StudySync App

SED 464 Signature Assignments

Daphne Kiroy
Classroom Technology Grant Proposal: StudySync App
Innovation in Classroom Technology Integration (ICTI) Grant

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Abstract:
The objective of this grant proposal is to implement the technology tool StudySync
app into my classroom for both innovation and educational purposes. This new app has been
on the market for awhile now and the reviews emphasized that students improve their reading
and writing skills after using it. This educational app is sponsored by the company McGrawHill Education and is used throughout school campuses across the country. The goal of
implementing this technology tool is help strengthen the students writing, research and
reading skills in the classroom. Research was conducted exclusively and thoroughly for this
new app StudySync. I took in consideration the pros and cons of using this app in the
classroom. The pros outweighed the cons for this app so therefore this app will be used during
class for learning purposes and activities. The significance of using this educational app is to
increase knowledge and academic skills of students in the classroom.
School Environment:
The city of Yuma, Arizona is considered a community full of diverse cultures; such as
Latino, Caucasian, African American, Native American, Asian culture and etc. Personnel from
different social and cultural background interact with each other on a day to day basis. There
is a huge community of military personal with their family in the city. There is a huge MarineAir force Base that is located on the outskirts of the city. Yuma is considered as a city of
agriculture because it is surrounded with fields and the biggest employer in the city
employs field workers. However, the city of Yuma has the lowest employment rate in the
whole county of the United States. Within the city, there is a middle school called Gila Vista
Junior High School. The area that surrounds Gila Vista Junior High School has restaurants, a

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city park, a community pool, gas station, homes, apartment complexes; a small convenience
store, a tire shop and both a preschool and elementary school. The roads surrounding the area
are pretty tight and the speed limit is quite concerning since students jaywalk, and the traffic
is hectic. The community that surrounds the area is very diverse when it pertains to the
financial status and culture of its people.

The community that surrounds Gila Vista Junior High School is considered a low
income community or a poor community. When people look at the surrounding community,
they automatically assume the social class is between low and middle working class. The
houses and apartment complexes in the community look older compared to other residences in
Yuma, Arizona. Most of the people that live in the community work in a low wage job and
living on paycheck to paycheck. Most of them are field workers who wake up at 4am every
morning to go work at the fields picking up and cutting lettuce. However, they also work as
cashiers at brand retail or gas stations, and etc. Many of the workers that I mentioned are
parents that enroll their children in Gila Vista Junior High School.

The school Gila Vista Junior High School falls under the district called Yuma
Elementary School District. This school district has high expectations for each of their school
to succeed in teaching students reach their full potential both academically and in life. The
Yuma Elementary School District is the largest school district in the category of elementary in
the whole city of Yuma. This school district has 12 elementary schools, 1 online school and 3
junior high schools. There are over 8,000 students that fall between the grade of kindergarten
and eighth grade. Beside the students, there are 1, 3000 personal working at the schools. The

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school district is enriched with students and staff members that come with a variety of
cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

The school is a normal sized school with a black fence surrounding the entire campus.
They have buildings on both sides of the school that are designated for the students. On the
right side of the school, they have a building solely for 6th and 7th graders to attend their
content courses. On the left side of the school, there is the 8th grade building solely for 8th
graders and their subject courses. The 8th grade building also has the Special Education class,
Art classes, and Band class. In the center of the school, they have the school library, gym,
schools main office, and the cafeteria. The school itself is considered a low income school
because most the students attending it come from a low income family. Although, the school
has that label, they still preserve their status quo as a performing school. The schools
number one priority is the students education and meeting their educational needs. This is a
technology infused school where environment is heavily reliant on technology. So most of the
curriculum is technology integrated and the students are taught the subject content by using
their ipads.

The classroom is a normal sized room with decorative classroom poster that displays the
rules, procedures and Arizona state standards. There are six long tables placed vertically in the
middle of classroom with two chairs on each side of the table. There is a cart full of laptops
pushed onto the classroom wall for students to use if they forgot to bring their iPad, their iPad
is broken, or they forgot to charge it. The teachers desk is tilted in the corner so I can see the
whole classroom and my personal bookshelf is next to it. The personal bookshelf has my

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resource books for teaching the English content, classroom management, and etc. I have these
books close to me so I can look back on them as a refresher. There are two trash cans that
are placed on opposite sides of the classroom. Above the trash can that is placed in the back of
the room there is a pencil sharpener. The white board and promethean board are in front of the
classroom along with a small desk that has the projector on it. The filing cabinets are in the
back corner of the classroom next to the material center and bookshelf. Since this is an
English course, the bookshelf has personal books that I have collected throughout the years
that students are allowed to check out. The material center is placed next to the bookshelf
because these two areas is considered the area where you will see students constantly.

The students in my English classroom are eighth graders. Most of the students in class
come from a low income family. Each student has their own individual iPad which they are
responsible for on and off school campus. Every student comes from a different social and
cultural background from their peers. Their educational needs vary from student to student
and I address those educational needs to the best of my teaching abilities. Not only are their
educational needs different, but they each have their own individual learning styles that is
different from their classmates.

Introduction.
This technology app is a necessity for each school in the whole district. This new app
can be used by several teachers from different content subjects. Since this app main focus is

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on enhancing reading and writing skills, we should definitely incorporate this into our
classroom. There are only benefits when using this app to both the teacher and student alike.
The school and the school district will see a rise on reading, writing, math and science scores
because teachers are using the StudySync app into their curriculum. It is an app that will help
current and future students all over the schools under Yuma Elementary School District.

There is an endless amount of project-based learning activities that the students can do
by using this app. When it comes to doing project-based learning activities using the
StudySync app in an English classroom, the possibilities are endless. I can assign either
individual or group projects that the students can do using the app. For example, an individual
learning activity using the app can be for the student to do silent reading for 15 minutes.
However if I want to turn that activity into a collaboration project, I will make them share
what novel they are reading from the StudySync app to their partner. Most importantly, this
app can be used and applied to other subject courses. In a social studies class, the teacher can
assign the novel Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief for the students to read in their
StudySync app. The novel is about a teen named Percy Jackson and how he is the son of
Poseidon. This novel can be read in a social studies class because the book focuses on Greek
Mythology. For a science class, the students can log into their StudySync app and go to
StudySync Blast. StudySync Blast is where the entire current news article is located inside the
app. The science teacher assignment can be to look up a current event article that deals with
new technology, global warming, the ecosystem, and etc. The interesting part of using
StudySync Blast is that students can answer a question regarding the article after they are

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done reading; they have to give their opinion on the issue of the article. Due to all the reading
done in their other classes, they will enhance their critical thinking skills when it comes to
answering word problems in their Math class.

By using this app, the teacher can foster new ideas to enhance the students learning.
The teacher can come up with an array of literature focused assignments or writing
assignments for the students to do in class. Most importantly, teacher can come up with new
teaching methods integrating the StudySync app into their lessons. For example, an English
teacher is teaching about how verses are used in poetry. She can make the students go to the
StudySync app and look up different types of poems produced by William Shakespeare. The
students can also use this app for a school project for another class that is not English. For
example, the students have to create a project for their science class and the assignment is to
create a tool that can help society. A student can go to StudySync Blast and read articles
based on technology for inspiration.

The current amount of students that will be impacted during its trial run of this new
app can vary. My classroom can be the guinea pig for the whole district to see how I will
implement it into my lesson plans, curriculum and teaching. Additionally, the district will
want to see how the students react to this new app and most importantly, if this app is capable
of being used in any regular classroom. If the StudySync app does get the approval from the
district then it will impact current and future students. However, the impact will be positive

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because their reading comprehension, reading and writing skills, along with critical thinking
skills , will improve greatly.

The StudySyync app will impact the student learning tremendously. Obviously, the
students reading and writing skills will improve greatly. Not only that, the students reading
comprehension and critical thinking skills will be enhanced due to all the reading, thinking
and writing that they are doing when they use the app. Additionally, the skills that they use to
find out a meaning of a word in a text, context clues, will also strengthen. Students will be
engaged in their reading and activities because they will want to know what happens next in
the novel. I will assign a packet with questions concerning the novel and I will make them
stop reading at a cliffhanger to answer the questions. Since they will be overwhelmed with
wanting to know more, or in this case read more, their urge to learn will increase. We need to
encourage and engage students in a manner where they want learn more, or in this case, to see
what happens next.
My name is Daphne Kiroy and I am an English teacher for Gila Vista Jr. High School.
I have been teaching for one year now at this school. Before I became a teacher for this
school, I was studying at Arizona State University to get my Bachelors Degree in Secondary
Education (English). I was in the Arizona State University iTeach Program where I did two
years of internship with my Mentor Teachers. Before I was in the ASU iTeach program, I was
attended and graduated from Arizona Western College with two Associates in Secondary
Education and English. During my freshmen year at AWC, I as personal tutor for a familys
friend whose daughter was an English Language Learner. I would help her with her Science,

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Math, Social Studies, and English homework. Afterwards, I would give mini English lessons
to her so she could practice her English at home with me.
My philosophy when it comes to the teaching profession is very simple; my
philosophy is that teachers teach students as students teach teachers. This is a profession
where the teacher is learning alongside with the student. Even though we are the educators
giving lessons on our content, we can still learn something new from our students. This is a
profession where the teacher can grow alongside the students both in the profession and
personally. I strongly believe that students do learn through project-based learning. They have
the chance to use their critical thinking skills, mind and hand/motor skills to learn and create
something new. Additionally, collaboration-based projects help students learn how to use their
social skills for communication, work on their teamwork skills, use critical thinking to solve
problems and etc. My experience with integrating technology into the classroom has been
beneficial and stressful. The benefit of having technology integrated into our curriculum is
that we can use a variety of apps everyday to enhance their learning and they can practice that
at home with their iPad. The stressful part of integrating technology into our classroom is that
sometimes the technology is not working and we can not be using it at moment.

Project Narrative.
Need for this app

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It is a necessity that this new app is implemented as soon as possible throughout all the
schools in the district. Most importantly, StudySync app stays after its trial period and will
be used in the long run. When it comes to the reading scores of the students, their reading
comprehension and reading skills will improved by a whole lot. If we do not implement this
new app to the classroom, we are saying that we are comfortable with our students current
reading and writing scores of meets and approaches. As educators, we should strive for
our students to score in Exceeds for their reading and writing scores. That reading score of
meets is not enough to help the student outside in the real world. We want our students to be
excelling in reading to the point that they can read and understand legal documents and forms
as adults. It is crucial that they know what are the terms and conditions of a legal document
or read the fine print on a form because they should know what they are getting themselves
into. They should know how to write a properly and the score of meets or approaches is
not proper writing. So not only does this app help them excel academically, but outside in the
real world as well.
Project Impact
Student impact
The StudySync app will impact the current and future students both academically and
personally. This new project will impact about 400 current students if it is approved by the
district and in 2 to 3 years, the project will impact over 500 children. Academically, the
students will improve tremendously in their reading and comprehension skills, critical
thinking, and writing skills. By having a huge array of novels in their own personal library,
they can read at their own pace and leisure outside the classroom. By having students read on
there own, they are practicing and improving their reading and comprehension skills. Reading

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is an essential part of living because we read every single day for absolutely everything in our
life. For example, students need to be literate to know that a stop sign says Stop. If they can
not read a simple stop sign then there is no doubt in my mind that they will be in a car crash
or cause a car crash.
Teacher Impact
The StudySync app will help both current and future teachers in the classroom.
Having this app will make our teacher workload less demanding. As an English teacher, I
will stress over students not bringing their book to class to read. Now, they will have no
excuse that their book is at home because it is on their app StudySync. As teachers, we can
come up with more fun and educational activities to do in class. These activities can be either
an individual project or group projects. We can assign more reading activities in the classroom
that can help the students learning. Furthermore, there can be days when the whole class does
silent reading; we can catch up on grading papers and homework. Depending on the teacher
and subject, this app will impact them in their own beneficial way.
Community Impact
This app will also impact the community in several ways. By having the students read
constantly to enhance their skills, they will become literate. There are people in the United
States that are illiterate to the point that they do not know how to read a stop sign. Imagine a
community where most drivers did not know how to read signs; there will be constant car
accidents because they do not know that the sign said Yield. Most importantly, some of the
students parents do not know how to speak English much less read in the English language.

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By having the students be able to read English, they can help their parents when it comes to
reading simple documents, ordering food from the menu or even stating the steps of a recipe.
Learning Goals and Outcomes
The learning goals and outcomes for this app, StudySync, for a English teacher is for
the students to improve their reading and comprehension skills, writing and critical thinking
skills. I especially want them to enhance their reading skills because our nation is ranked low
in the subject of reading compared to other countries. Additionally, I want the student
outcome to be aligned with Arizona State Standards. For example, when it comes to reading, I
want them to be able to do the state standard (8.RL.1) when it comes to citing textual
evidence. I want them to be able to show me proof from the text so they are not wrong.
Description of Project-Based Learning Unit
Activities
Some of the activities that can be done in an English class with this app are silent
reading, research paper or projects, different kinds of essays, and group projects. It really
depends on the subject and content that is being taught and how the teacher wants to do use
the app in their classroom. For example, I can assign a research paper for the whole class to
do. They will log into the app and go to StudySync Blast. They will have to find a news
article that is current and do some research on that issue. I can turn this research paper into a
group project by asking student to group up, pick a current global issue and find an article on
it through StudySync Blast.

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Assessment
There are several ways that the student using the app can be assessed to see if they are
truly learning. StudySync Blasts already lets you know what they learned from the article and
what their personal opinion is pertaining to the article when they answer the question. As a
teacher, you can make your own assignment and rubric that can pertain to a novel or article
that everyone read in class. For example, a student has to do a mini essay based on some
questions that are written on the board. The rubric can have the elements of FAME for that
assignment. The student can get the grade Exceeds if they answered all the questions
correctly, his sentences are correctly written; correct spelling and punctuation, and organized
essay format. For the student to get an Approachs grade they would have to miss one or
two questions, his sentences are correctly written, and bit disorganized essay format. If he
wants a Meet grade then he would have to miss half of the questions, incorrect sentence
format, correct spelling and punctuation, and organized essay format. If the student wants to
achieve a Falls Below grade, then he would have to get all the questions wrong, no sentence
structure, no spelling and punctuation, and the essay format is disorganized and horrible.
There are other forms of assessing them besides writing an essay but it depends on the subject
being taught and the teacher.
Technology Support
Since this is a technology infused school, there will be experts that can support us
in time of need. There are people already on school campus that there sole job is tech
support; which they try to fix anything technology problems. So, I do not have to worry
about having problems and having no one to help me solve them; tech support will be there

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to lend a helping hand. So even if a students iPad is broken, they can still access this app
through a computer. So it is impossible for a student not to use this app since it is available
both in handheld devices and computer.
Sustaining the Project after Proposal Period
Even after the proposal period has ended, I will still advise my student to go into
StudySync and read any book that they want. I will encourage them not watch so much TV
and instead to read any book that is in there personal library. Not only does this still enhance
their reading and comprehension skills but it keeps their mind fresh and active during
school break. By encouraging them to read during break, they will come back with stronger
reading skills. They are benefitting themselves by constantly reading outside the classroom.
Innovation
To sum up this app StudySync, I will say that it innovate my students to become better
than they already were. Their reading skills and comprehension skills, writing and critical
thinking skills will exceed their previous scores and help them on future exams. There critical
thinkings skills will get stronger and this will help them in any Math class. The app will be
used in so many activities that it is hard to list all of them especially based on subject and
content. Every subject is different so the teacher will use the app to how they want to use to
and in way that will benefit their students. This is an app that helps the students grow in more
ways than ever thought it could.

Budget Table and Narrative

Grades
6 Grade
th

Type of Bundle
Student/Reading and

Years
6

Price
$108

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7th Grade
8th Grade
9th Grade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade

15
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle

Type of subscription
StudySync Student
Subsctiption
StudySync Student
Subsctiption
StudySync Student
Subsctiption

$108

$108

$108

$108

$108

$108

How Many Years

Price

$15

$42

$78

Amount of Students
500

How Many Years

1

500

500

Type of Subscription
StudySync Student
Subscription
StudySync Student
Subscription
Student/Reading and
Writing Companion
Bundle

Price
$7,500 per year
$21,000 for 3yrs
$54,000 for 6yrs

As I was going over the prices, subscription, terms and conditions, bundles and the years; I
would say that the best deal is the StudySync Student Subscription that lasts for 1 year. As
you can see from the table above for 500 students the cost of using StudySync Student

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Subscription costs around $7,500 per year. If we do the 3 year StudySync Student
Subscription then it will cost around $21,000. Having the three years StudySync Student
Subscription, I do see it benefiting the 6th grade students because the school does not have to
worry about renewing their subscription. However, what about the leftover year for the 6th
graders? What are they going to do with this app if it is not needed in high school? What
about the 7th and 8th graders? What about those students those that moved away? The school
does not need to be paying for their subscription after they graduate middle school or in
another school district. The school can cancel right the moment that they leave the school but
it will be a hassle trying to maintain record on who keeps their StudySync subscription and
who does not. That is why I personally believe to do the 1 year subscription for everyone. The
entire staff of teachers can agree on one day during the first week of school to install this app
for everyone to use.

Appendix
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=CustomizeTemplateDownloadFile&

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