Context
This fall I will start my fourth year of teaching secondary English and journalism in Berkley, Michigan. Berkley has approximately 1,250 students and has been named one of “America’s Top High Schools” by Newsweek every year since 2008. According to the school website, we offer 21 advanced placement courses and we have an 81% acceptance rate to the University of Michigan. Berkley is a relatively affluent district in the suburbs of Detroit with a large percentage of Caucasian students that, in recent years, has become more diverse in its student population to include a growing number of African American students. It has grown to be very diverse racially, religiously and socioeconomically. According to the district website, the average student to teacher ratio is 18 to 1, with students 14-18 years of age, who range in various ability levels. The class schedule is comprised of six course hours, each class running for 61 minutes.
In my own classroom, I have the affordance of two white boards, my own desktop computer, a computer on a cart with an Elmo and projector, VHS/DVD player, and Internet connection. In my journalism classroom there are approximately 30 desktop computers for 1 to 1 learning and a TV with a non-working VHS player. Three computer labs plus the Library Media Center are available for student use within the school which is regulated by a Google doc sign-up schedule. Although Berkley has been known for providing comprehensive educational opportunities, there are still constraints that limit student learning and growth. Though a majority of students have personal devices (such as iPods, iPhones, smartphones, personal laptops, and iPads), the technological tools available in the school are limited. Aside from classroom single computer carts and 1 iPad per teacher, the computer labs have approximately 20-30 PCs of various degrees of functionality (some keyboards don’t work while others have problems with computer mice). This also goes for the functionality of the computers in my journalism classroom (the newsroom). The Internet connection, though typically reliable, can become overloaded and create slow connections. Other times, students have difficulties logging in. In addition, students have access to an online catalog and databases, as well as a wide array of websites, including YouTube, with blocks on certain social media sites such as Facebook. Taking into account the financial situations of other districts nearby, Berkley is fortunate to have the affordances it does; however, in the grand scheme of capitalizing on the possibilities new technologies can provide, there is room for improvement.
In the fall, my newspaper class will be growing by 8 students, from 16 to 24. My computer lab is already crowded, and I will now have less students to use as resources for teaching. For purposes of this grant proposal, I will focus on my journalism/Newspaper course, and how having the opportunity to teach in an environment with more working computers and a ceiling-mounted projector, has the potential to positively influence student learning within the context of my journalism class and thus the production of the school newspaper.
In my own classroom, I have the affordance of two white boards, my own desktop computer, a computer on a cart with an Elmo and projector, VHS/DVD player, and Internet connection. In my journalism classroom there are approximately 30 desktop computers for 1 to 1 learning and a TV with a non-working VHS player. Three computer labs plus the Library Media Center are available for student use within the school which is regulated by a Google doc sign-up schedule. Although Berkley has been known for providing comprehensive educational opportunities, there are still constraints that limit student learning and growth. Though a majority of students have personal devices (such as iPods, iPhones, smartphones, personal laptops, and iPads), the technological tools available in the school are limited. Aside from classroom single computer carts and 1 iPad per teacher, the computer labs have approximately 20-30 PCs of various degrees of functionality (some keyboards don’t work while others have problems with computer mice). This also goes for the functionality of the computers in my journalism classroom (the newsroom). The Internet connection, though typically reliable, can become overloaded and create slow connections. Other times, students have difficulties logging in. In addition, students have access to an online catalog and databases, as well as a wide array of websites, including YouTube, with blocks on certain social media sites such as Facebook. Taking into account the financial situations of other districts nearby, Berkley is fortunate to have the affordances it does; however, in the grand scheme of capitalizing on the possibilities new technologies can provide, there is room for improvement.
In the fall, my newspaper class will be growing by 8 students, from 16 to 24. My computer lab is already crowded, and I will now have less students to use as resources for teaching. For purposes of this grant proposal, I will focus on my journalism/Newspaper course, and how having the opportunity to teach in an environment with more working computers and a ceiling-mounted projector, has the potential to positively influence student learning within the context of my journalism class and thus the production of the school newspaper.