About+the+Grant

=WAWM-EETT 2010-11=

Grant Narrative:
The focus of this grant is project-based learning with an emphasis on the use of 21st century skills by students and teachers. Administrative participation in the evaluation process is key to the success of this initiative. Our project has three distinct goals, student achievement, assessment and transformation of curriculum. The implementation and support of this initiative relies heavily on the research proven model, the INTEL Teach Program shown to improve student achievement and transform teaching.

This project will initially focus on the use of the INTEL Essentials course to train teachers in the development and refinement of project-based units, infusing the use of 21st century skills. These units will be supported by the use of online tools, such as Thinkfinity and the INTEL Thinking with Technology Tools. The grant focuses on lesson refinement with an emphasis on assessment strategies used to measure student achievement. This staff development opportunity will rely heavily on a collaboration model allowing teachers to model the use of online tools in their personal learning environment as well as their classrooms. Administrators will be involved in teacher evaluation and coaching as lessons are developed and delivered.

Collaborative target teams projected membership will include: 40 teachers, 8 Library Media Specialists, 4 administrators, and over 4000 students. Overall, there will be 24 target teams developed from the individual consortium districts. Target teams consist of members from the same school building and span 6-12 dependent on the targeted schools of the district. Teachers will apply to participate in this project with the requirement that teachers apply in teams of two designating their curriculum area and topic for their project based unit. Each district will select their participants working in consultation with curriculum leaders and administration. In support of targeted needs all four districts will be primarily targeting their 6-12 schools to address WKCE needs as well as schools designated in need of improvement.

During the first part of the grant, staff members and LMS participants, working in teams will spend forty hours in the INTEL Essentials course developing their project based units. Staff members will deliver their units during the fall semester of the 2010-2011 school year. Student proficiency will be measured pre and post participation. Instructional units will be assessed using the INTEL rubrics. Grant participants will collaborate in an online environment throughout the school year. Administrators will use classroom observation tools to evaluate the infusion of 21st century skills into the target classrooms. Grant participants will meet in the fall semester of the 2010-11 school year to share success stories and to continue the collaboration process.

As a means to increase student achievement, students in grant target groups will improve their proficiency in 21st Century Skills and Wisconsin/National IT &L Standards.
 * GOAL 1: STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT**

Educators and administrators will improve their use of assessment strategies for the enhancement of student learning and classroom instruction in a technology-rich environment.
 * GOAL 2: ASSESSMENT**

Teachers will transform the way they deliver their curriculum.
 * Goal 3: INSTRUCTION**