Computer Lab Grant Proposal

Hattieville Mennonite School Technological

Grant Proposal

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Hattieville Mennonite School Technological Grant Proposal

By

Delcia CiegoSherlet Carr

Althea GarbuttCassandra Munnings

Sharon Mejia

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Table of Contents

Chapters Page

1. Purrpose...............................................................................................................4

A. Background B. Problem Statement C. Personnel and Facilities of the school D. Integrating Technology into the Curriculum E. Goals

2. LiteratureReview…………................................................................................7

3. Equipment and Maintenance Spreadsheet............................................................11

4. References…..……………………………………………..……………….…..14

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Background of the School

The primary school is located in a village about seventeen miles west of Belize City. It is

a multi-grade school comprising of four teachers. There are one hundred and twenty-eight

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.

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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

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.

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Specific Objectives

1.) Students’ awareness of the technological world will be increased by 95% between grade three to grade eight.

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.

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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

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)

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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

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

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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

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. 

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Items Amount Cost Per Unit

Laptops 1 $ 1,041.00 $ 1,041.00 Desktops 8 $ 1450.00 $ 11,600.00 Printers 2 $ 150..00 $ 300.00Instructional SoftwareNorton Antivirus 9 $ 40.00 $ 360.00Microsoft Office 9 $ 38.00 $ 342.00Monthly Internet Fees (Free)Courtesy of: Belize TelemediaLimited

$ - $

Transparent Language Premium Edition

9 $ 50.00 $ 450.00

Geometer’s Sketchpad 9 $ 38.00 $ 342.00LCD Projector 1 $ 1,000.00 $ 1 ,000.00 Video Camera/Digital Camera 1 $ 550.00 $ 550.00 Computer Stations 2 $ 50.00 $ 100.00Chairs 9 $ 35.00 $ 315.00 Air Conditioning 1 $ 400.00 $ 400.00 Paint(bucket) 1 $ 75.00 $ 75.00 Burglar bars 4 $ 100.00 $ 400.00 Electrician/AC Technician $ 1,275.00 $ 1,275.00

MAINTENANCE/SALARYPart-time Technicians 1 $ 500.00 $ 500.00 Volunteers (Stipend) 3 $ 50.00 $ 150.00Technology Integration Workshop Development (teachers)

$ 300.00

Technical Support/Repairs $ 500.00 $ 500.00

TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTING

$20,000.00

Overall Equipment/Maintenance

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Overview of Equipment and Instructional Software

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.

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References

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