Dot Garman STATEMENT I: Project Description (GET REAL!

R&R Projects) At Marion Local High School, R&R stands for rigor and relevance -- not rest and relaxation! The objective of R&R projects is to have students create original, challenging projects that will serve a need within the local community. Our projects are unique in that they are collaborative, cross-curricular, and produce products! We would like to add more R&R projects but are stretched to our limit on technology resources. One project, called Digital Documentaries, teams up English and Multimedia classes. Student groups propose a thesis question on a current issue. They conduct research, interview experts, and create a video documentary. In the Teaching Tots project, the Tech Tools class collaborates with kindergarten teachers to create animations to teach skills to the younger students. In the Marketing Mania project, Applied English IV students create marketing campaigns with video, posters, brochures and other persuasive techniques. The student body views and votes for their favorite campaign on the class website. During theFlyer Fortitude project, English III students interview, create, and post newsletters on the web to honor community members who have shown fortitude in challenging situations. In Weaving Websites, Multimedia students collaborate with K-12 teachers to create educational websites that will be used in the teachers curriculum. With additional funding, future R&R projects will include: videos & websites about student research on watersheds in conjunction with the Soil & Water Conservation District; tutoring podcasts for students created by the GEEKS (Getting Extra Education from Knowledgeable Students); tech tip podcasts for the school community created by tech students; and extend the project to the elementary curriculum with a variety of book review podcasts, student videos, portfolio websites, and more! Please help us implement more R&R projects so more students can -- GET REAL!

Dot Garman STATEMENTII:BenefitstoStudents We have already witnessed how R&R projects impact student learning. They both challenge students ingenuity and incorporate the 21st century skills that are needed for todays youth to be successful. The projects are authentic and relevant to students lives. They require creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration. Students are motivated, self-directed, strive harder, and focus more in this type of learning environment. We have witnessed rigorous projects combined with relevant topics provide maximum learning! Currently, about 150 Marion Local High School students directly benefit from R&R projects. With more technology resources, we believe these projects will expand to the point that they will reach all 310 students in the high school! Many more students throughout the K-12 district will indirectly benefit from the projects produced in the high school R&R endeavors. But we dont want to stop there -- we have high hopes of extending R&R projects to the elementary school, where over 600 additional students can participate! Just as students will be assessed on their work, the R&R projects will be evaluated as well. At the beginning of each new R&R project, teachers, administrators, and parent and student representatives will use a rubric to assess the potential impact of the project. The rubric will include the areas of relevance, authenticity, complexity (variety of skills), degree of higher-order thinking, options for differentiation and learning styles, and highly connected to the curriculum. The project will be closely monitored while in progress, with adjustments made as necessary. At the end of the project, teachers and students will write reflections about the projects strengths and areas that need improvement. The initial group (listed above) will gather together again to evaluate the project at its conclusion, using both the project rubric and the written reflections as assessment tools.

Dot Garman STATEMENTIII:UseofFunds Wecurrentlyhavesevenvideocamerasinthedistrict,fourofwhichareoldandquickly wearingout.OursevenvideoeditingcomputersusedtobesufficientbeforetheR&R projectswereimplemented.Wemovedthecomputersintothemediacentersostudents couldusethemanyhouroftheday,butwestillhavemorestudentswithprojectsthan computerstosatisfythatneed.Inordertoencouragethecurrentflowofeducationally creativeprojects,wesimplyneedmoreequipment.Wealsoneedsomequalitypodcasting kitssoteacherscanventureintothisnewarea.Stafftrainingonpodcastingisscheduled forthissummer.WehaveasitelicenseforAdobeDreamweaverandFlash,butstudents needmoreaccesstocomputerstoworkonwebandanimationprojectsthroughoutthe day.Ifgrantedthe$10,000award,wewouldpurchasesomenetbooks(minilaptops)to remedythis.Finally,ifawardedthetop$25,000award,wewouldliketoexpandtheR&R projectstotheelementary(K8)curriculumwithsimilarcreativeandeducationalR&R projects. $2,000Award: 4Camcorders($400ea.) 4Mics($75ea.) 4CameraBags($25ea.) Total $1,600.00 $300.00 $100.00 $2,000.00 Additional$10,000Award: 25Netbooks($400each) Total $10,000.00 $10,000.00

Additional25,000Award: 4Computers($1,145/ea) 4Camcorders($400ea.) 4Tripods($60ea.) 4Mics($75ea.) 4PodcastingKits ($300ea) 45Netbooks($400ea.) Total $4,580.00 $1,600.00 $240.00 $300.00 $1,200.00 $18,000.00 $25,920.00

Additional$5,000Award: 4Computers($1145ea.) $4,580.00 2PodcastingKits $600.00 ($300ea.) Total $5,180.00