1.

3 Policies, Procedures, Programs & Funding

Candidates research, recommend, and implement policies, procedures, programs, and funding

strategies to support implementation of the shared vision represented in the school, district, state,

and federal technology plans and guidelines. Funding strategies may include the development,

submission, and evaluation of formal grant proposals.

ARTIFACT: Technology Integration Grant Proposal

The Technology Integration Grant Proposal artifact is a potential application for the

Donors Choose organization. The grant proposal encompasses the strategic plan focus for

Hapeville Elementary School (HES) to potentially receive funds for a program, Nearpod EL for

English Language Learners, that will support the need for innovative instructional strategies

utilizing personalized learning principles and digital tools to increase students’ skills in literacy.

HES’ scores have suffered in the areas of Reading, Writing and English/Language Arts due to a

high population of Hispanic. The artifact illustrates how the potential funds from the

organization would support exemplary technology integration. The proposal, though created

independently, was designed using the strategic plan at HES.

As a result of observing Hapeville Elementary’s School Improvement Plan and

developing the SWOT analysis, it was determined the school would benefit greatly from a

program or tool that would address the needs of their diverse population. Additionally, the school

lacked a program that effectively targeted the areas of weakness which was literacy. The

program/tool that would meet these needs and provide a platform was Nearpod EL. Nearpod EL

is a research-based program that provides flexibility for teachers by allowing editing to readily
available lessons so teachers can make content more suitable for student needs, an EL Library

that helps build background knowledge and access to an academic vocabulary, and progress

monitoring via assessments on the fly. This program was recommended to the team at HES to

provide the ELL students at HES an opportunity to engage in interactive lessons that can

personalized to their needs and abilities. Engaging in Nearpod EL for English Language Learners

will support teachers in that teachers will address/implement personalized learning principles

into lessons to help customize learning to individual students’ needs, skills, and interest using the

platform. The program will support the inadequacies of some teachers, that were identified

throughout the SWOT analysis.

The completed Technology Integration Grant artifact was provided to the school to

support the implementation of their strategic plan and SWOT goals. Fortunately, should the

school proceed with the application, I would be in the best position to provide training and

support as teachers work to incorporate Nearpod EL into their classrooms and daily instruction.

This was my first time working on a grant application, so creating this artifact provided me an

opportunity to search and find the best program that fit the needs of the students and teachers at

HES.

In completing this artifact, I learned the grave need in understanding the goals, focus, and

direction of the school the proposal is being designed. If there was one thing I would change in

this process, I would make more time to connect with more teachers about how beneficial they

saw the program being for them and the students. Engaging more with teachers would allow me

to obtain a different perspective.

If the administration decides to move forward, I am most certain the program would have

a direct impact on school improvement. The impact on student learning can be anticipated based
upon the research-based tool, the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). The TIM contains an

observation tool which evaluates the level of technology integration in a lesson. If a lesson in

Nearpod EL was scored using the Technology Integration Matrix Observation Tool, the lesson

would score in the transformation category (highest level) for all aspects of learning – active,

collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed. The Nearpod EL program, fully-

implemented, is sure to have a substantial impact on student learning.

References
Donor’s Choose, (2018). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from https://www.donorschoose.org/about

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). (2018). Retrieved July 16, 2018 from

https://www.georgiastandards.org/resources/Pages/Tools/ESOL.aspx

ISTE Standards for Educators, (2018). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from

http://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators

Nearpod EL, (2018). Retrieved July 16, 2018, from https://nearpod.com/el

Technology Integration Matrix (2018). Retrieved from https://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/