2009 Fall Grant Recipients:

Brittany Woods Middle School    $3,810.00

Classroom Technology Upgrade:  Providing a SmartBoard and document camera to an 8th grade math classroom.  This technology will allow the students to be more hands on and visual, as well as allow the teacher to be more creative ultimately resulting in increased student achievement.

 Hamilton eMints Academy    $14,900.00

Music Creation Lab:  The students at Hamilton will use the hardware, software and peripherals of the Music Creation Lab to create projects that will support their core curriculum content areas: communication arts, mathematics, social studies and science.  Through the creation of songs through direct audio recording, virtual instruments and looping software, which is all mixed and edited, the students will combine unique expression through technological manipulation to create musical products in the form of CD's that contain academic content across all areas.

 Hodgen Elementary College Bound Academy    $17,610.66

Burning for Learning with Technology.. Through project based learning with the netbook lab, students will work on research, organization, curriculum reinforcement, media literacy, and many other learning opportunities.  These computers will enhance productivity through greater student engagement, and allow teachers to create lessons that not only stimulate, but also encourage students to delve deeper into researching various topics.  This netbook lab will help Hodgen students be better prepared for college, while also preparing them for the world of technology and computers in the workforce.  This grant was jointly funded by the Innovative Technology Education Fund and Savvis, Inc.

 McKinley Classical Leadership Academy     $15,089.70

Multimedia Mania with iMacs:  This project will provide McKinley students access to Apple iMac equipment as well as digital video and still cameras to create, edit, and produce digital video projects, a school newspaper, and an interactive school website.  The students will create multimedia visual presentations for their classmates, teachers, and parents, reinforcing required reading and writing skills and becoming adept at applying state-of-the-art technology.  These projects will involve original writing, producing, editing, and broadcasting, and provide an excellent learning tool for students who have difficulty with the standard forms of learning.

Mehlville High School     $14,659.00

Enhancing Math Achievement through Technology:  Through the use of wireless technology, the teacher will be able to quickly assess student understanding and mastery of concepts.  This instant feedback will allow for self-assessment by the student while providing data to the teacher on the necessity to provide further instruction.  This grant was jointly funded by the Innovative Technology Education Fund and Savvis, Inc.

 North Jefferson Intermediate   $14,985.00

Improving Student Achievement: A Smart(Board) Road to Success – North Jefferson Intermediate wants to expand their technology base and equip three of their classrooms with SMART Board technology to both increase student achievement and increase student engagement.

Sister Thea Bowman    $1,000.00

The Final Four – Grant to cover full day professional development / SmartBoard training for all instructors at Sister Thea Bowman.
St. Cletus School    $6,181.00

Smart Classrooms - With the addition of a SmartBoard and a Senteo Response System, teachers will be able to integrate technology into their daily classroom lessons.  The SmartBoard will allow 5th and 6th graders to be more interactive within the daily learning environment.  The Senteo Response System will allow teachers to actively engage their students throughout the lesson as well as have immediate feedback in regards to their students’ understanding.  

St. Elizabeth Academy    $15,000.00

St. Elizabeth Academy Bridge Program:  32 laptops and 1 laptop cart.  The mission of St. Elizabeth Academy is to make academic success an attainable goal for an extremely diverse student body.  In order to realize this mission, the Bridge Program was created to raise digital literacy, accelerate student performance and increase access to technological resources for an underserved population.
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf     $8,840.00

Innovative Te(a)chnology for Deaf Students:  St. Joseph Institute requested the Smart Response System, Smart Board Interactive Display and Airliner Slate System to increase their students’ comfort level with this technology, help their teachers educate to their students strengths and identify their weaknesses, all while allowing parents increased access to classroom lessons.  Smart technology gives St. Joseph Institute students another tool to maximize learning and their potential.

St. Patrick School     $14,590.22

The Book Bunch:  24 Inspiron 15 Intel Celeron 900 notebooks, 24 copies of Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Microsoft Office 2007, and Microsoft Server License, 24 Anti-Virus licenses, a wireless access point, and 1 Mobile Notebook Cart.  With this new equipment, teachers and students at St. Patrick School will use a program called ePals to improve reading comprehension and writing skills while participating in a project called “The Book Bunch”.  This project allows students to dialogue on-line via the literature circle forum with other e-pal students to refine conceptual reasoning skills, analyze literature, and form text to self, text to world connections.  Students will experience their Communication Arts class in a very different way, as they demonstrate comprehension of text via email communication and reflect upon another student’s point of view.  

2009 Spring Grant Recipients:

Brittany Woods Middle School     $8,974.00

Mobile Notebook and Multimedia Lab:  Studentmates for library, Mimio, flash drives, Linksys access.  This project will develop the technology skills of the teachers and students and allow students access to additional computer time through the addition of a second computer lab in the library.

Earl Nance Sr. Elementary    $5051.00

Project Read:  Laptops, workstation stands, printer, ink, software.  The librarian will utilize this equip to provide tutoring sessions in reading/communication arts to students from each grade level.  The sessions will enable the librarian to work with students who “fall through the cracks” and do not qualify for other programs.  All students at the school will have the opportunity to use the equipment to learn to compile/research data and organize it into research papers.  This project ultimately will improve the writing skills of the students and enhance their thinking ability.

Fanning Middle School    $13,371.99

Threshold…Art – The level at which effect starts:  Laptops, mini lab cart, printer.  The purpose of the project is to enrich student learning and achievement through a cross-curricular and in depth focus on four major themes: African American studies,   Animal and environmental conservation, Public Art (murals), and Architecture.

Gateway Institute of Technology     $12,343.00

21st Century Career Readiness for Students with Special Needs:  Computers, desktop virtualization kits, monitors, speakers, keyboards/mice, printer, software.  Special needs students at Gateway Institute of Technology do not have ready access to a computer lab.  This project would provide a lab for these students and allow them to take courses in technology (work processing, resume building, etc) which will develop their skills in technology and ultimately allow them to find better work after high school.  This teacher is working with local businesses in the area to secure internships for these students with the hopes of getting them a permanent position upon graduation.

Griscom School                $10,776.59

Achieving Personal Success:  Computers, desktop virtualization kits, printer, software.  Griscom School feels the use of computers is key to getting each of their students the opportunity to have a positive way of reinforcing their reading skills and building on new skills. This project would provide Griscom School with up-to-date computers which would allow all students the opportunity to use the available district reading software that is leveled carefully for their maximum benefit.

Kennard Elementary   $14,467.03

Kennard’s Writing Program Moves to the 21st Century – Electronic Portfolios:  Laptops, laptop cart, flash drives, scanner, printer, digital camera, software.  This program will greatly increase the researching/writing skills of the 2nd and 3rd graders at Kennard Elementary through the use of the Hyperstudio software and the increased access to technology.  The ultimate goal of this project is to create an electronic portfolio for every 2nd and 3rd grade student that they can take with them as they move up in grade levels.

Lutheran Association of Special Education    $17,000.00

Leveling the Playing Field – Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities:  Laptops, scanners, ClaroRead Plus, Kidspiration 3.0, Fusion portable word processor, OnScreen, professional development.  This project will allow the Lutheran Association of Special Education to place each of the above pieces of equipment into a total of 7 resource rooms in seven different Lutheran schools. 

Messiah Lutheran School    $3,000.00

Reading Recovery:  Computers, professional development, reading software.  The purpose of this project is to integrate technology into Messiah Lutheran School's reading program to increase their student achievement in reading by utilizing technology to encourage and enhance reading in grades k-8. Students will be able to read and receive feedback on over 1 million books by utilizing the reading software acquired with this grant.

St. Charles Borromeo School       $847.00

Enriching Education & Improving Assessment through SMART Technologies:  Senteo Response System.  This grant will provide St. Charles Borromeo School with a Senteo Interactive Response system which will increase their faculty’s ability to assess student knowledge in order to individualize and tailor lessons for individual class needs.

St. Gerard Majella Parish             $5,997.00

Click For Success:  Three Senteo Response Systems.  The Senteo system enhances students’ learning by actively engaging them in the lesson being taught.  The teacher’s ability to have the children answer questions with the remotes throughout the lesson means that all of the children are involved all of the time.  This high level of involvement in learning leads to excitement and motivation in students which, in turn, leads to greater academic gains.

St. Katharine Drexel School         $3,000.00

Enhancing the Curriculum through Technology:  Smartboards.  Through this grant, Smartboards will be placed in three classrooms of three different grade levels.  Smartboards have been shown to be strong factors in energizing classroom presentations and activities. Students become more engaged in the learning when they interact with this technology.  St. Katharine Drexel believes their students will develop stronger skills in content areas, stronger confidence in themselves as learners, and stronger ability to use technology through the use of these Smartboard systems.

St. Mark’s Lutheran School    $10,300.00

Direct Connect:  Smartboards, projectors, installation, professional development.  The Smartboards received from this grant will be used to increase instructional strategy options and make internet resources visible to the entire class.  The professional development funded by this grant will guarantee all teachers have the knowledge needed to utilize this new equipment to its fullest.

Trinity Lutheran School    $2,000.00

Trinity’s Technology Plan to Incorporate a Third Classroom:  Smartboard, laptop, software.  Trinity Lutheran is restructuring their school from two classrooms into three classrooms.  This grant will allow them to purchase the necessary technology needed to update the new classroom and provide needed software in the other two classrooms.

Vashon High School    $12,811.24
Vashon High School Writing/Research Project Enhancement:  Computers, desktop virtualization kits, monitors, speakers, keyboards/mice, printers/ink.  This project will benefit all 9th grade students at Vashon High School who will now be able to expand their communication skills as they become productive, published writers.  They will use the new computers to produce literary writings, interactive online magazines, research papers and essays, college application documents, and professional resumes.

Wedgwood Elementary       $14,480.00

Technology for High Achievement for All:  Smartboards with airliner and stands, presentation carts, audio systems, projectors, wireless slates, macbook.  This project will increase technology in the classroom in order to facilitate higher achievement for all students.  With access to Smart boards, airliners, and related technology, teachers and students will be able to connect to the internet to increase the students' opportunities in learning. Teachers will be able to create lessons that involve every child at any level or ability.

Zion Lutheran School       $9,268.99

Smartboard Implementation:  Smartboards, Senteo Response System, professional development.  This grant allows Zion Lutheran to achieve their goal of having a Smartboard system in every classroom.  The Senteo Response System will be shared between the classrooms and the professional development will guarantee the teachers have the required level of comfort to utilize the technology to its fullest.