Sunday, December 13, 2015

Congratulations and Best of Luck in your Academic Adventures!

The grant proposals and technology initiatives are outstanding!  I sincerely hope you will apply for funding and take the leadership role necessary to implement the technology initiative. Please keep me updated about your academic endeavors.  Happy holidays and enjoy your break!

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Grant Proposal/Technology Integration Initiative

Walmart Corporate: Community Grant Application

1. Contact information pertaining to the organization.
Brandon Haggerty
East Dale Elementary Music Teacher
East Dale Elementary School
57 East Dale Road Fairmont, WV 26654
304-366-2522

2. Basic information pertaining to the organization.
East Dale Elementary School is a rural, consolidated elementary school. The school was modeled after the “open-space school” concept that was popular at that time. To alleviate any misunderstandings, this means that the school does not contain any interior walls. Due to a robust student population, a satellite campus which is located near the main campus has been created to service the Kindergarten and Preschool students.

Beyond the uniqueness of the instructional configuration, East Dale Elementary has a rich tradition in educational excellence. For example, the school can boast of being named a West Virginia Exemplary School in 1988 and 2005 as well as a National School of Excellence in 1989. Finally, East Dale has strong, collaborative partnerships with West Virginia University and Fairmont State University.

East Dale Elementary School is a PK – 4 school.  At this time, both the main campus and the satellite campus house approximately 500 students. For the most part, students attending East Dale Elementary School come from households that are supported by medium to low-incomes. Like most schools, East Dale’s “family units” are more blended than traditional. The student population lacks diversity in that only 3% of the population represents any other racial category other than white.

3. Previous requests submitted by the organization.
East Dale elementary School has not requested or submitted any information to this organization.

4. The focus category of the proposed program.
The focus of this program is to provide iPads to a general music classroom in order to help foster creativity, explore different forms of music, relate music to history and culture, motivate students in learning, and encourage a 21st century view of music education.

5. The community served by the proposed program.
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,704 people, 8,133 households, and 4,424 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.9% White, 7.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 16.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25% were from 25 to 44; 24.4% were from 45 to 64; and 16.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

6. Specific details of the proposed program.

Technology Integration Initiative

Rationale
Technology has long been thought to have a limited place in the music classroom, as music is seen as being incompatible with technology. But this is very certainly not the case. Using iPads in the general music classroom allows for more individual and small group instruction that is paced to the individuals level. Using technology in the music classroom reinforces and expands on curriculum by 74%, motivates students to learn by 74%, and motivates students to respond to a variety of learning styles by 73%.
Using iPads also allows for recording students so that they can hear what they just sang or played, giving them and the teacher immediate feedback. iPads also have a vast array of music apps that can be used to great effect in music education such as, Istrobosoft a professional tuners, Steinway metronomes for keeping time, numerous instrument fingering charts, sight reading programs such as SR Machine, and music theory tutors such as Clef Tutor, that turn music theory into fun, informative games, and recording programs, such as Garage Band, as well as iRig Musical Instrument Interface Adapters that allows students to hook up microphones and instruments to the iPads. But besides all of that the iPads will allow students to be creative in ways they would not normally be able to in the music classroom.
iPads also go a long way in helping music educators in meeting their CSO’s. Specifically:
 WV Standard 2: Exploring
• National Standard 5: Reading and notating music.
• National Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
• National Standard 7: Evaluating music and music performances.
WV Standard 3: Creating
• National Standard 3: Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
• National Standard 4: Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. WV Standard 4: Relating
• National Standard 8: Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
• National Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Cost Benefit Analysis
The cost benefits of using iPads is better than getting regular computers or laptops, as iPads cost $195.00 each and computers and laptops can be anywhere from $225.00 all the way up to $999.00. iPads are also smaller and easier to move around a classroom with, allowing for greater collaboration between students. Another cost benefit of using iPads is that they are incredibly easy to use and all of the software is extremely easy to use, and so training and support will only need to be minimal.

Description
Cost
10 iPad 2’s - $195.00
$1950.00
10 Istrobosoft Tuner Subscriptions - $9.99
$99.90
10 iRig Musical Instrument Interface Adapters – $12.99
$129.90
10 Clef Tutor: Music Notes Game - $2.99
$29.90
Total
$2,209.70

Implementation
While the operation of the iPad is fairly straightforward, it is still necessary to educate the faculty who will be teachings, and the students. Operation of Garage Band will be the main topic of the implementation, with discussion on recording techniques, sound effects, different instrumentation, file-sharing, mixing, and producing. After that they will be instructed on the use of the Steinway Metronome, which allows for a wide variety of time signatures, beats, tempos, and subdivisions. Lastly they would be shown Clef Tutor, which is a music theory video game that can be easily adjusted in order to help students learn where the notes are visually while also allowing them to hear the notes pitch. Teachers and students will also be taught on how to submit the scores that the students get on the tests from Clef Tutor for grading. Being well versed in all of these applications I feel I am more than qualified to lead a development initiative for this project.

Professional Development Strategy/Materials
Because of the nature of the typical music department there is no need to have a drawn out professional development strategy. The music applications for the iPads are very user friendly and easy to figure out, and thus not that much time is needed. Over all it should take 2-3 hours to implement the use of the iPads. First the teachers must be taught how to take a screenshot so that the students can submit a record of their scores through email on the Clef Tutor app. Secondly the teachers must be taught how to hook up the iRig to the iPad, and record via garage band. To do this we will use the book “Incorporating iPad in the Music Classroom”.


Resources
Barr, Adrian. (2014, October 31). Introduce Technology Into Your Music Classroom.
Bauer, William. (2014) Music Learning and Technology.
Burns, Amy. (2013, August 19). If You Teach Elementary General Music, Which Apps Could
You Use To Enhance Your Music Classroom?
Jones, Dan. (2015). Incorporating iPad in the Music Classroom.
Retrieved November 21, 2015, from http://www.mixmusiceducation.co.uk/download/tutor/JamClassHD%20-%20iPad%20in%20the%20Classroom.pdf
Kassner, Kirk (2010) Using Music Technology in the Classroom.
Mailto, Katie. (2015, April 15). 18 Ways To Use A Single iPad In The Music Classroom.
Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://midnightmusic.com.au/2015/04/18-ways-to-use-a-single-ipad-in-the-music-classroom/
Moore, Brian (2013). YOU as Digital Author Composer: the iPad in the music classroom.
Retrieved November 21, 2015, from http://www.nafme.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DigitalAuthoring-Brian-Moore.pdf
Music Technology in the Classroom Infographic. (2014).
e-Learning Infographics (data file) Retrieved from http://elearninginfographics.com/music-technology-classroom-infographic/
Newman, Amy (2013, August 26). 9Benefits of Technology in the Music Classroom.
Retrieved November 22, 2015, from http://dancingwithelephants.ca/assessment/9-benefits-of-technology-in-the-music-classroom/
Phillips, Jim (2015, March 19). Using the iPad in the Music Classroom.
Retrieved November 22, 2015, from http://www.nafme.org/using-the-ipad-in-the-music-classroom/
Raths, David. (2014, December 3). 4 Ways Technology Can Make Your Music Lesson Sing.
Retrieved November 22, 2015, from https://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/12/03/4-Ways
Technology-Can-Make-Your-Music-Lessons-Sing.aspx?Page=1
           


Module 7 - Amanda Smith




Link to Integration Initiative / Grant Proposal



**I know that initially I said I was going to use the Walmart grant, but after actually doing my proposal, I found that grant was not enough money-wise.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Module 7: Brianna Jones

I used Google Docs for my Grant Proposal and Technology Integration Initiative. Below are the links that allow you to access both of the assignments.
Grant Proposal
Technology Integration Initiative

Below is the PowerPoint Presentation that will be used for Professional Development.

Monday, December 7, 2015

Module 7 - Laura Funk


Laura Funk
South Middle School Teacher

Technology Integration Initiative

Needs Assessment (Rationale)

We have over 750 students at South Middle School.  Our school services students in 6th, 7th and 8th grades.  We are in a low-income area and test in the mid-ranges on the county standardized tests.  Most classrooms at South are utilized during all periods.  Teachers give up their classrooms during their planning periods to facilitate school wide needs, such as our special education teachers, reading teachers and any remedial or advanced classes that require a quiet space to work with smaller groups of students. 

At South Middle School we are moderately equipped for general technology usage school-wide.  We have a few mobile laptop carts that are shared between grade levels and 3 computer labs are reserved to use throughout the school year.  I have personally raised the bar in my department by working very hard to save levy funds from past years to acquire ipads for my students.   By the New Year, I hope to have received the remainder of my ipad order so that I have a complete classroom set of ipads to be a one-to-one classroom.  I have decided to pursue acquiring the “genius kit” offered by OSMO programs for each of my ipad devices in the New Year, to further push the effectiveness of the ipads as educational tools.  The OSMO programs will come with 5 options for educational exploration:  Words, Tangram, Newton, Masterpiece & Numbers.  The ipad devices are currently used solely by the art department, so are not loaned out around the school.  However, with all of the interactive educational opportunities these kits provide for our students, I may look into loaning out (trading) my classroom with other teachers so that these OSMO capabilities can be utilized to their full potential in all subject areas, not just ART.  I would need to train teachers on how to use the devices beforehand, but I feel the educational possibilities with the genius kit is going to be immense.  The OSMO features are very user-friendly and basic, so students of all developmental levels should be able to complete the tasks with ease on their own, with a partner, or with an aide.  The use of this technology supports student engagement in learning across the board! - Vocabulary, shapes, colors and their relationships, facilitates creativity and out-of-box thinking, as well as group collaboration and math development.  As I mentioned above, the learning options are vast with the OSMO genius kit.  I believe the integration of the OSMO devices at South would be hugely beneficial and would increase confidence, engagement and participation. 

Cost-Benefit Analysis

OSMO Genius Kit  $99.99 x 25 (ipad devices) = $2,499.75 Total
Tax free & free shipping. 

Cost to educate teachers in the school $0

Grant I would apply for

Investing in Innovation – US Department of Education
This program provides competitive grants to applicants with the purpose of improving student achievement and attainment in order to expand the implementation of, and investment in, innovative practices that are shown to have an impact on improving student achievement or student growth.

I feel this grant would be perfectly suited for my project needs and the needs of my school long-term.  This could be the beginning of a larger-scale endeavor that stems school and countywide.   

The site does not list a deadline.  They state “The FY 2015 competitions are closed and award announcements will be made by the end of December 2015” I think this particular grant has a gradual grant approval rate as the year progresses depending on monies available and worthy applicants.   Perhaps a first come, first serve motto. 

Technology Implementation Plan

To Do

·      Acquire funding approval from a grant committee.
·      Purchase OSMO Genius Kits
·      Upon arrival of OSMO Kits, set up each ipad device with the programs, apps and accessories needed to be fully operational and OSMO tricked out. 
·      Train myself and a group of willing teachers in how to properly utilize the OSMO learning stations for optimum learning and efficiency. 
·      Get started with classrooms using the OSMO learning stations and unleash the potential!

Professional Development Materials

Why reinvent the wheel here?!  OSMO has created several short video clips highlighting the various learning benefits of the OSMO programs and how easy and user-friendly the accessories are, so for this part I would be sure to show each video clip to the whole faculty to give them a glimpse of the possibilities within their classrooms in using the OSMO learning stations.  






I would then explain to them that I have acquired grant monies to purchase the programs and will be using them soon with my classes.  At this point I would also express to the faculty that I would be willing to train and loan out my classroom so that others may benefit from the devices if interested.  I’m sure my list of interested teachers would be growing fast at this point and I would move on to training teachers and setting up an OSMO Station schedule. 

My professional development will NOT be a required training for all faculty and staff.  The professional development will only be required for those interested in utilizing my OSMO stations for their classes.  I will provide deadlines for those interested, so everyone can be trained at once in an efficient manner and we can begin to set up a schedule for trading classrooms.  I will provide a short survey at the conclusion of the training, after the teachers have spent at least 3 classes utilizing the OSMO stations.  I feel that timeframe will give the teachers a good scope for how much the stations can impact the learning of their students. 

Here is the reflective survey I created for the professional development:

Addendum

The OSMO programs are fairly new, so relevant information is limited to video advertisements, reviews, demonstrations, and blogs, so those are what I have listed in my resources. 

Resources

Chatzopoulos, N. (2015, April 6). How to use Osmo in the classroom - Daily Genius. Retrieved November 4, 2015, from http://dailygenius.com/use-osmo-classroom/

Eligibility - Investing in Innovation Fund (i3). (2015, April 22). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/eligibility.html

Make Better Decisions with the World's #1 Survey Platform. (n.d.). Retrieved December 4, 2015, from https://www.surveymonkey.com

Masterpiece for Osmo. (2015, March 12). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0upQlA6K5YI

Moynihan, T. (2015, March 12). A Simple iPad Add-On That Helps You Draw Flawlessly. Retrieved December 3, 2015, from http://www.wired.com/2015/03/simple-ipad-add-helps-draw-flawlessly/

NAEA - National Art Education Association. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.arteducators.org/grants/additional-grant-tips-scholarships

Osmo Masterpiece is iPad Freehand Drawing Magic (HP Sprout beater). (2015, March 12). Retrieved November 11, 2015, from https://youtu.be/UjLM5GFcut4

Osmo from Tangible Play. (2014, July 8). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from https://youtu.be/fx1ecLoBkss

Osmo in Schools. (2014, November 20). Retrieved November 7, 2015, from https://youtu.be/zEsJwwdq4r8

Osmo | Educational Games System for iPad. (2015, June 14). Retrieved November 16, 2015, from http://www.ourkidsmom.com/osmo-educational-games-system-for-ipad/

Seidman, L. (2014, September 14). Osmo for iPad Review - Educational apps that interact with real objects. Retrieved December 6, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERwtTmdJxgA

Simms, G. (2015, April 27). Our iPad Classroom. Retrieved November 11, 2015, from http://ouripadclass.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-one-where-i-share-all-things-osmo.html


Playosmo. (2015, December 2). Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://blog.playosmo.com/

Friday, December 4, 2015

Module 6

Chapter 11
I think that it’s great the way that Maplewood Richmond Heights School District has been able to build an interconnect network within their community with university partners, mental health partners, intraschool partners, experimental learning partners, and corporate and community partners. My personal favorites among these are the university partners, because I think it’s a great that college age students have the chance to work with younger middle and high school age students, and it also gives the younger students the chance to get a view of college life. I also liked experiential learning partners because it gives students real world experiences in an environment that cannot be replicated in the regular classroom. While it might not be the most reasonable position I don’t personally care for corporate partners, because I am an advocate of not having sources outside the education system have any influence in school curriculum.

Chapter 12

I think that this chapter does a good job at showing the need for balance between using technology in the classroom and break away from using it at all, and how the schools digital leaders need to be able to demonstrate the appropriate amount. It warns of the trap of using technology to a dangerous degree, where the digital leader is so wrapped up in the technology they completely ignore the human aspect of it. 

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Module 6: Brianna Jones

1. As you explore the resources, reflect on the role teacher leaders can play in the strategies of engaging school community resources.
Teacher leaders are able to connect with the students and the community that the school is based from. By keeping the community involved will benefit not only the students but the school as well. At the beginning of the school year our school has a back to school bash where parents are invited to come to the school and meet all of their teachers that their children are going to have. Our school also has board meetings here so that parents and community members are able to attend and be a part of.  Like I said in my last module post, my school is involved in a lot of outside projects in the community. My school is always being used for different events in our community and supports families that are in need as well.

2. Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Chapters 11-12)
Chapter 11 Discovering Opportunity  
Chapter 11 talks about digital leadership and school creating different partnerships to help students become successful. Strategic Partnerships, University Partnerships, Experiential Learning Partnerships, Intraschool Partnerships, Corporate/Community Partnerships, Mental Health Partnerships, and Leveraging Social Media.
University Partnerships are helpful to students that are going to attend college and want to take courses from that college while still in high school.
Experiential Learning Partnership is when you are allowing your students to allow work in the classroom a percentage of the time. For students to really understand something and learn new things they must experience it first hand. They are able to go to other places and learn what they do.
Instraschool Partnership would be a neat thing to do. Teachers are working with other teachers around the world or just in a different school down the road. When teachers are collaborating with other teachers they are able to discuss different strategies and their classes can always work together to help each other. Corporate/Community Partnership is something that schools should do. Schools need to have a relationship with businesses that are in the community and the community itself. Everyone should be involved when it comes to helping our students.
The Mental Health Partnership is something that I think is wonderful. Students need to be able to have somewhere to go when they are having a hard time with drug abuse or mental health. In this chapter it talks about a business that works with students ages 19 and under that are dealing with those things.
Leveraging Social Media is something that everyone in the school can do. With web 2.0 tools anything is possible as long as teachers are taking the correct steps for safe learning or use of social media.

Chapter 12 A Call to Action

Chapter 12 talks about using the pillars of digital leadership as well and that educator need to follow their leader and know when to use technology. Students need to have a real world connection to content that is being taught in the classroom. Teachers need to know when it is a good time to use technology and when it is better to have face-to-face conversations. People want to use their phones constantly today instead of having an actual conversation with someone. Technology has evolved so much compared to when the home phone was created. People are sending emails and text messages instead of calling someone or have a conversation with someone face-to-face.