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).

Downloading educational apps

 Explanation of apps purposes and benefits (teachers who know of effective

applications can share during this time as well)

Explanation of how to navigate the apps

Main menu

How to access different features

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

Explanation of role(s)

Demonstration of how to properly track success and effectiveness

Identification of the aids they should give their teachers

Identification of resources that they will have at their disposal

Identification of their go-to person in case of an issue.

Training on implementation (Goal 3)

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 of the professional development activities can be found below.

Day 1; Part 1: How to Use the iPad Applications

8:00 - 8:30 Downloading applications Goal 1

8:30- 9:30 Navigating to the applications Goal 1

Applications purposes and benefits

Day 1; Part 2: Classroom Implementation

10:00-10:45 Prerequisites needed before classroom implementation Goal 3

10:45-11:45 Demonstration of model lessons 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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Employees who attend will be paid a stipend $27,900 for 155 participants
Stipend because this professional development will for 5 hours (for both days)
take place before their contracted days for the $36/hour per participant
school year begin.

Hired University The county will bring in two individuals from Dr. Joy: $200.00/day
Personnel the university. Dr. Joy specializes in Dr. John: $150.00/day
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.

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 $137.97 for 3 boxes of
PowerPoint presentation for teachers to take paper
notes and other helpful handouts, including $45.99/box of paper (10
list of applications. reams/5000 sheets)

From Notepad to This is a textbook that will be provided to $909.60 for 24 textbooks
iPad: Using Apps every grade level, including the enrichment $37.90/textbook
and Web Tools to courses (art, music, etcetera), at the schools in
Engage a New the county (two elementary, one middle, and
Generation of one high school). The middle school will
Students 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.

Applications

Kahoot Kahoot is an instant response app used in Free

class to help prepare for test and increase
student engagement

StudyBlue StudyBlue is a app that is used to help Free

students study (online flashcard)

ClassDojo ClassDojo is the easiest way for teachers to Free

encourage students, and share their best
moments with parents

Khan Academy A free online website and app that gives free Free
tutoring and practice questions in for all types
of math.

StoryBird Ability to create online books that can then be Free

used in the classroom

USATest Prep Integrates diagnostic assessments, $3420.00

individualized learning, and classroom Includes licenses for every
support to meet the specific needs of your subject in every grade
students.

Edmodo Edmodo is an application/website that is used $10,000

so that parents, teachers, and students can $2,500/school
communicate. Edmodo can also be used to
 assign assessments as well as have online
discussions.

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

iPad usage survey questions (this survey will be conducted using Google Forms)

Question 1: What Grade do you teach?

Question 2: Do your students use iPads in your classroom?

Yes

No

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

 Name some iPad applications you use within your classroom. If not applicable, put in

N/A in space provided.

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)

This professional development was very helpful

This professional development was very informative.

This professional developments content was relevant to my teaching strategies and

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.