1. Laptops in the Classroom Improving Student Achievement By: Melanie Day EDT 6040 Dr. Fishburn

2. Initiative Proposal  Laptops for student use to support classroom instruction and improve student achievement  Address both state and ISTE technology standards  Specific professional development for staff regarding laptop use in the classroom  Ongoing technical and curricular support for teachers  Periodic review of student data for evaluation purposes and for focused instruction

3. Pros and Cons for Laptop Use in The Classroom  ProsCons Easily moved around the classroom. Can be very expensive for initial purchase of equipment and training as well as maintainence and upgrades. If there is a 1:1 ration of students to laptops, teachers are able to conduct whole class lessons with all students being able to practice during the lesson. Can sometimes be a distraction for other students. Increased student involvement and interaction. Requires increased monitoring by teachers to ensure that students are using them appropriately. Provides students with a variety of tools and resources for learning. Can be under utilized or misused in classrooms where teachers do not buy into their usefullness as a teaching tool. Allows for differentiation of academic support depending on a student's needs. Some teachers may take a "one size fits all" approach and neglect to use them a means of differentiating their instruction. In this age of technology, students understand and respond to electronic delivery of instruction. It helps to excite them about learning. Increase student motivation as compared to schools that do not use laptops. Provides computer and internet access for students who may not have these technologies at home Provides students an opportunity for critical thinking, problem solving and developing research skills.

4. Hardware/Software  Hardware  50 Dell Inspiron 15 laptop computers (2 per classroom)  All laptops will come with Windows 7 and will have Microsoft Office 2010 installed along with site licensed software such as SmartBoard and virus protection

5. Costs and Funding Proposed Costs Total Cost of Laptops: $597.99 ea. X 50 (2 laptops per classroom x 25 classrooms) = $29899.50 Total Cost of Proposed Software: $4997.50 + $2497.50 = $7495.00 Total Cost of Technology Initiative (Hardware and Software): $ 37394.50 Proposed Funding Grants (federal, private industry) Building Technology Funds Construction Funds Available Building Professional Development Monies

6. Evaluation   Student data on assessments for both math and reading shared during grade level meetings each quarter. Concerns about student achievement can be discussed and ideas can be shared about ways to utilize existing technology to address the educational needs of each student..   Teachers will keep a log of student and teacher use of technology and share with the team. This will allow for discussion of additional ways to include technology in our lessons.   Students will be required to sign in on a record sheet each time they access the computer. This will allow the classroom teacher to track which students have been using the technology and identify if there need to be any changes to the current rotation.   Walkthroughs will be used as informal observations and snapshots of technology being utilized in the classroom.   Each quarterly meeting will allow for a reflection of what is working and what might not be working and then brainstorming as a team as a team to help correct any problems that might arise. examining student achievement in both math and reading  Since the students in Kindergarten do not take part in the state wide testing, we would rely on the scores on the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills) test and the GATES-McGinite test, both of which are standardized and normed.  Student performance on the quarterly math assessments, monthly writing prompts and any additional testing that the student may receive.