Technology Enhancement Competitive Grant Descriptions 2007-08 (Fund Code 170-B)
Barnstable Public Schools
Project title: Assistive Learning in an Integrated Collaborative Environment (ALICE Project)
Contact: Bethann Orr, 508-790-2813, Orr_bethann@barnstable.k12.ma.us
Project summary: Barnstable Public Schools, Taunton Public Schools, and Plymouth Public Schools have formed a partnership to provide universally designed educational technologies and one-to-one laptops for students with disabilities. Each district will select a mathematics classroom where laptop computers will be made available for each student, identify the needs of the student through test results and analysis, review universally designed resources, and make those resources available with the appropriate technologies for improved student achievement. To support these initiatives, each district will create a district-wide assistive technology team for evaluating universally designed resources and provide quality professional development in technology for teachers who work with children with disabilities.
Boston Public Schools
Project title: Universal Design for Learning (UDL): One-On-One
Contact: Kristen Eichleay, 617-635-8476, eichleay@boston.k12.ma.us
Project summary: This project will generate rich, engaging, and immersive instruction to meet unique learner needs through the implementation of powerful one-to-one learning environments in middle school English language arts classrooms. Professional development activities and materials will provide ongoing, embedded support through face-to-face training, online training, use of discussion forums, and mentoring by technology support staff and the school-based literacy coach. Participation in these grant activities is expected to lead to significant gains in the students' written products. For example, having increased access to technology for writing, including text reading and word prediction software, is expected to motivate students to sustain their efforts in rewriting and editing their work. Posting student work on MassONE is expected to give students a sense of pride in their accomplishments.
Everett Public Schools
Project title: Laptops in the American History Classroom Project
Contact: Cynthia Fiducia, 617-381-7426, cfiducia@tritec-inc.org
Project summary: This project supports the use of laptop computers in enhancing teaching and learning of American history by providing in-depth technology workshops to American history teachers in Everett, Malden, and Medford. These teachers are involved in a three-year federal grant, Voices Rising; Assimilation and the American Experience, through which they are receiving intensive professional development in American history content. As a result of participating in the Voices Rising project, teachers have created American history project-based units that the districts' curriculum/technology integration experts transformed into web-based units. The laptop grant will offer teachers training in the implementation of these units in a one-to-one WiFi student laptop environment in order to maximize student learning. It will also provide training to administrators to enhance their understanding and support of the one-to-one student laptop approach in the classroom.
Greater Lowell Technical High School
Project title: Greater Lowell Integrated Senior Project
Contact: John Lavoie, 978-441-4810, jlavoie@gltech.org
Project summary: This project will focus on the development of a dynamic, senior project model that will allow each senior to develop greater proficiency in the instructional technology standards and to demonstrate academic and technical proficiency. Each senior will be provided with a wireless laptop on which to research, select, design, report, communicate, and produce a comprehensive, fifteen-page, research report and a multimedia presentation on a self-selected, technical project topic. Examples may include a designed mural in the communication, a metal fabricated piece of furniture or equipment, raising money for a senior center bus, renovation of a community center, and so on. These projects will become both part of each student's senior portfolio and also part of an electronic collection of Greater Lowell Senior Projects. To support students, the project will create a senior project learning center where technical staff will offer technical training, assistance, and mentoring.
North Adams Public Schools
Project title: Improving Process Writing Through Computer Aided Instructional Support and Assessment
Contact: Jean Bacon, 413-664-9633, Jbacon@napsk12.org
Project summary: This project will introduce computer-based process writing instruction support and assessment in grades 6 to 10 to enhance the district's efforts to improve student writing. Through this grant, the district will purchase a wireless laptop cart to support in-class one-to-one computer use in grades 9 and 10. (At the middle school level, all students already have wireless laptops.) MyAccess, an online writing application, will provide students with monthly opportunities to engage in the full complement of process writing activities from drafting, to revising, to editing a complete essay, with computer generated feedback on five different writing elements at each stage. This will more than double the amount of writing practice students currently complete in a school year. The project will also provide embedded professional development to faculty to support data-driven instruction in writing.
Oxford Public Schools
Project title: Project TEC (Technology Enhanced Curriculum)
Contact: Neil Trahan, 508-277-3509, Ntrahan@oxps.org
Project summary: Through this project, the district will implement a comprehensive program to complement its initiatives in the area of instructional technology. The grant will provide supplemental support to district funding for the acquisition of wireless Internet connectivity, laptop computers, and related peripherals. The project aims to prepare students for advanced education and/or work, which are becoming increasing dependent on technology. Specific areas of focus will include increasing student motivation, academic achievement, organizational skills, collaboration with peers, and technical proficiency. To support these objectives, the project will provide teacher professional development in the areas of basic computer knowledge, computer applications, Internet research, use of MassONE, technology integration and assistive technology and universal design.
Westfield Public Schools
Project title: West Tech: One: One Laptops for Westfield High School Students
Contact: Ray Broderick, 413-572-6463, r.broderick@schoolsofwestfield.org
Project summary: In partnership with the Gateway Regional School District, Westfield Public Schools will implement the successful model of One:One Laptops for Westfield High School students. Westfield Public Schools joins a growing consortium of schools that are preparing teachers and administrators to take advantage of this technology and how to use it to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Upon completion of this project, Westfield High School will have a fully trained cohort of classroom leaders prepared to utilize technology throughout their curriculum, and every student in grades 9-12 will have the ability to lease a low-cost laptop.
last updated: October 16, 2007
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