Making The Most of Educational Tech Grants

Schools across the country are taking advantage of state grants to purchase the latest educational technology solutions to improve academic outcomes

What Happened?
Schools across the country are taking advantage of a variety of state grants to purchase and deploy the latest educational technology solutions to enhance coursework and improve academic outcomes.

McAlester
The Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust allocated two $65,000 grants to early childhood centers in McAlester to increase access to digital technologies for pre-k and kindergarten students. The William Gay and Jefferson Early Childhood Centers used the state funding to purchase iPads for the students and teachers to use to enhance curriculum and interactivity with lessons. Teachers are also utilizing the iPads to engage in ongoing development programs, New OK reported.

The iPad project is just one of many tech-related initiatives the local school district is embarking upon. Officials recently proposed a $2.2 million bond in the February election that would collect funding to overhaul the wireless infrastructure at all McAlester Public Schools to better support wireless devices such as the iPads. Once the school district has installed updated digital infrastructure, schools would qualify for even more grants through the Oklahoma Educational Technology Trust, New OK reported.

Green Lake
The Green Lake School District recently received a $38,000 grant from the Wisconsin Technology Initiativeto integrate state-of-the-art learning technology into the classroom. The grant program is designed to support local school districts by removing the financial barriers in the way of adopting new solutions to enhance learning.

The Green Lake School District will use the state grant to add SMART boards and other interactive video conferencing technologies into the classrooms of all grade levels. The school district not only submitted a standard grant application when seeking the funding support, but also created a video featuring a variety of students discussing how the technology purchases would improve their learning experiences, Ripon Press reported.

Hillsborough County
The Florida Department of Education awarded a $1.7 million grant to 128 Hillsborough County public schools seeking access to the latest personal technologies. The state Digital Classroom Plan grant will be used to purchase 85,000 laptop computers and charging stations, making personal devices accessible to students across the county, The Tampa Tribune reported.

The laptop computers provide students with instant access to information and answers to questions through search engines and educational software applications. Students can store all their notes and work on a single device and carry it with them throughout the school day and at home to assist with homework, The Tampa Tribune reported.

Furthermore, the mobile computers allow for assignments and lessons to become more personalized based on the needs of the individual students. This can help teachers provide more dedicated, one-on-one attention for improved outcomes, The Tampa Tribune reported.

Funding Educational Tech
Many school districts are struggling to offer their students the latest innovations in educational technology due to tight budgets and limited funding. Here are some funding options to consider when embarking on an educational technology initiative:

Outside Funding: Most schools are unable to find all the necessary capital for technology projects internally. Rather, school districts must seek out grants from a variety of sources including state and federal agencies, as well as private sector grant programs. There are many public-private partnerships in place to ensure funding is available to school technology campaigns.
Budget Savings: Many schools are investing in IT personnel and younger teachers who are more familiar with new technologies. By housing this tech expertise, schools are able to reduce the cost of technology upgrades and improvements by getting the most out of what is available without sacrificing quality for the students.
Retrofitting: It may seem like any new technology is obsolete within a few years of purchase. However, many interactive learning technologies can last longer than originally thought when they are upgraded with new software and managed by experienced IT experts. Consistent maintenance of learning technologies can stretch their lifespan for optimal performance efficiency.