PS+129+TMI+Grant+Application

Return to TMI Matching Grant Opportunity

=**TMI Application for Customized Support - For Schools with Residencies**=

The Office of Instructional Technology is pleased that your school is implementing Teaching Matters’ web-based curricula and professional development series designed for middle schools. **For schools already taking part in these web-based programs, we offer the opportunity to supplement program implementation with one of the following customized program-related activities.**

A school wide Share Fair is a multimedia celebration of student work from all Voices and Choices units and selected literacy units in Writing Matters series. Parents, teachers and students can interact, question and respond to kiosk presentations, pod cast listening booths and other student-created media showcased at this a school wide event.
 * School-Based School Wide Share Fair**

A school-based Town Meeting provides comprehensive engagement for all students taking part in the Constitution Today unit of the Voices and Choices series. Students demonstrate that the Constitution is a living document by applying their understanding of the amendments to current issues. Facing the tough questions of modern society, students persuade others and defend their well-researched point of view with multimedia presentations and effective oral communication.
 * School-Based Town Meeting**

A school based Spoken Word event is an exciting way to bring alive the art of poetry for all students taking part in the Writing Poetry unit of Writing Matters. Students will take the stage along side professional poets to recite their insights and reflections through a variety of poetry media including Self Portrait, Memory or Haiku poems.
 * School-Based Spoken Word Event**

A school wide Digital Documentaries program that helps teachers inspire their students to learn about history. Students research, direct and produce their own video examining a major historical event while meeting social studies and language arts requirements. A film festival will be held at the end of the school year.
 * Digital Documentaries** (Specifically for schools with partial residencies)

In order to qualify for this additional support, please complete the following questions and email your responses to jcondliffe@teachingmatters.org with “iTiL Matching Grant” in the subject line. **The email must come from the account of your building principal.**

The deadline for response is **Friday, November 9th at 5 PM.** Confirmation will be made by Teaching Matters by November 14th, 2007. School Name:Twin Parks Upper School/I.S. 129X School DBN: 321200010129 School Phone: (718) 933-5976 Grades Served: 6,7,8
 * School Information**

Principal Name: Yvette Beasley Principal Phone: (718) 933-5976 X345 Principal Email: ybealse@schools.nyc.gov Tech Coach Name: Silvio Aversano Tech Coach Phone: (718) 933-5976 X 327 Tech Coach Email: saversa@schools.nyc.gov

1. How has your involvement in TMI's web-based programs lifted the level of teaching and learning in your school so far?
 * Application**

Our involvement in TMI’s web-based programs has lifted the level of teaching and learning, as evidenced by:
 * Positive, orderly classroom climate that affords all learners to practice mutual respect and rapport among the students and adult(s) in the classroom, thereby maximizing the degree of engagement in task accomplishment, whether or not the activity calls for independent work or partner/group work challenges;
 * Increased technology integration that requires teachers to weave technology into the fabric of instruction, evaluated by the students’ increased confidence in using various computer software applications;
 * Academically challenging projects and project-like activities that are placed in the center of various curricula, all of which are designed in alignment with the City and State Learning Standards;
 * Teachers approaching that comfort zone of applying instructional practices to enhance instruction, such as cross-curricular and interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary planning and instruction, project-based learning (PBL), constructivist mathematics (use of IMPACT), and the use of instructional manipulative and tools (SMART boards, e.g.) to support learning in the classroom;
 * Staff development focused on the organization and management of technology integration and project-based learning than on “how-to” sessions for hardware and software use, so that the students are operating equipment and navigating software that is inherently related to a sequential, integrated skills approach to learning;
 * Emphasis that has been placed on learning activities that are long term, such as the //writing// //project//, interdisciplinary, student-centered, and integrated with real world issues and practices, thereby applying applied learning standards that include real world connections, which are established via the Internet or collaboration with community members and other constituencies;
 * Much accountable talk (based on the //Principles of Learning//) within the four walls of the classroom that is clearly observed, extending to the entire school, as well as the homes and community, that holds a stake in the educational process;
 * Active participation from the School Leadership Team throughout the year that has been achieved as members discussed ways and means of upgrading the extent by which parents work collaboratively with all the other school constituencies for the improvement of their children’s learning;
 * Teachers using their prep time more effectively in developing lessons and units that are more engaging, reflecting their knowledge of best practices and how to use them effectively in the classroom, e.g. cooperative learning/grouping activities, differentiated instruction, Bloom’s Taxonomy in questioning techniques, writing across the curriculum, reading-writing connection, discussion methods & thoughtful discourse, etc.;
 * Regular assessments that are used widely to drive instruction, evidenced by the use of checklists and rubrics for rigorous application of standards-based scoring guidelines when looking at student work, as well as the increased implementation of data analysis and review (with the extensive support from Ms. A. Russell) that have been the bases of effective instruction and planning among teachers;
 * Improvement observed in terms of a rich and stimulating physical environment, evidenced by the use of materials and resources in the classroom, such as the classroom library, globes and maps, science lab equipment, & calculators, as well as bulletin boards that are filled with significant student work with meaningful connections to essential curriculum, at the same time showing examples of exemplary models of student work.

2. Which event do you want to bring to your school? //A school based Spoken Word event is an exciting way to bring alive the art of poetry for all students taking part in the Writing Poetry unit of Writing Matters. Students will take the stage along side professional poets to recite their insights and reflections through a variety of poetry media including Self Portrait, Memory//
 * School-Based Spoken Word Event**

3. How do you plan to get your school community excited about this event? In order to promote or advertise this event, the school will implement effective outreach strategies, such as dissemination of posters and fliers, instant messaging capacity, letters sent to parents, word-of-mouth, website information, daily bulletin reminders, announcements during morning line-ups and assemblies, invitations to neighborhood organizations, businesses, and establishments, and multiple conferences/meetings with parents (aside from the School Leadership Team meetings every Friday).

4. How do you envision this event will enrich teaching and learning in your school community? Through collaboration of the various school constituencies in making this event feasible, we envision a vigorous and rigorous teaching and learning experiences that will impact the continuous growth of a pulsating, thriving school culture. Where every constituency, which has a stake in the educational process, is involved in the enrichment of a school’s standing in the community, there is a positive impact in student achievement.

Sending this application under the school principal's email account confirms that I understand that Teaching Matters will provide this additional program-related support in my school and will make necessary arrangements for teachers and students to receive maximum benefits from the services.
 * Principal Sign-off**

Thank you for your interest.

Submission Directions** This application must be completed and emailed from the building **principal’s** email account with the subject “iTiL Grant” to jcondliffe@teachingmatters.org by **Friday, November 9th at 5 PM.**

Contact Jane Condliffe if you have questions concerning the program or the application itself.

Contact Information: Email: jcondliffe@teachingmatters.org Phone: 212-870-3505