Got iPads; why not use them the right way?

Staff Development for Technology Assignment

Brittany Mikell, Jamila Colbert, and Shawn Davies
FRIT 7232
October 25, 2015

Abstract
Professional development is essential to the improvement of teaching practices,
especially in the always changing 21st century that we, this includes our students, are living in.
This grant proposal provides an insight on the technological needs of the teachers in SoSo
County; this county is a very small county located in the state of Georgia. This school district
consists two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school. The teachers of the
county demonstrated a need of incorporating iPads in lessons effectively. The main purpose of

this professional development project is to equip the teachers of this county with the appropriate
tools to make the transition of incorporating iPads in their lessons much easier. To make sure this
happens, we are going to provide teachers with iPad applications that they can use in the
classroom, establish iPad support teams, and provide helpful tips in incorporating iPads in your
lessons as well as demonstrate lessons that include using iPads. We believe that providing these
resources for each school in the district, will be very beneficial. By the end of this professional
development project, we would like all teachers to feel more comfortable and confident in using
iPads in the classroom.
Demonstrated Need
The teachers of SoSo County demonstrated the need of effectively using iPads within the
classroom setting. According to the poll information, 60% of teachers felt that they needed help
using iPads, 14% felt that they help using SmartBoards, and 26% felt that they needed help using
Web. 2.0 tools (refer to Appendix A). Also, teachers throughout SoSo County were informally
interviewed and asked the following question: What about iPads makes you not want to
incorporate them? Most of the teachers stated that they did not understand how to incorporate
them; they were unaware of different applications to use on the iPads. Some teachers stated that
they did not have time to incorporate iPads. Out of the teachers interviewed, twelve teachers
informed me that they were learning to incorporate iPads in their lesson; however, they were not
the greatest at doing so.
Goals and Objectives
1. By July 20, 2016, 100% of all teachers of Soso County will efficiently identify ways to use at
least four educational apps by acquiring the knowledge of tried, tested, and effective educational
apps that have been used within the classroom by participating in professional development to
make the utilization of iPads an easier transition.

2. By August 3, 2016, 100% of schools in the county will efficiently document and track the
progress and effectiveness of iPad use by creating an iPad support team at the schools so
administration can monitor the effectiveness of the deployment of iPads throughout the school.
3. By August 3, 2016, 100% of teachers in grades first through fifth will effectively incorporate
iPads in at least three lessons per week by clearly creating lesson plans that will encourage the
use of iPads so students, parents, and other teachers can realize how they can be utilized as an
instructional tool.
Plan of Operation
To achieve the goals listed above, professional development sessions will be held to provide
teachers and administrators the appropriate tools to incorporate iPads within the classroom
setting; these professional development sessions will be face-to-face meetings that will take
place in the high schools auditorium. Activities that will occur during these face-to-face
meetings are listed below.

Training of how to properly use the apps by actually using iPads during the professional
development (Goal 1).
o
Downloading educational apps
o
Explanation of apps purposes and benefits (teachers who know of effective
applications can share during this time as well)
o
Explanation of how to navigate the apps

Main menu

How to access different features

Training of each school's Ipad support teams (Goal 2)

o
Explanation of role(s)
o
Demonstration of how to properly track success and effectiveness
o
Identification of the aids they should give their teachers
o
Identification of resources that they will have at their disposal
o
Identification of their go-to person in case of an issue.
Training on implementation (Goal 3)
o Demonstration of to properly incorporate iPads into your lesson
Review of prerequisites
Demonstration of model lessons

Everything, including the actual professional development opportunity and the activities are
reflective of effective professional development because it is all based on the needs of the
teachers, schools, and school system. To provide effective instruction for our students, even if
they are adults, we must first focus on their needs; once, their needs have been identified, we can
provide the appropriate instruction. Also, we all, teachers, know that our students learn best by
doing; so, incorporating activities in which they can participate and manipulate things while they
are being taught would allow for effective instruction to take place. During this professional
development, it will be made clear to participants that implementation of iPads into lessons will
be an initiative that will constantly be monitored; I think that if teachers know that the project
will be long-term and not short term, they would want to invest more of their time and focus. I
believe the fact that we are going to make them aware that there will be technology teams to
progress monitor the usage of iPads within the school system, will show them that this is not an
initiative that will be taken lightly.
A schedule for the professional developments activities can be found below.
Day 1; Part 1: How to Use the iPad Applications
8:00 - 8:30

Downloading applications

8:30- 9:30

Navigating to the applications

Applications purposes and benefits

Goal 1
Goal 1

Day 1; Part 2: Classroom Implementation

10:00-10:45
10:45-11:45

Prerequisites needed before classroom implementation

Demonstration of model lessons

Goal 3
Goal 3

Day 2: Technology Team Training

8:00-8:20

Roles of the team

Goal 2

8:20-9:00

Tracking success and effectiveness

Goal 2

9:00-9:15

Aides for teachers

Goal 2

9:15-9:45

Available resources

Goal 2

9:45-10:00

Technical Support

Goal 2

Evaluation Plan
S.M.A.R.T Goal #1: By July 20, 2016, 100% of all teachers of Soso County will efficiently
identify ways to use at least four educational apps by acquiring the knowledge of tried, tested,
and effective educational apps that have been used within the classroom by participating in
professional development to make the utilization of iPads an easier transition.
o To pinpoint whether or not the professional development training changed their teaching
practices to incorporate iPads, an online survey, questioning their Ipad usage in the
classroom, will be sent to the educators of SoSo County before the professional
development. After the professional development, around the end of September, the same
survey will be sent out again.
o To identify whether the training was beneficial; a survey questioning their beliefs,
feelings, and thoughts about the professional development training will be given after the
two days of training.
o To identify if and how teachers are using iPads in classroom, observations and individual
interviews will be held before and after professional development.
S.M.A.R.T Goal #2: By August 3, 2016, 100% of schools in the county will efficiently document
and track the progress and effectiveness of iPad use by creating an iPad support team at the
schools so administration can monitor the effectiveness of the deployment of iPads throughout
the school.
o To make sure that Ipad Support team meetings are being conducted and that the
committee is completing their duties, observations will take place. During these

observations, we will check meeting minutes as well as tracking logs to see what
problems have been occurring.
o To make sure that these teams continue to follow protocol and are up-to-date with
resources, for these teams, continuous interviews and trainings will occur.
S.M.A.R.T. Goal #3: By August 3, 2016, 100% of teachers in grades first through fifth will
effectively incorporate iPads in at least three lessons per week by clearly creating lesson plans
that will encourage the use of iPads so students, parents, and other teachers can realize how they
can be utilized as an instructional tool.
o To make sure that teachers are incorporating iPads like they should, observations will
take place throughout the school year and lesson plans will be continuously monitored.
o Administration will be interviewed to identify whether or not they feel that the teachers in
their schools are incorporating iPads in an effective manner. Teachers will also be
interviewed about the ways they are incorporating iPads within their lessons.
Budget
Rationale

Budget

Participation
Stipend

Employees who attend will be paid a stipend

because this professional development will
take place before their contracted days for the
school year begin.

$27,900 for 155 participants

for 5 hours (for both days)
$36/hour per participant

Hired University
Personnel

The county will bring in two individuals from

the university. Dr. Joy specializes in
instructional technology; she will focus on the
different applications as well as how to
incorporate these applications in your lessons.
The other individual is a professor who
teaches in the educational field at Georgia
Southern; Dr. John was principal at a Long
Lily High school where he established a
Technology Professional Learning
Community team.

Dr. Joy: $200.00/day

Dr. John: $150.00/day

Snack

There will be a thirty-minute intermission

$600

during the professional development; during

this time, we would like to provide snacks
and drinks to our participants.
Equipment

For the professional development, teachers

will be encouraged to Bring Your Own iPad;
BOYI; however for the individuals who do
not have their own iPads, the county will
provide them.

There will be no cost for

iPads because 1,000 iPads
were provided to the county
via four previous grants

Paper

We will provide paper printouts of

PowerPoint presentation for teachers to take
notes and other helpful handouts, including
list of applications.

$137.97 for 3 boxes of

paper
$45.99/box of paper (10
reams/5000 sheets)

From Notepad to
iPad: Using Apps
and Web Tools to
Engage a New
Generation of
Students

This is a textbook that will be provided to

every grade level, including the enrichment
courses (art, music, etcetera), at the schools in
the county (two elementary, one middle, and
one high school). The middle school will
receive two for their enrichment courses and
the high school will receive three for their
enrichment courses due to fact these two
schools will have more enrichment teachers
than the elementary schools. This book
provides helpful tips on how implement the
technology, manage it, and use it successfully.

$909.60 for 24 textbooks

$37.90/textbook

Applications
Kahoot

Kahoot is an instant response app used in

class to help prepare for test and increase
student engagement

Free

StudyBlue

StudyBlue is a app that is used to help

students study (online flashcard)

Free

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is the easiest way for teachers to

encourage students, and share their best
moments with parents

Free

Khan Academy

A free online website and app that gives free

tutoring and practice questions in for all types
of math.

Free

StoryBird

Ability to create online books that can then be

used in the classroom

Free

USATest Prep

Integrates diagnostic assessments,

individualized learning, and classroom
support to meet the specific needs of your
students.

$3420.00
Includes licenses for every
subject in every grade

Edmodo

Edmodo is an application/website that is used

so that parents, teachers, and students can
communicate. Edmodo can also be used to
assign assessments as well as have online
discussions.

$10,000
$2,500/school

Total

$43,317.57

References
Dunne, K. (n.d.). Teachers as Learners: Elements of Effective Professional Development.
Retrieved from Teachers as Learners: Elements of Effective Professional Development

Appendix A
Raw Data from Survey

Appendix B
Evaluation Assessments
o iPad usage survey questions (this survey will be conducted using Google Forms)
o Question 1: What Grade do you teach?
o Question 2: Do your students use iPads in your classroom?
Yes
No
o Question 3: How many times a week do students use iPads in the classroom?
None
1-3
4-6
More than 6 times a week
o Name some iPad applications you use within your classroom. If not applicable, put in
N/A in space provided.
o Professional development questions (These questions will presented in a paper/pencil manner
after the second day of training; it will appear as a scale rating questionnaire. The ratings will
include strongly disagree, disagree, neither disagree or agree, agree, and strongly agree)
o This professional development was very helpful
o This professional development was very informative.
o This professional developments content was relevant to my teaching strategies and
o
o
o
o
o

beliefs.
I feel that I will be able to put what I learnt into practice.
This training met my expectations.
I will be able to apply the newly acquired knowledge.
The materials presented during the training were relevant and useful.
I was satisfied with this professional development.