Seed /Innovation Grant Update May 23, 2011 Overview DART implemented a seed project process for the 2009/2010 school year and utilized this process to allow teachers to request equipment above and beyond the standard distribution model and to distribute a number of ipods obtained through negotiations with Apple. In addition to the ipods, $30,000 was provided by DART to fund the first year s projects. The application was made available through the Compass and completed applications were reviewed by the DART Leadership Team. Based on feedback from Instruction and Planning and Operations, the form was collaboratively revised for the 2010/2011 school year. Both forms are based on the project planning form adopted by the Division s PMOC. DART allocated $100,000 for additional seed projects for the 2010-2011 school year. Given the funding constraints, the DART Leadership team has evaluated projects based on the opportunities for the Division to learn from planning, implementing, and refining the project and the overall plan for the innovation in teaching and learning. Once a project is recommended for funding, members of the DART leadership team and educational technology staff meet with school staff to plan for specifics. Requirements for professional development and school resources are evaluated and plans and commitments are made. The educational technology staff has conducted follow-up meetings or reached out virtually for each and every one of the seed projects over the course of the past two years and an evaluation survey was conducted in May 2010 to collect information regarding the 2009-2010 seed projects. The 2010 revisions to School Board Policy IIBE reflect much of what was learned through the seed project implementations including the Cloud Computing Permission Form (Form F) and Equipment Loan Form (Form G). The Physics/MESA netbook project was funded outside of this process and is documented through a project charter with Matt Haas as the project manager. A student survey was conducted in the spring of 2010 and DART, Instruction, and the principals involved met to revise expectations for 2010-2011. Instruction funded projects at Walton (6 th grade 1:1) and Monticello (class sets of laptops for government classes). With the exception of the Physics/MESA netbook, Walton and Monticello projects, all seed project and innovation grant applications have been reviewed by the DART Leadership team, teachers submitting proposals have been notified of their status, and all projects approved to date have been implemented. DART is in the process of reevaluating a number of previously unfunded applications for possible implementation.
Highlights from Specific s Computer Science students at WAHS created an app to pull data from a variety of school-related calendars and ipod app development will be incorporated in to future CS I courses. Immigrant students at AHS produce imovies about their families, culture, and lives and celebrate these in a class showing of them all. Students at Henley Middle School produce oral history videos, often interviewing grandparents and other family members. Students at Stony Point and Stone-Robinson have scripted and produced audio tours of their nature trails or other community spaces. Students at Crozet Elementary have published ipod app reviews for teachers throughout the world to use. Students at Meriwether Lewis are using Today s Meet and other social media tools to conduct research and check for understanding. Students at Murray High School report reading more and different literature on their Kindles than they did in years past. Students at WAHS use a class set of ipods to research current events and to support other research endeavors. Students at Henley Middle School use apps to learn about health and fitness matters. ESOL students at Burley and Jouett use dictionary apps and voice memos to learn new words and practice fluency. Students at Red Hill and Yancey are learning from audio books and other literacy apps. Students at Cale, Crozet, Baker-Butler, Jouett, and MESA and exploring digital fabrication in the classroom. Students at Brownsville Elementary charting weather, exploring Google Earth for Social Studies projects, and using Animoto to create video productions. Students at Greer Elementary are using the Voice Memo app for Reading and Virginia Studies to record themselves and adults involved in the Massive Resistance. Students at Yancey Elementary are using PC tablets to improve fluency and increase reading comprehension. Opportunities for Improvement While instructional coaches have supported many of the individual teachers as they have implemented seed projects, the overall knowledge of specific projects and the support that has gone in to them is not shared between DART and Instruction. There is confusion about who has funded what projects and what the central roles and responsibilities are across many of the larger projects. Expectations must be managed and criteria for selection must be clearly communicated. DART received over $1,000,000 in innovation grant requests with only $100,000 in the designated budget. Recommendations Expand implementation of the ESOL projects. Expand implementation of the audio book project. Determine and fund outstanding needs to make existing projects more viable. Follow up with seed/innovation grant recipients to complete the evaluation of their projects. Determine the nature of projects should be funded through the Innovation Grant process and how other projects will be funded. Communicate this clearly to principals. Strengthen the collaboration between DART and Instruction, being clear on expectations, roles and responsibilities.
Summary of Funded s Year Applicant School Title Equipment Allocated Status 2009-2010 Julie Strong Albemarle High For classroom/teacher 1 ipod Implemented as planned use 2009-2010 Sharon Webb Albemarle High ESOL Immigration 10 ipod Nanos Implemented as planned 2010-2011 Anita Mays Baker-Butler ipods in the Library 15 ipods Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Melissa Techman Broadus Wood Class FactFinder/Verifier 12 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned role and Support Inquiry Fair 2009-2010 Carlin Sochor Burley Middle school video 10 ipod Nanos Implemented as planned diaries 2009-2010 Dana Rivera Burley Wii Interactive None The project was aborted Whiteboards 2009-2010 Madeline Holly Sales Burley I-POD ESOL Infusion 15 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Sarah Severs Burley For use with science Palms recovered from The project was aborted administrator change to ewalk for iphones 2009-2010 Diane Harding Cale Engineering Journal 20 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Anthony Smith CATEC Use for learning and developing apps 25 ipods and a cart 2009-2010 Chandler Sansing Community Public Students use Twitter as 12 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned Charter School exit passes 2009-2010 Barbara Huneycutt Crozet CTIP Transition SMART Board and PRS Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Karen Marcus Crozet Compare ease of use, etc 8 ipod Nanos and 8 Implemented as planned across three types of video cameras Kodak Zi8 digital video cameras 2009-2010 Paula White Crozet ipod Touches to Support 40 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned Critical Thinking 2010-2011 Paula White Crozet 1:1 Initiative at a grade level 75 ipods and 3 carts 2010-2011 Matt Landahl Greer ipod Touch in Language 60 ipods and 2 carts Implemented as planned Arts 2009-2010 Elizabeth Thompson Henley Oral History 28 ipod Nanos Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Tessa Pehanick Henley Various Health/PE apps 40 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2010-2011 Tessa Pehanick Henley Flips in PE 6 Flip video cameras
Year Applicant School Title Equipment Allocated Status 2009-2010 Andrew Jacobs Jouett Create audio and video to 30 ipod Nanos and a cart Implemented as planned support literacy 2009-2010 Ashby Johnson Jouett For AVID to use with 20 netbooks Implemented as planned organizational skills 2009-2010 Jill Bratton Jouett I-POD ESOL Infusion 15 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Rob Dent/Kelly Hughes Jouett ipod Touches for Middle 40 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned School Social Studies/Collaborative classes 2010-2011 Rebecca Jones/Tom McMurdo Jouett Laptops in Math 30 laptops, 1 cart, 2 access points 2010 2011 Heather Dow Jouett 1:1 in Social Studies 30 laptops, 1 cart, 2 access points 2009-2010 Michael Thornton Meriwether Lewis Exit slips, student designed apps 25 ipods and a cart Implemented well beyond the scope as planned 2010 2011 Michael Thornton Meriwether Lewis Vision 2023 8 ipods, 6 ipads, 4 laptops Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Mae Craddock Monticello High CTIP Transition Interactive Whiteboard, Document Camera Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Mae Craddock Monticello High ipods and Literature 120 ipods and 3 carts Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Michael Craddock Monticello High For AVID access to technology at home 18 netbooks (many parents opted out in year 2 because of the financial liability, netbooks are in use at school) 2010 2011 Jim Huneycutt Monticello High 1:1 in Government 90 laptops Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Charlotte Wellen Murray High One to one Kindle deployment in support of reading 14 Kindles, covers, and books 2009-2010 Vicki Crews Miller Murray High SmartPens for Smart Kids 18 LiveScribe pens 2009-2010 Rosaura Gonzalez-Muniz New Comer Center ESOL students create and share movies 10 ipods and a cart 2009-2010 Joan Ackroyd Red Hill Red Hill Elementary 20 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned School ipod 2009-2010 Jeff Coleman Stone-Robinson Nature Trail Audio Tour 25 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned
Year Applicant School Title Equipment Allocated Status 2009-2010 Donna DeGroat Stony Point Nature Trail Walking Tour 20 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Betsy Agee Walton ipod Seed - Walton 40 ipods and a cart 2010-2011 Betsy Agee Walton 1:1 at a Grade Level 150 laptops Implemented as planned 2009-2010 Bobbi Hughes Western Albemarle Follow-up to WAHS CAI 4 SmartBoards recovered Implemented as planned work from Yancey conversion, may have received others from Greer as well 2009-2010 Molly Miracle Western Albemarle Twitter and blogging in 25 ipods and a cart HS government 2009-2010 Sara Dahl Western Albemarle Using Java and Xcode to Create iphone and itouch Apps to Supplement learning in Computer Science I 26 ipods and a cart 2009-2010 Kristie Obrecht Yancey Fluency 20 ipods and a cart Implemented as planned 2010-2011 Alison Dwier-Selden Yancey ipads for Learning 8 ipads Implemented as planned 2010-2011 Alison Dwier-Selden Yancey Learning Innovation in History 8 Tablet PCs and 4 ipods Implemented as planned