In 2010, The Woodbine Elementary School was awarded a grant entitled "Teaching and Learning with Essential New Technologies in the 21st Century (Talent 21)" from the New Jersey Department of Education. The Talent 21 grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) extends over a two-year grant period. September of 2010 marked significant changes to teaching and learning at Woodbine Elementary School.
All Sixth-grade grade students received net books to use in every class, and the sixth- through Eighth grade teachers received interactive whiteboards in their classrooms. Furthermore, teachers received professional development and coaching prior to the start of school to train them on integrating the new technologies using project-based learning and best practices. Woodbine elementary students and teachers are coached year-long by a Technology Integration Specialist employed through the grant who offers engaging solutions for students to communicate, collaborate and most importantly learn using technology and web resources. Students use up-to-the-minute web 2.0 tools to produce evidence of their learning and collaborate with students around the globe. The extensive infrastructures to make the wireless devices work seamlessly for all involved was another benefit of the Talent 21 Grant.
As students advance to seventh grade in September of 2011, they will take the net books with them, and the incoming class of sixth graders will receive a new one. A sustainability plan is underway to extend the benefit of the expansion of technology into the Eighth grade and for future incoming sixth-grade students.
Faculty and administration conducted Parent information nights and these will be held again, before the rollout of the new devices for the incoming Sixth-grade class.
The Project Goals and Objectives for recipients of the Talent 21 Grant:
1.1.1 Project Goals and Objectives
GOAL 1: Content area teachers and school administrators will demonstrate evidence of acquiring and implementing teaching, learning and leadership practices needed in 21st century learning environments by:
Objective 1.1: Engaging in sustained and intensive professional development facilitated by a full time educational technology integration specialist to assist with the implementation of 21st century instructional/ assessment practices that meet diverse student needs.
Objective 1.2: Using technology as a tool to promote a student-centered school culture and to improve and enhance professional development and leadership skills.
Objective 1.3: Collaborating in the development and implementation of Project-Based Learning (PBL) that includes the integration of technology, 21st century themes and skills and cross content connections in selected sixth- and seventh-grade units in various content areas aligned to the 2009 Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Objective 1.4: Using student data to modify instructional strategies and personalize learning experiences.
Objective 1.5: Using data to evaluate how successfully grant program goals 1 and 2 and related objectives were met.
Objective 1.6: Developing a sustainability plan to ensure the goals of the grant program continue to be achieved and expanded upon for at least two years beyond the grant period to include sixth-, seventh-, and eighth- grade teachers and students.
GOAL 2: Students will demonstrate increased engagement in learning and in using 21st century skills to assist in meeting the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards by:
Objective 2.1: Applying information-literacy skills to access, manage, and communicate information using a range of emerging technological tools.
Objective 2.2: Thinking critically and creatively to solve problems, synthesize and create new knowledge, and make informed decisions that affect individuals, the broader community, and the environment.
Objective 2.3: Gaining enhanced understanding of global interdependencies as well as multiple cultural perspectives, differing points of view, and diverse values.
GOAL 3: The School Planning Team will facilitate the creation of 21st century learning environments by:
Objective 3.1: Establishing a technology infrastructure to support 21st century learning that includes the implementation of a high speed wireless mobile computing systems for all sixth and seventh grade teachers, administrators and students
