By Michelle Kennedy
News-Chronicle
The Green Bay and Howard-Suamico school districts have been named as recipients of a portion of $6.14 million from the federal Technology Literacy Challenge Fund.
The fund, shared among 37 grant recipients, is to be used for the purpose of developing teaching staff's skills in technology and helping them to integrate technology into their curriculums.
"We will be using 90 percent of the grant for the professional development of our teaching staff," said Betty Zimdars, director of finance and information technology in Howard-Suamico. "Three years ago, we began our staff development program, and we will be concentrating on teaching strategies for integrating technology into school programs."
Howard-Suamico will receive $39,000 to continue its technology staff development program. Green Bay will receive $260,000 to be shared with the Pulaski, Denmark and Seymour school districts.
The Technology Literacy Challenge Fund is a five-year, $2 billion federal effort designed to encourage state, local, and private sector investment in technology for improving education. This is the fifth year of the program.
A panel of grant reviewers read applications from 80 petitioners requesting $12 million from the program. Wisconsin received $6.47 million. The Department of Public Instruction receives 5 percent of the fund for administrative expenses and then releases the rest to be shared among the recipients.
According to the DPI, Wisconsin required that grant applicants focus 70 percent of their technology projects on staff development. Geographic location was also a factor, and applications that would service areas with the "highest concentrations of child poverty" were looked at more closely.
"We are just thrilled that we are able to continue our teacher education program," Zimdars said. "This is the third year of our program, and it so important for the teachers to be able to keep up with the technology."
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