GRESHAM, Oregon - Way back in the 15th century, when Gutenberg came up with the idea for movable type, his invention changed the course of history by bringing printed information to mass audiences. In recent years, teacher Linda Waagen has been watching how another Information Age is changing the course of events, right in her own classroom.

At Portland Adventist Elementary, a private school for preschoolers through eighth-graders located in a Portland suburb, Waagen integrates a variety of technologies into her junior high social studies classroom. For a recent project, "Roll the Presses!", students took a multidisciplinary look at the role of information and communications in human history.

Students use the Web to research communications history.

Although the central question for the project focused on the impact of the printing press, Waagen also wanted to introduce students to the broader role of communications. "We consider how cultures throughout history have communicated through spoken word, song, and even dance," she says, "and how some of the methods have changed and some have disappeared." Students use Web resources to learn about Paleolithic cave paintings, clay tablets called cuneiform, block printing, and quill pens, all used for human communication in the past.

Today's students are accustomed to instant communications such as email and Web publishing. So that they'll appreciate the labor-intensive nature of older methods of communicating, Waagen has them try their hand at calligraphy and block printing. Web sites help them understand many of the techniques used by printers over the centuries.

Waagen also leads her students in exploring how access to information affects power. The technology of the printing press, she suggests, "was the biggest innovation in history and caused a huge shift in authority and power." Classroom activities prompt students to consider "what it would be like to have no access to information." Students also participate in heated debates over current news reports involving freedom of the press issues.

For a culminating activity, students adopt the persona of a person from Gutenberg's era. Casting themselves in the role of a scholarly monk, laborer, or member of the merchant class, students write about history from a particular point of view. They experience a bit of a time warp, using modern computers to write stories set centuries ago. But students in Waagen's class are used to using technology for all kinds of learning. A few have been known to ask, "Are we ever going to use the textbook again?" In this class, she explains, "textbooks are used as a resource that supports students' project work, rather than as the sole means of delivering knowledge."

At Portland Adventist Elementary School, teachers are encouraged to stay up-to-date on current best practices in education and to utilize technology throughout their teaching. Each classroom has 5-6 networked computers and a computer lab.

Waagen taught herself the basics of using computers, then expanded her repertoire of classroom ideas after participating in the Intel® Teach to the Future program. Students' responses to projects let her know she's on the right track. "In my projects, the kids choose where their interests go, so they are really engaged." One girl recently told her, "I used to think social studies was boring, but this was really fun." Waagen who has been teaching for 24 years, is still energetic and creative. She loves to travel and often incorporates her travel experiences into her lessons.

For a more detailed look at the lesson plans and resources for “Roll the Presses!” see the unit plan, http://educate.intel.com/en/ProjectDesign/UnitPlanIndex/RollThePresses/.