2007-2008 Foundation Grant Recipients
Tibbals Family Grant
Grant Recipient: Laura Moore
Program Title: “3M Math (Motivating, Meaningful, Math)”
Subject: Math
School: Birmingham Elementary
Amount: $ 2,218.00
3M Math is a meaningful and motivational approach to teaching math. It incorporates games, math manipulatives and music to involve students in math practice. The resources not only increase student knowledge by engaging students in hands-on, minds-on learning; but, it also allows teachers to bring fun into their math teaching.
Grant Recipient: Deanna Aaron
Program Title: “Read Me a Story, I’ll Play You a Song”
Subject: Music
School: Birmingham Elementary
Amount: $ 2,986.91
Students in Kindergarten through 4th grade will create and perform instrumental accompaniments to children’s books that are introduced in the music class. The students involved in this project will develop an ability to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, thinking “out of the box.”
Sanden International Grant
Grant Recipient: Shannon Souddress
Program Title: “If They Build It, They Will Come”
Subject: Math
School: Hartman Elementary
Amount: $ 500.00
In the second grade students will be getting ready to study geometric figures. This project will let cooperative learning groups of children build huge geometric figures. They will then be able to relate the math vocabulary to the shapes they built. Teachers will be able to have the children interact, create, and evaluate geometric figures.
Sanden International Grant
Grant Recipient: Kay Magar
Program Title: “Weigh In”
Subject: Science
School: Hartman Elementary
Amount: $ 500.00
Teachers want students to experience every dynamic of a pan balance they possibly can. This project will allow children to touch, feel, use, and understand the function of a real precision pan balance. Future scientists need to know how they work. This grant will allow teachers to place 10 pan balances and all sorts of weights for experiments into those budding scientists’ hands.
Grant Recipient: Vanessa Stuart
Program Title: “Collaboration H.E.L.P. - Helping Everyone Learn Processes in Science”
Subject: Science
School: Hartman Elementary
Amount: $ 4,950.82
This grant will allow an intermediate campus to identify students who have not mastered TEKS from previous grade levels. They will work with teachers with specially designed Science modules to learn these concepts. Students will then “pay forward” their new learning, by working with students in the fourth grade and teaching them by using the same instructional materials. Fourth grade will in turn, teach third graders, and the third graders teach second grade students.
Grant Recipient: Vanessa Stuart
Program Title: “Do the Math! Procedural Fluency Makes a Difference”
Subject: Math
School: Hartman Elementary
Amount: $ 2,934.00
This project will allow students identified by teachers in grades 2, 3, and 4 who are at-risk in mathematics and pair them with a community mentor for 30 minutes once a week. The mentor will use materials designed to build strong foundational skills in mathematical concepts that are aligned to TEKS in a sequential and progressive layout.
Grant Recipient: Trona Jurden
Program Title: “Red + Blue = 11
Subject: Math
School: Hartman Elementary
Amount: $ 3,000.00
Cuisinare Rod sets, MathLines, and Balances with weighted numbers will be used to provide the link from abstract numbers to concrete values. Students will be able to see value in numbers and the relationships between numbers. The MathLine is a new type abacus which will allow students to stay organized. The weighted numbers and pan balances will show clearly how numbers combined on a scale weigh the same as the sum on the other end of the balance.
Grant Recipient: Jennifer Lambert
Program Title: “A Hide Tide Floats All Boats”
Subject: Math
School: Smith Elementary
Amount: $ 2,998.95
The materials in this grant will engage students in a hands-on approach to math problem solving. Students will be asked to use ten simple digits to complete math activities that range from place value to algebraic expressions. Having materials that are hands-on, minds-on increases the level of engagement for students. A mathematic manipulative resource kit for each GT teacher will also be used to extend and enrich the highest learners causing the remaining students to follow their lead.
Tibbals Family Grant
Grant Recipient: Beth Dunn
Program Title: “Motor Mentors”
Subject: Life Skills
School: Tibbals Elementary
Amount: $ 450.00
Motor Mentors is a project that would create a circuit which would include several different physical and sensory stations. These stations would incorporate the Life Skills students’ IEP goals and objectives. Also, it would create an environment where students of different ability levels are able to interact and learn from each other in order to form long lasting friendships.
Grant Recipient: Jo McEnroe
Program Title: “Get Connected – Digitize It”
School: Davis Intermediate
Amount: $ 3,000.00
A shift in instruction will be created whereby 6th grade students will become problem solvers, innovative thinkers, and evaluators, in addition to producers of knowledge. Using current mediums of technology with Wylie ISD’s Movie Maker, students will design a series of 2-3 minute digital storytelling media clips to show what they know, to reflect on conducted research, to apply, analyze, and synthesize the information they both learn from other resources and from which they personally create.
Grant Recipient: Shelly Henderson
Program Title: “Seeing AND Hearing are Believing”
Subject: Reading
School: Davis Intermediate
Amount: $ 3,000.00
This project will utilize innovative, kid-friendly, teacher-friendly, technology in conjunction with popular reading texts to help struggling readers develop the confidence and fluency needed to increase their reading abilities. It will target approximately thirty reading at-risk students enrolled in Accelerated Instruction for Reading, Alpha Phonics, ESL, and Special Education programs.
Tibbals Family Grant
Grant Recipient: Terra Mathers
Program Title: “Learning Lab and Resources”
School: Draper Intermediate
Amount: $ 2, 838.16
This grant will enable teachers to address the varied learning styles of students. The opportunity for the visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners to have all their learning styles addressed will all be contained in the resources provided by the Learning Lab project. It will also assist teachers in closing students’ learning gaps by providing varied ways to teach and engage. Third, it will provide students with resources in the classroom, as well as before and after school, in a tutoring environment.
Grant Recipient: Joanne Montes
Program Title: “The Earth Science Connection”
Subject: Science
School: Draper Intermediate
Amount: $ 2,920.51
The Earth Science Connection will provide teachers with the tools to meet the demands of small group instruction while providing engaging hands-on activities to meet the needs of ALL learners, subgroups included, in the lab. This project will provide a common learning experience for all 5th and 6th grade students to refer to as they build connections in science.
Grant Recipient: Karen Bruton
Program Title: “Roaming Readers”
Subject: Reading
School: Harrison Intermediate
Amount: $ 5,000.00
Roaming Readers will utilize ClassMate, a portable digital audio book reader designed to boost reading, develop vocabulary, promote fluency, and reinforce phonetic recognition while increasing learning independence. Students can listen to the audio version of their textbooks and study materials while following highlighted texts on a screen. The ClassMate can be set to match each student’s pace preferences.
Grant Recipient: Brittany Sluetz
Program Title: “Great Gizmos”
Subject: Science & Math
School: Burnett Jr. High
Amount: $ 3,000.00
Great Gizmos is a project which targets 7th and 8th students in the areas of science and math. Students will be allowed to access the explorelearning.com website in class as well as from home. The website is composed of hundreds of different simulations called “gizmos” that serve to introduce, reinforce, and assess mastery of math and science concepts. Besides making their learning more authentic, the gizmos are able to present these new concepts in a non-linguistic format which helps to address the different learning styles of students.
Grant Recipient: M. J. Tykoski
Program Title: “The Case of the Heisted Hat”
School: Cooper Jr. High
Amount: $ 3,000.00
This project will allow students of all ability levels the opportunity to collaborate with others to solve a crime. This hands-on, kinesthetic approach is highly effective for all students. By acquiring data using several different methods, the students’ encounters with equipment and scientific methods will become more embedded in their minds. This activity will also allow for use of technology and will provide an engaging activity where students can apply their knowledge of chemistry, force, and motion.
Cooper Grant
Grant Recipient: Brent Ringo
Program Title: “Students of Liberty Society (SOLS)”
School: Cooper Jr. High
Amount: $ 500.00
The Students of Liberty Society focuses on improving students’ grade point averages, reducing student discipline referrals, and improving attendance rates for 7th and 8th grades. It will promote ownership in success and bring an excitement to being academically successful. Teachers, students, and administrators will promote criteria and events in the program by keeping it visible, tangible, and continuously promoting the criteria.
Grant Recipient: Nathan Fieldsmith
Program Title: “Growing Character for a Healthy Community”
School: Special Programs Center
Amount: $ 2,778.95
The “Growing Character for a Healthy Community” greenhouse project is an outdoor lab designed to transcend grade level and curriculum, in order to encourage “At Risk” students to take pride in growing successes. In addition to ecological concepts, this project incorporates mathematical content such as short/long term data collection and dissection. Students will actually have the opportunity to do science, not merely study science.
Grant Recipient: Page Johnson
Program Title: “Navigator TIME: Tis for Mathematical Engagement”
Subject: Algebra & Biology
School: Wylie East High School
Amount: $ 2,890.00
This project will place technology created by Texas Instruments in 9th grade classrooms. This technology will generate student engagement and offer instant feedback in math and science classes. It will provide a classroom set of TI-Navigators to be shared between Algebra I and a Biology teacher. These teachers both instruct inclusion classes, which means the classes include both general and special education students. They will be working closely together to improve student engagement in their classrooms.
Grant Recipient: Vicki Townsend
Program Title: “One Book, One School”
Subject: Reading
School: Wylie East High School
Amount: $ 2, 999.19
Unity will be increased on campus via the “One Book, One School” program. In this program, every individual on campus comes together as one school to read the same book at the same time. This experience will provide a springboard for discussion among the students and staff. The primary goal of the program will be to provide common ground for all members of the school. This program will help unite the staff and students and provide a way to become a cohesive community.
Grant Recipient: Steve Abrams, Rachel Walters, & Ross Pruit
Program Title: “Gel Electrophoresis – Real World Applications of DNA Technologies”
Subject: Pre-AP Biology
School: Wylie East High School
Amount: $ 2,993.30
This project will allow electrophoresis technology to be placed in the classroom to enable Freshman Pre-AP Biology students of Wylie ISD to meet the demands of the Pre-AP and AP curricula while creating a high level of interest and relevance to the student. This technology will allow the teacher to present microbiological concepts associated with DNA in hands-on, minds-on environment by creating a myriad of situations in which DNA may be seen and manipulated by the student.
Grant Recipient: Vicki Knipp
Program Title: “Bonds, Atomic Bonds”
Subject: Science
School: Wylie High School
Amount: $ 455.00
“Bonds, Atomic Bonds” is a project that will help students understand electron configuration, how atoms bond to form molecules as well as how electrons determine the shape of the molecule. This is a sustainable project due to the models being sturdy and reusable. Teachers will be provided an effective method of modeling electron configuration in a realistic manner. Increasing student interest and understanding of chemical behavior is the main objective of this project.
PBK Architects, Gallagher Construction & RLK Engineering Grant
Grant Recipient: Kate York
Program Title: “Real World Science: PCR Machine”
Subject: Pre-AP Biology & AP Biology
School: Wylie High School
Amount: $ 2,182.18
Outfitting school laboratories with a PCR Machine will allow students access to and practice on a piece of equipment used daily in actual scientific research. This particular project is targeted towards Pre-AP biology and AP biology students. Students will be allowed to work with and understand the applications of a piece of equipment that is utilized daily in science professions to aid in such things as creating genetically modified organisms, studying the genetics of disease-causing organisms, identifying individuals involved in crimes, and the Human Genome Project just to name a few.