Bagwell College of Education End of Year Money Requests
I.Interactive board wireless slates/tablets for BCOE faculty
Rationale for Request:
Until recently, BCOE graduates could be confident that they were beginning their teaching careers with experience using technologies far in advance of those they would find in their classrooms in the area public schools. But today our graduates are beginning their careers in classrooms with technologies equal to or superior to those they were trained in at KSU. In particular, Cherokee County has in place their new 21st Century Classroom program (see attachment A) that provides teachers with 200 hours of training followed by a variety of technologies for their classrooms. Cobb County has just begun a 21st Century Classroom pilot program for their teachers (see attachment B). A further indicator that area schools will continue to emphasize the importance of the integration of technology into teaching and learning can be found in the 2007 Center for Digital Education and National School Boards Association’s ranking of the nation’s top tech-savvy school boards (see attachment C). In their rankings, five area school boards were recognized as being in the top group of tech-savvy boards in the nation. Tech-savvy boards will expect tech-savvy teachers. One of the fastest growing integrations of technology into P-12 classrooms is the use of interactive boards.
A BCOE taskforce has been investigating the purchase of interactive boards for our classrooms. In our investigations, we have decided that rather than investing in a board for each classroom, that we should instead purchase the wireless tablets that allow you to turn a regular white board and lcd projector into an interactive board.
To insure that the preservice teachers and teacher leaders in our programs are prepared to make use of this technology, they need hands-on instruction provided by well trained faculty. To that end, we would like to purchase a wireless tablet for every BCOE faculty member. Along with the tablets, each faculty member will undergo training in their use provided by the Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC). By having their own tablets that they have been thoroughly trained to use, faculty members will be able to plan lessons and demonstrations in their offices or at home. This will help to fully integrate the use of this technology into the fabric of all instruction in the BCOE.
Qty. / Item / Price / Total Price70 / Wireless tablets for interactive boards / Approx. $450.00 / $31,500.00
II.Renew license for Nvivo Qualitative Research Software
Last year the college was able to purchase a one-year license of the Nvivo Qualitative Research Software for 18 faculty members’ office computers and 25 copies for one lab to be used for graduate research courses. To help our faculty conduct their personal scholarship and to prepare our graduate students to conduct quality research, we are requesting funding to renew the 43 licenses:
Qty. / Item / Price / Total Price43 / One-year licenses for Nvivo Software / $137.00 / $5,891.00
The total for both requests is $37,391.00.
Appendix A:
Cherokee County School District Technology Endorsement
Cherokee County School District is committed to engaging 21st century learners. New classroom technologies such as interactive whiteboards, mounted ceiling projectors and student response devices will assist teachers focusing on an active learning environment.
This program is designed to support teachers during the process of integrating these new technologies effectively. An overall goal will be to increase the level of technology integration in the classroom. The two-year endorsement program is a combination of Professional Development and technology integration projects. Each participant will collect a total of 200 points to complete the endorsement. Some components are required and others can be selected from a list of options. The training and projects are designed to give teachers experience and practice using emerging technologies. The program will culminate with teachers conducting a project-based unit to engage learners in an authentic learning experience. Teachers will keep an electronic portfolio of training, classroom projects, reflections, collaboration and growth throughout this program.
Professional Development 75 to 100 points
Required:
- Using Electronic Whiteboards to Engage 21st Century Learners I and II
- Portfolio Management
- Internet Safety -ONLINE
- Professional Readings
- Maintain reflections in weekly web log
- School-based technology training
- Curriculum software related to subject area taught
Examples of Elective Courses:
- Digital Storytelling
- Podcasting for Educators
- Web 2.0
- 21st Century Research Paper
- Authentic Learning using Internet Projects
- Maximizing Online Resources
- Developing Professional Learning Communities using Blogs and Podcasting
- Scavenger Hunts - Defined Research on the Web
- Critical Thinking with Webquests
- I Stream, You Stream
- Manage Online Content with Moodle
Technology Integration Projects 100 to 125 points
Required Projects:
Capstone
The program will culminate with a project-based unit to engage students in an authentic learning experience. Teachers will choose a use of technology that is of particular interest to them and the students they teach. After researching the topic, a brief study of the effectiveness of this technology in their classrooms will be conducted. Teachers will be asked to share their findings with others in the district.
Examples of Elective Projects (based on GPS):
- Electronic Whiteboard Materials
- Movies
- Podcasts Internet Scavenger Hunt - Locate/Find information
- Web Quest - Use/Apply information
- Internet Project - Share/Publish information
Source of above information:
Appendix B:
Cobb 21st Century Classroom Initiative21st Century Classroom Initiative Ready To LaunchSchool board OKs high-tech classrooms at demonstration schools
The Cobb County Board of Education has given a unanimous green light to a project that will bring cutting edge classroom technology tools to seven demonstration schools throughout the county. The 21st Century Classroom initiative will turn classrooms into high-tech, interactive learning environments at the seven schools. Every classroom in these schools will be converted, and teachers will be trained in the effective use of the new tools. Specific classrooms at additional schools throughout the District also will be converted.
In total, 21st Century Classrooms will be installed in 400-500 classrooms throughout the District. Installation will begin soon and will be completed in time for the classrooms to be active by the beginning of the second semester of the 2007-2008 school year. In the meantime, each demonstration school will install one 21st Century Classroom to be used as a demonstration site for faculty, students and parents.
In July, the Board of Education awarded a Request For Proposal for the 21st Century Classroom project to three vendors. The seven schools that will undergo a total conversion are: Bells Ferry, Belmont Hills, Clay, Green Acres, and Mt. Bethel elementary schools, Durham Middle School, and Sprayberry High School.
The intent of the 21st Century Classroom is to provide teachers with tools to more effectively engage today’s learners. Teachers are faced with the task of communicating a curriculum to a new generation of students who are very technologically proficient. With the tools of the 21st Century Classroom, each teacher will be better equipped to teach in a technological arena that compliments the world in which today’s students live, play and interact. The tools of the 21st Century Classroom include an interactive white board and/or projection screen, an interactive pad, ceiling-mounted projector, student response system, ceiling-mounted speakers with amplifier, CATV tuner, wall-mounted controller, and a DVD/VCR player.
“Students today are part of a technological environment that is far different from the world in which most adults grew up,” said Chris Ragsdale, the district’s chief technology officer. “Cell phones, text-messaging, personal web sites and interactive computer programs are all a routine part of our children’s lives. They find the technology intuitive, and they assimilate it very quickly. When these tools are introduced to a classroom setting, the students become engaged right away.”
The District will perform a comprehensive evaluation of the project to determine its effectiveness. Documents detailing the plan for the implementation and evaluation of the 21st Century Classroom initiative were developed by the District and evaluated by the Facilities & Technology Review Committee. These documents are available on the District web site. Also available on the web site is a video clip presentation that provides a visual illustration of the technology components that are part of a 21st Century Classroom.
Appendix C:
Top Tech-Savvy School Boards Announced by the Center for Digital Education and National School Boards Association
2007 Digital School Boards Survey Top 10
(The top-10 ranking winners in each category)
Large Category — More than 15,000 students
1st Houston County Board of Education, Georgia
4th Cherokee County Board of Education, Georgia
6th Paulding County Board of Education, Georgia
8th Cobb County School District Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
10th DeKalb County School System Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
Medium Category — 2,501 to 15,000 students
1st White County Board of Education, Georgia
2nd Ben Hill County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
4th Barrow County Board of Education, Georgia
6th Board of Education of the City of Marietta, Georgia (tie)
6th Camden County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
7th Clarke County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
9th Walton County Board of Education, Georgia
10th Gainesville City Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
10th Lowndes County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
Small Category — Fewer than 2,500 students
6th Lamar County Board of Education, Georgia
7th Clinch County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
7th Crawford County Board of Education, Georgia (tie)
9th Chickamauga City School System Board of Education, Georgia