Teachers in Boise, Eagle and Middleton are among 12 winners statewide in CenturyLink’s “Innovative Uses of Technology in Education” grant program, the State Department of Education announced Monday.
Borah High School students with severe to moderate cognitive disabilities and severe physical disabilities will be able to produce high quality signs, plaques, nametags and awards with the use of a Roland Desktop Engraver that teacher Neal Jareczek will purchase, along with software and accessories, using a $6,405 grant.
Seventh graders at Boise’s West Junior High School will take a virtual field trip of the National World War II Museum with a museum educator via $9,934 grant awarded to teacher Paige Somoza. The money will go to purchase the Pearl Harbor Virtual Tour program and a Tandberg 990 Video Conferencing System to help students gain a deeper understanding of Japanese and American motivations and actions during World War II.
Eagle Middle School teacher Karen Miller was awarded $5,940 to purchase 12 laptop computers to be used in eighth grade science labs. Students will use the laptops to carry out research, analyze it and share findings with other students.
Middleton Middle School teacher Sarah Thompson was awarded $9,995 to purchase 16 Lenovo ThinkPad Tablets with keyboard docks and software. Using these tablets to integrate multimedia activities is expected to help eighth grade literature students improve their skills in writing, critical thinking and presentation.
CenturyLink Idaho Vice President and General Manager, Jim Schmit and Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna presented the Treasure Valley teachers with their awards in their classrooms on Monday.
“These teachers know and understand the important role technology can play in the classroom to help individualize instruction and raise academic achievement for every student,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “I am grateful to CenturyLink for its continued commitment to Idaho’s teachers and students every year as they work to bring these innovative ideas to life and create the 21st Century Classroom in every school.”
More than 100 teachers applied for the grants, and 12 grants were awarded statewide, Schmit said.
