Grantee Archive

Dr. Harty and Mr. Savage will improve student achievement in STEAM by introducing traditional and cutting edge tools in the school’s MakerSpace. The group will provide students options to apply science and math skills as well as creative design ideas. Students will fabricate prototypes and end products to address real world challenges and support entrepreneurial ventures.

Dr. Rice and Ms. Prosser will introduce Touch Math, a multi-sensory mathematics program for students with math disabilities. The program will assist students in understanding number sense and basic fact retrieval, the most important components in mathematics at the primary level. This research-based math program will allow special education teachers to remediate student weaknesses that may place them at risk for future mathematics difficulties.

To meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, Mrs. Dalton will participate in eLearing classes through the University of Georgia. Through her course work, Mrs. Dalton will learn about various systems, methods, and digital products for multimedia instruction. Mrs. Dalton will incorporate videos, slideshows, webinars, chats, and online forums in her instruction and will share these teaching tools with her colleagues. 

To create a positive change in teaching and learning, Humphrey and Wiggley will introduce “WildcatsCONNECT (WC).” The program will introduce a dynamic vision in which all students are connected and actively engaged in teaching and learning. Humphrey and Wiggley will use Mobi technology to encourage greater student engagement in multi-level math classes and will use the technology to observe student performance.

To strengthen his teaching practice and ensure that students learn biology more meaningfully, Mr. Kuhn will attend the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study/National Association of Biology Teachers AP Biology Leadership Academy. While there, Mr. Kuhn will learn to analyze and enhance current curriculum materials to better reflect the new AP curriculum framework. Upon returning, Mr. Kuhn will work with colleagues to increase their leadership capacity and advocacy skills in expanding the AP Biology community.

Ms. Kareem will travel to a diverse, high performing school in Toronto, Ontario. While there, Ms. Kareem will investigate professional learning communities and parental involvement initiatives aimed at increasing student achievement. The strategies and knowledge gained will be shared with colleagues through an online community on the district’s website.

To encourage student learning through the use of technology, Ms. Barreira and Ms. Gasque will introduce e-readers to their classrooms. The devices will be used at all learning levels, with particular focus on reluctant readers. The lead educators will study the impact of the e-readers on student achievement, and measure both qualitatively through test scores and quantitatively through reading response journals. 

Through “The World of Engineering,” DeKalb Elementary students will be exposed to a comprehensive instructional unit on engineering fields.  Students will then use engineering concepts to design and build robots to compete in the school wide “Robocup Jr.” competition.  Ultimately, Mrs. Kabwatha and Mr. Taylor expect to improve student aptitude through numerous hands on problem solving opportunities.

Ms. Cuspard and Mrs. Qualls will design and implement two projects to help students improve their skills in math and language arts.  “Paddles for Patterns” will focus on improving student skills in patterns, listing numbers in sequential order, providing the missing information, and solving mathematical equations.  “Reading Recall” will focus on story recall, writing for expression, and recognizing the elements of a story.  These new programs will use peer tutors, as well as available technology, to promote mastery of skills in these areas.  All student projects will be shared with colleagues and replicated in other classrooms.  

Mrs. Sahadevan will attend the Reader’s Workshop presented by The Daily Café, a website devoted to educator professional development.  Throughout the workshop, Mrs. Sahadevan will read relevant professional literature, play a lead role in book study, participate in research-based training, and learn ways to put theory into practice.  Upon completion of the workshop, Mrs. Sahadevan will meet monthly with teachers in her school to discuss reading instruction.

Dr. Laughlin will attend a Gordon Institute for Music Learning workshop.  Lessons at the workshop will focus on training teachers to recognize the importance of early childhood music and learn how young children might best be taught music through improvisation.  Upon completing the workshop, Dr. Laughlin will offer workshops for teachers statewide, enabling them to incorporate Music Learning Theory and approaches to improvisation into their curricula.

Using a five-step scientific method, students will conduct research on energy efficiency and the impact of pollution on their natural environment.  Students will investigate the energy saving capabilities of different types of lighting.  To gauge the extent of light pollution, students will research fireflies and star counts in various urban and rural settings.  Upon completion of these experiments, students will prepare a presentation for targeted audiences. 

In order to improve achievement in language arts learners, first through fifth grade teachers will incorporate testing skills into grade level specific “Coach Books.”  The materials will give teachers and students useful information to use in planning additional instruction and activities to help students meet and exceed high standards which are assessed on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test.

Using state standards for Language Arts and Social Studies, students will plan and implement poetry and rap performances for the entire school, using their lived experiences as an analytical frame.

An entrepreneurial business program designed to teach and reinforce math and economics standards.

To gather resources on the foundations of educational practice and strategies for differentiating instruction for exceptional students and English language learners, Ms. Smith attends the First International Conference on Teacher Education in Brussels, Belgium. At the conference, Ms. Smith gives a presentation on integrating service learning and critical thinking that provides the platform for pedagogical studies she conducts with her colleagues and pre-service teachers throughout the state of Georgia. In her role as an ambassador and master trainer for the Georgia Department of Education Learn and Serve Program, Ms. Smith shares her experience and knowledge with colleagues at statewide workshops and summer conferences.