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Sequel Helps Baltimore City Students Achieve MILEstones

Baltimore, MD - - December 03, 2008

Since September 2007, Dr. Sheldon Margulies, a board-certified neurologist and owner of Fascinating Education, has been supplementing the biology program at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School with a biology curriculum he created using image-based techniques he developed during his teaching career as Assistant Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University, Howard University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama and the Uniformed Services University.

Dr. Sheldon Margulies, owner of Fascinating Education presents Fascinating Biology to a Dunbar Biology Class (left, right). Dr. Margulies, Dunbar Science Dept. Chair Mamie Green and Paul Alvaran of Sound Force Consulting (center).

Instead of relying on the written word supplemented by images, Dr. Margulies flips the learning process by using PowerPoint images supplemented with attached audio files. He takes great pains to relate each chemistry and biology lesson to a riveting medical case and to the students’ own experiences. Dr. Margulies feels his visually-oriented and “clinically-relevant” program teaches more efficiently than traditional textbooks – for a number of reasons.

Students have shifted how they absorb information from reading texts to viewing images. Second, today’s students expect information to be presented in short, “to the point” segments. Furthermore, they need to see the relevance of what they are being taught. “Ironically,” says Dr. Margulies, “we teach evolution, but our own methods of teaching are not evolving to keep up with a changing student environment.”

Recognizing that motivation is a key to education, Dr. Margulies has teamed up with Paul Alvaran, owner of Sound Force Consulting, to create a multi-faceted intervention using Music, Images, Learning, and Engagement (MILE) – hence the name MILEstone Program. Alvaran has developed a music program using Sequel software by Steinberg Media Technologies where students create their own music with a variety of music loops, and live or computer-generated musical instruments. Using the Sequel software, the students add an original voice accompaniment containing lyrics related to their Biology class. The music program has changed students’ attitudes about education and has created a buzz around the school. To great success, Dunbar Biology students performed their Sequel musical creations at an end of year “Dunbar-Idol” show.

Greg Ondo, Field Marketing Manager for Steinberg North America, along with the support of Greg Lukens from Washington Professional Systems in Wheaton, Maryland have been assisting the MILEstone program by offering Sequel 2 tutorials in the D.C. and Baltimore City Public Schools. Ondo believes Sequel 2 is the perfect motivational tool to help engage students in the learning process.

Paul Alvaran with Andrew Stokes and King Brand (left), with the Dunbar Poet Producers (center) and with Antonio Brown Jr. (right).

In addition to the music curriculum, Alvaran has developed an after-school program called the Dunbar Poet Producers, where interested students learn advanced Sequel applications, music composition and recording to become peer mentors to their fellow students. To bring teachers and administrators together, Alvaran has created the MILEstone Meeting Group to discuss school issues, the Sequel program progress, and strategies for success. Alvaran also serves as liaison between the teachers and administration to help implement policy and procedure for the Science Department.

Dr. Joseph B. Richardson Jr., Assistant Professor of African American Studies at University of Maryland recently provided motivational speeches to the Dunbar Poet Producers and will be assisting the MILEstone Program with other resources Dr. Richardson states, “I admire the grassroots approach of Dr. Margulies image-based learning and Mr. Paul Alvaran’s hands on consulting and Sequel based music program. I believe they have created the MILEstone Program as a model worthy of national replication.”
Dr. Daniel Drubach, Assistant Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the Mayo Clinic, says about the initiative, “Dr. Margulies is an excellent teacher and I believe the MILEstone Program to be an engaging endeavor.”

The Baltimore Community Foundation, Maryland ’s third largest grant maker among charitable foundations, has recently partnered with the MILEstone Program to assist its philanthropic efforts throughout Baltimore City. As well, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research has demonstrated considerable interest in the MILEstone Program and has partnered with Dr. Margulies and Mr. Alvaran to implement a similar program into the Washington, D.C. public school system.

Mamie Green, Head of the Science Department at Dunbar High School, comments that, “Dr. Margulies’ and Paul Alvaran’s MILEstone Program is a wonderful multi-faceted intervention. Not only have we seen significant improvement on our Maryland State Benchmark examinations, their program has helped us achieve an 87% passing rate on our Biology State Assessments and we’ve met our 2008 Science Adequate Yearly Progress requirements (established by the National Assessment of Educational Progress).”

For more information or to find out how to help out with the MILEstone Program, log onto http://www.milestoneprogram.com
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