The Technology & Learning
Teacher of the Year Awards Program

1998 National Winner

Florence McGinn
Hunterdon Central Regional High School
Flemington, New Jersey

If the technology were removed from Florence McGinn's classroom, it would still be a vibrant place to learn. The walls would still be plastered with art, literary quotations, and awards, and her instruction would still be active and inspiring. With the technology, however, McGinn offers an unparalleled learning environment, and it is no surprise that she and her students have formed one of the first chapters of the American Technology Honor Society.

The most striking feature of McGinn's instruction is the transparency of the technology. Students are held to the highest standards, and advanced technology is no excuse for favoring sizzle over substance. Although her room includes work stations configured for videoconferencing, networked computers, and wide-bandwidth telecommunications links, she teaches the old-fashioned way, inspiring her students with zeal and enthusiasm. And they respond. Her students have had their work published in Poet's Pen and The New Jersey Teen Arts Collection, and one of her students has been chosen as a Student Poet Laureate.

The cornerstone activity is Electric Soup, an online literary magazine McGinn founded three years ago. Available in print and on the Internet (www.hcrhs.hunterdon.k12.nj.us/esoup/welcome.html), it features a range of genres and is produced entirely by the students. More than 50 student editors and eight staff advisors work together to bring out the magazine, which has been recognized with a New Jersey Best Practices award and was mentioned on the PBS program NewsHour.

Through videoconferencing, McGinn has fostered mentoring relationships among her students and Rider University, Asbury Park High School, and the feeder schools sending students on to Hunterdon. The relationship with Asbury Park High, an inner-city school about an hour away, has proved especially valuable for students in both locations.

"Our use of technology, especially in Florence's classes, is all part of our effort to restructure the district," says Superintendent Ray Farley. "We want our students to be committed to their education, and no one fosters this commitment better than Florence McGinn. In her own subtle yet encouraging way, she places enormous demands on her students. For example, they put together their own daily lesson plans, and through her inspiration, demand more of themselves than we could ever demand of them."

Tim Gorton, a student, describes his multimedia portfolio as "the most exciting project I've ever been involved in.... I do not know any other teacher who would have considered making the commitment to the project and taking on such a new realm of technology." Tim plans to include his multimedia portfolio in his college applications.

In addition to her technology and teaching achievements, McGinn is a published poet. Her work has appeared in Cricket, Clubhouse, Modern Haiku, Seasons to Come, and other journals, and a book of her poetry entitled Blood Trail was published by Pennywhistle Press.

Also read about Florence McGinn at Microsoft's K-12 Connection newsletter or at MSNBC's Web site.