Ledyard Education Advancement Foundation
Awarded Grants
2019 - 2020
Teacher Mini-Grants
“Lights! Camera! Action!”
Kathleen Smith, Melanie Cometa, and Zach Thomas - Ledyard High School
The music department and library will purchase a professional video camera to share. The camera would be stored in the new Media Recording Studio in the high school library. This room is for the LHS school community to use when creating video and audio projects for class. The camera would be used by the music department to film events for students to analyze, evaluate and learn from their performances. The new camera would be handheld to use outside with marching band and could be used with a tripod. The long-term benefits of viewing and evaluating musical performances, will give students the ability to reflect upon their work, in various forms, and to constructively find ways to improve throughout life. In addition, students will develop music appreciation skills as they hone their listening skills. In the library the camera will be used to teach about communicating information through media, in a variety of formats is an important skill for a future ready employment and in preparation for college. The ability to create media makes students better critical thinkers. Student’s become better at evaluating the media they consume every day when they learn the tools and tricks to create media. This critical thinking is an important life skill.
“Minitab for Statistics”
Sean Law - Ledyard High School
Minitab is a statistical analysis software that is used extensively in the real world at Fortune 500 companies and universities. It is a powerful tool for analyzing data and performing inferential testing. This software is also used by College Board to produce computer outputs for analysis as a part of the AP Exam. This will be used to enhance instruction in both AP Statistics and the Statistics Level 2 elective beyond just graphing calculators.
“Journalistic Publications Growth”
Claire Malavazos - Ledyard High School
Journalistic Publication students are in a unique position that their classwork and homework are published publicly. They are often assessed in real-time, with feedback to their articles from the school community and the town. The yearbook is a publication that people purchase, so their work has a permanence, not just as a memento from high school but as a piece of Ledyard history. Because of that, quality equipment gives students the tools to produce the best product that they can send out into the community. With better computers, they will be able to produce higher quality work.
The cameras will be helpful in documenting school and community events. While we live in an age of everyone carrying a camera around in their pockets, the quality of those images often leaves much to be desired. The cameras allow more conscious photography on the part of the students and more will be able to participate with more cameras. These images then are preserved for the students in both the Colonelnews, the yearbook, and promotions for the school. It gives the students a sense of responsibility and professionalism too, having the cameras around their necks as they cover events, providing them the practice of working as a professional.
“Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration in Real Time”
Kristen Montgomery - Ledyard High School
These sensors and the accompanying software will be used to explore three main concepts within biology (a required freshman course), diffusion, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration & fermentation. The sensors allow students to collect real data in real time rather than inferring using non quantitative data. These will improve student understanding of the concepts of photosynthesis, cellular respiration and diffusion through real-life, hands-on, real time data collection. PASCO provides video tutorials and ideas for incorporating these sensors into these units of study. Visualizing is key to understanding and much of what is taught in biology is difficult for students to visualize. Modeling is used to help students, but the use of real technology in the classroom is something that inspires students while also making it easier for them to grasp challenging concepts. These concepts relate directly to the life science disciplinary core ideas of NGSS, as well as the NGSS science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The use of technology in the classroom is a key aspect of NGSS and the modern classroom in general.
“Midi Keyboard Controllers for DAW (Digital Audio Workstations)”
Brian Sturm- Ledyard Middle School
External Midi Keyboard Controllers, which are USB bus powered, 25 key electronic keyboards used for entering pitch and rhythm into the audio software via a piano keyboard, will be integrated into digital music composing/editing and used as an extension to the curriculum which is currently in place at the middle school. Fundamentals of playing the piano keyboard will be an integral part of student learning as they explore composing, arranging and digital editing of their music. Students will learn to use the piano keyboard in the traditional manner, reading and performing through traditional music notation. They will also be tasked with using piano skills in their composing and editing projects. This will affect a large number of middle school students. The Midi Controllers will support the teaching of the same basic piano skills while utilizing the Chromebook platform and without the need for external AC power adapters or special furniture. Further, the Midi Controllers offer students the ability to expand their musical creativity when used as an accessory to the digital composing/editing component that is becoming standard in music education.
“Sensory/Engineering/Creative/Play!”
Kathy Colosi - Gallup Hill School
This grant is designed to enhance the materials and learning opportunities already created for first graders. Research shows they need more opportunities for sensory play, sensory integration, problem solving and hands on engineering and mathematical thinking. We have a lot of rainy days, snowy days and days where students need time to just play, interact with peers, problem solve and create. All of these materials would enhance what is already on hand, and facilitate learning. Recently the Ledyard Teachers met with Teachers College to roll out the new Reader's Workshop model. A big part of the model envisioned play as a part of our day. Our daily schedule is so packed, but we do have snowy days, rainy days, slow starts with late buses and time when our students have time for purposeful, meaningful play. Imagine our students have time for self-regulation; language; cognition; social competence; opportunities to explore the world safely; emotional control; symbolic and problem-solving abilities; emerging skills . . . play is the engine that drives their learning. The materials will provide these opportunities! Language is necessary for reading, writing, math, and every subject! Critical thinking skills are also developed by creativity and innovation learned through play which teaches skills such confidence and learning from failures.
“1st Graders Work Standing Tall”
Sandi Lucy - Gallup Hill School
Each year more and more students stay more focused while standing as they work independently. These first grade students are still developing a growth mindset about their individual learning abilities. First grade students can range from the age of 5 up to the age of 7. Many are high energy and require movement during their day. The goal is to create a diverse learning environment that caters to all learning styles. These standing desks and table will help create another learning area in the classroom where students do not have to sit and can stand to focus and complete their work. One of the desks has a fidget bar on the bottom area close to the floor. This will allow some movement for the child using the desk. By creating a movement rich environment, this will create the possibility of movement for students without being disruptive. Students who have ADHD will be able to use this fidget bar to help release their excess energy. The standing table will allow for multiple students to work together. This will also be a tool for students who may just need to get up and move. There will be a designated place in the classroom for them to spread out and be in their own space. This will also allow for all students in the classroom to have an option to stand instead of sit. This specific table also has a white board finish on the top. The will let students doodle to help focus, if needed, or work directly on the table instead of traditional paper and pencil.