diverse role models (at least one per month), who will come to Pulaski and tell their personal story. These role models share how it is possible to overcome racism/poverty and other obstacles.
• Students explore and use multiple technology resources to explore the language arts

CCSU METHODS STUDENTS

• CCSU students are immersed in meaningful learning experiences, integrating technology into the curriculum.
• CCSU students experience first hand cutting edge technology
• CCSU students form collaborative partnerships with each other, in-service teachers and CCSU faculty.
• CCSU students apply technological knowledge learned at CCSU in an authentic environment.

PDS PARTNERS

PDS Partners become engaged in meaningful action research that has immediate benefits for all involved. All data gathered will be analyzed, interpreted and disseminated via various professional publications and presentation at national conferences.