2010 Fall Grant Recipients:

Center for Educational Advancement on behalf Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (CSD)    $8,720.00

Improving Student Performance by Integrating Multimedia Projects and Digital Storytelling into the High School Curriculum:  Professional development from CSD and videoconferencing software.  For this project, McCluer North High School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District and Ritenour High School in the Ritenour School District will engage in a 12-month project to provide high school teachers the opportunity to learn the skills and art of digital storytelling along with teacher mentors.The experience of creating these stories will increase the student's higher order critical thinking skills because he/she will be involved in research, reading, writing and creating a multimedia presentation.  

De La Salle Middle School    $15,000.00

Closing the Achievement Gap through Computers in the Classroom:  1 computer cart, 24 laptop computers, software, and a full day professional development training for teachers.  This project will provide low-income middle school students access to the computer technology that will help them achieve academically in middle school and develop the skills that they will need as they further their education in high school and college. Laptop computers will be used in a technology class to provide comprehensive and in-depth instruction on computer hardware, operating systems, data/file management, computer applications, and internet communications – all skills that are necessary for high school success. The computers will also be used regularly in core classes to provide access to the internet and to integrate web-based learning tools as an important method to engage students and enhance learning.

 Epworth School    $15,000.00

Smart Board Technology:  One Smart Board with software, projector, and misc. accessories including a Smart Response clicker system.  This grant also provides for professional development and 8 industrial strength laptops, and a laptop cart.  This project will allow Epworth School to implement the use of laptops and a smart board in the classrooms to enhance the learning experience for its special needs students and raise their academic achievement.

 Francis Howell School District     $14,500.00

Transitional Reading in the Middle School:  Amazon Kindle e-readers, LCD screen protectors, assorted e-books for two separate school sites, and yearly St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper subscriptions as well as teacher professional development.  Changing the reading setting from the traditional centered reading groups to individual and small reading groups is expected to provide an engaging reading experience by utilizing e-Readers and young adult fiction titles selected to the specific reading levels and interests of the students. This grant will support these new reading level goals at two middle schools: Hollenbeck Middle and Barnwell Middle Schools.     

Jefferson County R-VII - Danby-Rush Tower Middle School     $12,125.44

Industrial Technology Electronic Portfolios:  Laptops, a laptop cart, wireless router, projectors, flip camcorders, digital cameras, and misc. accessories.  This project will allow students to use video and picture equipment to document project progress in their shop classes.  The students will then edit the collected media and incorporate it into a portfolio.  The long-term goal would be for the students to use the portfolio as an employment or educational tool following graduation.  This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.  

Jennings School District   $5,700.00

Wireless Probeware:  Class set of wireless Airlink temperature, pH and 02 probes.  This set of wireless probes will allow students of Jennings Senior High School to be immersed in a technologically enriched experience allowing them to focus on data analysis and concept development rather than simple data collection.  This equipment will not only meet the needs of all students, but ignite a new level of learning for all achievement levels. 

Seckman Middle School    $15,000.00

Advanced Technology: Making Magic in the Classroom:  This grant will outfit 9 classrooms with  smartboard type equipment, 9 laptops and 9 Interwrite learning pads.  This project is designed to enrich and enhance learning and teaching through technology at Seckman Middle School. SMS desires to modernize teaching strategies and improve the presentation of content. Through technology they plan to develop strategies to facilitate school improvement and bring school progress to district and statewide mandates.

Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School    $16,000.00

Smart Boards: Smarter Kids!:  2 SMART Board touch-sensitive interactive whiteboards, Epson projectors, supplies, installation, one SMART table, and professional development.  This project completes the SMART board installation project throughout the school.  In their previous professional development grant from ITEF, the staff renewed their interest in integrating technology throughout all types of curriculum.  This grant will further support teachers in math, sciences and continue to support teachers in the language arts area.  This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.  

St. Clair R-XIII School District       $14,118.00

Reading:  Our favorite class!:  Scholastic (SRI) software, a Promethium board, Promethium Learner Response clicker set, Promethium active slate and a document camera.  This grant will allow teachers to use Promethean boards, Expressions, slates, and Promethean software to enhance the reading curriculum. Reading software will be purchased for centers within the reading classrooms.  This project is expected to ultimately improve the reading levels of all students and make the reading class their favorite class of the day!                                                  

St. Louis Internship Program     $7,492.00

Pre-Internship Component (PIC) Computer Literacy Training: Grant to cover direct costs for 50 students to receive computer / Microsoft Office instruction at the Harrison Education Center.  This grant will underwrite class materials, computer usage, facilities etc. for six weeks.  The PIC program helps at risk 9th graders develop the employability skills they need to prepare for SLIP paid summer job site internships and to achieve a productive and satisfying future. SLIP students often show significant deficiencies in basic work readiness skills such as computer literacy and many do not have computers at home.  This grant is funded in part by Savvis, Inc.

St. Mary’s High School     $7,000.00

Using Technology to Improve Reading Proficiency Levels:  In order to improve reading proficiency skills in all students, St. Mary's High School is seeking to adopt a comprehensive reading improvement program by integrating additional Reading Plus software.  All students will have the opportunity  to improve silent reading speed and reading comprehension skills by participating in the sustained silent reading program, the improved summer reading program, selecting high interest multi-leveled books from the Media Resource Center, and using the Total Reader and the Reading Plus programs.

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 Additionally, two schools were selected to receive board directed grants for new equipment and two years of service to incorporate CLEAR’s new 4G wi-max technology into their classrooms to enhance the educational missions of their schools.  These schools include:

Jennings School District    $18,656.00 (Board Directed Grant)

To provide the equipment and Wi-Max access for Jennings High School to use the 2.5 educational broadband spectrum (4g) service to further their educational mission.  Jennings received netbooks, printers, CLEARSpots, modems, routers, software, flash drives, technical support and an internet filtering system.  They will be using wi-max for: Educational Research; Online Educational Resources / online software etc.; Communications with Parents / Administrators; Skype / Video Conferencing with other educators / professionals / other students; Field Trips (if using mobility of wi-max); Professional Development (online courses, internet research etc.)

Marian Middle School    $16,876.00 (Board Directed Grant)

To provide the equipment and Wi-Max access for Marian Middle School to use the 2.5 educational broadband spectrum (4g) service to further their educational mission.  Marian Middle School received netbooks and headphones for their students, laptops and docking stations for 3 teachers, printers, a server, professional development, software and technical support. They will be using wi-max for:  Educational Research; Online Educational Resources / online software etc.; Communications with Parents / Administrators;Professional Development (online courses, internet research etc.)

2010 Spring Grant Recipients:

Antonia Elementary    $15,000.00

Antonia: Acquiring New Technology Offers Noticeably Improved Academics:  This project involves purchasing Interactive Mimio Technology that converts dry erase boards into interactive white boards.  The components provide teachers the opportunity to wirelessly interact with students from a distance, capture all material for print, and access the Mimio Web Community and software.  Teachers, for the first time at this school, will have the capability to teach whole-class lessons incorporating state-of-the-art technology. 

Bethel Lutheran School    $10,954.00

Dynamic Teaching – Collaborative Learning:  Bethel Lutheran School reported they must upgrade their present technology and equipment into the 21st Century to be competitive with other schools.  Teachers need professional development about how to use the new technology to better prepare our students for the future.  Students' learning and test scores will increase because of access to current data, research, and other types of information through the new equipment and access to this technology.  This grant was funded in part by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis. 

Christ Prince of Peace School    $8,578.00

Improving our SMARTS!:  This project is all about creating a technology enriched classroom, which will enhance and improve student learning and achievement.  Their primary focus is in the area of fifth grade mathematics where they will utilize a SMARTboard and implement the use of the SMARTresponse system with the intent of future use of the system in various areas of student learning. 

Construction Careers Center Charter High School     $4,408.00

Point, Click, Mastery!:  SMARTboards are widely used at Triple C, but teachers want to take this technology to the next level!  This grant will provide two sets of SMART Response PE clickers. The clickers will be used to increase student engagement and to assess mastery at all steps of the instructional process.        

Halls Ferry Elementary School     $9,493.90

Promoting Reading with Technology:  This project will promote reading through the library using a SMARTboard, SMART Response System, document camera, computers, assessment software, and audio books (playaways).  Technology will be used to promote reading (video author interviews and book talks), provide access to reading (teaching use of electronic catalogs and databases), assess reading progress (accelerated reader quizzes), and supply audio books (playaways) as an alternate to traditional reading that may be borrowed to extend reading at home.  The technology-enhanced library will promote independent reading at home and school to increase reading achievement. 

Immanuel Lutheran School   $13,384.57

Mobile Computer Lab:  This grant will allow the purchase of 30 netbook computers for student use in the school. Creating a mobile "Computer Lab on Wheels" will allow more students the ability to utilize technology in the regular classroom, rather than just in a computer lab.  This grant is funded in part by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis.

King of Glory Lutheran School    $13,400.00

Smartboard Technologies in the Classroom:  This project will enable students and teachers to readily use SMARTboard technologies in the classroom for interactive and collaborative activities.  The whole class of students will be able to see and share the resources they have been able locate to address the question at hand in the project or assignment.  Teachers will be able to quickly share a wider range of information sources as they lead or direct a lesson.  These resources will allow the teacher to easily go beyond the static nature of the textbook.  This grant is funded in part by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis.

Merrill J. Rogers Middle School    $10,233.39

Technologically Speaking:  30 Acer Aspire Netbooks and a Netbook cart.  Teachers at Merrill J. Rogers Middle School plan to utilize Web 2.0 tools with their students to enhance all literacies, including reading, writing and technology. 

Ranken Technical College            $7,284.00

Information Technology Summer Career Exploration Academy:  Ranken Technical College is organizing career exploration academies for economically disadvantaged middle school students from St. Louis on the College’s campus the first week in August.  170 students will attend - 16 for the Information Technology Academy. Each of the seven academies will provide numerous hands on activities/projects, presentations and field trips to local industries. Each student will learn of the many career opportunities that await them as well as the technology, skills, and education necessary to be successful.  In the Information Technology Camp students will learn to dis-assemble and assemble E-Machine laptop computers, load software, see how wireless connectivity works including studying and learning how the campus wide wireless technology works at campus.  The students will be able to keep the laptops at the end of the session.                                                

Sacred Heart School     $7,486.00

Project Interactive:  1 smartboard and one mimio.  With this grant “Project Interactive” will receive 1 Smart board and 1 Mimio interactive system for two classrooms. These tools will allow our teachers to project lessons to the entire class, move around the room freely while manipulating the computer from the wireless pad, record instruction to use for reinforcement and absent students, increase motivation, encourage student involvement while developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. This project will be the first phase of integrating interactive whiteboards in our school.

St. Cecilia School     $15,000.00

Access to Technology:  4 promethium boards and install and shipping of boards.  St. Cecilia feels their underserved student population deserves access to technology. St. Cecilia students graduate and are going on to college prep high schools. They are academically prepared, and now with access to Activboards we will close the disparity gap in technology.  

St. John Lutheran School     $9,248.25

Touch to Learn:  Smarttech Interactive White Board systems will be installed in one half-day Kindergarten and two full-day kindergarten classrooms. Currently, those rooms and classes must share the computer lab board, which is utilized during the day by preschool through eighth grade. Installing individual classroom boards allows teachers and students to be free from the computer lab schedule and gives them the opportunity to fully integrate the interactive nature of the board into their normal instruction time.  The third board will be installed in a new second grade classroom.  This grant is funded in part by the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis. 

St. Joseph School          $12,645.00

Team Board Expansion:  3 teamboards with projector, speakers, and all installation and 2 Bluetooth interactive tablets.  St. Joseph School currently has four Teamboards in use. They began using Teamboards in their classrooms at the beginning of the 2009 school year.  Several of the St. Joseph teachers have mastered using the existing Teamboards for classroom instruction.  According to St. Joseph, the participation of students using the Teamboards has been fascinating to watch as the year has unfolded. Using the interactive Teamboards, classroom lessons have come alive and become more exciting and relevant for the students.  This project will expand the use of this pedagogical tool to all grade levels and students at St. Joseph School.  

St. Joachim and Ann Catholic School       $2,000.00

Engaging Students:  Classroom Response System:  The goal of this project is to provide teachers with a portable classroom response system, or “clickers”, so they can engage students using active learning techniques and increase opportunities for teachers to give and receive feedback.  The SMARTresponse System was chosen due to the ease of use and the teachers’ familiarity with the SMART technology.