Teaming Up With the Help of Tech Tools

School:: Lake Park Elementary
Subject:: Language Arts
Teacher:: Kristin Merrill
Students Impacted:: 50
Grade:: 4
Date:: August 26, 2017

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Harlan & Heather Dam - $238.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 100

We live in a great city with a supportive community around us. Most of my students come from families with equal support, but some do not. Simple requests like bringing in a pair of earbuds can be daunting for some students, and a burden on a teacher to provide for them. With this grant, I was able to not only buy the original 22 pairs of earbuds I had requested, but I was able to find an even better deal and ended up purchasing 200 pairs of earbuds for everyday student use. because of the product I found, I was able to share earbuds with my entire 4^th grade team allowing the benefit of the grant to extend well beyond the four walls of my classroom.

These earbuds have changed the way our classroom runs. Students are now free to use technology more often, and to do it in ways that are less distracting to those learning around them. They are able to work on assignments tailored to their needs because they now have the freedom to work at their own pace due to individual technology tools like earbuds. Students store their earbuds in their own case and use daily for individual and whole group lessons. As far as the earphone splitters, we have been using them for video editing and currently for a novel read aloud. Being able to share what you are working on or listening to strenthens collaboration among the students and allows us to incorporate our iPads since we do not have enough for every student to use one on their own.

Thank you again for investing in the learning that is going on daily in our classroom! Because of your generosity, over 90 students were given the freedom to use technology and more will be affected in the years to come.

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Original Grant Overview

Goal

My school's ability to access current technology and new tech tools is limited. I am looking for ways to keep my class "in the know" with what's going on locally, nationally and even globally. I want to be able to ignite their interests and allow them to explore the world beyond our four walls. Technology is a great tool that can transform the classroom, but it can be costly to maintain the costs of all the accessories that go along with it.

What will be done with my students

I am requesting earbuds and earphone splitters, because I want to enhance the usage of the technology in the classroom. We currently have several iPads in our class, and my students use them both independently and cooperatively. The ways we use and incorporate the technology in our room varies, but on a daily basis we are typing, drafting, video editing, listing to eBooks and so much more! One of the biggest units in the classroom involves reading the novel Number the Stars. Students will be given the choice to read aloud, read with a friend or listen in groups. The students LOVE to listen in groups with the help of an earphone splitter--each following along and listening with their own earbuds.

These resources will allow us to:

1) Read through historical nonfiction and provide us with the means to communicate with classmates. (LAFS.4.RI.1.3)

2) Conduct research projects and produce multi-media projects like iMovie, green screen videos, etc. independently without disturbing other students. (LAFS.4.W.3.7)

3) Allows students to express what they have learned across various platforms including various forms of technology. (LAFS.4.SL.2.4)

Benefits to my students

I believe that all students can do hard things, and with the right amount of support, scaffolding and resources, they can achieve and perform to the high expectation I set for them. These earbuds and splitters will allow my students to work both independently and cooperatively, in a way that prevents them from bothering other learners around them, while allowing them to work at their own pace. It will give them the opportunity to explore and learn from various forms of media regardless of the subject area or classroom setting.

Budget Narrative

The earphone splitters are 6.00 each plus tax. The earbuds are 9.00 a pair and will be able to be used with any technology we have in class. Both items requested will be able to be used both in my AM and PM classes and thus reused multiple times a day by various students.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	5 Octopus Stereo Audio Headphone Splitter Adapter Converters	$33.00
2	22 pairs of MCigmee (TM) Premium Earbuds Earphones	$205.00
	Total:	$238.00

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