Grant

Approved Febuary 2012/ Jim Borst Request to Apply for Grant

Prepared by     Anne Stojke, Ph.D.

I am requesting approval to apply for the Ray Solem Foundation Grant. The Ray Solem Foundation is offering one-time grants of up to $10,000 to non-profit organizations finding creative ways to help immigrants in the United States further their verbal English language skills - listening comprehension and oral communications or to help immigrants in other ways. [|http://www.raysolemfund.org/grants.html)]


 * Purpose **

The purpose of applying for this grant is to purchase tablets (iPads) for student use in the Teacher Education Program. These tablets will serve two student populations enrolled in Teacher Education program: ESL Teacher Education students and Teacher Candidates.

ESL Teacher Education Students

Some ESL students entering the Teacher Education program find passing the //West B// test (Washington standardized basic skills test), required for eligibility in the teacher education programs, difficult. Primarily their challenges with English impair students successfully passing the West B in a timely manner.

ESL Teacher Education Students using tablets (iPads) will:


 * 1) Use various Educational Applications (Apps) to improve their English language skills.
 * 2) Apply a student-centered approach to learn, practice and improve English
 * 3) Engage mobile learning, tablets allow frequent intermittent use to support language acquisition in and around their school, work and family schedules.
 * 4) Receive immediate feedback through educational applications software that is not available in traditional tutoring approaches.

Teacher Candidates / Field Placements

Students in the Teacher Education program fulfilling entrance requirements are referred to as Teacher Candidates. Requirements include passing West B exam, an official interview, and completion of Foundations of Education course with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Teacher Candidates proceed through the Teacher Education program undertaking courses specifically preparing them for field placements and student teaching.

Teacher Candidates use of tablets (iPads) will:


 * 1) Allow access to electronic books/text reducing expenses for students.
 * 2) Understand the use of tablets for multiple purposes in elementary classrooms
 * 3) Implement action research, comparing traditional and nontraditional pedagogical approaches
 * 4) Align Educational Applications in content areas to Common Core Standards.
 * 5) Understand and facilitate appropriate Educational Applications for the children in field placements.
 * 6) Use tablets (iPads) to video-record teaching lessons during final student- teaching placement required for Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA).
 * 7) Prepare our future teachers with the instructional scaffolding necessary to adapt to technologies in their future.


 * Impact on Students **

ESL Students

ESL students’ progress in the Teacher Education program is arrested or delayed due to the difficulties in mastering English at the proficiency level demanded in the field of Teacher Education. This grant will support ESL students in acquisition of English language skills needed for success. Research indicates the use of tablets and educational apps as a proficient learning tool for ESL students learning English.

Teacher Candidate Field placements

Students will progress and successfully complete the teacher education program versed in alternative pedagogical approaches. Learning this approach prepares Heritage Teacher Candidates for future elementary positions. Tablets will support Teacher Candidates with accessible assistive-technologies for children in field placements. Tablets provide an alternative from traditional textbooks to electronic text reducing this cost to students.


 * Impact on Professor **

This grant will allow the continuance of researching tablet applications in various educational settings. Preliminary findings and research suggest that mobile technologies in educational settings offer the following advantages: supports student engagement, effective teaching and learning in shorter time-span, immediate feedback to support correct learning rather than the need for unlearning, developing learning communities, application to Response to Intervention policies in elementary education. Professor will instruct the use and maintenance of tablets to the students.


 * Impact on University **

Students supported in learning of language skills through the use of tablets and Apps support the goals of the University and increases the success of the students’ completing academic programs in a timely manner.


 * Specific technology maintenance **

Tablets software updates are automatically scheduled within the device resulting in little disruption of use or extensive tech support. Tablets inventoried through the library cataloguing system will follow circulating and accountability procedures similar to books and other items.Students can set up apps with their own private accounts on the devices and delete their accounts when returning the devices. Tablets are reset to initial settings before checking out to a new student.


 * Educational Applications Purchases **

Application purchases can be done through the student required materials within different courses, which will be covered through students grant and scholarships. Applications generally cost very little, from 99 cents to a few dollars at most, making this a sound financial choice.