Jennifer Reed-Taunton

Reed-Taunton's winning program idea, "Exploring the Technology Universe," provides an opportunity for students to explore technology by incorporating NASA information into the current curriculum. In a physical science course, students will pretend to be astronauts and go through a year-long "astronaut training " where they will investigate the principles of science through hands-on activities. Those activities include designing and building a model plane; building and launching hot-air balloons and rockets; researching waves; and studying actual data from NASA. Each student will have a handheld tool they will use for research that will help motivate them to complete their class work and expand their knowledge of how technology is applied. The program will serve as an experimental model for the school to test the effect of technology use on overall student performance. Reed-Taunton lives in Boaz.