SED 464 Signature Assignment

Innovation Grant Proposal Template

based off of the
Arizona Technology in Education Association (AzTEA) and CenturyLink
Innovation in Classroom Technology Integration (ICTI) Grant
2011-2012 Project Proposal Template


Terry Teacher

Why Do People Immigrate?

School Environment Narrative

(School District Name) lies in the heart of the greater Phoenix metropolitan
area. It serves approximately 15,000 K-12 students in 20 schools. 91.4%
of the student population is non-Caucasian. Approximately 85% of the
students in (school district name) are eligible for free or reduced-price
meals. About three-quarters of our students are classified as English
language learners (73%).

I am a 7
th
grade social studies teacher at (School Name) within (School
District Name). (School Name) is a K-8 school that has wonderful
teachers, students, and parents, although our standardized test scores are
consistently below the state mean. Last year, 57% of our 8
th
graders
passed the math portion of AIMS. However, only 17% of them fell far
below. Overall, we are pleased with the progress of our students who
struggle in math since 25% fell in the FFB category the previous school
year. Our school had the lowest number in our school district of falls far
below for the 8
th
grade reading test. Only 6% of our 8
th
graders fell far
below in reading. 68% passed the 8
th
grade reading portion of AIMS at
(School Name), which is right on par with our district average for 8
th
grade
reading. Writing is an area in which our 8
th
graders struggled the most.
Only 36% of them passed the writing portion of AIMS last year, and while
only 16% fell far below, 48% landed in the approaches category.

A few years ago, our districts reading scores were low overall so that has
been our area of focus since then. We adopted a new reading program
and have engaged in an abundance of professional development about
reading strategies, specifically for English language learners. Our school,
as well as the rest of the district has shown steady improvement in reading
scores. Last year writing scores were low across the district. We havent
had any type of focused writing initiative yet, but I anticipate that we will.

I am the only 7
th
grade social studies teacher at (school name), and I teach
all of the 7
th
grade students. My classes have 28-33 students.
Class periods are 83 minutes long and I teach four periods each day, plus
a short homeroom. I work with other 7
th
grade teachers, who teach
language arts, math, and science to create interdisciplinary units for
students. Because of our focus on reading for the past few years, I try to
integrate literature, informational text, and online reading (websites) into my
class as much as possible. Each student has a social studies textbook,
however we rarely use it because the reading level is too high for most of
my students and some of the content in the textbook is erroneous.

Many of the students are English language learners, with Spanish as their
first language. All of my students can speak English, though many have
challenges with reading and writing in English at the 7
th
grade level.

Our school has the following technology available for teachers and
students:
A computer lab with 30 Apple computers available for students and
one teacher computer hooked up to the projector at the front of the
classroom. The computers are generally in good working order and
have Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint loaded on them. They
also have some additional testing software that our students use to
practice for standardized testing.

NOTE: It is difficult to schedule time in the lab, so I typically only use
it once or twice throughout the semester.

10 Apple computers in the library/media center. These computers
are predominantly used for book checkout, however, some students
also use them for Internet research.

Many of our classrooms are equipped with a projector and
SmartBoard. Each of the 7
th
grade teachers has this equipment.

Our 3
rd
grade classes share a cart of iPads that were purchased two
years ago. Those teachers and students receive support from one of
the technology integration specialists from the district office.

My classroom is equipped with four outdated laptops, which are set
up in the back of the classroom. Students can checkout the laptops
as needed (bring them to their table to work). I do not allow students
to bring the laptops home.

Our school has wireless Internet access which works fine most of the time.
Occasionally it slows down, but that is to be expected of any network.

At the beginning of the school year, our students and parents are required
to sign an Acceptable Use Policy these are available in both English and
Spanish. The Acceptable Use Policy covers basic rules about protecting
the equipment as well as not giving out personal information and not
bullying online. These are very important issues for all kids and especially
7
th
graders who are trying to find their way in social circles and with whom
bullying (online and offline) is prevalent. During the first week of school, I
conduct a unit on legal and ethical use of technology, which includes
instruction about cybersafety and cyberbullying to reinforce the guidelines
laid out in the Acceptable Use Policy.

I integrate technology as much as I can with the limited technology that is
available. I have a projector and Smarboard in my classroom which I use
on a regular basis to show PowerPoints, videos, and websites. I try to
engage students in interactive lessons as much as possible. The four
laptops in the classroom are in almost constant use throughout the day as
students use them for research on topics they are assigned. They also use
the laptops for group work when we examine primary sources from the
Library of Congress website.

Since most of our students do not own computers, tablets, or smart
phones, they are very enthusiastic about using this technology at school.
They love lessons that involve the SmarBoard, rare days they go to the
computer lab, and using the laptops in class. This is the main reason I
want more technology in my classroom! There are so many ways to
engage students using technology and especially in my content area,
Social Studies. With technology, I can easily integrate content (social
studies), literacy (reading, writing, and communication), and technology
skills into meaningful project-based lessons.



Introduction

A large percentage (about ) of students in my classes were either born
outside of the United States or are the first generation in their family to be
born in the United States. Many are far more interested in learning about
the history of the country in which they were born, rather than learning U.S.
history. As a U.S. history teacher, it is important to engage students in
learning by making concepts relevant and meaningful to them.

In this project, students will learn about European immigration to the United
States in the early 1900, including the role of Ellis Island. To make this
meaningful and relevant to the students in my classes, they will interview
family, friends, and other people in the community who came to America
from another country about why and how they came to live here. They will
conclude the unit by creating a digital documentary about immigration and
why people immigrate, using iMovie.

This innovative project will impact 121 7
th
grade students this year and has
the potential to impact between 350-400 students over the next three
years.

This project will require students to read, write, research, and publish their
work through a project-based learning format.

Applicant Bio

Terry Teacher has been teaching for 13 years, 9 at (School Name). She
earned her Bachelors degree from Arizona State University in Secondary
Education. She is pursuing a Masters Degree in Educational Technology.
Terry loves finding new ways to engage students and make learning
meaningful and that every student is gifted.



Project Narrative

Need for the project
With the common core standards at the forefront of instruction, teachers
need to find ways to integrate literacy, research, and technology skills
throughout content areas such as social studies. At (School Name),
students reading scores have been below the state average for the past
three years and informational text has been of particular challenge. It is
important for all students to learn how to use technology in the 21
st
century.
Many students in more affluent areas own technology and are using it
regularly. However, at (School Name), most students do not have a
computer at home that is hooked up to the Internet. As a social studies
teacher, I can help students learn how to use the Internet for research, read
informational text, and use technology to create a digital documentary
about an important time in Americas history.

Project Impact
This project will have an enormous impact on students, teachers, and the
community. 121 students will engage in project-based learning and will
connect with family members, friends, and community members through
interviews conducted by students. Teachers will collaborate so that
reading, writing, and researching skills are supported in language arts
classes and the library media specialist will assist with these skills also.
Through this project, I will be learning a new technology (iMovie) and
seeing how the creation of a digital documentary can influence students
engagement in learning social studies.

Learning Goals and Outcomes
Why do people immigrate? This essential question will guide students
learning throughout this project. Students will learn about the history of
European immigration in the early 1900s through research. Students will
increase their research fluency skills as well as their ability to understand
and interpret informational text.

Students will also use inquiry, literacy, and technology skills to interview
friends, family, and community members about immigration. The creation
of a digital documentary will impact students 21
st
century skills such as
creativity, innovation, collaboration, and communication.

Standards covered include
Common Core
6-8.RH.2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
6-8.RH.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary
specific to domains related to history/social studies.
6-8.RH.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.
6-8.RH.10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 68
text complexity band independently and proficiently.
6-8.WHST.2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
6-8.WHST.4 . Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6-8.WHST.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the
relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

NETS-S
1. Creativity and Innovation
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
2. Communication and Collaboration
a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
3. Research and Information Fluency
b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of
sources and media
5. Digital Citizenship
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and
productivity
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
a. understand and use technology systems


Activities
Students will engage in the following activities:
Research European immigration from the early 1900s
Interpret primary sources such as pictures, maps, and documents
available from the Library of Congress website
Compose interview questions
Select interview participants
Review and apply interview procedures including note-taking
Discuss interview findings
Work in a group to plan, script, and produce a digital documentary
about why people immigrate




Assessment

Throughout the unit, students will be evaluated on their researching skills
through formative and observational means. They will also take a test
about research skills. The digital documentary will be assessed using a
rubric that the students will help create. It will focus on process, product,
and writing/communication. We will use http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ to
create the rubric together.

Technology Support

(School Name) has a dedicated technology support person who is very
knowledgeable about Apple computers and video equipment. He has
already agreed to help provide support, as needed.

Sustaining the Project After the Proposal Period

This project will be continued after the first year. Immigration is a concept
that is taught each year and will continued to be taught, even with the
adoption of the common core standards. By investing in the technology for
this project, additional video projects could also be done in other content
areas.

Innovation
This project is truly innovative. In years past, I have held class discussions
with students about why their families decided to come to America but
many students dont know why. Learning about family and community
history and applying that to U.S. history increases students engagement
and motivation to learn. And using technology is icing on the cake!

When students create a digital documentary, they are using a multitude of
skills to develop a concept, write a script, search for images and other
media, and produce the video. They are also working within a group,
developing collaboration skills and a cooperative mindset, which are skills
they will need to be successful both in and out of school.

Budget Table and Narrative

Item and Quantity Individual Item Cost Item Cost
(1) Apple iPad Learning
Lab with Apple Care
Protection
$7,059 $7,059
(5) iPad: IPAD 2 WI-FI
16GB BLACK
$399 $1,995

Total Cost =
$9,054