Statement I: Project Description Christopher Cooley
The program, Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math, brings the “hand-on” approach of reinforcing math concepts into the 21st century. This program will reinforce the concepts of the 7th grade curriculum through the medium of an interactive white board in three methods.
I maintain a Website, www.cool-emath.com, dedicated to helping my students succeed in Pre-Algebra. On this Website, I have over 400 worksheets that reinforce concepts from basic math skills through all Pre-Algebra curriculums. At www.cool-emath.com, the homework center allows my students to review the answers to all homework problems from the previous night. Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math would allow immediate access to my Website up at a moments notice to review homework at the beginning of class, or go to a worksheet that might provide an opportunity to use discovery learning to reinforce a concept.
Another usage of the white board would be to view other interactive Websites to reinforce “hands-on” mathematics. A perfect example of Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math is visiting the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives, www.matti.usu.edu, with the assistance of an interactive white board. The need to purchase blocks, cubes, and other manipulatives disappears when educators realize how excited students are to use their virtual manipulatives.
Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math also uses the white board as an overhead projector. With a scanner, all activities, games, puzzles, or worksheets can be viewed and manipulated on the white board. Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math uses all these media to reinforce and to excite students about Pre-Algebra concepts.
Statement II: Benefits to Students
Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math will impact 110 students at Franklin Regional Middle School (FRMS). I will offer training for Pennsylvania teacher recertification for implementing interactive white boards into the classroom. Therefore, Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math has the potential to impact the total FRMS student population.
Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math allows students of all learning styles or learning disabilities to thrive by connecting to a portion of the lesson presented specifically from their perspective. In using the white board to present all activities and lessons in class, students with learning disabilities such as spatial relationships or attention deficit, but not limited to these, will benefit from this mode of presentation. Using Websites like the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives allows students to see concepts more concretely. The instructor can create a virtual locker of all notes, activities, or worksheets presented on the whiteboard, and the contents of the locker can be saved, printed, or emailed to assist all students. Using www.cool-emath.com will cause more students to use this resource in their homes. Parents can use this resource to assess if their child has mastered a concept. In conclusion, Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math will help all students enjoy and master many mathematical concepts.
Evaluation: Were the students on-task and involved in the learning process?
Did the students achieve mastery or gain understanding of concept?
Were the students excited about the learning using a white board?
If the answers to these questions were “YES!”, then I know that Spec-tech-ular Interactive Math is taking place.
Statement III: Use of Funds
FRMS has an older interactive white board, and I have used it on several occasions. When I have the opportunity to use the board, I have borrowed an Optoma LCD projector from one of the 6th grade teams. I am requesting this grant in order to attain an interactive white board with a precision interactive pen, the Freedom Writer Pro, and LCD projector in my classroom at all times to impact my students on a daily basis. As an educator, it is becoming increasing difficult to plan times to implement technology of a school when a teacher must plan a unit around the availability of the equipment.
$2,000 award
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IPM 2000 TM – 77” Diagonal Interactive White Board (Numonics Corporation.) |
$1395.00 |
|
IPM Freedom Writer Pro |
$299.00 |
|
USB Serial Adapter |
$59.00 |
|
UPS Shipping |
$175.00 |
|
Total |
$1928.00 |
Additional $5,000 award
If I received the extra $5,000, I could purchase a LCD projector for my room. I would also set up a 2nd LCD projector and interactive white board in the library so that I could train people on how to bring interactive technology into their classroom. The white board would be an additional resource for the staff to use with their students or for presentations to other staff members.
|
ViewSonic PJ501 LCD Projector |
$1175.00 |
|
ViewSonic PJ501 LCD Projector |
$1175.00 |
|
ViewSonic RLU-150-001 LCD replacement lamp |
$435.00 |
|
ViewSonic RLU-150-001 LCD replacement lamp |
$435.00 |
|
IPM 2000 MM – 77” Diagonal Interactive White Board |
$1399.00 |
|
IPM Freedom Writer Pro |
$299.00 |
|
USB Serial Adapter |
$59.00 |
|
UPS Shipping |
$155.00 |
|
Total |
$5,132.00 |