MARIAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION Department of Educational Technology EDT 655- Developing Grant Proposals Integrating Technology Action Assignment 6 – The Grant Proposal Name: Joseph P. Finn Jr. School & Grade Level: Horizon Elementary School, 6th Grade Grant Title: NEA Student Achievement Grant Grantor: NEA Foundation Grantor’s url: http://www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/student-achievement-grants/ Possibl e Points Self Attention-grabbing, pointed out project’s uniqueness, explicitly made vision statement, irrefutably linked proposed project with grantor’s interests; project has a clear fit with the funder’s priorities and parameters; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Coherent, concise and complete description of the project- addressing all of the required elements; showed overall value of the project (the relationship of benefits to costs) is high; unique and innovative; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Need is real and timely supported by recent data, case studies, interviews, survey results, media attention, etc. supported statements with references (literature review), correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals and objectives; with corresponding clear and tangible outcomes; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Activities, procedures and strategies are realistic, reasonable, effective, outcome-oriented - drawing on best practice and research; includes who will what, how and when, with innovative use of emerging technologies; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Organizational Credibility Action Assignment 4 School mission and vision is aligned with grantor’s; history, leadership and programs relate to the proposed project; convincingly established capacity to undertake the grant (vita) and evidence of institutional support (attached signed letters of assurances) 2 2 Evaluation Plan Action Assignment 3 Solid formative and summative evaluation to determine whether goals and objectives are met; provided information regarding internal or external evaluation; purposefully triangulated data sources; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Criteria Requirement Cover Letter or Fitness Action Assignment 5 Abstract or Summary Action Assignment 5 Statement of Need Action Assignment 1 Goals & Objectives/Outcomes Action Assignment 1 Sound Methodologies w/ Technology Integration Action Assignment 1 Rating Scale: 2= strong 1= average 0= weak Pee r Pro f Dissemination & Replicability Action Assignment 3 Realistic plan for sharing results of the project as well as lessons learned (i.e. publication, replication, blogs; mailings; presentations); correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Budget & Sustainability Action Assignment 2 Includes practical budget and other sources of funding being pursued, both cash and in-kind contribution; convincing narrative that explains how the project will continue after the grant has run out; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 Other ConsiderationsOverall Presentation, Attachments; Action Assignment 6 Complete, accurate and relevant References and Appendix; current cited sources (within the last 5 years); overall value of the project (the relationship of benefits to costs) is high; Submitted clean final copy in one Word document on or before due date, professional and scholarly writing, easy to understand, well-organized, flows logically, visual presentation is effective; helpful graphics/charts/tables, (pursuant to funder preferences); the proposal is neat and orderly; correctly and consistently followed grantor’s format and guidelines; no spelling or grammatical errors 2 2 20 20 TOTAL Decision: Reject 16-20= Accept; 15-10= Resubmit Less than 10= NOTE: Points will be deducted from the total for late submission; in real life, applications will not be considered if submitted after the deadline. Highlight titles of sections not required by grantor. The final grant application will be archived so aim for perfection. NEA Student Achievement Grant: Guidelines Requirement Provide an abstract of your proposed work. Failure to comply with the character limit (200 words or less) may lead to disqualification of your application. Describe your goals for student achievement and how you will measure each outcome. Describe student need for this work. Describe the activities in which you and your students will engage to reach your goals. Provide a line-item budget for the proposed work. Your request must total $5,000. Funds are not used to: support after-school, weekend or summer programs, pay indirect costs, grant administrator fees or salaries, pay stipends to the applicants or support conference fees for more than one person. Proposed goals for student achievement are challenging and rigorous. Proposed work engages students in critical thinking and problem solving. There is alignment between goals, assessment, activities and budget. Lead applicant, partner and fiscal agent are identified. Self Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Peer Prof Cover Letter Joseph P. Finn Jr. Horizon Elementary School Pewaukee School District 458 Lake Street Pewaukee, WI 53072 Dear NEA Foundation, The Pewaukee Public School District takes pride in educating students to have the necessary skills to efficiently enter the 21st century workplace. Our mission is to open the door to each child’s future and we do so by setting high standards for our students and ourselves. We challenge our students to use critical problem solving, collaboration, creativity and technology skills to help them through any problem or situation that may arise. We also hold ourselves to high standards by always reflecting on ourselves, our students and our lessons and continually asking the question, ‘What can I do to improve this?’ I am applying for the NEA Foundation Student Achievement Grant to help improve the on our current way of assessing students during math class. I am applying for the $5,000 NEA Foundation Student Achievement Grant in order to purchase 2.5 classroom sets of Mimio Vote, an interactive voting device that engages every student by allowing them to cast their answer to each problem that is displayed. The 6 th grade team will incorporate checkpoint questions into every math lesson. Students will solve the problem and individually cast their answer via the Mimio Vote. The teachers will receive immediate feedback letting them know if the concept is understood or if more time is required on it. The teachers will also be able to view – privately - how each individual student answered. This will allow teachers to immediately identify which students need to be challenged, which are on the right pace and which need some reinforcement. This differentiation in instruction ultimately leads to each student learning the concepts with minimal frustration. This program will help each student stay engaged in math class while putting more information at the fingertips of the teacher. Students will be using a variety of 21 st century skills in order to solve these problems and will be able to cast their answers with some of the latest in educational technology. By differentiating the material for each student based on their need, we hold all students to their own high standards. In turn, we are helping to open the door to each child’s future. I thank the NEA Foundation for supporting public schools and, in particular, young teachers such as myself who strive to build a strong future for each one of our students. I believe great strides will be made for our students with this grant. If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to your notification in January. Sincerely, Joseph P. Finn Jr. 262-691-2100 ext 3237 finnjos@pewaukee.k12.wi.us Abstract With the incorporation of Math Expressions, a new math program at Horizon Elementary School, the teachers realized the opportunity to create interactive, formative assessments throughout each lesson. With the help from the NEA Foundation’s Student Achievement Grant, classroom sets of Mimio Vote will be incorporated into each math lesson. The 6th grade team will place multiple comprehension questions to be answered into each math lesson. The students will solve the problems and submit their answers via their personal Mimio Vote device. These interactive devices will help foster student engagement in the material and provide realtime information to the teacher concerning each students understanding of the topics covered. This immediate feedback will allow the teachers to immediately differentiate their lessons based on the needs of each particular student. More challenging problems can be presented to students who are excelling at the days concept and reinforcement lessons can be brought in to help students who are still catching on. Student’s will feel less frustrated at the pace of math class and become more engaged throughout the lesson. By meeting each individual student’s level of learning on a daily basis we are ensuring that our students are being set up for success. Statement of Need: With the recent implementation of Math Expressions curriculum, the 6 th grade teachers at Horizon Elementary School in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, have determined the need for a timely and efficient way to formatively assess the entire class on the content covered in each lesson, during the lesson. This immediate assessment will help the teachers determine which concepts the students understand and which are still proving to be difficult. Currently, teachers are tasked with paper and pencil exit cards and in-class checkpoint quizzes that take time to grade and give feedback. Sticking with the traditional ways of assessing students in math will simply not due with a generation of tech-savvy students. Ian Jukes, a leader in 21st century educational thinking, warns us that as adults, we must counterbalance our non-digital experiences with our students’ digital experiences or the results will be catastrophic upon our students (Jukes, 2010). By incorporating a student response system into math lessons, teachers will be able to provide immediate feedback to their class and if needed, individual students. The Mimio Vote response system, paired with our Mimio software, is the most efficient way to incorporate this technology into the classroom. Questions posed to students will be phrased to hit all levels of Blooms Taxonomy, engaging the students and pushing them to think critically about the subject at hand. With these devices in hand, student feedback will not only be timely, it will be immediate (Pitler, 2007). This technology also compels students to be actively engaged in their learning and take ownership of it, which is accomplished through an increase in participation in class. Students stay engaged when they are engaged throughout the lesson. Teachers who have used these devices will attest to this improvement in student engagement and students will attest to their increased comprehension of the concepts presented (Kaleta, 2007). Goals and Objectives: The goal of the Horizon 6th grade teachers is to raise all students’ math MAP (Measures of Academic Progress, a standardized test the Pewaukee School District uses) scores to achieve their projected growth according to their initial MAP testing. Teachers will be able to do this by creating formative assessment checkpoints into each math lesson. Students will answer questions through their Mimio Vote devices. The teacher will get immediate feedback and will be able to determine if students understand the concept being presented or if they are struggling with it. This will allow the teacher to immediately differentiate the instruction on aan individual student basis. Activities and Outcomes: The 6th grade team will create checkpoint questions into their math lessons that will help determine the comprehension of concepts taught during the lesson. Students will use Mimio Vote devices to submit their answers. Since all students will be required to submit their answers via the Mimio Vote, participation in math class will increase. This rise in participation, coupled with a timely understanding for the teacher of which concepts need to be revisited, will help students gain clarity in all 6 th grade math concepts and result in increasing math MAP scores and better prepared students. Timeline: Time Summer 2012 September 2012 Winter 2012 Spring 2013 Summer 2013 All Year Objective Horizon 6th grade teachers will begin to revamp their Mimio Math Expressions lesson to incorporate questions that can be interactively answered via the Mimio Vote devices. Students will take their first math MAP test to determine current math level. Math classes begin with Mimio Vote questions included. Students will take their second math MAP test. Teachers will evaluate current progress of each student and determine which concepts students are struggling in. Students will take their third and final math MAP test in the 6th grade. Teachers will evaluate which students have reached their targeted growth and why any students did not. Horizon 6th grade teachers will improve the math lessons that students struggled with the most. Student success stories will be shared with the grantor, the Pewaukee Board of Education and our students’ parents. Horizon 6th grade teachers will use meeting and prep times to continuously develop math expression lessons that incorporate Mimio Vote interactive questions into them. To help stay ahead of planning and alleviate the affects of any scheduling conflicts or meetings that arise, the 6th grade team will strive to have math lessons prepared at least 2 weeks ahead of time. The 6th grade team will immediately begin to revamp all lessons to incorporate checkpoint questions along the way and at the end of each lesson. This will start at the beginning of the year and continuously happen throughout the year. The 6th grade team will strive to have the lessons prepared at least two weeks in advanced so if anything may arise that would affect prep time or scheduling, it will not cause a hassle. The students will take their math MAP test three times, once in the fall, again in the winter, and finally in the spring. The MAP test is computerized and teachers will have access to the breakdown of their students’ scores within a week of the test being completed. This will help the evaluation process move at a timely speed so each student receives the necessary instruction to help them improve. The initial MAP test scores will provide an anticipated growth rate for each in their breakdown. The ones set in the fall will be the goals each teacher and student strives for by the spring test. School Narrative, Mission and Related Programs The Pewaukee Public School District has 2,488 students enrolled in its four schools. Staffed by 277 dedicated educators, the Pewaukee Public School District provides a unique campus environment for its staff and students by having the entire district on a single campus. They are in the midst of continuing to expand their state-of-the-art facilities through renovations at the high school and middle school. Consistently ranked in the top fifteen school districts in Southeastern Wisconsin by the Public Policy Forum, the Pewaukee Public School District strives to open the door to each child’s future through a strong, innovative and progressive education. The district has over 1,750 networked computers and an innovative 1-to-1 computer to student program currently employed in the 7th-9th grades with plans to expand to the 5th-12th grades in the upcoming school years. Preparing students for the 21st century workplace requires an education that utilizes technology and the Pewaukee Public School District strives to make sure that each student experience with technology is meaningful, enriching and powerful. Grantee Narrative This grant will be used to fund 2.5 classroom sets of MimioVote, an interactive voting device that is designed to be used with our Mimio Interactive Whiteboards. A seven person, 6th grade team, will be designing math lessons that incorporate MimioVote questions as formative assessments. This will provide immediate feedback to the teacher to see what concepts need more work, which are solid and even provide a breakdown of which students are struggling and which students need to be challenged. This allows for immediate differentiation in the math lessons and keeps all the students striving to meet their own personal goals. The 6th grade staff will work to make sure that all students are set up to the best of their ability to achieve their projected growth on their Math MAP tests. The lead teacher of this grant will be Joe Finn Jr., working with grant partner and team leader Lisa O’Hern, Principal Sandra Carter and Fiscal Agent John Gahan (Assistant Superintendent, CFO). Support No written support is required for the grant, but I have received verbal support/permission from: 1. Principal Sandra Carter for budget and planning approval 2. 6th Grade Team Leader Lisa O’Hern to allow for necessary planning time during PLC Meetings 3. IT Department to ensure Mimio Devices are compatible with current computers and software Joseph P. Finn Jr. N24W24258 Saddle Brook Dr. ● Pewaukee, WI 53072 ● (414)-303-4742 ● joseph.finnjr@gmail.com EDUCATION MARIAN UNIVERSITY, Fond Du Lac, WI In progress towards a Masters degree in Educational Technology Expected graduation date, Spring 2012 MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, Milwaukee, WI Bachelor of Arts Degree in History, Major in History and Elementary Education Graduated Cum Laude - December 2008 GPA: 3.6 | Education GPA: 3.7 | History GPA 3.5 Wisconsin Teaching Certification 72/777 and 72/725 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY, Chicago, IL Studied Abroad in Rome, Italy at the John Felice Rome Center Studied Educational Philosophy and Roman History RELATED EXPERIENCE Present PEWAUKEE SCHOOL DISTRICT, Pewaukee, WI 6th Grade Elementary Teacher – Horizon Elementary Taught Math, Social Studies, Reading, Writing Worked with other 6th grade teachers to develop new Social Studies and Math assessments that promoted higher level thinking Worked and helped train teachers on new technologies and Web 2.0 applications Worked on technology development, literacy, math and school climate committees Student Council Advisor Spring 2009 WAUKESHA SCHOOL DISTRICT, Waukesha, WI Substitute Teacher Fall 2008 ACADEMY OF ACCELERATED LEARNING, Milwaukee, WI Student Teacher – 5th grade Summers 2005-2008 SALVATION ARMY WYRED DAY CAMP, Waukesha, WI ● Worked with underprivileged kids ages 7-14 ● Supervised Field Trips, Coordinated Group Activities Fall 2007 PROJECT WILD ● Certified Project WILD and Project Aquatic ACTIVITIES/AWARDS ● Deans List 4 times ● School of Education Student Council, Vice President of Academics ● Marquette University Band, Alto Saxophone Section Leader ● Intramural Basketball and Softball ● Graduate – Cum Laude Goals: To help each student achieve their 6th grade math MAP (Measure of Academic Progress, a standardized test used by the Pewaukee School District) projected growth Create interactive formative evaluations into Mimio lessons to raise student participation and give the teacher immediate feedback of concept understanding in their students to allow for differentiated instruction. Evaluation: To help evaluate the effectiveness of Mimio Votes in the classroom, multiple formative and one summative assessment will be in place. The students will start the year with a survey asking for their viewpoints on being a math student. Questions will range from their attitude towards math and how much they participate in class; to how well they think their teacher adjusts lessons to them and whether or not they feel challenged enough. The students will take this survey at the end of the year as well to help gauge the role that incorporating Mimio Votes into the math curriculum had on their general viewpoint of math. This survey will take place online through www.zoomerang.com. Zoomerang was chosen due to the anonymity in the survey results. No student, or teacher, will be singled out based on their answers. The students will take a math MAP test in the fall to determine their current math level and projected growth. They will take this assessment again in the winter to gauge the growth in their math skills and show progress towards meeting their projected growth. The students will take this one final time in the spring to determine if their projected goals have been met. Teachers will also be taking a beginning of the year, middle of the year and end of the year survey asking for their viewpoints on using technology in math class, if they see any increase in participation once Mimio Votes have been introduced and if there is an increase in differentiation because of the use of Mimio Votes. This survey will take place through www.zoomerang.com. In addition, the school principal and Math Curriculum Liaison to the district office will be attendance at various 6th grade team meetings where the math series and Mimio Votes will be discussed in order to determine if any slight changes need to be made along the way in order to achieve our ultimate outcome of having all of our students hit their targeted growth. Dissemination: At the end of the year, when all data has been collected, it will be shared and discussed with the entire 6th grade team, our Principal, our Math Curriculum Liaison to the district office and our Director of Curriculum Instruction. Results of the student surveys, teacher impressions, MAP scores and fiscal responsibilities to the project will all be discussed during meetings. We will also be sharing the data collected with math teachers in our district to increase positive math gains across all grade levels through our Director of Curriculum and Instruction, who meets with all math teachers throughout the year. School level meetings will occur during the summer to give advice to the 4th and 5 th grade teachers on best practices of phrasing, placement and frequency of questions. In addition, upon the results of the final math MAP test, the results of the project will be presented to the Board of Education and sent to parents through the media director, Wendy Wong. Student Survey 1. Which best describes your current attitude towards math? a. I love it b. I like it c. It’s okay d. I don’t like it e. I really don’t like it 2. Which best describes your current level of participation in math class? a. I participate every chance I can b. I participate often c. I participate when I can d. I participate only when called on e. I try to avoid participating in math 3. Which best describes your current level of difficulty in math? a. Math is always easy for me b. Math is mostly easy for me c. Math is the right balance of easy and hard d. Math is mostly hard for me e. Math is always hard for me 4. Which best describes your experience with math teachers? a. Math teachers always know when I don’t get it and help me b. Math teachers sometimes know when I don’t get it and help me c. Math teachers rarely know when I don’t get it d. Math teachers only know when I don’t get it after the test is taken e. Math teachers never know when I don’t get it 5. Which best describes your confidence in math class? a. I am confident in my math abilities b. I am mostly confident in my math abilities c. I am somewhat confident in my math abilities d. I am doubtful of my math abilities e. I have no confidence in my math abilities 6. (Only in the second survey) Which best describes the Mimio Vote system you used this year? a. Using Mimio Vote helped my math skills and confidence level increase greatly b. Using Mimio Vote helped my math skills and confidence level increase c. Using Mimio Vote didn’t increase or decrease my math skills and confidence level d. Using Mimio Vote hurt my math skills and confidence level e. Using Mimio Vote hurt my math skills and confidence level greatly This survey will be taken twice by all 6th grade students, once at the beginning of the year and once at the end of the year. Our goal is to shift answers towards the letter A in questions 1, 2, 4 and 5. On question 3, we want to see more answers towards letter C by the end of the year. The Mimio Vote system will allow teachers to differentiate immediately based on student performance in each concept, not simply on past performance. This will allow for each math lesson to become individualized for each student based on their particular need that day. With increased differentiation, students will gain confidence in their math skills and will be able to work at a pace that is just right for them. Teacher Survey: 1. On average, how often do you incorporate technology into your math lessons? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Monthly d. Rarely e. Never 2. On average, how often do you formatively assess your students? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Once or twice per unit d. Rarely e. Never 3. On average, how often do you differentiate your math instruction? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Once or twice per unit d. Rarely e. Never 4. On average, how often do you change the differentiation of your math instruction in the middle of a lesson? a. Daily b. Weekly c. Once or twice per unit d. Rarely e. Never 5. (Only in the second survey) In regards to the Mimio Vote system, which statement would best describe student participation? a. Mimio Vote greatly helped increase participation in math class b. Mimio Vote somewhat helped increase participation in math class c. There was no change from when my class used Mimio Vote to when they did not use it d. Mimio Vote decreased the level of participation in my math class e. Mimio Vote greatly decreased the level of participation in my math class 6. (Only in the second survey) In regards to the Mimio Vote system, which statement would best describe your ability to differentiate your math lessons? a. Mimio Vote allowed for a significant increase of differentiation in my teaching b. Mimio Vote allowed for a slight increase of differentiation in my teaching c. Mimio Vote did not play any role in increasing or decreasing my level of differentiation d. Mimio Vote allowed for a slight decrease of differentiation in my teaching e. Mimio Vote allowed for a significant decrease of differentiation in my teaching This survey will be taken twice by all 6th grade math teachers who used the Mimio Vote system in their classrooms at some point during the year. For all questions, the ultimate goal is to see a shift towards letter A by the end of the year. With a portion of our 6th grade team meeting time being devoted to math, we will have ample opportunities throughout the year to be constantly working on different strategies that incorporate these devices and allow us to best serve our students by differentiating the lessons. MAP Testing: The statistical data that we collect will be primarily through MAP testing. While our students take the WKCE test in fall, we do not receive the results of these tests until spring. At that point in time, there is no opportunity to re-evaluate the students based on the same assessment. MAP testing is conducted through the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association), a non-profit organization. Their website, filled with information on who they are and the research that backs their assessments can be found here: http://www.nwea.org/ The assessments are computerized and uploaded every night during the testing session. The scores are shown at the end of the test, with a detailed breakdown of each child displayed in the final report available to teachers after the testing window has closed. The typical testing window is 3 weeks, considerably less time to wait than the WKCE test. When the fall math tests are complete, there will be a projected growth that is determined by the score each child received. The projected growth shows the current math score of each student and where they should be by the time they complete their spring math MAP test. Our goal as teachers is to have 100% of our students achieve their projected growth. Budget: Item Mimio Vote (32 Pack) Mimio Vote (1 Pack) Mimio Vote Recharging Station Shipping and Handling Price/Cost $1,899.00 $90.00 $320.00 $32.00 Quantity 2 6 2 1 Grand Total: Total $3,798.00 $540.00 $640.00 $22.00 $5,000.00 Two Mimio Vote 32-packs will be purchased at $1,899 per pack. This will allow two full classrooms to participate. Additionally, six extra Mimio Votes will be purchased at $90.00 per handset. These six Mimio Votes, paired with the extras from the 32 pack, will allow a third class to have Mimio Vote as well, though they will have to use one vote per group. Therefore, two full classes will have the Mimio Vote systems while a third will have enough for students to have them in groups of two or three. Two Mimio Vote recharging stations were also purchased at $320.00 per charging station. Since these will be used daily, it is important that we have the capacity to keep the Mimio Votes charged and ready for the students to use. We have a limited amount of USB ports to charge the devices with in each classroom and our computers automatically shut-down during the evening to save power. That shutdown would stop the charging of the Mimio devices. These charging stations will alleviate the stress of constantly rotating each Mimio Vote to charge. The Pewaukee School District will provide the training for the Mimio Vote system and support lesson development during time already placed into the schedule for team lesson building and technology. The head of our IT Department, Amy Pugh, has taken a variety of courses offered by Mimio and will facilitate the training. Sustainability: The Mimio Vote systems will be used in continuous years by the 6th grade team. Using this grant as our platform to leap from, we are dedicated to bringing to the Board of Education, our IT Department and our administrative team a proposal to purchase the remaining 6th grade classroom Mimio Vote systems. We will not only demonstrate how the Mimio Vote was used to improve math MAP test scores beyond current gains, but we will also exhibit how multiple curriculum areas can incorporate this technology. Works Cited: Jukes, Ian, Ted D. E. McCain, and Lee Crockett. "The Need for Balance." Understanding the digital generation: teaching and learning in the new digital landscape. Kelowna, BC: 21st Century Fluency Project ;, 2010. 16. Print. Kaleta, Robert, and Tanya Joosten. "Student Response Systems." Educause Center for Applied Research 2007.10 (2007): n. pag.http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERB0710.pdf. Web. 1 July 2011. Pitler, Howard. "Providing Feedback." Using technology with classroom instruction that works . Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development ;, 2007. 41-58. Print.