Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Module 5 Grants and Resources
Many of the community outreach/resource initiatives you will explore in Module 6 were initiated by teacher leaders and were, at least initially, supported by grant funding. What is something you'd like to potentially establish in either your PDS or your future school (here you can dream big - your idea doesn't have to be limited by funding constraints or realities) that would allow you to serve as a teacher leader and develop a significant technology-related resource for your school community? If you know there is a source of grant funding to help you get your idea off the ground, identify that source. What additional professional development might help you implement your idea? What challenges would you need to overcome to make your big idea a reality?
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As a technology integration specialist, my dream school would have 1 computer for every student. These computers could be either mobile lab computers that stay at school or mobile devices that the students take home with them for 24:7 access to technology. When every student has a laptop, we can truly consider teaching our students in a 21st century way. Often this involves project-based learning (PBLs) and blended-delivery of instruction (a hybrid of online classes and face-to-face classes). Students need valuable skills that can only come from being on a computer each day, just as they will be in future careers. Additionally, student engagement goes through the roof when you use technology to teach; today's students learn better, retain information better and are often better behaved, when they learn using technology. That being said, this is a very, very expensive endeavor. But is something that can be achieved over time with grant funding. For instance, there is a grant from Snowshoe Foundation (as in Snowshoe ski resort) that goes towards funding projects in Randolph and Pocahontas county schools. This grant is available every year and preference is given to schools that sell tickets to a big cash-and-prizes giveaway; the proceeds from this event go towards funding the grants. It is possible to pursue this grant yearly for a number of years until an entire population of students has a 1:1 student-to-computer ratio.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, professional development must accompany the purchase of these laptops. Instruction in a classroom changes when every student has a laptop. Teachers need time and guidance to develop technology-rich lessons that use the computer in an effective way.
The biggest challenge to my grand scheme here is the funding. It is a project so large that it might need to be funded using grant money and local money. I know there are some national grants out there that fund projects such as this, but they are hard to win.
After reading the articles presented in the module I feel very confident in my grant proposal ideas. I plan to write a grant to help my students understand graphs and charts. Vernier labs offers great probeware technology that works in conjunction with Texas Instrument calculators. The probeware allows the students to collect real data from science experiments and then use that data to draw correlations into the phenomena being studied.
ReplyDeleteThe problem I will be focusing on is that my students have difficult reading charts and graphs. This probeware will allow my students to gather data so the can actually see the source and hopefully this will allow them to create a deeper understanding of where charts and graphs come from. In this way my students will be able to connect the real data they gathered with the charts and graphs they create.
I found a great opportunity for my grant proposal locally with the Rotary club. Each year the local Rotary club awards $500 dollar grants to schools for new teaching ideas. I plan to write a proposal to help my students gather data and create graphs and charts using Vernier probeware and Texas Instrument calculators.
The teachers in my building will need to see the probeware in action to fully understand how this new technology can utilized. I plan to allow teachers access to my classroom so they can see me utilizing the probeware with my students. In this way they can see how I use the technology and perhaps they will fill more comfortable with using the technology in their own classrooms.
The teachers may not be able to see me using the probeware so it may be difficult for them to understand how to effectively utilize this technology in their classrooms. Fortunately, Vernier has a great resource on their webpage where some of their own staff have create videos where they demonstrate using the probeware. These videos have some great ideas for labs too.
Helping students understand graphs and charts is such a valuable, 21st century skill. And the students just love to use technology, especially technology they don't get to use everyday; so I think your idea of using grant funds to purchase the probes and calculators would lead to some great student engagement and fun in the classroom. Have you thought about training other teachers at your school on using the probes and calculators? This might be a great use of time on an ISE day. You could become a teacher leader!
DeleteOver the past three years, I have had many opportunities to work with a variety of technologies that can be used in the classroom. One of my favorite resources that the Educator Resource Center has is NXT LEGO robots. We train teachers to use them in their classroom or how to coach a team of students for the First LEGO League Competition. I was a core values judge at the 2011 state FLL competition and witnessed first hand what the students can learn from this competition—teamwork, gracious professionalism, and a variety of math and science concepts. I would love to find a grant to fund several teams in my future school. Teachers could get professional development credit by attending workshops and trainings on how to use and program the NXT robots, while I could serve as a leader and mentor to all of the teachers. The biggest problem that I would have to overcome would be getting teachers to volunteer their time to coach their team. Coaches have to spend around eight weeks training their students meeting at least one night a week after school and one Saturday competing at a scrimmage. If the grant could provide compensation for the extra time the teacher spends after school, then I think this opportunity would be easy to accomplish. The LEGO education website has many resources that provide information on what types of grants are available. I found the Investing in Innovation Fund, Development Grants that could possibly fund my idea.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-02-24/pdf/2012-4357.pdf
Your idea for the Lego technology sounds great. I’ve actually thought of going to Clarksburg to get trained with the Lego stuff you’ve got there. I saw it in action once and was thoroughly impressed. Coaching a team would be a time consuming activity but if you could include some compensation in your grant you’d have quite a few teachers interested. Legos are so fun to play with and if the students can learn something and compete against their peers in the process then that makes play time even better. My students would love the chance to play with Legos and compete so I may have to consider doing something like this myself.
DeleteIn a futuristic world (right now I am dreaming), I think it would be amazing if every student would get an Ipad at Kindergarten. All of his or her books would be downloaded onto the Ipad every year and they would keep it until graduation. Now, I know that there are a whole slew of problems associated with my dream technology project; but, for now, let me focus on the good that would come from it. First, in the school district in which I teach the students are poor and many of them do not have internet access at home. If every student had one of these devices then they could search the internet at their own convenience and keep up to date about modern advances and skills.
ReplyDeleteThis could be used in every class and a multitude of projects can be done. The list of possibilities is truly endless with this type of venture. Students could log onto class blogs and discuss different ideas. Each student and teacher could have their own website. The list goes on and on.
Professional development could be done to teach the staff new ideas in which the Ipads could be used in a large variety of ways. A lot of the staff would have to be trained on how to troubleshoot technical difficulties with the Ipads. No matter how wonderful technology is, it always has problems from time to time.
The thing that I like best about this idea is that it brings students who might not have as much to a closer level of having today’s technology at their disposal, whenever they want it. Then they can have the skills that are needed to compete in a job market that is ever increasing the skill set need to be successful in a modern world.
I know that the problems that jump out are that kids would break or lose them. Another problem would be that technology quickly becomes obsolete. The schools’ wireless system would have to be larger to have the capacity to carry all of the ipads on the system. And of course this requires money.
Another benefit would be that as long as the student had their ipad with them they would be ready for every class. They would have every book right there at their disposal. The cost of electronic books is also a lot cheaper that regular textbooks and they would take up a lot less space than regular books.
I don’t look for this to happen in too many school districts anytime soon; but, while I was dreaming- I thought that I would dream BIG!!!
I like the way you think! I don't know if or when we will get to this type of integration. I think you make some great points about students having their materials. Students come to class unprepared so often that this would be a welcome break for me since I spend so much time getting pencils, paper, and books for student use.
DeleteI also think online books would be cheaper and provide better material. As ideas evolve and change, textbooks can become quickly outdated. Online books would also address this concern.
Since this is the time to dream big, I would love to have complete technology integration for all students and classes. Each student would have a Kindle Fire, IPAD, or similar device for all of their books and classroom reading requirements. I would also like for schools to work with internet providers to provide internet access for all students to be able to access the internet at home to complete online assignments, participate in class discussions, etc I know these are unlikely initiatives due to costs involved, concerns over students losing/breaking/etc equipment, etc.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great opportunities available on the internet for projects and other student resources, but there are still a large number of students without internet access or computers in their homes. As our curriculum evolves and requires more technology integration, it leaves these students without access at a great disadvantage. And sadly, the students I work with our already at a disadvantage being students with disabilities as well as in a low income group.
Although it is unlikely technology integration will be as complete as this ideal, I still think it is possible for schools to expand their resources. Schools need to increase the number of computers in the classrooms so that teachers can utilize more online learning activities. Additional computers would allow teachers to teach more content as well. In the History classes I am in, we have lost several days of teaching due to entering benchmarks in the only classroom computer.
I have decided to pursue a grant for additional netbooks for my department. We are in a highschool setting and are spread out in the buildings. Therefore, the netbooks would be a good fit and get the most use amongst the department. I found several good sites with grantwriting information and resources. The links provided in this module were good. And as I pursued those links, I found other websites that branched off of the original page. www.grants.gov provided a number of grant writing links as well as actual grant opportunities. There are a large number of opportunitites available. I found the hardest part of the search was finding grants that met my specific needs, served my locations (since many grants are for certain states and locales only), and were for public schools.
Danielle, It is sad that you have lost several days of teaching due to having access to only one classroom computer. There is definitely a need for more computers or other technological devices in the classroom. You grant proposal idea will be very beneficial to you, your students, and your fellow teachers!
DeleteIn my future school, I would like to establish that every student be provided with a computer, I-pad, or other technological device that can assist with learning. I would also establish that all students have access to the internet. I work with economically disadvantaged children and I hear a lot of complaints that they often don’t have the same resources as other children in their homes (computers, internet, etc.) and they feel that this is a barrier to their education. Even with providing these tools solely in the school setting could be beneficial for these students as they could use their free time or allotted class time to research a topic or even read an e-book that wasn’t available at the library. My role as a teacher leader would be to learn more about the technology and ways it can be used in the classroom. I would implement these ideas in my classroom, assist other teachers in implementing technology, and review/reflect with my colleagues on the pros and cons of certain techniques in order to improve my own teaching practices as well as that of my colleagues. Many of the links provided in this module were good sources of information regarding grant funding. One source that I found applicable to my current PD strategy and future strategies as a teacher was the Verizon Foundation. Verizon offers several grants for education, but it is very competitive (their website states that they receive over 20,000 applications per year). Perhaps networking with other teachers around the county, state, and nation could lead to more ideas that can help to implement my idea. I think that the biggest challenge with this initiative is the expense. The second largest challenge could be that some of the other teachers may not be willing to incorporate this technology in their classroom or may have extreme difficulty implementing it. There are also parents who do not want their children to have access to the internet, this could also be another barrier.
ReplyDeleteI did the first half of my student teaching in a school in a middle class neighborhood in PA. The students all had internet access at home and even the students who were from a lower economic area had internet access in the homes. My second half of my student teaching was in WV where some students came from professional families and some were from low income families and it was a reality check for me that some students did not have internet access at home. I was faced with students whose family may be struggling to put food on the table and internet access was far from a priority. I really think that to be fair to all students internet access and computers should be available to all students. There is only so much school hours and when teachers give projects requiring the use of technology it is very hard for disadvantaged students to get finished and the results are not their best work.
DeleteWe all have the same idea for every student in need of a portable device such as a laptop or Ipad. This is a very important issue within the school system. Our students are not getting the full educational benefit for 21st century learning without this much needed technology. I would like to integrate computers in every classroom for every student, plus portable devices for them to take home. Not all students have the resources at home to complete computer related homework. Researching for papers, learning computer software, and keeping in constant contact with classmates and teachers are just a few of the benefits of laptops. It is costing our educational system more than just money when it comes to preparing our future leaders. We have to educate our students to be ready for today’s technological world. This is impossible to do without access to the proper technological tools.
ReplyDeleteIf computers were of unlimited accessibility to students, I think that they would realize that computers are used for more than just playing games and online chatting with friends. They would be forced to learn the beneficial aspects and become familiar with the skills needed for college and work. Incorporating an online community, such as Edmodo, for every class would allow students and parents to have the ability to keep in contact with classmates and teachers. Benefits with this implementation include, parents always know what their child is required to do for class, students always can get and complete their assignment if they are absent, and the class is always connected in case of unresolved questions or snow days. The amount of lost class time would decrease and students may feel more comfortable asking questions online rather than in class with the use of this technology.
This technology integration would be very expensive and would take years to receive enough grant funding. Implementing an online class community is my Professional Development goal. Teachers may not appreciate the idea at first, but I think after they experience the possibilities they will learn to love it.
I agree, our students think the computer means playtime. They really do not understand the benefits of a computer. As I teach MultiMedia classes I am lucky to have all of the benefits of a computer lab as my classroom; however the disadvantage is that my students can never complete work outside of the classroom. If I have a student who is absent or students who work slowly, I have to provide make-up days so that everyone can get caught up. While this is not bad it is a disadvantage to those students who complete the work in a timely fashion and to those students who attend school regularly. It would be a dream come true to see a school where every student had access to computers on a daily basis to aid in their instruction.
DeleteGoing along with some of the other comments about technology devices for each student, I'd also like to see this implemented. However, since my area of expertise is infants to preschool, I've been reading some articles and NAEYC/licensing regulations about technology integration in the classroom. The one main problem I've run into is licensing only allows for 15 minutes of technology time each day. But, since I'm able to dream big for this Module 5 posting, I'm going to ignore the 15 minute regulation, and dive into the world of technology for my preschoolers (infants can't do much with an iPad). I've had an iPad for a little over a year now, and I've learned to be able to do so much with it. Reading books, is probably my favorite thing to do, and has caused me to stop buying bound books and simply read them on my iPad. I would LOVE for children preschool & kindergarten to have an entire library housed in an iPad, or on a Kindle, but I would also love to see them learn math, science, reading, engage in art activities, etc, through the use of the iPad. Are they really more inclined to learn if technology is incorporated into the classroom? I'll be able to answer that in a few weeks when I'm done with the implementation portion of my Action Research project. My dream for the world of Early Childhood is to move past the 15 minute regulation for technology into the classroom, and into a world filled with technology-aided instruction, where children are excited to learn math or science, or any other concept their little mind's can dream of.
ReplyDeleteBig dreaming well this is what this is however it is based on a present project in Ohio. I would like each student to have a computer and internet access at home. This could be achieved by connecting the schools to businesses that could donate computers that they were not using. Limited internet could be supplied by local internet providers in conjunction with the schools. The computers could be used to complete projects but also could be used in bad weather to reduce the number of days school is closed due to snow. A project has been developed in Ohio where students would be delivered podcasts from school on days that school is cancelled due to weather. Think about Preston county for one and the possibilities of a project like this. Rural communities must be able to have internet access if a project like this is to work.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that students should have wither a personal computer or a portable device for their home. I think that one resource that is often overlooked is local universities. Since my dad got sick and I live in Pittsburgh during the week I have been able to see projects that students from Carnegie Mellon have developed to use in schools in the Pittsburgh area. Schools in PA are not by county but by school districts so there are many different issues that different school districts face. The higher economic districts have the resources to take advantage of such programs but the lower economic districts do not always have the resources to take advantage of these programs. the problem of so many school districts make it very difficult to make sure students all have access to technology on the same level. I also work for a local government in Pittsburgh and see so many computers thrown out because they do not want to take the time to clean them but a student could be using them. It is very true it is easier to talk than to take action and our students are the ones to suffer and miss out of chances to enhance learning.
ReplyDeleteLynne, It is a shame that so many computers are being wasted that could be used by students. It would be nice if there was a donation center or tax exemption available for people getting rid of computers. These could then be passed along for student use at schools. I am unaware of any service like this. Has anyone else heard of any programs that provide this service?
DeleteIn answer to my question, I did find a website that sets up schools with excess federal computers: http://computersforlearning.gov/
ReplyDeleteIt looks interesting. I will definitely be looking into this.
I work full time for a government agency and the problem is that it is cheaper to throw away the computers than to scrub the hard drives and that is a shame. Thanks for the website.
ReplyDeleteMy dream would be to find grants for a lab of midi capable computers with keyboards and Finale installed on the computers. With this lab students would be able to take keyboards lessons, participate in a Music Theory class and various compositional courses. ONe of the biggest hurtles in composition is to get over the fear of writing. Composing music is very much like writing a story. It has an idea, theme, characteristics and other attributes. With a lab of this type students could use the keyboards to compose, or the Finale program. THen they could hear their compositions played back, or see the composition being written as they play it.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great resource as well for our local community college to offer music classes and credit through our school. They already offer other general classes on our campus, this would just be another offering that could help students recieve a general class that most four year degrees would require. As a leader this typs of lab would be a great opportunity to display the benefits of technology and how it can effect student success in a subject that is often just a dumping ground for students who have interest in the subject.
At the school which I teach there are many improvements in the works, but I see that many of our students are at a great disadvantage. Students want to use technology, it inspires then to learn and explore, it helps to motivate them. Many of my students complain about boring lectures and hand-written work. BUHS is currently operating in a very traditional educational environment and I would like to see it operating in a 21st Century Learning Environment. I do not want to discredit my fellow educators, because they are trying to use these new technology skills and aids; however there is just not enough availability at our school for daily use. Our educators all have projectors in their rooms which is a great move towards making our school meet 21st century learning requirements – but we do not have the necessary tools to really involve our students in the learning experiences they should be receiving at a high school as large as ours. My goal is very broad in fact of what I would like to receive a grant for, but yet is directly focused on improving the student for the digital world that they are about to enter and changing our school from a traditional educational environment to a 21st Century Learning environment. BUHS currently has 1 computer lab in the library for teachers to use and 2 or 3 mobile labs. We have 1 mobile lab of iPads, but they are mainly used in the Special Education content areas. We also have an additional 3 labs; however those are classroom settings where Business Education Classes are taught. Our school consists of a minimum of 1,200 students. For the amount of students in our school we should have at least 2 or 3 labs available to our students and educators to facilitate 21st century learning. I would also like to increase the amount of smart boards in our classrooms, while there are teachers who have these in their classroom, not enough teachers have access to these types of boards on a daily basis. We currently have 1 set of CPS responders, and I would like to increase that amount to about 3 classroom sets or even the mobi boards where students can use their tablet as a white board. I would like to provide the English Teachers, Math Teachers, Art Teachers, and Business Teachers with a symposium instead of smart board to make instruction easier and 21st century. Lastly, I would like the school to be provided with a minimum of 3 iPad Labs, connectors for the ipad and projector, and wireless printers where creations on the iPad could be printed. I believe that the students at BUHS could benefit from the increased technological aids; however that would not be the end of our needs. We would need to have training secessions to prepare our educators to successfully use these aids in the classroom. To many times I have seen an educator given a new technology, and because they do not know how to use it, that aid becomes a dust collector. This would be a great plan for BUHS and it would improve the entire school!
ReplyDeleteI found a couple of grants that when combined could possibly fund a request such as this. The grant companies and their descriptions are below.
AT&T Foundation – This grant promotes the use of technology to improve teaching and learning. They concentrate on the role of technology in education and the relationship or connections it creates between students, teachers, classrooms, and communities.
Citigroup Foundation- This company has a grant called Educating the Next Generation, where they hope to help improve the educational opportunities in low-income communities and better prepare the next generation for life-long learning and the work world.
Lucent Technologies – Their goals are to help young people to meet the challenges of our global society. With this grant they are trying to help prepare students for the technologically and culturally advanced world they are about to enter after schooling.
I would like to get an Apple computer/ I-pad lab with Garage Band and the ability to connect instruments, microphones, and amplifiers. Students would be able to create their own loops in the program, record songs they wrote, and create a CD all of their own. My students are so focused on technology they love it when I can use the computer in some way to help improve their lessons. If I had a lab set up where everything they learn is based on the lab mentioned above the students would be able to see their progress more clearly and much faster. The technology I want isn’t necessarily something that the entire community will prosper from however the interest to my particular program will expand into the students’ homes. Currently the students’ music talents are only being seen in the school during program days where guests are invited in, with this technology, the students’ hard work can be taken home every week if finished and shared in the students’ homes. The possibilities for students’ creativeness in music is endless, the youngest of students can create simple musical songs and use these songs to help them with all aspects of education. Likewise Professional Development could be given to teachers so they could use music with their lessons. The program could be used to create a beat to any piece of information that a teacher wanted to present, therefore taking a normal history lesson and turning it into a song the students can remember. Any topic that is taught in school can be turned into a song by using Garage Band, teachers will have to do very little to create a beat for the base. Once they have this done the song can be recorded by the teacher and students, and then placed on a CD so students will be able to sing the song and learn the lesson. A challenge facing my particular situation with this dream is that I teach in two different schools and don’t really have a room to call my own in either place. Currently one of my schools has more technology that the other one, my lessons are more frequently based around technology in one school and the other is book and paper work. I also potentially have a problem with keeping my lab materials safe from damage, without a room to call my own I have to rely on others to make sure my “stuff” is not bothered or torn up by my students. So far there is not a real good track record with my “stuff” being protected. A safe place to keep the lab is a must but also a challenge in two very small schools. The actual cost of the lab would be expensive in the beginning and then the upkeep such as buying new CD’s for students to constantly be taking home would also require funding every year to make the project a success. The NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) has a couple of grants under the “Art Works” umbrella that I think would potentially fund this lab project.
ReplyDelete