Running Head: GRANT PLANNING PROJECT

Grant Planning Project: Implementation of Technology Education

In a Fifth-grade Classroom

Andrea Mejia-Paniagua

California State University, Long Beach

May 1, 2018

Abstract
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The need for technology devices in the classroom is currently experiencing immense growth. We
now use technology in our everyday lives; and many users cannot imagine starting their day
without a device to inform, assist, or simply entertain them. We live in a society where
technology surrounds us. It is important to utilize technology and the benefits that it provides in
every aspect. My students have never lived in a world where access to the internet was not
accessible at their fingertips. As an educator, it is essential that I modify my teaching and my
classroom to adapt to their needs. My students need to understand that technology is far more
than just a way to communicate with their friends and family. They need to know how to use
technology to enhance their educational understanding, and how to use technology as a tool,
rather than a social or gaming device. It is unfortunate that my students are expected to excel the
same way on a digital state test when they lack the skills necessary to navigate through the test.
Unfortunately, my students will be expected to surpass in a society that is evolving with
technology when measures are not being taken to provide them with an equal opportunity. As an
educator, I feel the need to intervene by providing my students with technology opportunities.
Opportunities that will help them develop the necessary skills and confidence they will need in
the real world. The project that I am developing will help reach not only my 35 students this
year, but my students for several years to come. I will take it upon myself to create meaningful
lessons to guide my students success. This project will assist in developing a tech-savvy
generation that will see technology as a tool for their education and in their lives.

Statement of Need
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According to Dreambox Learning, “An increasing amount of data suggest educational

technology makes instruction in diverse classrooms more effective and efficient.” Currently, in
my classroom, I have seen the benefit of implementing technology as an educational tool. My
students live in a world that is continuously being impacted by technology enhancements, but
due to their socioeconomic status, they lack confidence, ability, and the opportunity to use
technology. A report by the Stanford Center for Policy in Education reviewed studies aimed
towards providing disadvantage learners digital learning. Their study found that implementing
technology in the classroom can provide the support needed to assist learners in building their
confidence in their academic abilities, which substantially decreases the number of student
dropouts. Unfortunately, funding for technology is limited, and it is too expensive to buy my
own devices for the classroom. I am in dire need for technology funding, to provide my students
the opportunity they deserve, to better prepare them for their grade-level content understanding,
technology skills for the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), and for the growing
technology enhanced society they are observing and experiencing that is currently beyond their
comfort level.

Community Impacted

Every student in my fifth-grade class is unique and brings different experiences, culture,
academic abilities, learning styles, language proficiency, interest and aspirations into the
classroom environment. Developing a learning environment that captivates and motivates my
students is extremely important. I provide my students the opportunity to make their connections
between the curriculum, their prior knowledge, and experiences. This approach provides me with
the opportunity to acknowledge every students’ academic differences and needs, so that they
may obtain a well-rounded education. The students in my class continually make an effort to
improve in all aspects as they strive for excellence. My class consists of 35 amazing fifth-grade
students, a large percentage of which are English Language Learners. We practice and embed a
growth mindset approach in our classroom, which has improved their attitude towards their
academics, but some students are performing far below grade level. It is challenging to keep
certain students motivated when they are in need of something that will help them develop and
understand the content at their level. Many are stuck feeling like they will never be able to
succeed in school. I dedicate myself to providing my students with a rich educational
environment that challenges them to think critically, solve complex problems, and develop social
skills to succeed in a diverse society. My students live in a technology-enhanced world and need
to be prepared to embrace their skills. It is essential that they be able to manipulate various
devices, websites, and applications. Although we have access to Chromebooks on campus, it is
important to expose students to a variety of devices. Today’s students learn about the world
differently; with technology surrounding them, bringing the opportunity to access content and
educational reinforcement is a significant opportunity that can not be taken away from them due
to funding.

Prospectus
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My goal is to convert my fifth-grade classroom into a digital classroom, to prepare my

students for a technologically guided world. Technology is an essential part of our society; we
depend on technology. The way we learn, see, and interact with one another has changed
drastically over the last few years. We need to embrace technology and the advantages it brings
to the classroom. Having Samsung Tablets in the classroom will provide my students with the
ability to take control of their learning as they access information, Google applications, digital
books, educational videos, and websites that will enhance their knowledge. My students need to
see technology beyond a gaming device and need to be given the opportunity to adopt
technology as an educational tool.

Through online intervention programs, I can provide endless possibilities to build my

student's academic needs. Unfortunately, working in a low-income district, technology resources
are lacking in my student’s homes and sadly, our classrooms. Providing my students with
technology in my class, I can offer my students the opportunity to improve and strengthen their
knowledge with their grade level content, but also enhance their technology skills for the real
world.
My students love the challenge that technology presents. Providing technology in the
classroom allows them to learn how to troubleshoot and be confident in using a device as a
classroom tool. Technology in the classroom enables my students to share their work and
collaborate as it provides alternative ways for students to participate in class discussions.
Students use technology to understand the grade level content better, as they reinforce their
understanding with educational websites and educational videos such as Khan Academy,
Prodigy, Crash Course Kids, and Razz-Kids to name a few. I want to provide all of my students
extra practice that will engage them and help them understand the content. Using technology will
enhance their understanding and grow at their own pace. Technology in the classroom is a great
tool when efficiently implemented.
Samsung Galaxy Tablets will prepare my students for the Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium at the end of the year. State testing is and has always been extremely stressful for
students of all ages. Taking a now digital assessment, you are currently evaluating my students
understanding of their grade level content as well as their ability to type and navigate through a
website. Eliminating the practice from my classroom will only provide more frustration to my
students when taking the assessment.

Goals and Objectives

Technology Implementation Goals:

● Investigate technology resources to support instructional strategies that engage students

in developing grade-level content that addresses the needs of all my students.
● Students understand the advantages of technology-enhanced activities, applications, and
websites.
● Students will demonstrate appropriate and effective research strategies and citations when
using internet sources.

Objectives:
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● Implement technology with the potential to improve learning for my fifth-grade students,
by identifying priorities, and incorporating the appropriate use of technology to achieve
learning objectives in all subject areas on the Common Core State Standards.
● Students will use technology skills and ethical use of technology that will prepare them
for Smarter Balanced Assessment, higher education, and 21st-century workplace.
● Students will use technology to enhance their concept development, higher-order
thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in all subject areas, by
collaborating with each other, researching, and accessing appropriate educational
applications and websites.
● Students will use instructional technology to assist students in gathering and researching
data to improve learning in mathematics, science, social studies, and other subject area.

Common Core State Standards- Technology Skills Scope and Sequence

Providing my students with the opportunity to use technology in the classroom will
assure that my students are meeting Common Core State Standards- Technology Skills Scope
and Sequence requirements for Fifth-grade, listed below, which include mastery in technology
skills that are beneficial in a growing technology world and needed to complete the Smarter
Balanced Assessment Consortium.
● CCSS- Technology Skills Scope and Sequence Digital Literacy Categories:
○ Demonstrate proficiency in the use of computers and applications as well
as an understanding of the concepts underlying hardware, software, and
connectivity.
■ Basic Operations
■ Word Processing
■ Spreadsheet (Tables/ Charts/ Graphs)
■ Multimedia and Presentation Tools
○ Demonstrate the responsible use of technology and understanding of
ethics ands safety issues in using electronic media at home, in school and
in society.
■ Acceptable Use
■ Copyright
■ Plagiarism
■ Digital Citizenship
○ Demonstrate the ability to use technology for research, critical thinking,
decision making, communication, and collaboration, creativity, and
innovation.
■ Research and Gathering Information
■ Communication and Collaboration

Budget

Using the Donors Choose Amazon Business, the total project donation needed will be $769.45
which includes 3 Samsung Galaxy Tablets. This project will provide three independent tablet
stations in the classroom.
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Wireless network will be connected by our Informational Technology Department to our district
connection.

Evaluation

The equipment listed above will benefit my fifth-grade students immensely, as it will
guide my students in a variety of ways to help prepare my students for further education and a
career in the 21st-century society. By developing meaningful educational lessons, these devices
will help my students expand their knowledge in technology use and implement this technology
to meet their content standards. Students learn best when they are engaged and eager to complete
an assignment, giving my students that opportunity will better there chance in developing a
meaningful and positive perspective of the school. Overall the items purchased will be evaluated
based on research material and assignments that students complete and submit.

Project Reflection

I found the experience extremely valuable. For some time now I have been wanting to
attempt writing a grant proposal, but for one reason or another, I never submitted. As an
educator, working in a low-income community, it is difficult not to find yourself spending a
significant amount of your income on materials for your class, primarily as a beginning teacher.
Technology is quite beneficial, but also costly. My district is fortunate to have one-to-one
devices, but my students are only getting the experience with Chromebooks. Those that have
technology at home can’t implement what we learned in class, because they are working on a
different device. Providing my students with tablets, for example, is one way I can increase their
understanding and develop their technology skills. I am hoping that this project will get funded
and will open many opportunities for my students.

I currently have 2 active projects on Donors Choose. My second project is helping me

obtain a high-quality sound system for inside and outside of the classroom. Having a high-
quality sound system will provide my students with an enhanced learning opportunity, both
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inside and outside the classroom. Considering all of the rigorous requirements my students must
complete, listening to classical music in our class allows them to concentrate and relax. Some of
my students suffer from anxiety and testing anxiety. However, music helps them reduce their
anxiety levels, which will help increase focus and attain higher scores. I know that by obtaining
this audio system, it will enhance my students learning in all subject areas, and it will allow our
learning community to become much more efficient and engaging. For example, we embed
music and video analysis, Science videos with Crash Course Kids and Bill Nye, Khan Academy
and other Math content videos, American Revolution, and other fun and engaging videos which
help build and concretely solidify my students understanding.

Having a sound system will also help my students take Brain Breaks to re-energize
themselves with interactive GoNoodle videos. Fifth graders are also required to participate in
Physical Fitness Testing. Having an audio system where they can listen to directions will better
prepare them for this assessment and develop life-long habits of regular fitness activity. As fifth
graders, they will perform their final elementary performance in our Winter Program for their
parents. The students need to practice singing their songs, and our lead performers need a
microphone to enhance their performance throughout our multipurpose room. We also have
several end-of-the-year activities that are incredibly significant to them. The audio system would
be ideal to improve their milestone events. These are but a few advantages that my students will
have by obtaining a quality sound system.

Currently, this project’s total is $438.81. I already obtained one donation, and I was
fortunate to have Pandora Radio “Match” the donation. My remaining sum is $388.00. It is a
fantastic feeling seeing, even one, donor funding your project. I check every day for updates, in
the hope that our projects will be fully funded.

Donors Choose

The corporation was established 2000 by Charles Best, a teacher at a Bronx public High
school, that was in need of several classroom materials. He and his colleagues took a chance and
created a website where his colleagues posted the first eleven request in the hope that people
would be willing to help improve their student’s educational experience. Today,
Donorschoose.org is available for any teacher in America to create a project, hoping that it too
will be funded. Their mission statement states, “ We make it easy for anyone to help a classroom
in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and
experiences they need for a great education.”
Being that it was my first attempt at creating a project, I selected Donors Choose as my
grant resource. It is a well-known site for educators, and I am hoping that I have a good
experience. So far, the templates provided allowed for an easy to follow format to implement just
the right information to help donors gravitate towards my project. It did have a smaller word
limit then what I was expecting, therefore, I took sometime after I had completed my planning
project, skimming through to find essential points that I wanted to make. I think that I will
continue to implement my grant proposals to other funders, to increase my chances of being
funded.

Donors Choose Project Submission

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Donor Choose has an easy to use the method of publishing a project. It also provides
examples that have been evaluated by their screening team for clarity and engagement. Donors
Choose everything as easy as possible to guide you through your project submission. They work
alongside several big corporations to help find the correct materials, at the best price possible.
Donors Choose also has well-known sponsors to help you with your project, by donating to the
sum or by “matching” the donations. When a donor chooses to match your contributions, it
means that they will double any donation given towards the project.

● Title:
○ Learning with Tablets
● Summarize what’s in your cart: In one sentence: What do your students need?
○ My students need the opportunity to use Samsung Tablets in the classroom to
assure that my students are meeting Common Core State Standards and
Technology Skills Scope and Sequence requirements for Fifth-grade.
● My Students: Describe your students: Tell us what you love about your students. What
makes them special? Specific details and anecdotes about your students are helpful. Write
2-3 paragraphs that focus on your students, not the project. The project should be under
200 words.
○ The students in my class continually make an effort to improve in all aspects and
strive for excellence. My class consists of 35 amazing fifth-grade students, a large
percentage of which are English Language Learners. We practice and embed a
growth mindset approach in our classroom, which has improved their attitude
towards their academics, but some students are far below grade level. It is
challenging to keep them motivated in their academics and need something that
will help them develop and understand the content at their level, without feeling
like they will never be able to succeed in school. I dedicate myself to provide my
students with a productive educational environment that challenges them to think
critically, solve complex problems, and develop social skills to succeed in a
diverse society.

○ Every child in my class has capabilities, talents, and strengths; sometimes, all it
takes to see their full potential is exposure and motivation. My students come
from a low socioeconomic community, with three-quarters of students from low-
income households. Many students lack exposure to technology and educational
resources at home. Providing technology opportunity in class allows them to
better prepare themselves for our changing world filled with technology.

● My Project- This is where you tell donors details of what you’ll do if your project is
fully funded. Project description should be 100 word minimum and 300 word maximum.

○ My goal is to convert my fifth-grade classroom into a digital classroom, to

prepare my students for a technologically minded world. Technology is a norm in
our society, we depend on technology, and the way we learn, see, interact with
one another has changed drastically over the last few years. We need to embrace
technology and the advantages it brings to the classroom. Having Samsung
Tablets in the school will provide my students with the ability to take control of
their learning as they access information, Google applications, digital books,
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educational videos, and websites, to enhance their knowledge. My students need

to see technology beyond a gaming device and need the opportunity to adopt
technology as an educational tool.

○ I can provide endless possibilities through online intervention programs to build

on my student’s knowledge and target my student's academic needs. Providing
my students with technology in my classroom, I can offer my students the
opportunity to improve and strengthen their knowledge with their grade level
content, but also enhance their technology skills for the real world.

○ My students love the challenge that technology presents them with and providing
technology in the classroom allows them to learn how to troubleshoot and be
confident in using a device as a classroom tool. Technology in the classroom
enables my students to share their work and collaborate as it provides alternative
ways for students to participate in class discussions. Students use technology to
understand the grade level content better, as they reinforce their understanding of
websites and educational videos such as Khan Academy, Prodigy, Crash Course
Kids, and Razz-Kids to name a few. I want to provide all of my students extra
practice that will engage them and help them understand the content at their own
pace. Technology in the classroom is a great tool when implemented effectively.

● Where your Donation Goes: Donors Choose team negotiates the best pricing and
provide the best selections. Budget pricing listed above.

○ Initially, this was my budget overview. Unfortunately, Donors Choose has a $600
minimum for beginning projects. To increase your project budget, you must first
complete care packages. The packages consist of demonstrating to those that
funded your project, the impact that the project made. It is a way to assure that the
material is being used effectively with students, as well as a reminder to share
your appreciation to those who helped you reach your project goal.
■ Using the Donors Choose Amazon Business, the total project donation
needed will be $2,703.13 which includes 10 Samsung Galaxy Tablets and
10 Shockproof Heavy Duty cover. This project will provide ten
independent tablet stations in the classroom with appropriate protection on
our technology to extend their efficiency.
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○ I minimized my grant proposal budget to meet their requirements.

■ Using the Donors Choose Amazon Business, the total project donation
needed will be $769.45 which includes 3 Samsung Galaxy Tablets. This
project will provide three independent tablet stations in the classroom.

● Proof of Submission: My project is currently being reviewed by the Donors Choose team,
before it is posted publicly for donations.

● Public Profile URL: https://www.donorschoose.org/Mejia

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References
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Connecting the public to public schools. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2018, from
https://www.donorschoose.org/about

Common Core State Standards. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2018, from
https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/

Firn, G., Dr. (2016, February 24). Educational Technology Grants for Teachers. Retrieved April,
2018, from http://www.dreambox.com/blog/technology-grants-for-teachers-for-2016