Kids in Need Foundation Grant Application

Cover Letter

Project Title: Third and Eighth Grade Math Buddies

Amount: $471.92

District Name: Great Albany Public Schools County: Linn

Name of Teacher: Laura Shell

Name of School Currently Teaching At: Timber Ridge Elementary
School

Years taught in Oregon K-12 public education: 5 years

Content area(s) that you are teaching in Oregon k-12 public
education: Math, Social Studies, Reading, and Writing


Principal
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E-mail
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Telephone
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Assistant
Principal
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E-mail
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Telephone
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Teacher
Laura Shell
E-mail
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Telephone
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Signature
Needs Assessment:
This project will benefit third and eighth graders. Our school has a unique
population because we have third through eighth graders. Most
elementary/middle schools go from Kindergarten through eighth grade.
Due to our towns need for an elementary school and a middle school, our
school was created.

3rd Graders Benefits:
Our third graders come to school on the first day feeling nervous and
intimidated. At eight and nine years old they get lockers, learn their way
around a much larger campus, and are exposed to middle school
behaviors. They are pretty well separated from the middle school students
throughout the day, yet on the bus, on walks to school, and at assemblies,
their paths cross. Our school needs a way to help the third graders feel
welcome as they get used to their new school.

8th Graders Benefits:
Most of our eighth graders will have gone to the school for six years. By
their sixth year they are feeling antsy, ready to get to high school. Before
they become the youngest students at their prospective high schools, it will
benefit them to be a mentor to someone younger. We have seen countless
examples of eighth graders who are having difficulty with their peers, do
wonders when helping third graders as teachers student aids.

Project Goals:
During the first week of school the students will each be assigned an eighth
grade buddy. The buddy classes will meet up at least four times
throughout the year.

According to The International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, Vol. 1,
2005 their goals when adding a buddy system were to:

1. Promote a positive start to school for new Kindergarten children by
ensuring that they had access to a familiar and supportive peer as they
commenced school;
2. Provide leadership and mentoring training and experience for older
primary students;
3. Engage teacher education students in an educationally sound,
collaborative community interaction; and
4. Promote the concept of transition to school as a community event,
involving a range of stakeholders.

These aims could easily be adapted to the third and eighth graders at
Timber Ridge.

Technology Standards:
Interface with Oregon Instructional Technology Common Curriculum Goals

A big push with the NETS Standards is for students to communicate and
collaborate with each other.

Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences
using a variety of media formats.

Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve
problems.

The purchase of twelve digital cameras will help 3rd and 8th grade buddies
participate in math scavenger hunts. Math has been our districts main
focus. During our 3rd and 8th grade buddy time our math buddy activities
will include:

Math Scavenger Hunt #1: Students will take pictures to create a story
problem on PowerPoint.
Math Scavenger Hunt #2: Students will look for different angles around the
school and will then create a slideshow to show their findings.
Math Scavenger Hunt #3: Students will look for polygons around the
school.
Math Scavenger Hunt #4: Quadrilateral attributes. Students will take
photos of their examples of quadrilaterals attributes, and then they will
create a slideshow on how to be a quadrilateral detective.

3rd grade students are expected to take a computerized state test each
school year. Giving the students buddy time to work in the computer lab
will help get them acquainted with the lab and its proper use. The 8th
graders will have taken computerized tests for six years and will be able to
help students get more comfortable with the computers.

3rd graders do not come to school with enough computer experience. The
eighth graders can help teach the third graders about useful tools like
PowerPoint, the use of digital cameras to educate, and various online
presentation programs.

Methodology

Problems and Objectives

Because our school is full of 8-13 year olds we are in need of more
opportunities for the range of students to interact in a positive way.

Our school is in need of more character development and positive
interaction between middle and elementary school children.

Math has been a top priority for our school district. Having the students
buddy up to complete math scavenger hunts will help reach both
objectives.

Description of the projects scope and activities

Students will meet with their buddy at least four times in the school year.
Each buddy workshop will be 30 minutes a day for a week.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1
Meet & Greet School Rules and
Tour
Math Word
Problems in
Class
Photo
Scavenger
Hunt
Create Story
Problem
Slideshow

2
Whole Group
Math Review
Buddy work on
Angle Worksheet
Angle
Scavenger Hunt
Create Slide
Show of Angles
Found
Present slide
shows
3
rd
Graders Polygon Students add Create a Share Polygon
3
Share Polygon
Books
Scavenger Hunt their found
Polygons to a
class Google
Document
Polygon Robot
Project
Robots with the
class

4
3
rd
graders go
over
quadrilaterals
attributes
Create different
quadrilaterals out
of popsicle sticks
Buddies Play
Quadrilateral
Matching Game
Students video
Thank you
messages
Play video
messages to the
class


Staffing
There would be one 8th grade classroom assigned to each 3
rd
grade
classroom. 8
th
graders will travel to the 3
rd
grade classrooms to work on
the projects. Available teachers will split up and travel with the groups of
students. When doing the scavenger hunts, students will split up into
groups of four third graders and four eighth graders. Since only eight
cameras will be split up between the four classes, teachers will stagger
their scavenger hunt day so that the groups can remain small.

Timeframe

Workshop 1 Workshop 2 Workshop 3 Workshop 4
Oct. 14
th
18
th
Dec. 16
th
20
th
Feb. 24
th
28
th
April 21
st
25
th


Once we have had a year of our 3rd and 8th grade buddy time and math
workshops, we will fine tune our lessons and continue our program each
year.

Evaluation
In order to meet the deadlines in the proposed deadline third grade
teachers will check in on their students progress during professional
learning committee time two weeks before a buddy workshop. All teachers
and students will take a survey online after the program is finished to judge
the overall effectiveness. I expect this project to increase the positive
interaction of our students. This project will also help 3rd and 8th graders
improve on their state and district math assessments.

Budget

8 Digital Cameras $58.99 each x 8 cameras = $471.92
(Kids In Need Grant)
4 Boxes of Popsicle Sticks 4 boxes x $5.00 each = $20.00
(School fundraising)
4 more Digital Cameras
(So each class can have three
when needed)
$58.99 each x 4 cameras =
$235.96
(School fundraising)
Total Cost of project: $727.88

Total Still Needed After
Fundraising:
$471.92





Conclusion
Creating a 3rd through 8th grade math buddy system will help our school
meet our character education goals as well as our 3rd grade geometry
math standards. The 3rd and 8th Grade Math Buddy Program will give
future 8th graders a fun and enriching activity to look forward to. The
program will also give 3rd graders a chance to showcase their knowledge
to their 8th grade buddy.

Bibliography
The International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, Vol. 1, 2005
https://extranet.edfac.unimelb.edu.au/LED/tec/pdf/journal_dockett_perry.pd
f











Due Diligence:


Granting Entity-
Previously funded: Kids in Need has funded some very creative grants.
They seem to like grants applications have a lot of collaboration, and end
with some sort of project students can show off.
Principles of the agency: The Foundation believes our money is most
wisely spent on projects that include hands-on activities for the students.
Although we understand the value of computers and other technological
equipment, we choose to fund supplies, materials, tools, and books,
items students use to make something or do something or learn a new
skill. In the past two years, we have been asked to purchase a lot of
digital cameras but found that the cameras were going to be used only to
take pictures of the students doing the project to put up on a school
website and had nothing really to do with the learning experience. In
other words, the projects were perhaps only a means of getting a digital
camera for the school. We will not fund those types of purchases.(From
Kids in Need website).
The mission:Kids in Need likes to give kids school supplies. They have
been an organization since 1995. They want every child to be prepared to
learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students
most in need.
Where the money comes from:
Fred Meyers
Jo-Ann Fabric
Office Depot
Staples
Target
Walgreens
3M Foundation
(to name a few)


Research and notes of research about idea:
Can I point to other examples?




Can I cite research about how the methodology youre using is good for
teaching and learning?
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v7n1/gokhale.jte-v7n1.html
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/
Also, in cooperative learning small groups provide a place where:
learners actively participate;
teachers become learners at times, and learners sometimes
teach;
respect is given to every member;
projects and questions interest and challenge students;
diversity is celebrated, and all contributions are valued;
students learn skills for resolving conflicts when they arise;
members draw upon their past experience and knowledge;
goals are clearly identified and used as a guide;
research tools such as Internet access are made available;
students are invested in their own learning.


Does your research tell whether or not the project is sustainable?
http://web3.esd112.org/docs/edtech-
docs/doc_cam_white_paper.pdf?sfvrsn=0
Sustainable Instruction Instructionally, there are some sound, practical
teaching strategies that are research-based and proven to increase student
achievement. Nine of them are identified in the book Classroom Instruction
That Works (Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock, 2001): Identifying
similarities and differences Summarizing and note taking Reinforcing
effort and providing recognition Incorporating homework and practice
Using nonlinguistic representations Involving students in cooperative
learning Setting objectives and providing feedback Generating and
testing hypotheses Using questions, cues, and advance organizers


How have similar projects helped students with your need or problem?


http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/100-ways-use-digital-
cameras


http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html











Possible example:

Innovative Educator Grant Application
IMPORTANT: The Primary Applicant Information submitted at the end of
this application is not shared with the grant reviewers. Do not include the
name of your school, educator name(s) or any other identifying information
elsewhere in this application. Applications with this information will not be
reviewed.

NOTE: To prevent loss of data in the event you lose your connection to this
page, we recommend that you type your answers in a word processing
document and then copy/paste them into the online form.

Title:
Mobi View for Learning at all angles


Amount Requested:
$267.86


Please describe your project in 100 words or less:


Number of Educators involved:
3


Grade Levels impacted by project:
k-5


Subjects:
Language arts


Number of students impacted by project:



Target population of Grant:
Students and Educators


Is the primary benefit is for special education student populations?


Is this project (check all that apply):


Statement of Need: (Describe the area of student achievement you wish to
address and give any data that supports the need. Please include how this
grant addresses district and school goals.)



Description of Proposed Project/Activity: (Describe what you want to do
with the grant funds. List activities and timeline.)


Objectives: (State measurable objectives in terms of student behavior or
performance.)



Evaluation Strategy: (Describe how you will know if your objectives are
met. How will you share your programs successes with your peers?)

Innovation: (State how this project is innovative. How will you share your
programs successes with your peers?) *


Timeline: (State when you will implement each task and evaluation.) *