Winners include:

Read it Forward

Cedar Creek Middle School

Grant Recipients: Sherri Schwab, Mary Hernandez & Dixie West

MP3 Players as Learning Tools for Dyslexic Pupils

Cedar Creek Elementary

Grant Recipient:  Linda Bingham

A dyslexic student must practice reading and re-reading, regularly, specific and sequential reading patterns and passages in order to improve his automatic word recognition and fluency. This grant will make oral reading practice easy for the dyslexic child by giving him the tool to record specific reading patterns and passages to an mp3 player…thereby ensuring that he is getting the correct neural model as he practices at home.

Bilingual iPod Touch Stations

Cedar Creek Elementary

Olga Zapata-Hallamek & Twila Godinezs

Second grade bilingual students at Cedar Creek Elementary will use the iPod to improve reding fluency, comprehension and to practice math facts and spelling. The iPod touch can also be connected to the district’s network which would allow students to work independently on research projects through podcasts and pod videos.

Read it Forward

Grant Recipient:  Roxie Davis

This project encourages every middle school student in the BISD community, along with teachers, administrators, parents, and support staff, to read a good book and share their enthusiasm for it with others. 30 copies of two different books will be purchased and distributed to students and staff to read. After finishing the novel, readers will share their thoughts about the book and then pass it along to another reader to enjoy.

Interact with the Past – with Interactive Whiteboards

Bastrop Middle School

Grant Recipients:  Leslie Porth, Zachary Herbst, Patty Wedding & Kathy Cheshire

US History students at BMS will use this web-based tool to work with the most current and accurate information in the form of interactive maps and globes, e-Book atlases, charts, and outline maps. As they work with the interactive whiteboards, the students will acquire technology skills that will transfer to other applications and naturally develop critical thinking skills.

Bastrop Middle School

Grant Recipients:  Dayna Bradford, Jim Bailey & Celia Mercer

Too often, students are unable to appreciate the connections between their subjects in school and the application of the knowledge gained to their daily world. This project will provide collaborative opportunities for teachers across different subjects to create innovative learning activities and environments for students at BMS.

Teacher in my Pocket

Bastrop Middle School

Grant Recipient:  Amber Hurd

This innovative strategy will support BISD curriculum by creating another avenue for the deaf and hard of hearing students to acquire academic vocabulary by providing each student in the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf with a Video iPod.  The iPods will provide supplemental resources and lessons which will help our students pursue excellence in a safe and nurturing environment.

Get Connected! Enhance Science Curriculum with Video Conferencing

Bastrop Middle School

Grant Recipients:  Celia Mercer, Bruce Mercer, Denise Miles, Cary Champagne, Lauren Reeves & Ashley Tamez

7^th and 8^th graders at BMS will have enhanced Science curriculum through video conferencing events that will bring the outside world into their realm of discovery. These events will primarily include guest speakers and interactive activities from science disciplines such as the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.

Technology for Tots

Lost Pines Elementary

Grant Recipients:  All BISD Pre K teachers

At Pre K our teachers assess student growth with real life assessments. With the latest technology, the Live Scribe (smart pen) pen, the teachers will be able to make notes, record voice and then download all the data to their laptop computers for easy access and documentation. This initiative stresses the importance of providing quality Pre K programs to prepare all students to be “school ready” when they enter Kindergarten.

Mentoring with Meaning and Materials

Lost Pines Elementary

Grant Recipients:  Denise Rogers, Donna Orsag, Virginia Thurman, Shelle Chamblee

As students work with Mentors weekly we are able to see measurable growth both academically and behaviorally. This grant will provide standard feedback sheets for mentor to use to give to teachers after mentoring and we will purchase book bags filled with books, pencils, tablets, paper, markers & more for each mentor to use with their student(s).

Mimio Xi Bar Raises the Bar & Lowers Barriers for At-Risk Learners

Lost Pines Elementary

Grant Recipient:  Russell Baker

This grant will transform the third grade bilingual classroom to a truly interactive environment that is student-centered, digitally-mediated and guided by instruction that is driven by ongoing and near real-time formative assessment. The Mimio Xi transforms any whiteboard into an active-board, and with active-board technology, peer-to-peer interaction can be immediately captured, stored, revised and retrieved at student command.

EBook Resources for Students & Teachers

Bastrop High School

Grant Recipients:  Jana Allen, Margie Eaves, Vivian Kreitner, Trent Jimenez & AnnMarie Terzian

This grant will make E-books available to students in the 9^th through 12^th grades at BHS, which will provide non-fiction books for students and staff in a variety of areas of the curriculum. E-books are accessible online and are downloadable to computers giving students access to high quality technology rich resources in a variety of places to enhance academic achievement.

Student Expressions: Espresso Literary Magazine

Bastrop High School

Grant Recipients:  Rebecca Bennett & Monica Roffol

BHS students will independently produce a literary magazine comprised of literature and art from their fellow classmates. This will allow the students to not only express themselves, but will also allow them to gain business skills and publishing skills by being the only in-house publication at BHS.

EBook Resources for Students & Teachers

Cedar Creek High School

Grant Recipients: Kendra Creighton & Kris Lautenschlager

This grant will make E-books available to students in the 9^th through 12^th grades at CCHS, which will provide non-fiction books for students and staff in a variety of areas of the curriculum. E-books are accessible online and are downloadable to computers giving students access to high quality technology rich resources in a variety of places to enhance academic achievement.

Development of Government & Law in World Geography & World History

Cedar Creek High School

Grant Recipient: Matthew Watt

With the use of camcorders, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, and Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, this project will encompass 21^st century knowledge and skills. World Geography will focus on the use of geographic information systems to solve a community problem, while World History will involve the development of government and law.

Project Based Learning: Forensic Investigations

Cedar Creek High School

Grant Recipient: Melissa Lautenschlager

Teachers will create a learning experience that utilizes the theme of forensic investigations, engaging and motivating students to find connections between school experiences and the outside world. Teachers and students will share their knowledge and skills across math, science, language arts, and social studies to analyze forensic evidence and communicate conclusions that authenticate the integration of content, curiosity, collaboration and ownership in solving real world problems.

Project Based Learning: Forensic Investigations - Math

Cedar Creek High School

Grant Recipients: Kris Lautenschlager & Melissa Lautenschlager

The goal of this grant is to engage students in a project that spans across curriculum – integrating technology and academics to solve real world problems. Through project based learning focused around an exciting theme, students will achieve success as a result of increased interest, motivation, and ownership of learning in core areas.

Media Equipment for Digital Learners

Emile Elementary

Grant Recipients:<  Karen Mixon & Jaime Williams

The world of our children is filled with digital networks and students are constantly strengthening the parts of their brain that respond to digital stimulation. One way we can help them make a connection to the curriculum is by using video cameras and computers so students can reenact battle scenes and really make their narratives come to life with voice and character rather than just taking notes and listening to lectures.

Teacher in my Pocket

Emile Elementary

Grant Recipients:  Stacy Namken & Diantha Lee

This innovative strategy will support BISD curriculum by creating another avenue for the deaf and hard of hearing students to acquire academic vocabulary by providing each student in the Regional Day School Program for the Deaf with a Video iPod.  The iPods will provide supplemental resources and lessons which will help our students pursue excellence in a safe and nurturing environment.

Mimio Interactive Systems

Emile Elementary

Grant Recipients:  Amy Semer, Christi Martinez, Shannon Boatright & Janet Staton

Through this grant we will be putting technology in the hands of second graders on a daily basis. With the Mimio Interactive Systems teachers will have functioning, interactive whiteboards in their classrooms – enabling them to create global learners through engaging interactive lessons.

Preschoolers Exploring New Speech & Language Skills (PENSLS)

Special Ed Coop         

Grant Recipients:  Sheryl Durfey, Melinda Anderson, Carol Williford, Erin Shehu, Dellamy Renck, Kimberly Cardenas & Jamie Goehring

The PENSLS program is an intense speech language program designed to address the needs of children ages 3 – 5 who have a moderate or severe articulation and/or expressive language disorder.  Students benefit greatly from the additional time provided targeting pre-academic skills needed prior to entering kindergarten.

Literacy, Science & Math Fun Days in Pre K

Mina & Mina Head Start

Grant Recipient:  Christina Phillips

Pre K classes, Head Start and PPCD will collaborate to have two days a month with all their students interacting together. Each day will focus on a topic or theme, such as math and measurement, animal habitats, or space. We will not only create a professional learning community between the different programs, parents and community partners, we will also provide an atmosphere where the students encounter more diverse learning experiences.

Project Based Learning Institute

Professional Learning Communities

Bastrop ISD

Grant Recipient:  BISD Curriculum & Instruction Dept.