TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION PROJECT GRANT PROPOSAL

Name of Applicant: Jamie Lampkins

District/School: Georgia Cyber Academy; Middle-Grades Band

Date: April 1, 2023

Total Cost of Project: $8,000

Title of Project: Hands-on at Home

To what organization will you submit this grant application in the future?
Innovative Education Prototype Grant and Casey’s Cash for Classrooms Grant Program

I. Why is this project important?

In most middle science classrooms, students show up for labs. The teacher has all
materials prepared, and students generally do not need to seek parental funds or
involvement to participate. However, in a public school, within a virtual setting, we rely on
“optional” lab participation and hope parents support students with outside costs for labs.
This generally does not fare well, and many students cannot participate in the lab.
Research suggests that science and other STEM-based disciplines should be taught
hands-on. A study by the University of Calabar tested the effectiveness of a hands-on
approach to teaching math and science. The study results found a mean gain of 9.07 in the
post-test scores compared to the pre-test scores for the experimental group, while the
control group had an insignificant mean increase of 0.21. The questionnaire results also
suggest that the students overwhelmingly felt the hands-on task helped them master the
content and enjoyed performing the hands-on lesson, with at least 70% reflecting positively
about the entire experience. (Ekwueme et al., 2015).
The need that inspired this grant is for virtual science teachers to create enjoyable,
engaging, and informative lessons that allow their students to interact with science in the
same ways students in a brick-and-mortar school would. While technology is an excellent
asset to teaching and learning science, hands-on interaction is a significant component of
K-12 science education.

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II. What would you like to accomplish?

I want to provide hands-on science lab kits to all 8th-grade students at our virtual public
charter school. Each kid will have materials for each student to participate in one lab per
primary domain within The Science Georgia Standards of Excellence. There are five total
domains, so materials to complete at least five labs. We will ship them out each semester.
Many of the science standards include action words such as “develop models,” “plan and
carry out investigations,” and “design a device.” These standards are challenging to master
without students participating in hands-on learning. Ideally, we would like to expand this to
all middle-grade students, but we will start with the 8th grade because it is a Georgia
Milestone tested year.

Instructional Objectives:

Science: (Georgia Department of Education, 2023a)

● Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to compare and contrast
matter's chemical and physical properties.
● Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations on the effects of heat
transfer on molecular motion as it relates to the collision of atoms.
● Students will be able to plan and carry out an investigation to explain the
transformation between kinetic and potential energy within a system.
● Students will be able to construct an explanation using Newton’s Laws of Motion to
describe the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
● Students will be able to develop and use models to demonstrate the lenses’ effects
on light and their possible technological applications.
● Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to demonstrate charge
distribution in conductors and insulators.
● Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to identify the factors (e.g.,
the distance between objects, the magnetic force produced by an electromagnet with
the varying number of wire turns, varying number or size of dry cells, and varying
size of iron core) that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.

Computer Science: (Georgia Department of Education, 2023b)

● The student will be able to use technology resources to increase self-direction and
self-regulation in learning, including problem-solving and collaboration.
● The student will be able to recognize that there may be multiple approaches to
solving a problem.
● The student will be able to approach problem-solving iteratively, using a cyclical
process.
● The student will be able to utilize computational thinking to solve problems.
● The student will be able to use online resources to participate in collaborative
activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products.

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 ** These objectives are directly connected to the Georgia Standards of Excellence for
Science and Computer Science. **

III. In what ways is this project an example of exemplary technological integration?

While this grant may seem to oppose technological integration, it is very much
connected. For instance, the TPACK model for technology integration notates that
pedagogical, content, and technical knowledge should work together seamlessly for the best
outcomes in a classroom. Koehler and Mishra state that good technology teaching needs all
three core components: content, pedagogy, technology, and the relationships among and
between them (2009). The lab uses pedagogic knowledge, understanding that students
need multiple ways to learn, and kinesthetic learning is at the forefront of science labs. The
8th-grade educators will create high-quality, standards-focused labs using their content
knowledge while ensuring the use of computer technology programs and some of our most
essential technologies, such as calculators and thermometers.
Labs also help students develop essential skills for computer science. Labs require critical
thinking, problem-solving communication, collaboration, and attention to detail. Finally, labs
are done in sequences or steps, like understanding and following algorithms. These skills are
part of the Georgia Computer Science Standards domains and are addressed indirectly with
lab instruction.

IV. How will you complete the work?

A. Describe how the instructional objectives/project outcomes will be met.

Each science objective listed above has a lab associated with it. Some labs will address
more than one science standard at a time. An example would be the Ice Cream Lab. This
lab will address physical and chemical properties as well as heat transfer. Students will
create ice cream using rock salt, one of the materials sent home in the kit that most
parents would not go out and get on their own. The labs will address the standards by
students exploring and investigating like they would be able to do in a brick-and-mortar
classroom, but they will be able to complete these labs at home. For instance, the objective
“Students will be able to construct an explanation using Newton’s Laws of Motion to
describe the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object” will be
met with lab materials from the packet. The lab kit will include balloons, cardboard, and
straws. These materials and a few basic household supplies will allow the students to
construct a Newton’s Scooter, displaying Newton’s 3rd law referencing balanced and
unbalanced forces. They must draw a diagram that labels the forces, the direction of the
forces, and how it affects their scooter. They will demonstrate mastery of that standard by
completing the lab summaries and questions connected to the lab.
The computer science objectives will be met indirectly throughout the entire lab
process. The labs will require the students to research online to formulate an informed
hypothesis. Many of the labs will lead the students through multiple ways of achieving the

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 result or solving problems. For example, when creating electromagnets, they will see
various ways to attach the battery or wrap the coil. They will go through trial and error in
many of the labs. For example, they will find different ways to protect their hands from the
cold while making ice cream. The scientific method is a cyclical process, like most computer
programming. They will use online collaboration tools such as Google Docs and Slides to
communicate and collaborate their results with their peers.
As we see, even hands-on, low-tech approaches can help students master technology.
The bases of computer technology can be taught without traditional technology. I aim to
use the engineering design process and scientific methods to help students master
computer science fundamentals.

B. Describe the time involved.

● The project will be done year-round. The lab kits will include at least 1 set of lab
materials per the five 8th-grade science domains. Each lab will take students between
2-5 days to complete. The labs will be done during class time with their science teacher.

● Teachers will need 10 hours of preplanning (5 hours each semester, spread out over 2-3
days) to create labs, build the kits, and prepare them for mailing.

C. Describe the people involved.

This grant is focused on 8th-grade science students. 8th Grade is the Milestone tested for
science in middle school, so we want to ensure they meet all standards. There are eight
8th-grade teachers at Georgia Cyber Academy, with roughly 125 students per teacher. We
will create 1050 kits.

D. Describe any professional development you or others will complete before implementing
the grant.

The 8th-grade science team will participate in professional development, focusing on

proper lab design and implementation for middle-grade students. Ideally, we want to
ensure all 8th-grade teachers have materials and adequate implementation of labs to
ensure students get the most out of the experience.

E. Describe the materials needed for the project.

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 I broke down each science objective and the materials needed for each lab. This shows the
materials needed and how the lab will benefit our students. This benefit comes by having
kits ready for them to go will allow all students to participate, no matter their home
situation.

● Ice Cream Lab: Rock salt, Ziplock bags, Thermometer

o Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to compare and
contrast matter's chemical and physical properties.
o Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations on the effects of
heat transfer on molecular motion as it relates to the collision of atoms.
● Newton’s Scooter: Balloons, Straws
o Students will be able to construct an explanation using Newton’s Laws of
Motion to describe the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the
motion of an object.
● Balloon and Ball Lab: Balloons, Balls
o Students will be able to plan and carry out an investigation to explain the
transformation between kinetic and potential energy within a system.
● Lenses Lab: Convex Lenses, Concave Lenses
o Students will be able to develop and use models to demonstrate the lenses’
effects on light and their possible technological applications.
● Build and Electromagnet Lab: D Size Battery, Wire, Paper Clips, Iron Nail
o Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to demonstrate
charge distribution in conductors and insulators.
o Students will be able to plan and carry out investigations to identify the
factors (e.g., the distance between objects, the magnetic force produced by an
electromagnet with the varying number of wire turns, varying number or size
of dry cells, and varying size of iron core) that affect the strength of electric
and magnetic forces.

V. How will you assess accomplishments and objectives/project outcomes?

The timeline for assessing the accomplishments of this grant will happen intermittently
throughout the entire school year and at the end of the school year when we review our
milestone end-of-grade tests for 8th-grade science. For instance, we can immediately see
that outcome when students take their quizzes and unit tests associated with the lab. We
can also determine the outcome more significantly with interim assessments, which happen
four times throughout the school year and with the end-of-the-year milestone test. We will
compare the previous year's growth for the formative and summative assessments
mentioned above. If we see an increase in all the above assessments, that would be one
way to determine the success of the lab kit program.

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 We will also evaluate the success of computer science standard achievement with
surveys given to the students after each lab. The timeline for determining the success will be
after each lab, after each interim assessment, and once we receive milestone results.

V. How will the students be impacted by the project (In 1-2 paragraphs, describe how the
impact on students will be assessed and reported to students, parents, teachers, and
others.)?

Teacher, parent, and student impact will be accessed with surveys. Students will
complete the surveys at the end of each lab, teachers will complete the surveys at the end
of each semester, and parents will complete the study at the end of the school year. Student
engagement will also be evaluated based on completed assignments from the students
compared to virtual lab completed tasks. If the hands-on lab has a higher completion rate
than the online virtual labs we give throughout the year, that will also help determine the
program’s success.

VI. What is the proposed budget?

A. Materials/supplies
● Mailing and Packing Supplies: Bubble Mail Pouches, Labels
● Ice Cream Lab: Rock salt, Ziplock bags
● Newton’s Scooter: Balloons, Straws
● Balloon and Ball Lab: Balloons, Balls
● Lenses Lab: Convex Lenses, Concave Lenses
● Build and Electromagnet Lab: D Size Battery, Wire, Paper Clips, Iron Nail.

B. Equipment: None

C. Total Cost of Proposed Project: $7,486 (add 514 for room) For an even $8,000.

Item Cost Number Needed Total

Professional Development $75.00 8 $600.00

Mail Pouches $0.45 1100 $495.00
Labels $0.05 1100 $55.00
Rock Salt $0.90 1100 $990.00
Ziplock Bags $0.17 2200 $374.00
Balloons $0.12 4400 $528.00
Straws $0.03 2200 $66.00
Balls $0.40 1100 $440.00

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 Concave Lens $0.80 1100 $880.00
Convex Lens $1.90 1100 $2,090.00
Size D Battery $0.46 1100 $506.00
Wire $0.05 2200 $110.00
Paper Clips $0.05 4400 $220.00
Iron Nail $0.12 1100 $132.00

D. Additional Funding Sources: We will ask parents for 5 dollars for a science lab kit and ask if
they can sponsor a kit for a fellow student if possible. We will use the grant funds to cover anything
over the parent fundraiser.

VII. List your supporting references.

References

Ekwueme, C., Ekon, E., & Ezenwa-Nebife, D. (2015). The impact of hands-on-approach on student

academic performance in basic science and mathematics. Higher Education Studies, 5(6).

https://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v5n6p47

Georgia Department of Education. (2023a). Computer science Georgia standards of excellence (GSE)

6-8. Www.georgiastandards.org.

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Computer-Science-6-8.aspx

Georgia Department of Education. (2023b). Grade 8 - science Georgia standards of excellence (GSE).

Www.georgiastandards.org.

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/Science-Grade-8.aspx

Koehler, M., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)?

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60–70.

http://www.learntechlib.org/p/29544/

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