1. Develop strategies for funding.
Many schools are unable to provide the technology needed to support engaged learning. All requests for technology funding must be tied to the school or district technology plan. Schools that would like to obtain more technology can use the following strategies for funding technology acquisition and implementation:
- Use local community resources
- Build strong relationships with funders
- Technical Assistance grants
- Incorporate technology into your annual strategic plan
- Grant Proposals
- Generate unrestricted revenue where possible
- E-Rate funds
2. Develop strategies for management plans
Our district has simplified our management process by updating to Eduphoria. Eduphoria forethought is web-based and is a simple planner and a curriculum management application. It gives you the ability to align curriculum, activities and instruction to the TEKS and TAKS objectives all within an easy to use lesson planner. Eduphoria develop district scope and sequence online, develop district bank of exemplary activities and lessons, collaborate with shared plan and team planning and plans can be shared across grade levels and across the district and much much more.
One area that our school is lacking is that our teacher, staff do not know what is available to them. Many teacher and staff do not use half the features that Eduphoria offer, such as the workshop portion of this application. Eduphoria: Workshop is a Professional development management system that streamlines staff course registration, portfolios, and NCLB and SBEC reporting. Unused features include: Online course registration, manage professional development levels, Course evaluations track quality control, staff members can print their own certificates, and build e-courses for online professional development (Eduphoria, 2009).
3. Describe the required procedures for the proposed strategies.
The best bet for technology funding is to build community support and to develop funding out of local resources.
Take time to find out what community technology resources are in your area, and find out what resources can be pooled with other local organizations. Request technology assistance through grant proposals from local community technology centers.
Generating unrestricted revenue can take many different forms. Schools or districts could generate income by individuals donating to your general fund, fundraising events, auctions, membership programs, etc. can all help raise unrestricted revenue.
Raising fund is about building relationships. You can establish a relationship with foundation program officers or senior executives who are sympathetic to your mission, understand your needs, and can communicate your case before their board.
Your e-Rate Team can apply for e-rate funding each year.
Request for technology funding through your school or district technology plan will generate technology funding from state and federal programs.
References:
Funding
Federal Education Budget News
http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/news.html
E-Rate
http://tpesc.esc12.net/erate/default.html
TEA Grant Resources
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=2147487920&menu_id=951
Technology Grants Resources
http://technologygrantnews.com/grant-index-by-type/educational-technology-grants.html
Management
101 Best Web sites for teacher tools and professional development
www.iste.org/images/excerpts/101TEA-excerpt.pdf
School Site Design
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/solutions/Enterprise/Education/SchoolsSRA.DG/SchoolsSRA_chap10.html#wp1050709
Access to Technology: Disabilities Access Technology
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/aeit.html
Eduphoria. (2009). Retrieved February 18, 2012 from http://www.eduphoria.net/products/forethought
Eduphoria. (2009). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://www.eduphoria.net/products/workshop
You gave some good website for obtaining funding for the districe. How would you allocate those fundings for each school or through out a school? How would you manage the constant learning of the teachers and help them utilize what they have learned?
ReplyDeleterpawlik,
DeleteI would allocate 25% of the technology funding to go toward professional development for teachers and staff throughout the year. A percentage would be allocated to funding the other goal to hire a Technology Resource Teacher (TRT) to work one-on-one with teachers to help them utilize what they have learned. Also the TRT would help teachers prepare their lessons to integrate technology into the curriculum.
Donzella
Donzella,
ReplyDeleteI have added some of these sites to my bookmarks.Thank you.
I did notice that you have listed for funding resources tapping into your community. Do you mean just for monetary funding or for donations of things like computer hardware? My district has an office dedicated with working with to bridge the gap between our community and our schools. Here is a link to the office http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/pie/pieover1.htm maybe this can help give you some ideas in community outreach.
PIE - Overview. (n.d.). Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District. Retrieved March 21, 2012, from http://www.cfisd.net/dept2/pie/pieover1.htm
Kristina,
ReplyDeleteOur school setup a computer lab in our library for parental use and training. I read that Apple and other technology organizations provide grants to fund such outreaches through local Community Technology Centers also known as CTCnet. We can partner with CTCnet in our community to begin receiving these grants.
Thanks for the website. It was very informative. I was very much interested in the Release Time, where employees are provided time off work to assist students and/or teachers on a regular basis. Material Resources/Special Projects, where the programs may involve supplying equipment and monetary donations.