4.+Technology+Solution+Plan

About seven years ago a referendum was passed to purchase new technology for all the teachers in the district. Each teacher was given a brand new laptop and classroom computers so that technollogy could be integrated into curriculum with greater ease. Three years ago a plan was developed to either use school funds to purchase new laptops because the ones currently being used were rapidly falling apart or to pass another referendum that specifically focused on funds for new technology. With the budget crisis three years ago the idea to propose a referendum was put on hold because it was doubtful that it would pass. Since then no money has been put towards repairing or replacing our current technology, and as a result it is literally falling apart. Laptops are dying and it is taking longer to repair them. The emergency laptops that were once given to teachers while their laptop was being prepared are also broken, so there is no technology to fall back on. Teachers use these laptops for almost everything they do in class, from the most basic tasks like taking attendance, entering grades, and communicating with each other and parents to daily lesson plans. Without this technology we are struggling to effectively present our lessons because we are so reliant on technology. We are also expected to help students become 21st century learners, and this is an extremely difficult thing to do when we do not have the technology available to teach them how to use web applications and multimedia presentation tools. The technology we are looking to acquire is at the very least new laptops to replace the current ones teachers are using. A best case scenario would include purchasing new computers for classrooms as well, since the majority of the student computers we are currently using are also falling apart. The students who have computers at home know that they can complete projects there, but students who do not have this technology readily available at home have difficulty completing assignments and projects that require using technology if the school computers are not working. We plan to explore as many grant opportunities as possible to fund our laptop initiative in order to acquire as many new laptops and classroom computers as possible. These laptops and computers can then be used to create multimedia presentations and innovative lesson plans so that students learn 21st century skills that will benefit them in other classes as well as in higher education and the work force. Below are articles that discuss the importance of integrating technology into the classroom: [] [] [] [] [] 1. Teachers will use technology as a tool for developing innovative and creative lesson plans 2. Students will use apply technology to relevant school topics in order to create presentations that require using web applications and multimedia tools. 3, Teachers will help students become 21st century learners by demonstrating how to use technology as a tool in the classroom setting. 4. Teachers will help students learn how to use technology in a safe and constructive way by establishing proper parameters within the school setting. 5. Teachers will model appropriate behavior when using technology as well show students how to use technology to solve current coursework questions and issues. Below are links to articles and the current ISTE standards that discuss how technology can benefit student achievement: [] [] [] We have found through our research the past three weeks that there are many different types of grants available, but the amount of information that we are sifting through in order to find a grant that fits our specific needs is overwhelming. Many major corporations have halted their grant opportunities this year and we can only assume this is due to the current state of the economy. However, there are several grants we are currently looking into in order to determine if they could fit our situation and are worth pursuing. Many of the grants available are geared towards donating either money or technology for student computers. While the primary goal at this point it to find funding for new laptops for intructional purposes we are open to funding opportunities of any kind that will help to improve students understanding of 21st century skills and also help to prepare them for the work force or higher education. Below are grants we are currently looking into pursuing: [] [] [] [] [] [] Update: After reviewing many grant requirements it has been challenging to find grant opportunities that are not geared specifically for science and mathematics education. We did, however, find an excellent opportunity on the website [|Digital Wish]. This website seems to have a fantastic opportunity to receive grant funding from nay different donors. We are working to create lessons that exemplify our philosophy on integrating technology into every classroom. Donors can look at these leson plans and make donations or purchase technology on our "wish list" for us. For every donation made the Digital Wish website will contribute between 2-10% of additional funding. This is a rolling website which we also love, because the opportunities to win are not just once per year.
 * __Rationale:__**
 * __Specific description of of technology:__**
 * __Expected outcomes:__**
 * __Current technologies or funding available:__**

Our goal is find grants that will meet the needs of our current academic settings. We have found this to be extremely difficult thus far because many of the grants available are specific in nature. We are looking to improve the quality of our teachers laptops and ultimately our student computers.
 * __Policies and guidelines for selecting grant(s):__**

//Student learning and Instructional Use//: We want to find laptops that can be used by both students and teachers to improve the quality of lessons and student understanding of the 21st century skills they will need after graduation.

//Reputation of Brand//: While we are very eager to get either funds to purchase new laptops or to simply have laptops donated to the school we want to make sure that whatever we receive will be of good quality. We need to keep this in mind when looking for grants or laptop initiatives because there is no sense in doing all the research required for this initiative if we will need to seek new funding sources because we receive poor quality materials.

//Accountability//: We also want to make sure that the requirements to receive the grant or laptops is not unrealistic. We understand that whoever donates the funds or laptops will expect evidence that the technology is being used as they expected, but we do not want to seek funds or laptops if the requirements are not something we can meet.

As stated previously, the technology currently available at the school is seriously lacking. Each teacher has a laptop at this point in time, but if new technology is not purchased soon teachers will be without this technology. The back up laptops the school initially purchased are being used to replace the old laptops that are falling apart, so at this point in time there is nothing to fall back on if these laptops break as well. Unfortunately, it's not a matter of if they will break as much as when they will deteriorate and it will cost more to fix them replace them. Each teacher is supposed to have two student computers in their room for students to use for presentations and projects, but this is not the case either. Most teachers have one computer that is still working but a growing majority do not have these either. I am one of these teachers, and because we only have approximately eighty computers in the library and over 2,000 students in the school I am never able to schedule time to do projects or to teach my students new web applications that could be used in all disciplines.
 * __Current technologies available:__**

//How does the grant intiative fit into the strategic plan of the district?// The Caesar Rodney School District is dedicated to teaching students how to be successful after leaving school, regardless of whether this is in the work force or higher education. Because technology is such an integral part of today's society it is important to find funds to replace the technology we are currently missng because of a lack of funds to replace antiquated materrals. The main goal is to acquire the funds or technology we desperately need through grant opportunities. This is a challenging task because of the number of school searching for grants to improve their technology as well. This initiative will help teachers to develop quality lessons that incorporate technology and to help students to become 21st century learners.
 * __Basic design parameters:__**

//21st century learners and educators:// Through the use of technology students and teachers alike will become skilled with technology and can use it in many places other than the classroom. The skills they will acquire as a result of this technology grant initiative are countless. //Little or no cost to the district:// Because we are currently struggling to find funds to improve or replace our technology due to the recent budget crisis and current state of the economy, grants that supply us with money to purchase technology or simply new technology would be extremely cost efficient to us.
 * __Benefits:__**

The committee has discussed our ideas and goals for updating our technology and is committed to pursuing grants that can help us achieve our goals. We are currently searching for grants that meet our specific needs and whose requirements we can meet. We will continue this search and communicate ideas on what we have found as we continue this initiative.
 * __Communication plan with committee members:__**