Innovative+Grant

Submitted by Heritage High School
 * Littleton Public Schools Innovative Technology Grant Proposal - Revision**

During this coming summer our building will undergo the majority of what the architectural firm of Klipp has entitled “The Transformation of Heritage High School.” When this $14 million remodel is finished, Heritage will have a new auxiliary gymnasium, comparable male and female locker facilities, expanded coaches’ and training rooms, enlarged and more centrally located teacher offices, an up-to-date HVAC system, a revamped library, expanded and safer science classrooms and labs, energy-efficient windows, reorganized counseling and main office areas, five additional classrooms, a community meeting room, new student lockers, an intercom system that will reach into hallways and outside as well as into classrooms, improved hallway lighting and a state-of-the-art security system. It promises to “transform” Heritage into a much safer, brighter, efficient, inviting and cooperative learning environment. It is a transformation that has been long in coming and that we anticipate with great excitement.
 * Rationale**

However, when the remodel is complete, the majority of the classrooms here at Heritage will remain basically unchanged. While all the exterior classrooms will boast viewable windows, and all of our smaller and misshapen rooms will be reconfigured into more usable spaces, for the most part, the bulk of our teaching areas will remain the same as they were in the seventies -- classrooms with student desks in nicely arranged rows, a teacher’s desk or lectern up front and an overhead stored in the corner for its almost daily use (see PPT slides 2-7). It is because of this that we are asking for Innovative Technology Grant money to help us truly transform Heritage High School into a learning environment for the 21st century – an environment that encompasses a computer and projector in each of our 63 classrooms and that offers us the ability to bring wireless computers into the classroom.

We believe that by having this technology in every classroom we will be better able to open up our classrooms to the rest of the world and to allow others to see the results of our learning. Teachers will have the ability to plan technology usage into their lessons //every single day// since they know it will be there for them //in every classroom// – not just on the days when they are lucky enough to get signed up for a lab or to get a computer cart for the day. It will also provide students with a consistent means of displaying their work and for developing their technological and presentation skills – skills that are becoming increasingly important as our world evolves into a technological and global environment. And last but not least, it will provide teachers with another tool to help keep our students engaged – students who are used to being entertained by MTV, iPods, video games, instant messaging, and a wealth of other technological devices that make up their everyday lives. We believe engaging our students requires a bridge between how students live their daily lives and how they learn in school. Thus, since they live a world of technology, technology should be an integral part of their learning environment. This bridge needs to involve equipment and strategies that will help students gain the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century, the foremost being the ability to formulate questions, locate and evaluate information, think critically, and make educated decisions. As John Bransford, Ann Brown and Rodney Cocking explain in //How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School//,

Above all, information and knowledge are growing at a far more rapid rate than ever before in the history of humankind. As Nobel laureate Herbert Simon wisely stated, the meaning of ‘knowing’ has shifted from being able to remember and repeat information to being able to find and use it (Simon, 1996). More than ever, the sheer magnitude of human knowledge renders its coverage by education an impossibility; rather, the goal of education is better conceived as helping students develop the intellectual tools and learning strategies needed to acquire the knowledge that allows people to think productively about history, science and technology, social phenomena, mathematics, and the arts. Fundamental understanding about subjects, including how to frame and ask meaningful questions about various subject areas, contributes to individuals’ more basic understanding of principles of learning that can assist them in becoming self-sustaining, lifelong learners.

However, to teach students these skills, the students must be engaged. No longer is it effective to be the “sage on the stage” lecturing all hour while expecting students to take copious notes. No longer can we afford to plunk a well-worn video into a VCR and expect students to be enthralled by the images projected on a 27” TV monitor. We must move away from this teacher-based educational system into a more student-centered cooperative learning environment. According to the National Research Council’s study as described in //Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn//, these recommendations are particularly urgent for the high school communities:

1) High school courses and instructional methods should be redesigned in ways that will increase adolescent engagement and learning. 2)  Teachers should assess students’ understanding and skills on an ongoing basis and use this information to develop appropriate challenging instruction for all students. 3) Pre-service teacher preparation programs should provide high school teachers with deep content knowledge and a range of pedagogical strategies and understanding about adolescents and how they learn, and schools and districts should provide practicing teachers with opportunities to work with colleagues and to continue to develop their skills.

If Heritage is able to secure the equipment we are asking for in this Initiative Grant and could combine this with training for our staff (paid for by building technology dollars), we feel we could address these two concerns of high school education: engagement of students and improvement of the quality of education into a more student-centered and globalized approach. Heritage is in dire need of current, consistent and convenient use of technology to better serve our teachers and to better engage our students. As teacher after teacher has stated, the utilization of more current technology will engage our students through relevant, timely and meaningful activities. The use of computers and projectors in every classroom will allow teachers and students to easily connect to the global community and allow them to expand their classrooms out into the real world. Through this connection the Heritage community will be able to gain from others’ experiences, something they currently are limited in doing due to the “disconnected” nature of our classrooms. And if our students remain disconnected, they will remain tremendously disadvantaged in this age of globalization. Wide-spread use of technology would allow our students to communicate, collaborate and compete with greater success just as Thomas Friedman suggests in his book, //The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century.// He explains, “These are just technologies. Using them does not make you modern, smart, moral, wise, fair, or decent. It just makes you able to communicate, compete, and collaborate farther and faster. In the absence of a world-destabilizing war, every one of these technologies will become cheaper, lighter, smaller and more personal, mobile, digital and virtual. Therefore, more and more people will find more and more ways to use them” (Friedman 374).

So, as we prepare our students to succeed in this increasingly technological and globalized world, we need to use as many tools as we can, and technology is one of the tools that will enable us to connect and compete in this ever-changing world. Every student, every teacher, every administrator, every counselor needs access to technology //whenever the need arises// in //every classroom and meeting room// in this building, and //they all need the training to be able to use this technology effectively within our learning environment.//

Heritage would like the opportunity to utilize available technology to enhance student learning, give the Heritage community the ability to use global information in student-centered classrooms and develop more successful learning strategies for students and staff members. Therefore, the proposal is two pronged: one essential element being the addition of a computer and LCD projector into every classroom along with one wireless laptop cart for use throughout the building and the other essential element being staff development.
 * Project Description**

The equipment being requested would allow each teacher convenient access to a computer and LCD projector in every classroom. While teachers have access to a computer and LCD projector on our existing mobile presentation carts, the competition for these carts is severe, and teachers have found it to be sometimes easier not to use them. Besides, our goal is to provide all teachers with this technology //every day// and //in every classroom//, not just when they happen to have a cart in their room or when they happen to have access to a computer lab. This is the only real way for us to move forward and to make our instruction more timely and effective and to connect our teaching to the real world.

However, we realize that lab environments also serve a purpose in our educational environment. Since we have limited lab facilities (which we will discuss more fully in our Current Technology section), we are also asking for one wireless laptop cart so that we can begin to bring this technology into the classrooms and put it into the hands of our students. These laptops would also allow us the opportunity to expand student learning beyond the walls of the classroom and out into the community. We feel it is important to be able to demonstrate to our students that learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door and doesn’t need to take place in a “traditional” setting. So, too, the use of technology doesn’t need to be limited to a wired computer lab. If we are to truly turn our students into life-long learners who can succeed in a globalized world, we need to expand beyond our isolated classrooms and open up the way we teach, evolving it into a more student-centered, participatory approach.

This leads to perhaps the most important element of the proposal – staff development. It is absolutely essential that staff be given time to be trained, to try out new techniques and technologies, to collaborate, to attend conferences, and to practice what they learn, and not all these essential activities can take place after school, during the summer and on in-service days. Many of our teachers are already stretched so thin between their extra-curricular and curricular duties (not to mention personal commitments), that they simply cannot afford to add one more item to their already full plates. Therefore, we are planning on using building technology money to pay for release time for our teachers so they can train, meet, practice with the technology and attend conferences. This type of support system will go a long way toward encouraging our staff to integrate technology into the classroom because it will give them the confidence to try new activities and to push themselves forward technologically. Without this training and support system, it will be much easier to slip back into the old routines and lessons that have worked for years rather than to forge ahead and try something new and student-centered.

We will develop a training plan that will involve all our teachers over a three-year period. We will begin by working with a core of 15-20 teachers who will be trained in both large and small group sessions. Each of these people will then serve as a technology mentor the following year. This initial group (Core 1) will include our departmental technology committee members (representatives from each department) as well as our instructional coach, our media specialist, our technology coordinator, and our administrative representative. Topics will range from the more basic to the more advanced and/or subject specific (see attachment). Additional topics might also include how technology can help us with effective grading and assessment (IC, MAP testing, rubrics, etc.), reading and writing across the curriculum, and alternative learning (NovaNet). Lessons on cooperative and brain-based learning will also help teachers design lessons that encourage students to think critically, analyze information, collaborate, solve problems and make decisions – all skills they need for life in the 21st century.

During the second year, the Core 1 teachers will continue to be trained in more advanced technologies while serving as group mentors for the next round of teachers-in-training (15-20 teachers). This second round (Core 2) will participate in the first year of training as well as work with their mentors in smaller group sessions. After two years we will have 30-40 people with solid technology training. The third year we will continue with some “advanced training” with the Core 2 group while also having the people from both these groups combine to be technology leaders for the rest of the staff. Basically, this will require a person from Core 1 to be paired with a person from Core 2 and they will function as co-leaders of a small (2-3) person group (the rest of the staff forming Core 3). These small groups will work together as technology teams – sharing lessons and ideas while having the newest members (Core 3) pulled out from time to time for large group training.

All this training will take place during regularly scheduled in-service days (one-half day sessions), the summer, after school (as a part of our Heritage Academy classes), and at monthly technology training sessions where teachers will be given release time (one-half day) to attend classes. All teachers participating in this training will be required to have a specific technology goal as part of their Professional Growth Plan and will be assessed on the attainment of this goal as part of their yearly professional evaluation. In addition, these teachers will be required to complete a technology use assessment each semester and have their students complete surveys dealing with their use of technology in the classroom. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, trainees will be encouraged to meet informally with other members to share ideas, practice using the technology and do personal research on topics of interest (which they will then share with the larger group).

As new staff members are added and older staff members retire, we will adjust the training accordingly to address the needs of our new hires. Depending on their needs, we may group them all in one class or spread them out within the smaller cores of trainers and trainees.

We feel that this tiered and team approach to training will work especially well given the location of our new departmental offices once the remodel is complete. Instead of having individual departmental offices scattered throughout the building (as is our current setup), offices will be relocated into centralized locations on each floor with several departments sharing neighboring (or sometimes the same) office areas. For example, the language arts and social studies teachers may be housed next to each other on the second level, sharing a common meeting area and conference room while the math, science and foreign language teachers will have similar common space in which to eat, meet and conference up on the third level. This reorganization will enable teachers from different departments the opportunity to share ideas and curriculum which will then translate into more cross-curricular lessons. It will also give teachers from different departments the opportunity to get to know each other better and to provide support for one another across “departmental lines.” So too, will the newly formed Cores be made up of teachers from different departments, enabling each of them to support one another technologically as well as instructionally within their common office areas.

Additional exposure to the use of instructional technology will come in the form of attendance at conferences and workshops like Intel--Teach to the Future, Technology in Education and Texas Instruments’ Teachers Teaching with Technology (T3). It is our goal to have at least five people attend each of these major conferences every year (i.e. five to TIE, five to Intel, etc.) in order to give the majority of the staff a chance to participate in at least one of these workshops during our three-year training period. Registration costs will be covered by building funds. Once our three-year training period is over we are still committed to having staff attend these types of workshops on an on-going basis to keep our skills current and our sights set in the future.


 * Current Technology / Needs Assessment**

As our proposal makes clear, Heritage’s main need is to get a computer and LCD projector into every classroom. While we do have some presentation carts available within the building, they are not adequate to meet the needs of our staff. Our current presentation cart resources include:

Science – 11 carts || 12 || Math – 5 Windows carts and 1 iMac cart (needs to be replaced due to the district’s Windows platform requirement) || 13 || Social Studies – 1 Windows cart and 2 iMac carts (need to be replaced due to the district’s Windows platform requirement) || 14 || Language Arts – 1 iMac cart (needs to be replaced due to the district’s Windows platform requirement) || 18 || Business – 2 carts || 4 || World Languages – 2 carts || 9 || Physical Education – 1 cart || 6 || Technology Education – 0 carts || 1 || Consumer/Family Studies – 0 carts || 1 || Special Education – 0 carts || 9 || Fine Arts – 0 carts || 6 ||
 * __Department Resources__** ||
 * __Staff members__** ||
 * __Staff members__** ||
 * Total Number of Presentation Carts = 26** ||
 * Total staff = 93** ||
 * Total staff = 93** ||

In general terms it looks like we have approximately one cart for every four staff members here at Heritage. In reality, however, most teachers rely on the cart(s) within their own departments since they are closest to their classrooms. Thus, we have 18 language arts teachers vying for 1 cart, 14 social studies teachers trying to use 2 old iMac carts and 1 Windows cart, 13 math teachers hauling around 5 carts (often between three different floors) and 9 world languages teachers trying to use their 2 carts. Thus, the number of carts falls far short of our school’s need.

In addition, the presentation carts, when available, are awkward to move through the hallways and classrooms due to size and configuration (see PPT slides 11, 12). Having a permanently mounted projector connected to the desktop computer would increase teacher/student application due to ease of use. Teachers who currently have permanently mounted projectors in their classrooms comment they use available technology at a rate of approximately 10 times the rate of a teacher who must sign up for a presentation cart, maneuver through the hall, rearrange the classroom to make room for the cart, string power and Ethernet cords to the nearest plug-ins, log onto the computer, and prepare to begin class. At the end of class, they must down the computer, rearrange the room for the next user, and move through the crowded hallways to their next class where they will begin the process again (see PPT slides 11-19).

In terms of computer labs, our resources include:

One 31-station lab in the upper ILC || Open to all classes || One 28-station business lab in 104 || Dedicated to business classes first || One 28-station business lab in 111 || Dedicated to business classes first || One 35-station technology lab in 108 || Used exclusively by technology || One temporary 22-station computer lab in 103 || Dedicated to business classes first ||
 * __Current Lab facilities__** ||
 * __Availability__** ||
 * __Availability__** ||

The only lab available to the entire building is the 31-station lab in the upper ILC, located on the third floor. This one lab serves all 1750 students here at Heritage (with the ratio being one computer for every 56 students). The other labs (all located on the first floor) are available for other students and teachers only during times when a business class is not scheduled or when a non-scheduled business class doesn’t need the lab. For example, while the accounting class may not be scheduled into a computer lab as its regular classroom, the teacher may bring his/her class into the lab once a week to use the accounting software, so the lab becomes unavailable that period for the rest of the building. After the “Transformation of Heritage High School” is complete, the computer lab situation will be even more challenging since the library will be moved to the first floor. This will put every computer lab on the first floor while the bulk of the classes will remain on the second and third floors. This means a teacher on the third floor will have to travel two floors to get to the one “open” computer lab on the first floor, a sacrifice of valuable instructional time.

It is our goal to have at least two 15-unit wireless laptop carts, Computers on Wheels (COWS), on both the second and third floors. However, at this time we are asking for partial funding for only one of these 15-unit carts. We will then commit ourselves to raising the funds necessary to purchase the remaining equipment. These wireless laptop carts will allow us to bring technology to the student rather than the other way around. Teachers will be able to use laptops in their classrooms rather than having to move their entire class to the first floor to gain access to a lab. Additionally, the COWS have the potential to benefit several classes at once since the wireless connectivity should allow for the laptops to be used in several adjacent classrooms at one time. Once the entire building is set up for wireless, these laptops will become even more useful as teachers and/or students use them in various parts of the building at the same time, thus opening up our connectivity to the world even more and allowing students to extend their learning beyond the walls of the traditional classroom. With the ability to bring the lab to the students, teachers will be able to transform any classroom into an example of global and class-wide collaboration and permit teachers/classrooms to be better equipped with 21st century tools.

Attainment of this Innovative Technology Grant will allow us to meet our goals of: 
 * Goals**
 * 1) Equipping every classroom with a computer and LCD monitor in order to share technology resources equally throughout the building
 * 2) Allowing us to replace older, outdated iMac computer carts with equipment that meets district standards and allows for consistency throughout the building
 * 3) Providing us with wireless technology that will allow us to put technology into the hands of students without having to sacrifice valuable instructional time to travel to a wired lab.
 * 4) Establishing an instructional technology team who will oversee how the grant money is used and also serve as Core 1 technology leaders who will learn to demonstrate proficient use of technology within their own instruction and oversee the staff development of the Core 2 and Core 3 teachers.
 * 5) Encouraging technology integration within every discipline through a collaborative instructional process that encourages sharing of ideas both within and between departments
 * 6) Pairing technological instruction with brain-based and current learning research in order to transform our teaching into a more student-centered, active learning approach
 * 7) Creating a learning environment where students become critical and ethical gatherers and users of information and are more actively involved in their own education, developing the skills and motivation to become life-long learners in the 21st century.


 * How We Will Use the Grant Money**

Heritage will purchase and install 20 desktop computers and LCD projectors during the spring of 2006 as the initial step in implementation. The rooms will be determined by the commitment from the teachers who primarily use the given rooms and by their inclusion in the Core 1 group. It will also be determined by the classrooms that will remain basically unchanged during the remodel since it would be a waste of time and resources to install projectors in the spring and then rip them out during the summer remodel. In this agreement, the teachers will also agree to attend conferences, workshops and classes (//i.e. Intel -- Teach to the Future, TIE conference, etc.)// to learn to better integrate technology into their classrooms. Heritage will thus use the Core 1 teachers to begin the effective demonstration of current technology to enhance student learning.
 * //Classroom Projectors//**

Second tier installation will occur during the fall of 2006 once the remodel is completed. We will purchase and install the remaining projectors and computers (approximately 25) and begin the formal instruction of the Core 1 teachers. While we will do some training of them in the spring of 2006, the bulk of the instruction won’t begin until the fall since, quite honestly, most of our energies will be focused this spring on packing up the entire school for the “Transformation of Heritage High School” during the summer. Once their initial training is complete, these teachers will then be able to train colleagues in the Core 2 and Core 3 groups during the succeeding years. The mobile laptop lab will be utilized to alleviate the constant strain placed on the existing ILC computer lab. At first, our 15-unit mobile lab will be housed on either the second or third floor. As we purchase additional equipment, we will expand our wireless capabilities and eventually have two 15-unit carts on both floors. This will provide each level of the building easy access to full-class computer systems. If teachers on the same floor need the use of a lab on another floor, the labs can easily be moved to any class via the building elevator.
 * //Mobile Laptop Labs (COWS)//**

Teacher training in the capabilities of a wireless lab is essential to the successful implementation of this technology. Both Microsoft and Dell have teacher training courses for wireless labs. The Microsoft course is based on conferencing with others to share ideas, data and techniques. Some of the universities participating in this program include Brown, Cornell and the University of California schools. The Dell course is titled: //Integrating the Wireless Lab into Curriculum and the Classroom. //It is a class designed for teachers and taught by teachers on the best practices to enhance student success using a wireless, laptop lab. These types of courses would be integrated into the training modules for all Core teachers along with in-house sessions on setup, maintenance and troubleshooting of the equipment.

The following information was provided by individual departments as possible utilization ideas for incorporation of the equipment and training. We would ask that the committee keep in mind that ideas range from the very basic to the more advanced, partially because of the current state of technology here at Heritage. In other words, while some of these activities may seem very basic, please bear in mind this is because we haven’t had the ability to develop more sophisticated skills due to the lack of technology within the classrooms – a feature that has been present in elementary and middle school classrooms for quite some time. Since people must begin by walking before they can run, we would ask that committee members keep this in mind when perhaps comparing our activities with other schools within the district. Math classes are going to dramatically change with the new district curriculum. This is a very short list of how classes would improve with better technology equipment and teacher training.
 * //Classroom Activities//**
 * __Mathematics__**
 * Connectivity of graphing calculator displays through the computer and the projector. Either or both the teacher’s and the student’s calculator can be hooked up; a powerful technique to have students show off their work. This could then be compared to instructor models.
 * Geometer’s Sketchpad display--an interactive/discovery software that is in our geometry curriculum for the learning and understanding of properties of shapes. Currently, we have to take students to labs that aren’t always available.
 * Power point presentations with inserted graphics and files/pictures that enhance the student-centered presentation.
 * Data analysis opportunities with downloadable software that allows both statistics students and our 9th and 10th grade students to see and experience immediate distributions from real collected data.
 * Within the last year, a product referred to as the “Clicker” (Classroom Performance System) has become a huge boon in the mathematics classroom. This relatively new and impressive product puts a remote control device in each student’s hand and checks for understanding. This can be done almost immediately and anonymously. The teacher prepares questions, and as they are presented (usually on a presentation slide), each student hits the button on the “clicker” that is his selection and immediately, on the screen, the teacher sees the responses from the class. There are no names and no worries about being wrong. The teacher knows whether to move on to the next concept or to stay and work out the concerns. However, students can’t engage in this “Clicker” activity without a projector and computer station in the classroom.
 * Students can deliver their power point presentations right in the classroom. Many teachers don’t require this presentation method from the students simply because it is such a hassle to have a projector ready on the day it is needed, especially if the teacher teaches in several different classrooms.

·  The art classes could use the mobile wireless labs to access museum web sites or graphic design applications without using precious class time to move from the classroom to the computer lab. ·  The music classes could use the wireless labs to access SmartMusic, a software application that allows a student musician to practice technical exercises and compositions with computer accompaniment so that the computer will actually follow the student and indicate any corrections to pitch or rhythm that need to be made. Students can also record, upload or email audition material to send to a college or music teacher for evaluation. Laptop computers with SmartMusic would turn any classroom in the building into a private music studio. Students would not be limited by computer carts or power cables. In a building where space is at a premium, this has huge implications. ·  With the laptops, Heritage would be closer to having the necessary hardware for student music composition and publication. Music Appreciation and Theory students would be able to use computer notation software to compose original ideas or to demonstrate compositional techniques and then publish them directly to the World Wide Web. Computers are only the start. Piano workstations connected to the laptop computers loaded with the right software would allow students the next level of depth of understanding of the arts//.// Computers on Wheels (COWS) and computer/projector units in the classrooms seem to have unlimited potential for social studies teachers and would be a great addition to the department. We would use them in a variety of ways including: ·  GIS (Graphic Information Systems) activities in geography classes that we are now having students do one or two students at a time ·  Human Geography in Action where students can actually manipulate geographic data. Currently AP Geography students are forced to schedule time in the department chair office to use this program. ·  Mapping Our World students could use laptops to map data on a computer program. ·  All students could access the latest interviews and information on the web. ·  Students, while discussing the AIDS crisis in the World Civilization Africa unit, could quickly view the results of Bono’s lunch with President Bush just days after it happened. ·  Students debating the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina could listen to a three-minute CBS News update on the situation. ·  Western Civilization teachers could quickly access and project a full color map of Rome’s period of expansion. Students could easily trace migration patterns. ·  Students in Government could research court cases and rulings on issues that affect them. ·  Government students could research members of Congress, status of bills, histories of presidents, graphs and tables related to elections and changing demographics. All this could then be illustrated in front of the class. ·  Students could use laptops for Web Quests or for interactive simulations where students could explore different options (as in the presidential games). ·  An online testing site - __www.quia.com__ – would provide teachers with paperless exams, and also make it much easier to differentiate tests because classes are so big and virtually unleveled. ·  Teachers would have more opportunity for instant feedback for writing assignments. ·  AP History courses also have dozens of sites that can be used for reviewing lessons in preparation for the actual AP exams. We need to give our students access to the knowledge available to them through exploration and interaction with the global society of which they are a part. Our changing world requires adaptable people who can learn how to learn so they can continue to compete in our increasingly flat world. One sure way to interact with the world is to speak other languages so that we can truly understand the needs, drives, and desires of other people in other countries. The changing nature of our student population is such that more and more of our students lack access to computers and the internet at home. If we are to bring these students up to the level of those who already have these advantages, we need to provide this opportunity at Heritage.
 * __Fine Arts__**
 * __Science__**
 * The science department would have many uses for a COW (Computers On Wheels) system, particularly the ability to conduct virtual labs. This involves all disciplines of science. One use for science would be to have virtual dissection labs. With the increased costs of specimens and reluctance of some students to participate in dissection labs, virtual labs are going to become more prevalent. Also, being able to take students virtually to different ecosystems and biomes around the world would be a great benefit.
 * The oceanography course would benefit from more computer lab access by conducting long-term virtual research projects in the ocean that are available to educators. This is not something readily available to classes in Colorado without the internet.
 * The astronomy program would be able to conduct virtual celestial object lab without having to do a night viewing. Also, deep space simulations would be possible for students.
 * The chemistry department would use more computer access to perform virtual labs. There are many labs that are becoming too expensive to conduct year after year due to chemical costs, so a more cost effective solution would be to do virtual labs. There are many Java applets that meet this need already on the Internet.
 * __Social Studies__**
 * __World Languages__**
 * The new Spanish, French, and German books and resources include text-based videos, text-based websites, and sets of CDs. This grant would allow us the full use of these resources. Each laptop could be accompanied with a headset for hearing and speaking Spanish, French, German or Latin.
 * There are a variety of uses for the “Clicker” -- Student Performance System. For example, when teaching a new concept where understanding is predicated upon other previously presented skills, the teacher could immediately target what concepts need to be reviewed and determine the proper rate for proceeding with the material. The system also allows for rapid drill practice for vocabulary, noun/verb endings and information review, to name a few. The system is especially useful when assessing students’ perceived success levels. When asked, “How well did you understand …?” the students can respond anonymously while the teacher can see the results, thus providing valuable, individual data, useful for enhancing instruction.
 * If a computer, projector, and internet access were available for daily use in world languages classrooms, students could access websites for foreign newspapers, radio and television stations. Students could then watch and listen to broadcasts (some live) directly from other countries. Several sites include interactive listening activities in order to help students at all levels improve their listening comprehension with current information. Daily access to the internet would also allow students to make a viable connection with people in other cultures.

We currently do not have permanent computers or LCD projectors in our department. This year alone, five of our new (younger) department members are unable to efficiently and effectively use their existing presentations in language arts classrooms. Also, we have two experienced members, who have at least ten years left to teach, who have taken the Intel -- Teach to the Future class, and are unable to effectively and efficiently utilize training on a daily basis due to lack of available equipment in the language arts department. Additionally, we will hire as many as four more new teachers next year which means that at least two-thirds of our department will expect to be able to, and will have training in how to utilize technology in their classrooms. In order to move our instruction and student learning into the 21st century, we need LCD projectors and computers that play DVDs in each room. Another priority would be some sort of portable computer lab so we can do some of the following activities: ·  Real-time information—Teachers want to be able to demonstrate how to find, utilize, and synthesize information from the Web in class as needed. ·  Web Quests—Teachers want to be able to find and demonstrate how to do Web Quest activities as part of daily, viable curriculum. ·  Hot lists—Several members already know how to create hot lists and utilize links to demonstrate concepts from web-based sources for lessons in grammar, writing, reading, and literary research to facilitate and supplement instruction. ·  Instructional video—Teachers need to be able to utilize more, but usually shorter, clips from various web-based sources and DVDs for real time instruction. ·  PowerPoint—Most of our department members either have or want to begin utilizing Power Point as a tool to deliver instruction. ·  Instructional DVDs—Teachers need to be able to effectively and efficiently utilize our existing new textbook purchases that include supplemental and instructional DVDs. ·  Best practices—All department members feel the need and advantage of utilizing more pictures, colors, and projected presentations as the next generation of 21st century instructional habits and expectations. ·  Classroom access—All teachers yearn to be able to access the Web, school servers, e-mails, school and teacher web sites, grades, and attendance as means of facilitating instruction, promoting enthusiasm and encouraging exploration from inside their classrooms.
 * __Language Arts__**


 * Funding Requested**
 * //Computers on Wheels Cart//**

15 Inspiron 600M Laptop Computers from Dell @$1367.00 $20,505

1 Wireless Access Point @ $400.00 $400

1 WatchGuard Firebox Firewall device @ $1600.00 $1,600

1 Bretford Cart LAPTG15-GM @ $470.00 $470

1 APC Back-UPS ES 500 @ $60.00 $60

1 Hewlett-Packard Laser Printer @ $900.00 $900


 * Total Estimated Mobile Lab Hardware: $23,935**

The above information is based on the current (9/21/05) standards and guidelines from the LPS ITS department. The ITS department recommends the //Inspiron 1150,// which is out of production. We suggest a new comparable laptop, the 600M. The wireless access point is the suggested router to be used with each cart of 15 computers. The carts will house/charge 15 computers. The classroom carts require the router to go through a portable firewall (WatchGuard) for security reasons.

HHS would require 45 units to satisfy the need to have one computer and one projector in every classroom.
 * //Computers and LCD Projectors//**

Mounted Epson LCD Projector with mounting hardware/cables - ($1340) (Projector: $873, Ceiling Mount: $165, Electrical Outlets: $200-$250, Long Monitor Cords: $18.60, Long VCR/DVD Cords: $30, Video Splitter: $3)

45 Projectors Total Cost: $60,300

Classroom Desktop Dell Computers (with upgraded DVD/CD-RW drives)- ($900)

45 Desktop Computers Total Cost: $40,500

26 Ceiling Mount Systems for Existing Presentation Carts ($467) $12,124

55 Da-Lite 8’ Projection Screens and Mounting Hardware @ $189.00 $10,395


 * Total for Classroom Computers and Projectors: $123,319**


 * Total Estimated Mobile Lab Hardware: $23,935**


 * Subtotal $147,254**


 * Heritage Contribution to Mobile Lab Hardware -$17,254**


 * Grand Total $130,000**

Heritage’s Technology Committee and the Administrative Team have agreed to dedicate significant funding from the yearly building budget for staff development. The initial dedication of $8,000 from the Building Technology Committee would be used as funding to supplement training for Core 1 teachers. The building budget would then be used for the Core 2 and Core 3 development. As a fully trained or even partially trained staff, Heritage could then be used as a model for other district staff. In addition, the Heritage staff and facilities would increase opportunities for the entire LPS community by enabling our teachers to become trainers of trainers both within and outside the building.
 * Supplemental Funding and Ongoing Support**

The Heritage Technology Committee and Administrative Team would develop a plan to continually assess the progress of technology in the building. First of all, all teachers will be required to include a technology goal in their Professional Growth Plan. As part of the assessment, teachers who receive staff development will be required to demonstrate use of their training. Teachers will then be asked each year to perform self-evaluations on their own attainment of their goal as well as on improvements seen in student learning due to the integration of technology into their classes. Students will also be asked at least once a year for assessments of their teacher’s use of technology within the classroom and on its impact on their own learning.

As staff development continues, the Technology Committee will identify areas of strengths and weaknesses to guide what additional training may be needed. Members will then work with the administrative team to help determine budgetary and in-service priorities.

We will communicate our model and our results to the rest of the district in the following ways:
 * Communications Model**
 * Computer Coach Meetings – We will share results of our technology use at regularly scheduled computer coach meetings.
 * District Councils – Teachers will share the results of their integration with other teachers within their individual curriculum district councils.
 * Instructional Coach Meetings – Our instructional coach will share our progress with other instructional coaches at district meetings.
 * Staff – We will continue to share technology helps and tips in our Technology Newsletter. We will also use our school intranet to post teacher’s technology success stories and sites for others to use. We also hope to eventually set up a Blog site where teachers can share their ideas with one another from any internet connection.
 * Parents – We plan on keeping our parents aware of our progress through communications with our parent groups (PTO, Patrons, booster groups, etc.) when appropriate and through monthly newsletter items.

Many of today’s third graders have multiple email addresses. Today’s students can sit with scores of windows open for research and email while using their cell phones to “text” friends or carry on three or four person conversations. Today’s students can maximize their input when the opportunity for engagement is presented. With the requested equipment and staff development, the Heritage staff can present more opportunities to maximize our students’ learning. //Learning for the 21st Century// outlines nine steps to help high schools better prepare students for the future. The strategy includes: -  A vision that includes 21st century skills -  Aligning leadership and resources with educational goals -  Using tools to assess where schools are currently -  Developing 21st century priorities -  Developing a plan for professional development for teachers to develop 21st century skills -  Making sure students have access to 21st century educational tools -  Developing assessments to measure progress towards 21st century learning -  Collaborating with outside agencies -  Planning for the future
 * Conclusion**

We have attempted to address each of these strategies in our Innovation Technology Grant. It is our hope that once “The Transformation of Heritage High School” is complete in the fall of 2006, that the building, both in and outside the classroom, will be a true reflection of 21st century learning. After all, it would be a shame to spend $14 million dollars updating our building yet leave our classrooms, the true learning centers, back in the seventies. 


 * Resources**

Bransford, John D., Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, //How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.// Washington: Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council, 1999.

Committee on Increasing High School Students’ Engagement and Movitation to Learn. //Engaging Schools, Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn.// Washington: National Research Council, Institute of Medicine, 2003.

Friedman, Thomas//. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century//. New York: Straus and Giroux, 2005.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. //Learning for the 21st Century – A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills.// Washington: Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2003.




 * Staff Development Training**

The following is a list of possible topics to be covered during the first and second years of technology training. The list will be determined based on the needs of the Core group and will be modified as needs and technologies change.

Cooperative Learning Brain-based Learning Effective Ways to Grade and Assess Student Learning 21st Century Skills – What Our Students Need to Learn to Succeed How to Effectively Use One Computer and Projector within a Classroom Microsoft Office Package (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) How to Maintain and Troubleshoot Windows Computers Computer Lab Use and Maintenance Wireless Technology – Use and Maintenance Infinite Campus – Tips and Tricks Infinite Campus Gradebook and Parent Portal How to Use Our Subscription Services Effectively Internet Search Techniques and Ethics How to Use the Student File Server Within the Classroom Digital Imaging (Scanning, Configuring, Printing) Classroom Performance Systems SmartBoard Usage Web Page Production Desktop Publishing Web Quests Blogging Video Streaming Alternative Learning Systems (NovaNet, on-line courses, etc.)