Grant Proposal- Professional Development for Edmodo

Jessica Hutcheson
Team Members:
Jessica Hutcheson
Krystle Leanza
Jessica Kirkland

Abstract
This training will be used to instruct faculty and media specialist in the use of Edmodo for
instructional purposes. The purpose for using Edmodo is to increase opportunities for 21st
century learning, and communicate easily with parents and students. The objectives are to have
educators creating an Edmodo account, using it consistently for instructional purposes, and
creating a communication tool for parents and students. Each activity will train attendees to build
their site, maintain and use their site throughout the year, and reflect on how they used, or could
have used, their site. The attendees will walk away with knowledge of a new 21st century
learning tool, and they will also have access to a Google Doc with links and information related
to Edmodo.

Proposal Text

Demonstrated need
In Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools, there is a push to focus on integrating 21st
century technology into classrooms across the district. Currently, teachers have been encouraged
to use a website called Edmodo to increase student collaboration, parent/teacher communication,
and overall technology use in the classroom.
Teachers have been offered a brief introductory online training for the website. However, the
training provided is insufficient. The training given has taught educators to use the website for
professional learning. Using the site as an adult is undoubtedly different from using it with
elementary aged children. Currently, only teachers who have desired the training or needed it for

professional purposes have enrolled in the online class. It is not required, so every teacher does
not have information on how to use the website appropriately.
In addition to the encouragement of technology use through Edmodo, teachers are also being
encouraged by the district to go as paperless as possible. The website Edmodo has many features
that allow a teacher to use very little paper. Teachers will need explicit instruction on how to use
the provided website as a tool to eliminate paper tests and assignments.
Presently, there are very few teachers who have received instruction on how to use Edmodo in
the classroom at the elementary level. Teachers will need to be instructed on how to properly
implement the website with their students. They will need to know the basics of Edmodo such as
creating an account, creating a course, posting assignments, managing apps, uploading items to
the library, finding features, and distributing the site code so that parents have access to view the
content.
For the purpose of this grant, data was collected, summarized, and analyzed in regards to the use
of the learning management system Edmodo. Data was collected in the form of a survey, in
person interviews, and a small focus group who received minimal Edmodo training. The data
yielded the following results:

Goals and Objectives

The objectives of the grant are to provide collaboration for all learners with people and resources
they may need to reach their full potential in their profession.

By August 2015, all certified staff and library media specialist will be trained on the use of the
learning management system Edmodo using clearly defined processes so teachers can effectively

utilize 21st century learning as a learning and communication tool with staff, students, and
parents.

By December 2015, all certified staff and library media specialist will implement the learning
management system Edmodo with other staff members, professional development coaches, and
assistant principals for professional learning in the area of technology and 21st century learning
skills, so that staff can become acquainted with how tools can be utilized in the classroom for
learning and to communicate with parents and students.

By March 2016, all certified staff and library media specialist will implement the learning
management system Edmodo in the classroom to immerse students in 21st century learning and
to provide a tool for communication with parents and students.

Plan of Operation
Postal Reminder Activity- Author: Sara Carney. Sara works with nonprofits to
train both employees and volunteers.

Objective (s): To build a bridge between a training session and improved on-the-job
performance.
How the author has used this exercise: I will use this activity to remind training participants
to transfer workshop learning to everyday performance.

Activity Description: At the end of a training session I have the participants identify specific
actions and/or changes that they will enact personally. I have them write them down on a selfaddressed post card. Then I collect the cards and hold on to them until I feel they need a
workshop reminder. It is at this point that I will mail the cards so participants can see what
they had promised themselves they would do. This is an easy follow-up exercise to remind
participants to apply their learning.

Learning Debrief - Author: Sara Carney. Sara works with nonprofits to train
both employees and volunteers.

Objective (s): To crystallize learning or new information.

How the author has used this exercise: During a meeting, workshop, or just about any
workplace learning situation I will take time to debrief what we are discussing and/or learning.
This helps give the session a sense of organization and supports individuals as they absorb
what they are hearing and discussing.
Activity Description: To debrief a training session I will ask two different types of questions:
feeling and content.
1. Feeling Debriefing Questions--Depending on the content of the training, I will
ask the participants to take a quick timeout and tell each other how they are feeling
about the direction of the discussion: Have you changed an attitude or perception
because of our work together? or What feelings do you have right now about the
topic? Is this different than what you felt at the outset?

2. Content Debriefing QuestionsWhat new learning have you gained from our
work together? or What do you know now that you didnt know before we began?
After the participants have responded to my debriefing questions I always ask them a variation
of the following question: Where should we go from this point forward? or What has to be
done now?
Added thoughts or considerations: It is important to give participants an opportunity to
articulate what they are learning.

Narrative that describes structure of professional development:

Timeline

August-November 2015

December-February 2016

March-May 2016

Activity

Training- Building and

Training- Using Edmodo to

Evaluation- Teachers

maintaining an Edmodo

further educational

evaluate their Edmodo

account. Focus: Creating a

practices and

site to make changes for

personal account and fitting

communication. Focus:

the upcoming year.

the site to your personal needs Instructional Uses, Creating

Focus: Instructional uses

and wants.

a platform for

and Communication

communicating to students

throughout the previous

and parents.

year.

Goals/

By August 2015, all certified

By December 2015, all

By March 2016, all

Objectives

staff and library media

certified staff and library

certified staff and library

specialist will be trained on

media specialist will

media specialist will

the use of the learning

implement the learning

have implemented the

management system Edmodo

management system

learning management

using clearly defined

Edmodo with other staff

system Edmodo in the

processes so teachers can

members, professional

classroom to immerse

effectively utilize 21st century development coaches, and

students in 21st century

learning as a learning and

assistant principals for

learning and to provide a

communication tool with

professional learning in the

tool for communication

staff, students, and parents.

area of technology and 21st

with parents and

century learning skills, so

students.

that staff can become

acquainted with how tools
can be utilized in the
classroom for learning and
to communicate with
parents and students.

Evaluation Plan
http://www.4cleanair.org/Kirkpatrick.pdf
http://www.nwlink.com/%7Edonclark/hrd/isd/kirkpatrick.html
Teachers will be given a survey at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to evaluate their
use and preferences on Edmodo. They also have a evaluation piece of their activities where the
attendees reflect on their use of Edmodo throughout the school year. This allow us to see how

Edmodo was used in their classroom, and it allows them to reflect on how they could alter the
Edmodo experience for the next school year.

Description of Goal
Goal 1

By August 2015, all certified staff and

library media specialist will be trained on
the use of the learning management system
Edmodo using clearly defined processes so
teachers can effectively utilize 21st century
learning as a learning and communication
tool with staff, students, and parents.

Goal 2

By December 2015, all certified staff and

library media specialist will implement the
learning management system Edmodo with
other staff members, professional
development coaches, and assistant
principals for professional learning in the
area of technology and 21st century
learning skills, so that staff can become
acquainted with how tools can be utilized in
the classroom for learning and to
communicate with parents and students.

Achieved-Y/N

Goal 3

By March 2016, all certified staff and

library media specialist will have
implemented the learning management
system Edmodo in the classroom to
immerse students in 21st century learning
and to provide a tool for communication
with parents and students.

Budget

Item

Description/Explanation (Narrative)

Price

Subs

The teachers will be given substitute teachers for their $2,720.00

professional development day. In the event that there
are 32 teachers attending the training, and the price of
the substitutes is $85 per day, then the total amount
will be as listed in the price column.

Stipend

Each teacher will be provided with a stipend for

attending the training. Each teacher attending the
training will receive a stipend for $75. In the event
that there are 32 teachers attending the training, and
the price of the stipend per teacher is $75, then the

$2,400.00

total amount will be as listed in the price column.

Pamphlet/Powerpoi None- Details found on Google Doc.

$0.00

nt
Office Supplies

Pens, notepads, pencils, highlighters, markers, red

$100.00

pens, and sticky notes for taking notes will be

provided for attendees. An approximated cost is listed
in the right column.
Lunch

Lunch is to be purchased by attendees during an hour

$287.64

lunch break. The lunch will be boxed sub sandwiches

from Publix supermarket with a small tea or
lemonade and chips. The price for this for
approximately 32 people plus the 4 local technology
coaches is included in the right column.
Breakfast

Breakfast will be provided to attendees prior to the

beginning of the training seminar. The breakfast will
be Chick Fil A chicken biscuits, coffee, and orange
juice. The price for breakfast for approximately 32
people plus the 4 local school technology coaches is
listed in the column to the right.

$158.44

References

http://www.k12grants.org/samples/grantkay.pdf
http://www.workshopexercises.com/Engagement_continued.htm#E13
http://www.4cleanair.org/Kirkpatrick.pdf
http://www.nwlink.com/%7Edonclark/hrd/isd/kirkpatrick.html

Appendices
The following survey will be used as a pre and post survey to evaluate the use of Edmodo by the
attendees at the beginning and end of the school year, or training.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TQSKTLS