Scenario #1: Hypothetically speaking, I was awarded a $45,000 grant to use for technology, how would I spend it?
This is an easy question for me. I would spend it on iPads! $45,000 is definitely not enough money for my the students at my middle school be given in a one to one option, but it is definitely enough money to purchase a few mobile labs that move from classroom to classroom. I did a little research, and this is how I would spend the money:
$20,160 = 32 iPad 2's + iPad covers + apple TV connector + connection cords + mobile cart
$20,160 = mobile lab #2 will same accessories as above
$1900 = "Mommy Computer" preferably an apple computer- this will be used for the iTunes account and creation of apps.
Total= $42,220 leaving the remaining money to be used for app purchases and any maintenance that may occur.
Now, being that I'm a science teacher, I would really like one of the labs to go to just the science department and the other to be used among the other departments. In a perfect world, it would be wonderful to have 1 mobile lab per department, but since this scenario only gives me $45,000. I would need another $45,000 to make it happen! I know it is selfish of me to to have one of the mobile labs for just the science department, but there is a little method to my thinking. I'm actually in the process of conducting an opinion poll with my technology specialist of the school I currently teach on this exact topic. I've also asked many of the teachers about iPads and how often they would use them in their own classrooms. All the science teachers, except for one said they would forego a mobile lab of laptops for a iPad lab instead. The other departments, math, social studies, and language arts, had only a few people that said they preferred iPads over laptops. Since the interest and demand seems to be more so with science department, hence the method behind my thinking.
Scenario #2: a $3,000 budget has been given to the technology teacher, how can/will they spend it.
I took the time to ask my technology specialist. She believed the money is definitely not enough money to buy anything new. So, the money would be better spent to update/upkeep last year's technology. It may beneficial to use for other maintenance costs such as batteries.
At our middle school, my technology specialist is the one that makes any and all decisions about the technology in the school. My principal really has now say, and she can use her budget however she chooses. The way she makes her decisions is based on how the teachers will use it and how it will benefit the students. I took a look at 4teachers.org's technology tool planning kit. Ironically, we are the process of such a change in the school by replacing two mobile laptops with iPads. We are now using this tool kit as our checklist. So far, so good....
leave it to the science teachers to be ready to jump on board. This sounds great. One of the drawbacks of the mobile carts was the battery life of the laptops which barely lasted for 1 class and then the next class went without but ipads have longer battery life. Another idea is to have students collaborate and share the ipads, they go twice as far.
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