I’ve twittered about this but didn’t bother to post the details here on my blog! The timing is still relevant as just yesterday I attended the reception for all ARRA Title IID grant recipients at the DESE in Malden. I applied in October and was notified in December of our winning of the a little over $98,000 in equipment, software, and professional development to support and enhance our ELA curriculum with technology! It is a 2 year grant and we have already begun. The equipment is being prepped this week, and the planning with all invested parties – principals, teachers, IT specialist, and coaches – will begin next week.

With the funds we were able to purchase a “Mobile Literacy Lab” – 26 Macbooks, 12 32 GB ipod touches, 2 mobile carts, 2 sets of A/V speakers, a projector, a Mac Server capable of hosting wikis and blogs internally, and almost $50,000 worth of 3 years of licensing and upgrading our current reading intervention software, Lexia.

And then the age-old question follows the WOW! (or the COOL!): What are you going to do with it?

More to come…

( :

Here is the grant application:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/Grants/grants10/rfp/776.html

And here is the Awarded Announcement page (we are Boston Renaissance):
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/grants/grants10/awards/776.html

Out of 81 proposals, 34 were selected. Woot!

Record your narrative

Originally uploaded by msradden

Our 6th grade students have been doing a tremendous job learning a new operating system on the Apple mac minis, how to connect to and manage files on a server between Windows XP and Apple OS, and how to create their own digital stories using the iLife suite of software. Mr. Dodson and I have been keeping a dicussion board in a NING of our curriculum’s daily lessons and materials while sometimes Skyping during planning meetings (sometimes it is hard to catch an elevator at lunch time!). So far in one term, the kids have written their scripts in Keynote, scanned, photographed and edited pieces of their academic work using Photoshop Elements, managed their photos in iPhoto, and paired up to make an imovie about a sample topic. When we return form break, they will have all the tools, skills, and content to pull their individual eportfolios together in iMovie!

Eno integration into math

Originally uploaded by msradden

Ms Mason opens math assignments on the board and has the students come
up and solve problems using the digital pen. She saves the written
work as a file to reference later, print and handout as notes, or grade.

Eno integration into technology class

Originally uploaded by msradden

Mr Dodson has his students come up to the board and use the pen as a
mouse to play educational games like this memory game. There are lots
of ooos and aaaaahs!

1109091803.jpg

Originally uploaded by msradden

Ladies and gentlemen, if you have to do this to read your iphone, then it is not for you. There’s no app for poor eyesight. Phew.

photo.jpg

Originally uploaded by msradden

Even (and especially) a second grader.

Engaging every student

Originally uploaded by msradden

It didn’t take long before everyone wanted to try it!

Art class revolutionized

Originally uploaded by msradden

Mr. Williams tried out a typical art lesson infused with the
interactive technologies.

Training day

Originally uploaded by msradden

You can’t just give teachers new technology and leave them! We all
received training today in the basic usage and curricula. It really
wasn’t "receiving" but much more like interacting! There were a LOT of
a-has and ooo’s from the audience!

Up we go with ENO

Originally uploaded by msradden

This message was brought to you by…my iPhone.