Funding for a Better Future

Colleen DiNunno, Kelly Grice, Kelly Hilbert, Mandi Wilson

Loyola University Maryland

 Funding for a Better Future

Part One

Identifying our School Needs

In today’s educational world, majority of classrooms have adapted to the use of

technology. While our society has created an abundance of new tools and equipment, the

availability of these technologies can look very different from school building to school building.

Schools around the globe have different amounts of access, training, and knowledge when it

comes to technology, thus having different needs to be addressed.

At Wellwood International Elementary, we are very fortunate to have 1:1 devices for our

students, and Promethean boards for many of our classrooms. The need for physical equipment

does not apply here at Wellwood, however, we do still have technological needs that could be

addressed. Our school has been working towards a shift from the substitution and augmentation

stages of the SAMR model, which correspond with the adoption and adaptation stages of the

ACOT model. Teachers have become very comfortable applying technology into the curriculum,

however they need guidance on how to take this to the next level of complexity. Our wish is to

apply new technology tools which can help connect us with the outside world, and connect on a

more global level. This wish can be fulfilled with more sufficient training, to amplify our

knowledge on how to incorporate technology in a way that extends beyond the four classroom

walls. Our school has a large focus on international studies, as we have been transitioning to an

International Baccalaureate (IB) program. Our school has the name International in it, because

our student population represents over 40 different countries, creating a very diverse community.
Exploring more professional development opportunities and online tools that would allow us to

connect globally would be very beneficial to our school’s mission, and is the biggest need at our

school as of current. Also, adapting more engaging technological tool such as VR headsets with

virtual field trips and experiences, would provide more meaningful and engaging instruction for

our school. Right now, based on Ely’s 8 conditions of change, our staff has a deficiency in the

availability of knowledge and skills, and sufficient amount of time.

In 2015, Pikesville Middle School (PMS) became a lighthouse school, giving our

students more opportunities to learn in different ways, by using technology and making our

students 1:1 with devices. During this time, the staff at our school has become accustomed to

learning walks and having guests in their classrooms. As a result, teachers have become

comfortable with using technologies in their classrooms, however, in a very simple way.

Therefore, we would like to obtain access to premium technologies, like Nearpod or Quizlet. We

would like to take the technologies we’re already comfortable with using, and obtain access to

even more features, allowing teachers to better their instruction, assess students individually, and

transition into higher stages of the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) model. Before

incorporating these premium features in the classroom, it’s important to provide teachers with

time to learn them first. Based on Ely’s Eight Conditions of Change, PMS is lacking on the

availability of time. Therefore, our school will need more opportunities for professional

development. Another need at our school is to have universal ways for teachers to present

information to students in each classroom. ​No one classroom has the same brand of projector,

some are newer models, some are older, some classrooms don’t even have working projectors.

Which is why there is a need for Promethean Boards. We’re hopeful that in seeking funding for
one or two Promethean Boards for teachers to use, will inspire our principal to make them a

universal instructional tool throughout our building. In addition to Promethean Boards, we would

like a class set of virtual reality (VR) headsets for the entire school to share. Having this tool

would allow teachers to take their classrooms on virtual field trips, making the learning

experience more engaging and meaningful to students. Lastly, there are many different types of

learners that we see in our classrooms daily. We feel that it’s important to have some furniture in

the classroom that can help meet the needs of these students to enhance their learning experience.

Lansdowne High School (LHS) is a Title I school located in South West Baltimore

County. Title I refers to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in which funds are provided to

schools consisting of lower income students, so that they may provide additional academic

supports. These funds help disadvantaged students meet state standards, and master different

curriculums to be college, career, and/or military ready after graduation (Maryland State

Department of Education, n.d., Title I, Part A). The school consists of a little over 1,300 students,

with a diverse population consisting of 9% Asian, 29% African American, 18% Hispanic/Latino,

42% Caucasian, and 2% other (Maryland Report Card, 2017, Baltimore County - Lansdowne

High & Academy of Finance). The Title I provided funds are typically used to provide students

with meals, after school activities, and school supplies; therefore, the teachers seldom see the

funds used for technology. Lansdowne currently has over 100 teachers, who all share

approximately 6 laptop carts, each of which has 30 devices. Very few teachers are able to utilize

technology, and if they do, they need proper training, or proper online tools to accomplish how

they’d like to incorporate technology into their classrooms. Based on Donald P. Ely’s Eight

Conditions of Change, LHS is lacking in sufficient knowledge of skill, availability of resources,

and availability of time. Teachers need professional developments to learn how to properly use

technology in their classrooms, which coexists with the lack of time for these professional

developments to occur, and the lack of resources for teachers to use. Each classroom has a black

board, or white board, and a projector. The lack of technology present is a disservice to the

students of LHS, because it is not providing them with enough exposure to become digitally

literate after they graduate. If classrooms at LHS had more technology to offer, teachers could

better incorporate it into their lessons. As teachers try to move through the stages of the Apple

Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) model, they find difficulty due to the lack of resources

available, and training. Many teachers are currently at the adoption stage, as they design lessons

incorporating technology when they can access the limited device carts. Many teachers see

technology as an addition to support traditional instruction, due to the lack of technology at LHS.

Overall, LHS needs more technology and the training to implement it.

Wellwood International Elementary School, Pikesville Middle School, and Lansdowne

High School all exist within the Baltimore County Public Schools system. These three schools

have many differences, but also have commonalities, especially in their needs. Despite being

three schools varying in ages, sizes, locations, and more, all three schools need more technology

and the professional development to incorporate said technology.

Part Two

Grant Summaries

The funding we would like to receive through the grants that we chose for our schools are as

follows: Promethean boards, more professional development opportunities, premium access to

online tools, a virtual reality (VR) field trip kit, and flexible furniture for the classroom. These
grants would allow our schools to grow professionally and provide instruction that is better

catered to a 21st century learner. As of next school year all our schools will be 1:1 with devices,

which is what encouraged us to request a grant for both Promethean boards and more

professional development. Having access to premium versions of certain online tools will allow

teachers to improve instruction. We felt that having a VR field trip kits for our schools would be

beneficial for staff, and budgeting for our schools. Lastly, having flexible furniture in the

classroom will cater to students who have specific needs to better address their learning style,

which will help to improve their success in school.

Promethean Boards

The Promethean grant for 2018 is an opportunity for an individual to win one of 30

Promethean ActivPanels. The process an individual would need to go through to receive this

grant requires a few steps. These steps include recording a video describing how they’re going to

use an ActivPanel, sharing a few personal facts, submitting their creative and informative video,

then waiting for the results of grant award winners to be announced. While this grant isn’t

funding Promethean boards for an entire school, we felt that it could serve as a great starting

point for any school wishing to have this technology in their building. If one were to receive this

grant award, they could pilot this innovation for their entire school. In doing so, they could either

inspire others to apply the following year, or could help the principal to envision how valuable

this tool, causing them to seek funding to make them a schoolwide tool.

While Wellwood has promethean boards in majority of our rooms, there are a few classrooms

that could benefit from this grant. A few classrooms in our school building have older boards,

and others have newer ones. There are also a few that just have an Infocus Projector, which
projects onto a smooth and flat gray skin that sticks to the chalkboard. These only contain

projection capabilities and are not interactive for the students to engage with. While the teachers

with these boards have found ways to make them work within their classes, it would be more

beneficial for Wellwood to have interactive boards in all classrooms. There are some grade

levels that all have different types of boards, which can create problems when planning. Some

teachers may plan a lesson where students can come up to the board and interact with it, while

others may not be able to.

As stated before in our school needs, classrooms at Pikesville Middle School aren’t

cohesive with the instructional tools they currently have for presenting materials to students. This

can pose as an issue for a few reasons, there’s no universal parts for these machines, so when

something breaks, usually a teacher no longer has this technology until the part is ordered.

Teachers who float into different classrooms throughout the day are at a disadvantage in their

instruction, because they must waste the time to figure out how to set their computer up in each

classroom. This also creates a dissatisfaction with the status quo. When asked if satisfied by our

current access to technology at PMS, one teacher replied “we don't have working projectors,

we're still using "Elmo’s, there are no SMARTboards in our school” (Norris, S., personal

communication, May 2, 2018). Other teachers also stated that they wished they had access to a

Promethean board in their classroom (Koehler, C., Marcellino, R., personal communication, June

5, 2018). It’s obvious this is an important need to teachers at Pikesville Middle School, which is

why this grant is so important.

At Lansdowne High School, there are very few Promethean Boards in various classroom.

Specific departments have previously used grants to receive promethean boards, and there is one
in the library for teachers to sign out to bring their classes to use. This grant would allow for

another department to utilize the benefits of having a Promethean Board to increase their classes’

technology. A Promethean board would allow teachers to use interactive technology in their

lessons, which could motivate and encourage students to become more involved in their own

learning.

Professional Development

Professional development (PD) is important in any career. ​The McCarthey Dressman

Education Foundation “​believes that continuous, insightful and innovative professional training

and growth is crucial to the effectiveness of educators” ​(McCarthy Dressman Education

Foundation, n.d., para 1).​ This foundation awards grants to applicants in the amount of $10,000

per year for three years, for maximum funding of $30,000. With this amount of money, a school

would be able to host many PD opportunities to teachers. To apply for this grant, applicants must

complete background information, write a proposal giving a narrative of how this could this

grant will be used, complete a budget of how the money will be spent, and include three

reference letters. This grant is closed for the 2018-2019 school year, the application window was

January 15, 2017-April 17, 2017 (or until they’ve received 350 applications). The McCarthey

Dressman Education Foundation grant would be beneficial to any school.

Wellwood’s top technological priority as of current, is developing a higher skill set in

global education. To do this, the staff would need more professional development and training

opportunities to increase their range of knowledge and tools. Teachers at Wellwood utilize

technology in lots of ways, however they are using them in ways that leave them lingering in the

adoption and adaptation phases of the ACOT model. To reach the appropriation and invention
stages, teachers need access to new tools that will allow them to explore ways to extend beyond

the walls of the school building. Accessing the world around us is the best way to learn and

experience new cultures. Global education can also help instill in students the importance of

being respectful and socially aware citizens. As stated before, teachers are lacking in sufficient

knowledge and skills, and the availability of time in the Ely’s Conditions of Change. If teachers

could receive more training that is individualized and provided on a flexible schedule, they

would be more motivated to explore the use of technology in ways that are captivating and

highly engaging for students. During these PD sessions, the trialability, complexity, observability

and relative advantage of each tool will be showcased. Teachers will start developing a tool box

of their own, and can decide which digital tools work best with them and their classroom. These

PD will have to be approved by administration, who will hopefully provide a stipend for those

who attend, which will give teachers more incentive to participate. This grant would provide the

staff at Wellwood with PD sessions that would showcase new tools, demonstrate how to

effectively use them, and help teachers get started with implementation.

At Pikesville Middle, the vision for technology use is focused on targeted small group

instruction. They also want us to focus on using technology daily to promote 21st century skills.

Teachers at PMS use technology in a way that is keeping them in adoption and adaptation stages

in the ACOT model. For teachers to progress forward and approach the appropriation and

invention stages, we need PD to expand our knowledge of different technologies and how they

can be used. If our school could obtain a grant for PD, it would expand our capabilities to use

technology in the most efficient way for our students. According to Ely’s 8 conditions of change,

it’s important to ensure that everyone has sufficient knowledge and skills to implement the new
innovations. With this grant, PMS would be able to provide us with the proper knowledge and

skills to feel comfortable with making changes. Providing teachers with a stipend would also

prove that there’s support from leadership in the building. Having this grant would be doing the

teachers at Pikesville a great service when it comes to introducing new technologies in

accordance with the perceived attributes. The trialability of the new technology would be

demonstrated for, and teachers would be able to test it out during the PD session where there’s

support from an expert. The observability of the technology will be displayed throughout the

entirety of the PD session. The relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility will be used as

the persuasive points, and will be the factors that will be most encouraging for teachers to try

technology in their own classrooms.

At Lansdowne High, the students will be receiving devices for the first time in this

upcoming school year. Due to this, the professional development grant may be especially key at

this school. Teachers will require extra PD at the high school level to understand how to

effectively incorporate technology in their classroom on a regular basis and how to teach their

students how to use their devices. As 1:1 devices will be a new innovation at LHS, teachers will

need the resources and time to efficiently plan their lessons incorporating the new devices. This

grant could allow for teacher leaders to present to their coworker’s different technology tools and

ideas to utilize in their classrooms. Also, the grant could possibly fund PD opportunities for

specific departments, grades, online tools, etc. With the proper PD, LHS teachers will be able to

successfully move up on the ACOT Model, and fulfil the vision of the school; having students

being digitally prepared for post-graduate opportunities.

Premium Access to Online Tools

 Technology is ever changing, and always introducing new ways of learning. Due to that

factor, classrooms often find it hard to keep up with the implementation of technology in

classroom. This grant, through DirectPackages.com allows teachers to apply for anything

technology related. Teachers must write 400-500 words on how they feel technology could

improve their current teaching practices. The grant funds the top three submissions with $1,000

each to spend money on their new technology. This money could go a long way towards

supporting an entire school with premium access to specific online tools, which is why we’ve

selected it for this grant opportunity.

There are many engaging and interactive online tools in our world today, that it can be

almost overwhelming to keep up with it all. Sometimes, you find tools that are great for the

classroom, however you can only do so much because they offer premium accounts. These

premium accounts contain more features than the free accounts do, limiting what teachers and

students can do. This grant would be very beneficial at Wellwood, especially as we try to find

tools that help us become more globally educated. If there are tools that we find work well with

our vision, we will want to be able to utilize them even if they are not free. With this grant,

Wellwood would be able to purchase premium accounts of some of these tools, as well as

premium accounts for other tools that we already use such as Nearpod, Venngage, etc. Students

have more range with their creativity if they are given access to more opportunities and tools.

We should try our best to not put limitations on the creativity of our students, and having access

to premium accounts can help lift those barriers, and give our students more freedom to explore

their curiosities and talents.

 At Pikesville Middle, being granted access to premium versions of online tools such as

Nearpod and Quizlet, would also be very beneficial to teachers. ​While the free versions of their

services offer nice amenities, they’re also quite limited in their capabilities. Having the premium

versions would allow teacher to use these technologies in more efficient ways. Most technologies

will also sync with our Learning Management System (LMS), which would encourage teachers

at our school to use them on a regular basis in their instruction. Once teachers have been properly

trained on new technologies they are willing and excited to start using them in their classroom.

The main issue that teachers run into is the inability to access premium features of these new

technologies, as they can be quite costly. With this grant, we would be able to create school-wide

premium accounts for technologies such as Nearpod and Quizlet. These would allow us to

integrate feedback from activities on these websites into our LMS. Using the premium versions

of these technologies would allow the staff at my school to move into the appropriation and

invention stages of the ACOT model. These new technologies would be able to assist teachers to

use technologies in new and innovative ways in their classroom. As a result, teachers will be able

to create (and grade!) projects through these online technologies and it will all align in their

LMS. Without the access to premium versions of technologies there is an excess of

dissatisfaction with the status quo at my school, meaning everyone is eager for a change.

Allowing access to these premium versions would encourage teachers to use technology in more

innovative ways in their classroom.

There are an abundant of online tools that teachers at LHS currently utilize, such as

NearPod, Quizlet, etc.; however, teachers are limited to what they can do with these tools, due to

the lack of funds for the premium features of the tools. Similar to teachers at Wellwood
Elementary, and Pikesville Middle, the teachers at Lansdowne would be able to move up stages

of the ACOT Model, and utilize the tools through the Learning Management System. Many of

the premium features given with the online tools include class discussions, grading, and student

accounts. These features would allow a teacher to flip their classroom, and students could access

things both at school, and at home. The vision of LHS is to prepare students to enter the

workforce, military, or college with technology skills. These premium features would allow for

LHS to successfully teach their students new skills to navigate the internet. The premium

accounts also allow for students to take more ownership of their learning, and even allow

students to organize and design instructional tools. These skills would also allow students to

become more digitally literate, and better digital citizens.

Virtual Reality

Donors Choose is a great opportunity because it runs on the basis that teachers know

what they need to make their students successful. This company has partnerships with large

corporations, foundations and small businesses to support teachers in finding the funds for their

projects. To get started, teachers need to create an account, and begin creating their project idea

wish list. Two of the nice features about receiving funding through this website is that there’s no

limit on the amount the project needs to be, and you can apply at any time. When writing up the

project proposal, teachers should be able to tell a story that vivid for donor readers and compels

them to want to donate to the cause. After researching different VR kits, we felt a Google

Expedition kit was the way to go. A classroom set of 30 costs $9,499.00. This sounds expensive,

but after hearing from the administrative secretary at Pikesville Middle School, field trips can

cost anywhere between $4,500 ($15 per student)- $10,500 ($35 per student) (Silverman, L.,
personal communication, June 21, 2018). We thought using Donors Choose to support our

virtual reality field trip kit innovation was good choice because it’s rather easy to apply for and

since it’s one of the pricier proposals, we felt it was best to seek funding from multiple sources.

Since this is such a huge cost we thought it might be wise to also seek help from some of our

stakeholders such as the PTA or local businesses.

As stated before, most of the staff members at Wellwood are caught in the adoption and

adaptation stages of the ACOT model. Most of them fall under the adaptation stage, and are

looking for ways to move to the appropriation and invention stages, which focuses more on new

uses for technologies and project based and interdisciplinary work. Part of the vision of the IB

program is creating curriculum that is transdisciplinary and project based for our learners, so

Wellwood is on a mission to find tools to lend themselves to this goal. Virtual field trips could be

a great addition to Wellwood’s curriculum, because it could allow teachers to take field trips to

places that fit best with the curriculum they’ve created. VR headsets are highly beneficial

because they provide immediate engagement for students, and decrease distractions. Students are

fully immersed in the content through visual and auditory learning, and exploring concepts in a

way they have never experienced before. The students at Wellwood represent over 40 different

countries as stated previously, and this is celebrated as often as possible. Virtual field trips could

allow for more opportunities to explore the home countries of students, to see and experience

new and different things. VR takes technology tools to the next level, which could help the staff

start to transition to the appropriation and invention stages of the ACOT model.

Taking field trips is a great way for enrich the learning experience for students. By

obtaining a classroom set for teachers at PMS, would open doors to new opportunities for
teachers in any subject area. Being able to utilize VR headsets would allow students to take

virtual field trips. A con that could occur with this grant is the number of teachers who will want

to implement this technology in their instruction. To make it fair for all teachers, there should be

some sort of document that allows teachers to sign out the VR headsets with a deadline. Not only

should teachers meet this deadline, they should keep track of the technology to ensure that it

stays in the best condition possible to ensure its longevity. The purpose of this technology isn’t

to replace field trips indefinitely, but to enhance the learning experience for students at PMS.

High school students at LHS take a course load of eight classes a year. Due to this, many

students fear missing classes, because they can so easily fall behind. For example, this past

school year the Spanish department offered its students a cultural field trip, and many students

chose not to attend, because they didn’t want to miss their other classes and fall behind. Field

trips are also difficult to plan into the curriculum, and not all departments have the funds to

provide educational field trip opportunities. To avoid these issues, LHS could benefit from

Virtual Reality, specifically Google Expedition. The VR sets would allow for teachers to design

field trips within their lessons, and students wouldn’t have to miss class time to attend. The

virtual reality sets allow students and classes to explore different places, museums, etc. without

leaving their classrooms. Teachers could sign out the VR sets ahead of time, and schedule the

virtual field trip with their students. Using the funding on VR would relieve the issue of field trip

funding, and students missing other class time at LHS.

Flexible Classroom Furniture

Having flexible seating would allow students to take charge of their learning and make

the choice that works best for them. We feel that it’s important to have furniture that supports
flexible seating in the classroom, because it would increase student engagement. The student

achievement grant has two levels of funding, $2,000 and $5,000. To receive this grant, applicants

must be a member of the National Education Association, write a description of their need, how

it will ensure students will meet learning goals, provide a line item budget that totals to either

$2,000 or $5,000, and meet one of three deadlines for the application process.

At Wellwood, there are a wide variety of seating options as well as other furniture to

make the learning environments as safe and comfortable as possible for students. No two

classrooms look the same at Wellwood. Some classrooms have traditional desks as well as

tables, others have all tables, some have standing desks for students who need to move around.

You could also find other items such as bean bags, stools, carpets, carpet pillows etc. The need

for students to all be seated at traditional desks in a row is a thing of the past, and classrooms

have completely transformed. While Wellwood does have a variety of items, this grant would

help teachers who may not have enough money to purchase these things on their own. There are

teachers who have brought in their own furniture, and there are also some items which were

purchased out of the school budget for certain needs. Students deserve the best possible learning

environment, where they can thrive and feel comfortable. At Wellwood, students are always

moving around and engaged in small group work, or collaborative learning. Desks are rarely

used, except for occasional whole group instruction. This grant could help Wellwood continue its

journey to creating individualized learning for its students.

Furniture is basic and outdated at Pikesville Middle School. Majority of the metal chairs

are either missing feet on the bottom, or the bars across the bottom are falling off, which poses a

safety concern for students. The desks don’t have storage for students, so often time their
belongings are on the floor, which is a walking hazard for students and teachers. Some

classrooms are too small for a flexible seating area, which encourages teachers to want flexible

seating throughout their entire classroom. With this grant we would be able to adjust the seating

in all classrooms at Pikesville to at least have an area of flexible seating in their classrooms, for

the ones that are smaller than we could replace half of their regular seating with other options

such as bean bag chairs or standing tables. With a grant to support the costs of new furniture in

the classrooms, students would be able to face more success by having choice in the classroom.

Flexible seating will allow the students to work wherever they feel most comfortable.

Lansdowne High School was built in 1963, and has outdated furniture and learning

supplies. This grant would allow LHS to update the current classrooms to be more affluent for

21st century learners. Flexible seating allows for students to create a learning environment that

best suits their individual needs. The best learning environment for one student, may not reflect

the next, which is why flexible seating and manipulative furniture could benefit the students of

LHS. This grant would allow for LHS to update their current furniture, and make the school feel

and look newer visually. The students will be more encouraged to learn if their learning

environment feels and looks more up to date. Manipulative furniture would also encourage

teachers to create seating charts that could easily turn into stations or small group instruction, or

allow students to collaborate. Having manipulative furniture at LHS would allow for more

students to find success in an otherwise traditional classroom. When the students have more

choice in their learning environment, teachers can better cater to the individual needs of each

student.
 These grants would allow our schools to grow professionally and provide instruction that

is better catered to a 21st century learner. However, there are some disadvantages to these needs

in our schools. For instance, some of these needs, while necessary, are very expensive, so the

reality of having the needs met over the span of one school year might not happen. Since some of

these needs are so expensive, funding from these grants might not support all of the funding

required to ensure it meets the needs of an entire school, which could lead to potentially having

to share these materials. Therefore, rules would have to be put in place to make sure everyone is

satisfied. Another drawback to these grant ideas is that some teachers might not agree on some of

these needs for their classroom, such as what premium tools are selected to fund, or the

professional development opportunities that are offered. Overall, we feel that the advantages to

seeking the funds for these needs outweigh the disadvantages, because they’re what's in the best

interest of the students to make the more successful.

Part Three

Letter to Administrator
June 27, 2018

Dear Mr./Mrs. Principal,

While our school is moving forward with technology use and innovations, there is still

room to grow. In an ever-changing world, we must also keep our classrooms changing with the

times. As we strive to produce globally competitive students, we must address the needs of our

school and possible solutions. Our school has many positives, but to continue growing, there are

a few needs that could possibly be met through grants. For example, as we work to implement

more technology in our classes, teachers need that technology, and proper training for the
technology. We also strive for student-centered classrooms, and for students to take a role in

their learning process, providing classrooms updated furniture would allow for students to be

more involved. To address these needs, there are grants that would allow for us to continue

moving our school forward.

At our school, it’s imperative that we seek funding to provide more opportunities for

teachers to grow professionally, and improve their teaching practices so that our students are

more successful. BCPS emphasizes the implementation of technology in the classroom, so we

could benefit from having universal technology that allows teachers to share information in the

classroom. First, most teachers currently have either black or white boards accompanied with a

projector screen in their classrooms; to make a more engaging and student-centered classroom,

Promethean Boards should be considered. Promethean Boards allow for interaction between

students, and can make students more involved in their own learning. Students can also work

individually or collaboratively on their device, and then project their work up on the Promethean

for either presentation or feedback purposes. The grant I am seeking would provide one teacher

with a board, but that teacher and his/her department could become experts in its use and help

assist other teachers in the future. This could also encourage collaboration amongst teachers, and

a sharing of resources.

Whilst incorporating new technology is a great thing, we would also need to provide

teachers with the proper training to use it. I am also seeking a grant to provide funding for

professional development for our staff, that would specifically address how to implement

technology in the classroom. According to Ely’s Eight Conditions of Change, for a new change

to be successful, there must be an availability of time and resources, and sufficient knowledge
and skill. If we plan to incorporate more technology into our classrooms, there must be

professional development to assist teachers with the changes.

Another form of new technology to implement in our school is virtual field trips. Field

trips are costly and often difficult to implement into our curriculums, despite all their benefits.

Often students struggle to commit to field trips for fear of missing work from other classes, lack

of funds, or numerous other reasons that may keep a student from attending a field trip. Field

trips allow teachers to connect their classroom to outside sources, and show their students actual

examples of their instruction in a real-world setting. A solution to the disadvantages that come

with field trips is a Virtual Reality set. For example, Google Expedition virtual reality. A

classroom set would allow teachers to bring a field trip to their students, rather than their

students having to go to it. Students would be able to explore museums, parks, zoos, etc. all from

the comfort of their own classrooms. Applying for this grant would allow us to use the funding

for field trip money elsewhere, and our students could make more real-world connections in their

classrooms.

In order to create a classroom which promotes a learner centered environment, we would

need more funding available in order to purchase the furniture and other items we need. Students

no longer sit in rows, but rather move freely throughout the classroom to collaborate, explore,

and learn in whichever way they feel works best. We want funding to promote this sense of

independence that our students are working to develop, so that they become more in control of

their learning. Students today can’t be expected to be at the exact same level or pace. They will

need differentiated instruction, and flexible seating options can help support this in the

classroom. While it could be expensive for the school to budget this, we are looking to receive
funding from community members and partners, that would want to invest their money to help

the education of the students of their community.

There are many tools that exist for teachers to make learning more engaging for students,

however, some of the online digital tools are very limited in their access. Therefore, it would be

beneficial to purchase premium versions to these online tools for the entire school. Many

teachers currently use the free versions of online tools such as Kahoot, Nearpod, and Quizlet.

While the free versions are very beneficial, the premium versions allow for more student

engagement, collaboration, and connection to our current Learning Management System. If we

want to use technology in ways that are more meaningful than just substituting a worksheet, or

accessing the textbook online, than we need this grant to give us access to new, exciting tools

that can help us create curriculum that is more purposeful.

These five different grants correlate to our school’s vision of incorporating technology to

produce globally competitive students entering their next steps of education, college, military,

and/or career fields. As there are disadvantages that come with each grant, and it will be difficult

to work with teachers and the implementation of various tools, the advantages that our students

could take from such implementation are far more beneficial. Applying for these five grants will

be tedious and time-consuming, but the benefits of creating more student-centered classrooms

with 21st century technology will display in our students’ successes. Please consider the many

advantages that would come from applying for these grants.

Sincerely,

Colleen DiNunno, Kelly Grice, Kelly Hilbert, and Mandi Wilson

 References

About LHS. (n.d.) Retrieved from:​ ​https://lansdownehs.bcps.org/about_l_h_s

Baltimore County – Lansdowne High & Academy of Finance. 2017. Retrieved from:

http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Entity.aspx?k=031371

Dwyer, D., Ringstaff, C., Sandholtz, J. (n.d.). ​Integrating Technology into Classroom

Instruction: An Assessment of the Impact of the ACOT Teacher Development Center Project.

Retrieved from:​ ​https://www.apple.com/euro/pdfs/acotlibrary/rpt22.pdf

Ely, Donald P. (n.d.) ​Conditions That Facilitate the Implementation of Educational Technology

Innovations.​ Retrieved from:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_oFkMl-s85RRWhwTGQ0VFdnVzg/view

The McCarthy Dressman Foundation. (n.d.) ​Teacher Development Grants​. Retrieved from:

https://mccartheydressman.org/teacher-development-grants/

Title I, Part A. (n.d.) Retrieved from:

http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/dsfss/titlei/index.aspx