2.+Narrative

Read and review at least one article in each of the three categories provided in Appendix F or locate research of your own and utilize the research and resources to develop: A brief overview of the applicant’s initial hopes for the impact of this 21st century grant on teaching and learning including: o Potential successes and challenges at the teacher and the student levels; o Potential organizational changes ; o Anticipated changes in student learning ; and o A narrative which includes how your school might prepare for, implement and support these 21st century skills and the use of technology to support teaching and learning and student achievement. If awarded the grant, teachers will apply new strategies, knowledge of integrating technology and 21st century skills, and develop action plans and a budget for Phase Two.

write here 2. Coaching other teachers to use new technology, more one on one. 3. School will prepare and implement the use of technology with valuable workshops 4. Potential success: improving student classroom behavior (including 9th grade) by further engaging them with technology. 5. Potential challenges:
 * 1. Changes in student learning**: Motivated students due to processing and analyzing information through modern technological tools. Many of our students never experience life outside of Youngstown. With interactive tools such as google earth and Skype, students will understand different societies and regions that textbooks can't reach or spark an interest.

updated on 3/25/10 East High School expectations for the impact for the 21st century grant are two-fold, to engage teachers and assist them into developing the necessary skills to integrate technology into the curriculum and to help ninth grade students to actively engage in learning to live and work in the 21st century as well as matriculate to the 10th grade and positioned on the course to successfully complete high school. There are a number of challenges that teachers must tackle to become a 21st century educator. First and foremost, Professional training is needed. If teachers are to be effective in teaching students the skills of tomorrow, they need professional development and support which includes innovative teaching approaches that integrate interactivity and engaging content that deals with the high cognitive demands of student-centered methods as well as training that focuses on integrating technology into the curriculum. Research has shown that the more professional development teachers received, the better prepared they report to use technology (**Cite source)** Well prepared teachers use technology more frequently. Collaboration is also a need for teachers of the 21st century. Teachers must be allowed greater collaboration among one another so they may have opportunities to share their expertise and engage teachers in a repetitive process of planning, execution, feedback/assessment and continued planning. Collaboration makes complex tasks manageable, stimulates new ideas, and promotes coherence in the curriculum. With the implementation of the 21st century grant and quality professional development, teachers will be able to plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology, and integrate curriculum plans that include methods and strategies to maximize student learning. Teachers will acquire the technological skills and knowledge that will be sustained beyond the end of the economic recovery package. Challenges at the student level for 21st century are overwhelming, however; the students in our district face two major challenges: 90% poverty rate which inhibits the access to computer and internet at home, and the lack of flexibility and adaptability of our students is an evident problem due to minimal experiences outside the confines of our school district. The anticipated changes in student learning will be able to accelerate achievement for low performing students’ by integrating technology to create technology rich-learning environments which will allow our students to acquire better communication and critical thinking skills. The students will obtain the necessary technological skills and knowledge to compete in a 21st century global economy. The accountability and ability to be self-directed will increase creativity and innovation for low performing students. The organizational changes of East High School will include student-centered classrooms that will lead teachers to become facilitators and co-learners with the students. Teachers can create a 21st century context that will allow students to make meaningful connections by making content relevant to students’ lives, bringing the world into the classroom, and taking students out into the world, and creating opportunities for students to interact with each other, and with teachers.


 * Make sure to add something about the theme of 9th grade and graduation rate in this section**

updated on 3/27/2010 2. NARRATIVE East High School expectations for the impact for the 21st century grant is two-fold, to engage teachers and assist them into developing the necessary skills to integrate technology into the curriculum and to help ninth grade students to actively engage in learning to live and work in the 21st century as well as matriculate to the 10th grade and positioned on the course to successfully complete high school. There are a number of challenges that teachers must tackle to become a 21st century educator. First and foremost, Professional training is needed. If teachers are to be effective in teaching students the skills of tomorrow, they need professional development and support which includes innovative teaching approaches that integrate interactivity and engaging content that deals with the high cognitive demands of student-centered methods as well as training that focuses on integrating technology into the curriculum. Research has showed that the more professional development teachers received, the better prepared they report to use technology. Well prepared teachers use technology more frequently. Collaboration is also a need for teachers of the 21st century. Teachers must be allowed greater collaboration among one another so they may have opportunities to share their expertise and engage teachers in a repetitive process of planning, execution, feedback/assessment and continued planning. Collaboration makes complex tasks manageable, stimulates new ideas, and promotes coherence in the curriculum. With the implementation of the 21st century grant and quality professional development, teachers will be able to plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology, and integrate curriculum plans that include methods and strategies to maximize student learning. Teachers will acquire the technological skills and knowledge that will be sustained beyond the end of the economic recovery package. Challenges at the student level for 21st century education are overwhelming. The students in our district face major challenges. A lot of students do not have access to computers and internet at home which limits their ability to access the global information highway. The poverty rate in our district is 90%, this alone impacts student learning. According to (Biddle, 2001, P.6) students living in poverty are more likely to fall behind their classmates in school, assigned to “lower tracks” in education, to be retain in grade, labeled as “problem” students, absent, truant, and drop out of school all together and overtime, to earn lower scores in standardized test in knowledge and achievement. The lack of flexibility and adaptability of our students is an evident problem due to minimal experiences outside the confines of our school district. Even though these challenges seem overwhelming they are not impossible to overcome. The anticipated changes in student learning is to accelerate achievement for our low performing student, especially our freshmen, by motivating them with 21st Century Skills that will create technology rich-learning environments. These environments will allow our students to acquire better communication and critical thinking skills. The students will obtain the necessary technological skills and knowledge to compete in a 21st century global community. The accountability and ability to be self-directed will also increase creativity and innovation for our students. The organizational changes of East High School will include student-centered classrooms that will lead teachers to become facilitators and co-learners with the students. Teachers can create a 21st century context that will allow students to make meaningful connections by making content relevant to their lives, bringing the world into the classroom, taking students out into the world, and creating opportunities for students to interact with one another, and with teachers.