Food for Thought - Grants for Educators with and Appetite for Learning
2011-2012 Grant Recipients
Together We’re SMARTer
Patricia Brown – Turner Creek Elementary
While all of our classrooms have been equipped with Smartboards, there is variability among our staff in their use of this technology. We lack sufficient time to collaboratively plan lessons that integrate this technology into teaching of the NC Standard Course of Study. Award of this grant would provide substitute release time for our teachers to engage in a day-long planning session within their PLC to evaluate and identify appropriate Smartboard lessons to maximize student achievement.
Making Time for Effective School Improvement Plan Implementation
Heather Callaghan – Olive Chapel Elementary
After reviewing our school data as a part of our school improvement plan this year, our team chose to focus on developing a balanced writing program for all grade levels which would lead to an increase in our students’ independent writing proficiency. After planning sessions, grade levels will create benchmark assessments, engage in open dialogue, analyze data to improve student instruction, and develop units of study that are differentiated for all learners.
Interactive Literacy Learning
Mary Decker – Olive Chapel Elementary
After examining recent literacy data, specifically phonemic awareness, our Professional Learning Team chose to focus on developing an interactive technology/literacy plan that will lead to higher literacy performance of all kindergarten students. Through the shared use of interactive whiteboard technology, we will develop literacy lessons, analyze literacy data and common assessments, engage in open dialogue, and provide educational training opportunities for parents.
Science Lab for an Elementary School
Marcia Ferreira – Morrisville Elementary
The goal of our grant is to improve student achievement by developing an environment that effectively promotes scientific exploration, discussion and learning. If funded, teachers and students will have a well-designed and easily accessible facility to perform experiments and the necessary equipment to enrich learning experiences. Our Science Club members will provide required components: i.e., preparation for experiments, care and feeding of living organisms, maintenance of tanks, pH in aquatic systems and room temperature. This project will challenge students to think critically by participating in real life discussions and investigating meaningful questions. It will support instruction by consistently reinforcing scientific theories and principles through the exploration of science concepts and the use of technology and hands-on activities.
Professional Literacy Learning Community
Stephanie Harris – East Wake Middle
This grant will support the formation of a new Professional Learning Community involving every certified teacher in targeted reading training. The focus is training teachers in reading skills to institute whole school regrouping of students based on the level of reading intervention, support, or enrichment needed. Core teachers will receive training for one level of readers during “team time,” and elective teachers will be trained to work with all levels of readers in their content area classes.
Building Leadership Capacity to Increase Effectiveness of Professional
Learning Communities
Jennifer Lanane – Holly Springs Elementary
In order for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to effectively impact student learning, teachers must first learn how to effectively manage the work of a PLC. Trained PLC leaders are needed to help guide individual PLCs to their full potential. This grant would help fund the training of Teacher Leaders in the workings of PLC. These Teacher Leaders will then be charged with the task of training and mentoring the school’s struggling PLCs. Stronger PLC translates to greater student achievement.
Ramp Up Reading!
Carol Longo – Lacy Elementary
Ramp Up Reading! targets the lowest quartile reading students, including English as a Second Language students, through individual instruction in before, during and after reading strategies. K-5 classroom teachers will explicitly teach before, during and after reading strategies to students and volunteer tutors will reinforce those strategies. This innovative approach trains tutors to work within a model that they can replicate across grade levels through high interest and increasingly complex books.
Kindles in the Classroom
Randy McFarland – North Forest Pines Elementary
With this Innovative Instruction Grant, our 4th grade class will purchase 6 Kindle e-book readers, with covers, and approximately 15 e-books. These titles will represent a multitude of independent and instructional reading levels in order to support a diverse group of readers in our classroom. While providing enhanced access to more reading material for students, the Kindles will also allow us to create lesson plans and conduct small-group guided reading instruction to teach, and assess, fluency and effective reading comprehension strategies.
Show What You Know
Susan Pearce – Zebulon Middle
Each year, I begin with identifying goals for the upcoming semester. In the Business Computer Technology Curriculum, two areas consistently stand out as being below proficiency on end-of-course testing: Multimedia Design and Spreadsheet Graphs. Recently, I’ve been experimenting with multimedia presentation techniques in my classroom. I have created videos to introduce and reinforce specific objectives. The students enjoy multimedia lessons, but I believe they would enjoy them better if they were creating them.
Then and Now – History Comes to Life!
Janet Pride – Combs Elementary
This is a third grade project-based learning proposal for social studies. This will bring social studies to life in today’s classroom by creating History Kits. The kits will include primary sources, artifacts and replicas, clothing, games, tools, books and technology. By using these materials and artifacts students will build schema, vocabulary, and understanding of the changes that have occurred in communities over time.
21st Century Skills: Enhancing Science Education through Technology
and Project-Based Learning
Anna Shartzer – Rand Road Elementary
Our school community will prepare students for 21st century demands, by offering every student opportunities to engage in authentic project based learning. Students will make use of outdoor spaces to support understanding of science concepts. The use of iPad technology will allow students to research and work in the field. While developing essential 21st century learning skills of critical thinking, innovation and collaboration, students will increase understanding of science concepts and increase student achievement.
Enhancing Experimental Design through Application of Microbiology
and Biotechnology Techniques
Jordan Trull – Millbrook High
This proposal demonstrates the independent classroom need for two different pieces of equipment (water baths and pipettes) which would allow successful implementation of multiple inquiry-based, technology-driven, microbiology and biotechnology laboratories. These labs would allow incorporation of two of the major life science strands: (1) Science as Inquiry, and (2) Science and Technology. This proposal encompasses and meets the needs of all Biology teachers and all students taking a life science course in the 2011-2012 school year as well as subsequent years.
Success is Only One Touch Away
Dawn Vinson – Lincoln Heights Elementary
$1,000 will purchase 5 iPod Touches to use in guided reading groups. Students will use teacher selected apps and internet sites, voice memo, camera, and video to enhance reading comprehension. Students will improve fluency by recording their reading and playing it back to hear their fluency. The iPods will be used all year and in future years. I will encourage other teachers in the school to implement this technology to enhance 21st century learning skills.
Inquiry-Based Science Learned Through Data Collection and Video Analysis
Sam Wheeler – Enloe High
This grant will support a project that adapts technology to inquiry-based learning centered on physics and physical science activities. Funding will be used to purchase Vernier LabQuest devices and probes, and Flip cameras to be used with the Vernier equipment. Students will create short videos of experiments they conduct with the LabQuests, and then analyze using LoggerPro software. Inquiry-based learning has been shown to be the best way for students to learn science.
Technology for the 21st Century
Patricia Williams – Alston Ridge Elementary
As educators, we consistently assess our students in order to gain data to drive our instruction. We actively seek ways to incorporate 21st century skills that invigorate our classroom environment and meet core standards. The purpose of this proposal is to request funding for a classroom set of Activexpression Wireless Handheld Response Systems to be shared among our grade level.
2010-2011 Grant Recipients
Kathy Bauer - eInstruction Technology Devide: eInstruction Clickers
West Lake Elementary School
The proposal goal is to motivate and engage students in learning through the use of technology. By using the response clickers, teachers will have immediate feedback on student learning. The students will know instantly if their thinking is accurate. Teachers will be able to quickly differentiate instruction to meet student needs. This technology easily integrates into already created lessons and current software at our school. The staff will have continued support from mentor teachers.
Cathy Kimble - Data Driven Differentiation through Professional Learning Communities
Yates Mill Elementary
We propose opportunities for Kindergarten through Fifth Grade, as well as Intervention, Arts and Special Education Professional Learning Teams to meet monthly to plan differentiated instruction. Our proposal builds on the 2009-2010 successful structure of weekly Professional Learning Team meetings. The proposed grant would fund release time for teachers to meet as a collaborative team to generate SMART goals, analyze current student data, consult resource materials, plan differentiated instruction and schedule progress monitoring instruments.
Diane New - Creating Equitable Classrooms Project
Forest Pines Elementary
Our school professionals have sought to address the persistent racial achievement gap. Through study of data, reflection on instructional strategies for individual and groups of students, and initial conversations about race and beliefs, we have made some progress. We propose to develop, in consultation with the Triangle Leadership Academy, four 1-day work sessions to: 1) examine how personal beliefs and institutionalized racism impacts expectations and behaviors toward minority and majority students; 2) build the leadership skills of a 12-member school Equity Coalition to facilitate equity conversations with Professional Learning Teams (PLTs). Grant collaborators, respective of their individual PLTs among the school community, will use acquired skills and evaluation tools to measure the impact of increased student achievement and a narrowing of the achievement gap between whites and minorities.
Susan Rhodes - Making Data Work: Improving Teaching and Student Achievement
Swift Creek Elementary
Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) offer an opportunity for educators to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and analyze data. The purpose of this proposal is to provide teachers a continued opportunity to work within their PLTs to analyze data, develop common assessments, and develop a plan to ensure continued success for all students. Consequently, teachers will work collaboratively to address these critical questions: What do we want students to learn? How will we know if they have learned? What will we do if they do not learn? What will we do if they already know?
Christi Vereckey - Empowering Young Writers
Olive Chapel Elementary
After examining recent writing data, our Professional Learning Team chose to focus on developing a balanced writing program to ensure consistency of instruction which will lead to high performance of all students. After attending staff development, we will analyze data, engage in open dialogue, and develop writing units, common assessments, and educational training opportunities for parents.
2009-2010 Grant Recipients
Tracy Casorso - Building the Infrastructure for 21st Century Learning and Teaching
Ligon Middle
The Media and Technology Professional Learning Community (M&T PLC) has seized this unprecedented opportunity to initiate a systemic integration, across all content areas, of 21st century digital literacy, media and emerging technologies with the New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives [Marzano]. This grant will afford the school-wide M&T PLC the professional development necessary to begin the process of integrating into our school’s curriculum DPI’s newly developed Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) digital literacy standard course of study (SCOS).
Carol Chalk - Data-Driven Learning and Teaching
Baileywick Elementary
Grade-level PLC teams will dig deeper into student data in order to determine best instructional practices and learning strategies to use in their classrooms. Professional development will integrate student learning data with ideas presented in Data Wise in Action (Boudett & Steele) to identify areas for growth in students at our school. Teachers will generate grade-level specific plans to increase student learning and performance based on their collaborative data analysis.
Allison Kuhns - Distributive Leadership that Works!
Reedy Creek Elementary
Using a distributive leadership approach, eight teachers will strengthen their leadership skills by engaging in professional readings. This core group of eight will understand grade level dynamics and the effects on school culture. Next, the core group will collaborate within their grade level areas and together in teams, each grade level will identify critical areas for intervention and create intervention strategies. Applying intervention strategies will enhance student achievement and prepare students for 21st century skills.
Michelle McDaniel - Prevention and Intervention: The Bridge to Student Success
Turner Creek Elementary
Through this grant we propose to intentionally evaluate student performance by developing school-wide screening measures to create optimal balance between accuracy and efficiency, to correctly identify those students whose performance warrants intervention. Working within the RTI model (Response to Intervention) from the IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act,) our staff will collaborate in PLC’s to understand the components, procedures, practice and criteria that are reflected in research. The outcome will be projected student success.
Julie Schmidt - 3 C's for Student Success: Conversations, Collaboration, and Connections
Ballentine Elementary
A key to successful professional learning communities is a risk-free environment in which teachers are willing to engage in crucial dialogue that leads to professional collaboration, accountability, and maximum student learning. Through Crucial Conversations training, teacher leaders would acquire the skills necessary to improve meetings, creating an environment where every team member feels safe speaking up and where conflict is addressed in a respectful and productive manner.
Beth Swartz - Leadership Counts
Wiley Elementary
Our project is designed to increase the leadership skills of the members of our leadership team so that they are better equipped to guide the school through our School Improvement Plan. Empowering our leadership team to become more effective facilitators will promote the mission, vision, and values of our school. We want to encourage collaboration and professional development among teachers in order to create an optimal environment for learning for all of our students.