JUDA — According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, “technology is an essential component of the active learning process and should be seamlessly integrated into the curriculum,” which was the goal of the state when it disbursed $1.5 million in Technology for Education Achievement grant awards Sept. 10.
Area schools which were given a piece of the total through their applications as part of a CESA consortium included Albany, Brodhead, Juda, Monticello and New Glarus. Those districts, in addition to Parkview, Wisconsin Heights and Clinton, made up CESA 2, which received nearly $58,000 total.
TEACH awards have been given to 196 rural school districts and 172 rural public libraries. The aim of the funding is to strengthen the information technology knowledge of educators.
Juda Superintendent Traci Davis said the amount given to each district is based on its population. She said the district received about $7,500. The grant funds are meant to allow teachers to attend conferences and other events, like Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fairs and learn about classroom supplies like Smart Boards.
“It’s using it as another tool to get engaged,” Davis said. “Instead of just using it to be a distraction; using it as a tool to be effective in engagement in the classroom.”
The consortium of schools works in collaboration among districts and meet to learn more about technology and other related topics.
In the CESA 3 consortium districts Argyle, Black Hawk, Darlington, Pecatonica and 28 other schools were granted over $244,000.
Brodhead Superintendent Leonard Lueck said the district received between $8,000 to $10,000 in TEACH grant funding. Staff plans to attend the School Leaders Advancing Technology in Education Conference in early December. Lueck also said while Brodhead has been “a little behind the curve” in the past, in the last three years, the district has “really improved.”
He also said Brodhead schools employ the use of Google Classroom, which New Glarus Superintendent Jennifer Thayer said her district uses as well.
Thayer said the goal of sending “teams of teachers” from each school within the district is to help improve professional development within the context of technology.
“We’re very thankful for the opportunity it affords the district,” Thayer said.
She added that events like the SLATE conference, funded through the TEACH grants, help show teachers how to use technology better in a variety of ways.
According to a release from the governor’s office, this is the first year that rural libraries have been given grant funding. Rural library consortiums will receive an average of $9,227 per consortium. Average funding per school district consortium grew from last year’s $55,541 to the 2019 total of $61,601.