PRICE TRENDS.
>>> STUDENTS IN A NORTHWEST SIDE
NAG NET SCHOOL IS GETTING LESSON
TO TO BUILD ROBOTS IN THE FIRST
GRADE, MERGING TECHNOLOGY WITH
EDUCATION.
AND AS BRANDIS FRIEDMAN REPORTS
IT IS HELPING THEM GET THE MOST
OUT OF A LONGER SCHOOL DAY.
>> WE INVENTED THEM.
>> Reporter: THESE SIX-YEAR-OLDS
MAY NOT HAVE ACTUALLY INVENTED
ROBOTS BUT TEACHERS HERE IN
WILDWOOD MAGNET SCHOOL SAYS IT
IS GOOD THEY THINK THEY DID.
>> YOU TAKE IT ON THE TRICK
TAPE.
YOU NEED WIRES.
AND YOU PUT ON THE BATTERY.
>> Reporter: BECAUSE TAKING
OWNERSHIP OF THEIR LEARNS IS
CENTRAL TO THE EXPERIENCE IN
CHICAGO'S NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE ARE TRYING TO ADOPT A STUDENT
DRIVEN INQUIRY AND LEARNING AND
OWNERSHIP OF LEARNING.
>> Reporter: FOR THESE FIRST
GRADERS THAT MEANS BUILDING
ROBOTS AND LIGHTS.
8th GRADERS ARE BURIED IN THAT
LAB TOPS BUILDING WEBSITES AND
THESE FOURTH GRADERS ARE
STUDYING BILLIONAIRES.
DO YOU KNOW WHO WARREN BUFFET
WAS?
>> NO.
>> NOW DO YOU KNOW?
>> I THOUGHT HE WAS A NORMAL
GUY.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW?
>> HE IS AN INVESTOR AND VERY
IMPORTANT.
HE GIVES A LOT OF MONEY TO
CHARITY.
>> HE HAS ABOUT $20 BILLION.
MORE THAN BILL GATES.
>> THEY HAVE TO PROVE IT BY
PRESENTEDDING WHAT THEY KNOW AT
THE SCHOOL'S FAIR.
WE HAVE GIVEN THEM A MENU OF:S
TO CHOSE FROM.
YOU CAN PRESENT WHAT BOARD, OR
PREPT WITH AN i-PAD, SO WE
ENCOURAGE THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY
HERE AT WILDWOOD.
STUDENT ARE RARELY FOUND AT
THEIR DESKS RATHER THAN
SUBJECTS, THE CON TEMPERATURE IS
NEXTEDDING TO MP IN THE CASE OF
THE FOURTH GRADE MILLIONAIRES
THEY ARE LEARNING MATH AND
SOCIAL STUDIES, RESEARCH AND
COLLABORATION.
SPEAKING AND LISTENING.
>> HE WAS A ROLE MODEL IN THE
WORLD AND HE HELPED A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE CAN DO THAT WHEN WE
GET OLDER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO BE RICH BUT
WEEKEND HELP THE WORLD AND BE
GREAT ROLE MODELS.
THEY HAVE TO DM STRAIGHT THEY
HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF
RESPONSIBLE FINANCIAL
MANAGEMENT.
SPENDING AND SAVING WISELY.
WHAT I WANT TO SEE FROM THEM IS
WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING FROM
THESE PEOPLE NOT JUST BECAUSE
THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY BUT HOW
ARE THEY LOOKING AT THEM AT ROLE
MODELS FOR THE KID AND WHAT THEY
WILL DO WITH THEIR LEARNING.
>> Reporter: AND TECHNOLOGY
PLAYS A BIG PART.
>> WHERE DID YOU FIND THE
PICTURES?
>> GOOGLE IMAGES.
>> Reporter: IT IS CALLED
BLENDED LEARNING AND IT IS WHY
THEY SOUGHT OUT THE HELP OF THE
CHICAGO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND.
>> IF WE WANT STUDENTS TO MEET
THOSE EXPECTATIONS 2004 GIVE
THEM AND THEIR TEACHERS THESE
TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEM.
TECHNOLOGY IS ONE OF THE GREAT
AND AVAILABLE TOOLS OUT THERE
FOR US.
AND BY BLNDING IT TEACHERS CAN
TAKE A CLASSROOM OF 30 STUDENT
AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND BEGIN TO
MEET THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.
SO USING TECHNOLOGY SMARTLY THEY
CAN SEE WHERE EACH INDIVIDUAL
STUDENT IS AGAINST A PARTICULAR
TOPIC.
AND THEY CAN PUT THOSE STUDENTS
IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF GROUPS TO
HELP ADVANCE THEM AT THE PACE
THAT MAKES IT FOR THEM.
>> Reporter: THE SCHOOL IS
WORKING THROUGH HOW TO BEST USE
ITS OVERCROWDED SPACE AND HELP
STUDENTS TIE TECHNOLOGY TO WHAT
THEY LEARN IN CLASS.
SWH OF FUNDING ARRIVED JUST AS
THE LONGER SCHOOL DAY WAS BEING
IMT PLEMTED IN ALL OF CHICAGO'S
SCHOOLS.
>> IN THE LOWER GRADES WE JUST
BUILT WHAT WE CALLED MYRTLE
TIME, MEDIA QUISHY, AND THAT WAS
A CHANCE TO WORK ON SOME
PROJECTS THAT THEY ARE GETTING
IN THE CONTACT AREAS.
AND PUTTING UP TIME FOR MORE
READING AND THE BIGGEST THING IS
SUPPORT YOUR LEARNERS WHO ARE
STRUGGLING.
>> Reporter: THAT TECHNOLOGY
ALLOWS FOR MORE PROJECT BASED
HANDS-ON LEARNS BECAUSE STUDENTS
WORK AT THEIR OWN LEVELS.
>> WE KNOW WHAT PEOPLE NEED IN
THIS ECONOMY IS THEY NEED TO, WE
ARE COMPETING AGAINST PEOPLE WHO
HAVE MASTER'S DEGREES WHO WILL
WORK FOR CHEAPER THAN WHAT OUR
WORK FORCE WILL WORK FOR.
WE HAVE TO EQUIP KIDS WITH THE
CAPACITY OF COMPETING IN THE
GREBAL ECONOMY.
AND COMPETING IN JOBS THAT
MATTER.
>> Reporter: AND IT FITS IN WITH
WHAT STUDENT ARE REQUIRED TO
DEMONSTRATE UNDER THE COMMON
CORE STATE STANDARDS.
REALLY IT IS PUTTING OUT THERE
WHAT IS EXPECTED, NOT THE COMMON
CORE BUT IN THE REAL WORLD.
I SPEND MOST OF MY DAY
EVERYTHING TO FIGURE OUT HAVING
TO TAKE DIFFERENT IDEAS AND
COMMUNICATE THEM TO OTHER
PEOPLE, DEFEND THEM, IN SOME
CASES AND WE ARE GIVING STUDENTS
THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN NOW DID
THAT IN A VERY SAFE ENVIRONMENT
OF SCHOOL.
THE HOPE IS THESE STUDENT WILL
BE BETTER PREPARED FOR HIGH
SCHOOL AND WHATEVER ELSE COMES
THEIR WAY.
FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, I'M BRANDIS
FRIEDMAN.
>>> WILDWOOD IS VASTLY
OVERCROWDED AND MORE THAN 1