Welcome! Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Login | Register
   

RCSNC Receives $140,000 Digital Teaching & Learning Grant NC's Digital Learning Initiative Supports Advancement of Innovative Teaching Models

Comment     Print
Related Articles

The North Carolina State Board of Education recently approved 33 proposals for competitive grant funds under the state's Digital Learning Initiative (DLI), and Rutherford County Schools' (RCSNC) proposal to further its STEM education initiative was among those approved. Grant funding will support RCSNC in providing mobile makerspace units and robust professional learning tools to all its elementary and middle schools.

This is the second DLI grant cycle. During the first cycle in late 2017, RCSNC was awarded the maximum amount of $50,000, allowing the district to launch its STEM education initiative and first Digital Learning Teacher Academy. In the second cycle, RCSNC was awarded $140,000, the full amount it sought.

The goals of RCSNC's STEM education initiative are for all elementary and middle school teachers to have access to mobile makerspace tools, and for those teachers to demonstrate competency in integrating digital learning tools to design STEM-focused, technology-enriched, personalized learning experiences that challenge students to think critically, solve problems, and collaborate effectively. In addition to providing the necessary physical resources through mobile makerspaces, RCSNC will provide professional learning opportunities to teachers as they seek to master established Digital Learning Competencies. With organized support, teachers will develop a cache of high-quality lesson plans and instructional resources to be shared both within and outside RCSNC.

With greater access to an array of technological and engineering tools, students will experience well-designed opportunities to dive more deeply into real and personally meaningful projects. They will be able to program robots, build electrical circuits, and design and construct 3D models. Students' enthusiasm for science and mathematics - as well as their creativity, curiosity, and abilities to act both independently and in collaboration with others - will be cultivated and nourished through engagement in hands-on discovery activities.

Kim Carpenter, the school system's instructional technology director, is spearheading this district-wide STEM initiative. Upon receiving notice of this second round of grant funding, she remarked, "For many years, Rutherford County Schools has been a leader in technology and innovation across the state and nation. We are excited for the opportunity to build upon the amazing work that is already taking place in our classrooms by infusing more STEM tools into instruction and utilizing our talented teacher leaders to build quality lessons that will be shared both inside and outside our school district."

For more information about the grant initiative, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/dtl/grants.

Read more from:
Slideshow
Tags: 
None
Share: 
Comment      Print

Powered by Bondware
News Publishing Software

The browser you are using is outdated!

You may not be getting all you can out of your browsing experience
and may be open to security risks!

Consider upgrading to the latest version of your browser or choose on below: