Mini-Grant Federal money for special education services is given to state educational agencies in the form of grants. Each local school district must write a budget and submit it to the Mississippi D

Mini-Grant Federal money for special education services is given to state educational agencies in the form of grants. Each local school district must write a budget and submit it to the Mississippi D
The Alan R. Barton Excellence in Teaching Award Funding Source: The Alan R. Barton Excellence in Teaching Awards are presented annually to six teachers from schools in the Mississippi Power service area. Nomination information is mailed to principals in October and nominations are due December. Winners are announced in January. The award includes $3,000 for the teacher to be used for supplies, equipment and/or professional development. Project Summary: Early childhood is the right time to focus on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, infusing instructional technology with rich learning environments to increase in collaboration skills, vocabulary and to make a connection between a child’s community and home technology with their educational technology experiences and to increase the number of students entering into the science and math fields. I want to purchase 4 Apple iPads and a variety of apps to integrate into the inclusion preschool program at Greene County School District. Currently there are two inclusion preschool classes with 15-18 students in each classroom. There are students who have a variety of disabilities in each classroom, including cerebral palsy, language impaired or nonverbal, and behaviors associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Goals/Objectives: The iPads will be used in a teacher-led learning centers with small groups of three or four students of mixed-ability levels with apps that are play-based to facilitate social interaction, expand on skills being taught, collect data on student performance, teach cause and effect, increase fine motor skills and enhance complex communication patterns, especially the children with disabilities relating to expressive and receptive language skills. Within the small groups, the teacher will pair manipulatives with the iPad to facilitate the connection between concrete understandings with abstract concepts. This can be extremely helpful for the students with special needs. Utilizing iPads in the classroom not only allows the teacher to differentiate instruction by adapting the student’s interest to their skill level, it gives the students an additional mode to demonstrate knowledge. Evaluation: Teachers will keep a log of the times the students use the iPads, and the apps used in the small groups have assessment tools such as virtual prizes to keep up with how many items the students got correct. The teacher will also use data collection systems to record behavior during small groups, turn-taking, social interaction, communication skills, fine motor skills, as well as skills mastered during group times. Time Frame: The equipment will be ordered in January 2014. The apps will be purchased and teachers will be trained. The iPads will be introduced to the classroom in March 2014. Records will be kept by teachers on the results using the equipment and compared to the records prior to iPads, and the effectiveness will be evaluated at the end of the school year in May 2014. Budget: I am requesting a total of $3,000.00 for 4 iPads costing $399.99 each; 4 lifeproof cases costing $129.99 each; 7 apps (Monkey Math-$.99, My First Tangrams HD-$1.99, I Learn with Poko- $2.99, Bridge Basher-$.99, Builder Blocks Preschool- $.99, Build a Robot-$1.99, Grammar and Vocabulary- Free, (2)Words For Life $300.00); and 4 Stylus pens-$2.99 each. These items will be purchased from Best Buy and iTunes with a total amount (sales tax included) of $2,931.62 Submitted By: Jennifer Turner
Mini-Grant Federal money for special education services is given to state educational agencies in the form of grants. Each local school district must write a budget and submit it to the Mississippi D
POTENTIAL GRANT SOURCES Websites: www.grantsalert.com www.grants.gov www.foundationcenter.org www.grants4teachers.com www.donorchoose.org Business/Corporations: Wal-mart Target Best Buy Office Depot Lowe’s Home Depot MS Power AT & T Toyota Dollar General