Selecting+Technology

===We are a group of dedicated third grade teachers. We teach at a local elementary school. We all teach every subject to each of our own classrooms. Even though we teach our own classroom we all six collaborate to discuss the best teaching methods. Our school has one computer lab. Because technology is constantly being used in lessons we are finding that there is a problem with just being limited to one lab. For our grant we would like to purchase a classroom set of iPads for our school. This would allow teachers to check out the iPads and use them in lessons. As a group we have looked to see what all free resources we can use for this technology. Apple offers several free educational apps for the iPads.=== ===There are six teachers in the third grade here at our elementary school: Emily Ellis, Jessie Forrester, Bethany Parker, Amanda Prevatte, Sarah Bennett, and Natalie Foland. Our goal is to acquire a grant that we will use to purchase iPads, because we feel that it will enhance the lesson plans while it will also enhance the students learning environment. Each of us try to incorporate technology into the majority of our lessons, Only having one computer in the classroom and only one computer lab in the school severely limits us. This is why this grant is so important to us as teacher. We want our students to be able to be 21st century learners.===

===Goals for our school include the development of communication skills, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. We selected these goals because we feel with the accomplishment of these three aspects of education, the students will not only benefit from learning, but they will be able to use these three goals throughout their lives in school and after. Communication skills are important to have for many reasons. We feel that having confidence with this skill will motivate the students to be able to succeed and voice their opinions in a respective manner which also will parallel with the collaboration goal we have set. Being able to interact with others is an important quality to be proficient in. Working well with others and communicating in an appropriate manner will be a life long skill that will help our students to succeed no matter what path in life they will choose as they grow older. As a team of teachers we strongly believe that critical thinking skills is the glue that holds the other two goals together. Before the students excel in communication and collaboration skills, first we encourage that it is important to think through all ideas or opinions before learning how to process them in the correct way. With the grant money for the iPads we are hoping to receive, all three of these goals will be highlighted through this tool that will excite, motivate, and hopfully create a passion for learning within all students!===

What we need to accomplish for this project

 * Describe our school
 * Describe your team members
 * Create a checklist of what needs to be accomplished each day
 * Assign group members specific tasks
 * Set a goal for accomplishments to be completed on Tuesday
 * Set a goal for accomplishments to be completed on Thursday
 * Describe what was actually accomplished at the end of each day
 * Describe how team members will prepare for the next day
 * Make a list of who is present for each class session
 * List each individual’s contributions
 * Put everything on the team wiki
 * Identify the goal(s) that will serve as the focus of our grant
 * Describe how each of these goals will be met using both software and hardware (how is technology beneficial to meeting our goals?)
 * Choose the software we will use to meet our goal(s)
 * What type of software is it?
 * How does it match our teaching styles
 * Have any of us used similar software before?
 * Are additional skills needed to use the software?
 * List the prices of each type of software.
 * Choose the hardware we will use to meet our goal(s)
 * W hat hardware do we need to run our software?
 * I s the software readily available, or does it require special hardware?
 * D o we know how to operate all of the hardware?
 * W hat additional skills do we need to operate this hardware?
 * D o we need peripherals (scanners, digital cameras, science probes, etc)
 * Provide specific examples of how each goal will be met using the technology we chose (look at reviews too)
 * Prepare a budget (using spreadsheet)
 * Create the spreadsheet so that it can calculate the cost of different categories
 * M oney spent on hardware
 * M oney spent on software
 * M oney spent on a specific goal
 * Show the cost per unit if multiples are purchased, and show the total cost.
 * Create a chart or graph to show how we want to spend the grant money
 * Create a PowerPoint of our grant proposal
 * P ut most of the information in Notes and leave the screen for big ideas
 * U se graphics to make our point
 * E ach team member must speak
 * Make sure our grant proposal has all of the following information:
 * D escribe the context (school and team members, why we want the grant)
 * I nclude our goals (why we selected them and why it’s important to our school)
 * D escribe how each goal will help meet students learning needs, either directly or indirectly
 * F or each goal, describe the software and hardware we want to use to meet the goal
 * D escribe any special skills that would be needed to operate the hardware/software
 * E xamples of how the technology will be used to meet our goal
 * E xpenses should be included (show how the money is distributed by hardware and software)
 * S how how the money was distributed per goal
 * Presentation can only be seven minutes
 * Presenters need to be very polished when presenting
 * Each team member will need to have a full copy of their speech (word for word)
 * Each team member should time herself. We will lose points if our PowerPoint reaches 7 minutes and we haven’t finished presenting ):
 * Convert spreadsheet and PowerPoint to PDF and post them on the wiki
 * Put our log of each team members contributions, and our group accomplishments on the wiki too

Goals for Tuesday (4-19-11)

 * Set school goals-Group
 * Select technology that will help us meet our goals-Group
 * Search Apple for technology prices/check prices-Amanda
 * Describe school-Jessie
 * Describe team members-Jessie
 * Create lists of what needs to be accomplished in each class session/log everything-Bethany
 * Check state standards for third grade classes-Emily
 * Locate specific software using Web 2.0 page on wiki-Emily and Jessie
 * Locate hardware-Amanda
 * Locate beneficial apps-Amanda

What was accomplished Tuesday (4-19-11)

 * Goals were set
 * D evelop collaboration skills
 * D evelop critical thinking skills
 * D evelop communication skills
 * Some software was located
 * Wiki FREE
 * [|Podomatic] FREE
 * [|Edmodo] FREE
 * Stars new (iPad educational application) FREE
 * Mathboard (iPad educational application) $5
 * The hardware we want to use was selected
 * iPads

What each team member will do before Thursday (4-21-11)

 * Describe school and team members-Jessie
 * Finish looking for web tools (software)-Emily
 * Call Apple to see if iPads can be bought in bulk and look at more apps-Amanda
 * Tell how the technology we have chosen will meet goals (look at reviews)-Bethany
 * Email each other

Goals for Thursday (4-21-11)

 * Create a spreadsheet with all the requirements
 * Create PowerPoint
 * Create graph
 * Email PowerPoint to every group member
 * Divide PowerPoint among group members

Team members present on Tuesday (4-19-11)

 * Emily Ellis
 * Jessie Forrester
 * Bethany Parker
 * Amanda Prevatte

Team members present on Thursday (4-21-11)

 * Emily Ellis
 * Bethany Parker
 * Amanda Prevatte
 * Natalie Foland

What was accomplished Thursday (4-21-11)

 * Finished description of goals
 * Started spreadsheet work
 * Figured out contents of presentation
 * Assigned individual parts of PowerPoint presentation
 * Confirmed the sending of information to team members

What will be accomplished before Tuesday (4-26-11)

 * Spreadsheet will be completed with correct information
 * Each member will complete their designated section of the Presentation
 * The PowerPoint will be assembled
 * E-mails sent of each section of the PowerPoint assigned
 * Each section will be put together
 * Individual team members will have practiced their specific part
 * Each team member will have a copy of all the notes
 * We will be prepared to present all the information in the most efficient way possible!
 * [[file:Grant Project Budget Spreadsheet.pdf]]excel spreadsheet and chart
 * [[file:Grant Proposal.pdf]]PowerPoint