Conversations with Educators

A+ is pleased to present a conversation with Philip Johnson. Philip is a teacher at Sykes Jr. High School. (view biographical sketch)

How can teachers most benefit from professional development?

Staff development is essential for the improvement of student achievement. Workshops on curriculum, technology, and implementation strategies help broaden a teacher's ability to present lessons. And, Lanett City School officials encourage and even supply staff development for instructional ideas and lesson enhancement. Teachers must use the knowledge gained in workshops to better their own classrooms. For example, if teachers simply sit and absorb a presentation without taking notes and visualizing how the workshop can improve their teaching, they have not benefited from an opportunity to learn.

Can you tell us about the Lanett City Schools service learning program and what students have accomplished in the program?

I am the service learning coordinator for Lanett City Schools. This is our third year to receive a State Department of Education grant for our student-led projects. Service-learning education has been adopted nationwide to encourage students to participate in community service Service learning requires students to not only participate in various service projects but also uses the knowledge gained by helping others in classroom activities such as journals and role-playing. It is amazing to see how well students respond to service projects, and it is even more surprising to see how they enjoy the classroom integration of their service experiences. Lanett students developed a peer tutoring program, big brother/sister program, campus revitalization project (at both the middle school and high school level), and a student ambassador program. They also sponsored many food, toy, and clothing drives for deserving local families.

How are you integrating technology within your curriculum?

Lanett City Schools require teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. All media centers in the system are equipped with multi-station Internet access as well as automated circulation for library information. Career modules are used to allow students to begin thinking about job opportunities. Mass media classes allow students to produce, edit, and feature student-made documentaries and videos to the teachers and student body. As newspaper and yearbook sponsor, I require journalism students to produce an on-line version of The Investigator, Lanett High School's newspaper. Out yearbook, The Lanala, is created by students using computers. I also work with the newly developed Apprenticeship Program which allows students to take communication classes at school and then apply their computer and communication skills by participating in internships at InterCall, a teleconferencing company, and Knology, a high-speech cable company.

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