2008-09 Final Expenditure Reports

Grant Information

Setting the Stage

Grant recipients will receive funding to purchase technology equipment, infrastructure, and support as delineated under Funding; however, the purposes of the Classrooms for the Future program are not to support technology acquisition but to foster 21^st Century teaching and learning. 

Therefore, grant recipients are required to commit to the following:

• Administrators and teachers involved in or impacted by Classrooms for the Future will -
  
• Participate in vendor sponsored Classrooms for the Future hands-on professional development opportunities.
  
• Participate in a minimum of 30 hours per year of additional professional development on PDE-mandated content through the “21^st Century Teaching and Learning” Series Courses, a job-embedded on-line and face to face program deployed at the participating school level.
  
• Use their professional development experiences to integrate the technology appropriately into their practices.
  
• Teachers commit to adopting practices that regularly integrate technology with teaching and learning.
• Principals commit to -
• participating in a mandatory pre-grant seminar on the leadership and support necessary to implement and sustain systemic change in instructional practices expected in all Classrooms for the Future schools,
• adopting technology-integrated program management practices where appropriate, and
• ensuring the commitment and endorsement of all Classrooms for the Future teachers.
• Administrators commit to –
• PDE sponsored administrative professional development opportunities.
  
• Provide the Classrooms for the Future Coach release time and frequent access to classrooms in session and work with the Coach to identify and address need.
  
• Serve as Classrooms for the Future models and champion technology-enabled reform.
  
• Participate in program evaluations.
  
• The high school or AVTS/CTC will –
  
• Promote student participation in programs that showcase technology skills such as the statewide Student Computer Fair.
  
• Create a student program(s) for coaching and mentorship or technical assistance if one does not exist.
  
• Create a teacher program(s) for coaching and mentorship if one does not exist.
  
• Support Classrooms for the Future technology.
  
• Participate in the annual PaTI survey.
  
• Participate in program evaluations.
  
• Identify and submit for consideration a candidate for Keystone: Technology Integrator if one does not exist in the school.  This person will be encouraged to support Classrooms for the Future activities.
  
• The local education agency will –
  
• Facilitate professional development opportunities supporting 21^st Century teaching and learning.
  
• Provide release time for all relevant professional development opportunities.
  
• Work with a Classrooms for the Future Coach.
  
• Support Classrooms for the Future technology.
  
• Maintain Policies and Procedures that support Classrooms for the Future, including an Acceptable Use Policy.
  
• Maintain a PDE-approved technology plan.
  
• Participate in the annual PaTI survey.
  
• Participate in program evaluations.
  
• Seek partnerships and opportunities to support 21^st Century education beyond Classrooms for the Future.

To aid you as you create and implement Classrooms for the Future , the Department will provide the following:

• Funding to acquire technology, infrastructure, and support for each core subject (English, math, science, social studies) high school level classroom.
  

• Online and hands-on professional development for administrators and educators.
  

• Partial funding for a  Classrooms for the Future Coach to guide technical needs assessments and strategic recommendations, identification of appropriate instructional and administrative technologies, and the delivery of local hands-on relevant professional development.
  

• Districts are encouraged to identify a person who might apply as a coach and have them submit a cover letter and resume as part of the grant application.  Please encourage anyone interested in being a coach to submit their resume and cover letter to ra-c4f@state.pa.us  (You may do this as soon as you apply for the grant).
  

• Classrooms for the Future Instructional Coach

• PDE will also be scheduling informational webinars (web-based seminars) throughout the program. 

The PDE has contracted with Learning Sciences International to design job-embedded on-line courses to be offered with each school’s CFF teacher cadre.  Each core curriculum teacher in a classroom equipped as a Classrooms for the Future classroom is required to participate in a 30 hour course each year the LEA is receiving CFF funding. 

Local facilitators will be trained to offer the free courses in each school. 

The course series, 21^st Century Teaching and Learning courses include:

The Need for Change – required

Authentic Teaching and Learning (in the Math, English, Science and Social Studies classroom) – required

Inquiry-based Learning (in the Math, English, Science and Social Studies classroom) – optional (teachers may test out)

Differentiated Instruction (in the Math, English, Science and Social Studies classroom) – optional (teachers may test out)

Project-based Learning (in the Math, English, Science and Social Studies classroom) – optional (teachers may test out)

Schools may extend the professional development courses beyond the grant funding period.