Hattieville Mennonite School Technological Proposal Grant
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Hattieville Mennonite School Technological Grant Proposal By Delcia Ciego Sherlet Carr Althea Garbutt Cassandra Munnings Sharon Mejia
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Table of Contents Chapters
Page
1. Purpose............................................................................................................................4 A. Background B. Problem Statement C. Personnel and Facilities of the school D. Integrating Technology into the Curriculum E. Goals 2. Literature Review……………........................................................................................7 3. Equipment and Maintenance Spreadsheet......................................................................11 4. References…..…………………………………………………………………….…...13
4 Background of the School
The primary school is located in a village located about seventeen miles west of Belize City. It is a multi-grade school comprising of four teachers. There are one hundred and twentyeight students sharing a building which houses four classrooms, a library, and a feeding center. Most of the students live in the said village, but some of them are from neighboring villages and have to commute using the school bus provided by the Government of Belize. The classes range from grades one to six, and the teachers each has two grades in one classroom. The principal teaches grades seven and eight and also takes care of the school's finances and bookkeeping. Many of the parents are manual laborers in Belize City, while others just do odd jobs here and there in order to put food on their table and to pay necessary bills. Among the teachers, there is only one male who is the principal of the school. Three of the teachers hold an Associate degree, and one is only a high school graduate. However, they are now aspiring to become trained in primary education which is a much needed asset for this small community school. When the school first started in 1977, it was fully private and managed by the Amish Mennonite Association. Since the Local Mennonites have taken over the Mennonite Church in Hattieville, the school is now a Government aided school with no financial support from the A.M.A. Board. The Government of Belize help with salary for the teachers, and the money collected from the parents as tuition help to pay two teachers and buy school supplies. Since many of the parents do not have permanent jobs, and the ones who do are in the lower middle class bracket, the school's management has difficulty collecting tuition from their students. For this reason, there is never enough finance for additional projects such as a computer
lab. Imagine a school in this modern age without a single computer! The grade seven and eight
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classes comprise of twenty students while the grade five and sixes classes has thirty-two. Problem Statement: The Hattieville Mennonite School does not have a computer lab. A computer lab with instructional software is needed in order to enhance teaching/learning in the school. Personnel/Facilities The personnel who will be involved in this technology project are 2 computer technicians and 2 computer literate college students. The computer technician has a Bachelor of Science Degree in information Technology and will be employed as a freelance technician to service and install software when necessary. The two college students will assist the elementary students to develop their computer skills. This is voluntary service, since Hattieville Mennonite School is their Alma matter; they are giving back service to their own community. This is a positive way of showing collaboration between the community and the computer lab. The facility that will be utilized for this project is a vacant upper flat classroom on the second floor. The size is 40 by 30 feet; however this classroom needs to be painted and also requires the installation of one air condition unit, additional electrical fixtures and four burglar bars for windows and the door. Members of the community have volunteered to do this work. This work will definitely transform the room into a conducive environment for learning technological skills.
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Integrating Technology into the Curriculum This program will cater to students from grade three to grade eight. The first three years of the program will be dedicated to give students the opportunity to become familiar with the computer that is, they will learn to type skillfully and learn the different function and features of the computer.
The next three years from grade six to grade eight, students will be learning to
use the various technological tools that will enable them to do their work quicker and make their work look more professional. Project Goals 1.) By the end of the eighth grade, students of the rural Hattiville primary school will be computer literate. Students will start manipulating the computer in the third grade and for the next two grades will learn their way around the computer. The first three years will be gear towards educating students on the basic use of the computer, learning the keyboards, practicing to type fluently and learning the different functions of the computer. They will be able to manipulate various features on the computer e.g. Microsoft word, Power Point and Internet Explorer. 2.) At the completion of grade seven and eight, students will be able to utilize mathematical software, think critically and apply problem solving strategies to solve problems. 3.) Students will learn to develop and use various features of the computer in the final three years of their grade school education e.g. Microsoft word, Microsoft power point, and learn to surf the internet. 4). Students will realize the value of the internet as resource material and as a connection to the whole world.
Specific Objectives 1.) Students’ awareness of the technological world will be increased by 95% between grade three to grade eight.
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Students will be introduced and taught the basic use of the computer. They will learn the different features of the computer and be practice how to become a fluent typist. Ninety-five percent of the students will become exposed to the computer and the world of technology. Students fear of the computer and the technological world will be lessen and they will become comfortable in manipulation the instrument. 2.) To facilitate students learning using technological tools like; Microsoft word, Microsoft Power Point and the use of the internet. Students will use these tools to enhance their work, make their work look more professional, present their work in a creative fashion and be able to get the work done faster. 3.) To increase students technological vocabulary. Students will learn the language of the computer and the technological world. Literature Review Preparing students to live and work in the 21st century is introducing the use of computer software for students into their daily lives and their school curriculum. The challenges of the future will soon start to stare them in the face if they are not adequately equipped. As a result, teachers and parents must do their own part in taking up the responsibility of preparing them for the unknown challenges of the future National statistics indicate that computing will be one of the fastest-growing areas for employment in coming years, but experts say the educational pipeline is expected to fall far short in producing college graduates in the field. There are many factors that contribute to this theory. First, there is not enough computer courses being thought in elementary schools and secondly, the representation of female and minority students among those studying computer science in high school and college is seen as especially low. (Robelen, 2010) In many countries including Belize, high school dropout is climbing at exponential rates. As a result, Alden (1999) stated that if technology is to contribute to the solution, school
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administrators need to increase the number of computers available in schools. An important element of the equation is to forge partnerships among government, businesses, teachers, parents and students in an effort to use computers more effectively in education and community centers. As a team, they need to concentrate on improving the way technology is used in the classroom and in homes. This move will help promote improved learning for children, and at the same time, make computers more accessible to all youth groups, from inner city kids to those growing up in suburban area. Literacy is a concern that cannot be solved simply by pouring more money into programs). While computer technology alone cannot solve these national problems, it can play a powerful -- and measurable -- role in helping to raise both the quality of our country's education and the learning skills of our youth. At the same time, computers have been found to help bolster a child's self-esteem and self-confidence. (Alden, 1999)
In a laptop program that was introduced in the state of Maine, research indicated that this program had a positive impact on middle school students’ writing. Five years after the initial implementation of the laptop program, students’ writing scores on Maine’s statewide test had significantly improved. Furthermore, students scored better the more extensively they used their laptops in developing and producing their writing. And finally, the evidence indicated that using their laptops in this fashion helped them to become better writers in general, not just better writers using laptops. Contrary to popular believe, integrating technology into the school curriculum goes far beyond creating a spreadsheet that calculates student marks, typing a handout and printing it out for students or having students line up at a computer to complete several levels of a drill and
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practice software programs. According to Antifaiff (2000), technology is a wonderful tool that can be used to assist teachers and students in the classroom. She continues by saying, teachers should be encouraged to use technology to assist them in their role as a teacher. This is an important step towards integrating technology into the curriculum. However the true integration of technology goes far beyond the role of assistant. In many schools in Belize, students are taught various things about computers in their computer classes, rather than being taught with computers to assist them in learning the various concepts. Clearly, the schools of Belize are behind in completely integrating technology into the classrooms. Antifaiff (2000) continues to say that, the integration of technology should contribute to the teaching and learning in the classroom. The computer should be a means for reaching the instructional objectives in the classroom. Therefore, the curriculum is the place to start when integrating technology. The teacher, along with the curriculum, should guide the further claims that the integration of technology should serve to guide, expand and enhance learning objectives. It is understood that teachers and students do need to spend time learning the basics integration of technology and not the computer. Antifaiff (2000) further claims that the integration of technology should serve to guide, expand and enhance learning objectives. It is understood that teachers and students do need to spend time learning the basics of using a computer. This is necessary in order to move to effectively integrating technology. Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting technology enables students to learn in ways not previously possible. Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help
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them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions as accessible as all other classroom tools. Furthmore, Valmont and Wepner (2000), state that computers can help teachers and students find old information and new information from thousands of sites on the Internet that are updated daily. Computers enable students to view live, synchronous events happening almost anywhere in the world or from space. For example in Geography class, students can see the current weather as seen from a satellite. Computers can also be used to manipulate data so that students can grasp quickly how a change in one variable in a system affects other variables.
Overall Equipment and Maintenance
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Items
Amount
Laptops Desktops Printers Instructional Software Norton Antivirus Microsoft Office Monthly Internet Fees (Free) Courtesy of: Belize Telemedia Limited Transparent Language Premium Edition Geometer’s Sketchpad LCD Projector Video Camera/Digital Camera Computer Stations Chairs Air Conditioning Paint(bucket) Burglar bars Electrician/AC Technician MAINTENANCE/SALARY Part-time Technicians Volunteers (Stipend) Technology Integration Workshop Development (teachers) Technical Support/Repairs
1 8 2
Cost Per Unit $ 1,041.00 $ 1450.00 $ 150..00
$ $ $
1,041.00 11,600.00 300.00
$ $
40.00 $ 38.00 $ -
360.00 342.00 $
$
50.00
$
450.00
9 9 $ 9 9 1 1 2 9 1 1 4
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
38.00 1,000.00 550.00 50.00 35.00 400.00 75.00 100.00 1,275.00
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
342.00 1 ,000.00 550.00 100.00 315.00 400.00 75.00 400.00 1,275.00
1 3
$ $
500.00 50.00
$ $ $
500.00 150.00 300.00
$
500.00
$
500.00 $20,000.00
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTING
Overview of Equipment and Instructional Software
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The purpose of the ten desktop computers is to impart technological skills to an entire class simultaneously and the two laptops will be used by both teachers and students for the presentation of various data. The software such as Microsoft Office will be used to enhance students reading, spelling and writing skills and make creative presentations such as certificates, brochures, cards etc. Geometers Sketchpad will be integrated into the math curriculum to help students develop their problem solving skills and learn different mathematical concepts. Transparent Language Premium Edition software will be used to help students practice and develop language skills and vocabulary in English.
The LCD projector will be used by both teachers and students to make presentations. Video and digital cameras are needed for students and teachers to record memorable events and to also create short movies of stories written by students or dramatize books they’ve read. Clearly, if technology is used in the curriculum, teachers need to be well verse in computers and know how to properly integrate technology into their lessons hence the reason for developmental workshops in excel, publisher, and word. Teachers need to be computer literate and apply technological skills in the classroom.
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How the Computer Lab Will Be Sustained. Special funding will be donated by the government of Belize, and non-governmental organizations and private sectors in the community so that the lab can be maintained and upgraded on a yearly basis with modern instructional software, input and output devices. Furthermore, teachers, parents and the community members will also do fundraising activities such as barbeques, car wash, community variety show, community fairs, bake sales, movie nights, selling of computerized arts and crafts items for example bookmarks, invitations etc. In conclusion, Hattieville Mennonite School will be well on the road to new technological advancement, improving and enhancing new knowledge, attitude, skills which will essentially prepare them to live in the 21st century.
References
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Geisert Paul G. & Futrell, Mynga K. (1995). Teachers, Computers, and Curriculum (2nd Edition). Needham Heights, Mass: Simon & Schuster. Wepner, Shelley B., Valmont, William J., & Thurlow, Richard (2000). Linking Literacy and Technology A Guide for K-8 Classrooms. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association. Antifaiff, G. (2000). Integrating Technology into the Curriculum. Educational Communications and Technology, University of Saskatchewan