Developing an Online Application to Enhance an Offline Education Program: The Verizon Reading Edge approach
Candace Barrett, The Children's Museum of Los Angeles, USA
Wendy Levy, i-Wonder Studios, USA
http://www.childrensmuseumla.org

Mini-Workshop: Gain a Skill - 6

This mini-workshop examines the development, implementation and refinement of the Web and technology component of the Verizon Reading Edge (VRE) curriculum, an outreach program of the Children?s Museum of Los Angeles (CMLA).

The Reading Edge program is a high-impact and multi-dimensional outreach program that brings the excitement and novelty of discovery-based literacy, technology and arts learning to both formal and informal education settings. The program melds elements of State Standard-based language arts, dramatic arts and technology curricula into a two-hour per day, twice weekly, six weeklong residency program.

Working with i-Wonder Studios (iWS), CMLA developed a Web based application to support, enhance and extend the VRE program.

Beginning with the identification of learning objectives and an examination of technologies and tools available on-site, the process culminated in the deployment of an online application that was seamlessly integrated into the learning experience.

Topics covered include:

• The development framework- Requirements, Overview, Architecture, Programming, Testing and Assessment
• Building in phases- scalable architecture
• Managing workflow expectations
• Staff/teacher training, documentation and support
• Evaluating success
• Making changes and adding functionality