advantagepbl

PBL ADVANTAGE CAMPAIGN


	GRANT DETAILS
	Sue Brown & Heidi Brown: 2 document cameras and LCD projector bundles Hillary Sawyer: Digital Storytelling Station (Laptop, video camera, tripod, memory card) Beth Nuss: Portable Computer Projector Patty Page: Ceiling Projector Lisa Niewold & Amy Swan: LCD projectors, document cameras, LCD projector bundles, Laptops, AverPen Class Packs Kelly Neukomm: LCD Projector, Laptop, Activboard and Activates
	Back Row (left to right): Sue Brown, Lisa Niewold, Heidi Punke-Brown, Patty Page, and Beth Nuss Front Row (left to right): Michelle Lillibridge, Hillary Sawyer, Amy Swan, and Kelly Neukomm
The PBL Education Foundation recently challenged the school district's faculty to "Think Big!" The trustees on the Foundation Board had approximately $7,000 in unspent Advantage . . . PBL technology money. They added $3,000 to this amount so that they could offer $10,000 in grant money for technology to individual teachers. There was no set monetary award specified and no pre-determined number of grants to be awarded. Applications were accepted, and on April 19, the Foundation trustees met to listen to presentations by the grant applicants. The Foundation trustees chose to award nine grants. One of the grants awarded was not funded with Advantage . . . PBL money. The family of Leesa Kulow designated the Foundation as a recipient of memorial money in her honor. Leesa's family choose the Foundation because of her love of children and her interest in technology. The memorial donations were used to fund a grant for Kelly Neukoom, first grade teacher at Clara Peterson. Ceiling-mounted LCD projectors were granted to seven of the applicants. These projectors allow teachers to turn standard projection screens into computer monitors so that they can use websites or software in their teaching. Five of the teachers also asked for document cameras which allow them to instantly project images on the screen by simply placing them under the camera. Four of these teachers were also given laptop computers to use with their projectors and cameras. First, fourth, and fifth grade teachers were awarded tools that enable their students to sit in their seats and manipulate what is on the screen. The junior high building will be receiving a digital storytelling station which includes a laptop, a flipcam, and a portable projector. This equipment will allow students to record interviews, create booktalks, monitor long-term experiments, and make commercials. The band department at Eastlawn and the Paxton Junior High will be adding a portable computer projector. This piece of technology enables the teacher to use music software with large groups rather than only individual students. The Foundation has been able to award these grants because of the generosity of the PBL community. Since the Advantage . . . PBL campaign began, over $100,000 has been donated to the PBL school district specifically for technology. The Foundation will continue to work hard so that these kinds of grant awards can be made in the future.


Students in Dawn Houser's English 400 class use the mobile computer lab purchased in 2008 with funds collected in the Advantage . . . PBL campaign. The mobile lab consists of a cabinet on rollers that stores 28 laptop computers. Each computer, costing approximately $600, is equipped with a DVD writer, three or four USB ports, a projection outlet, and wireless internet access. Also part of the mobile lab is a high-speed laser printer. Mrs. Houser explained, "The traveling lab has been a great asset to the high school. The students are able to stay in their regular classrooms and use the laptops to do research, newsletters, etc. In addition, with the growing use of technology, it is hard to schedule time in the computer labs. This gives teachers another option." A second portable lab has been purchased with Advantage . . . PBL funds and will used by PBL Junior High School students beginning in the 2009-10 school year.

The Paxton-Buckley-Loda Education Association launched a technology fund-raising initiative called Advantage . . . PBL in May, 2007. The Foundation's goal was to raise $120,000 to provide technological components to all levels of PBL's schools. The campaign came to a close in 2010 with a total of $110,807 donated to the PBL Unit #10 District for technology. The following is an accounting of the way these donations were spent:

2007-2008
Interactive Whiteboard and Mobile Cart	$2,767.00
5 Multimedia Presentation Carts	3,555.00
5 Epson LCD Projectors	4,625.00
5 Acer Travelmate Laptops (Kingston Memory)	3,064.00
4 Promethean Activboards and Stands	8,970.00
1 Promethean Activote	1,895.00
5 Logitech Wireless Presenters	345.00
Subtotal	$25,221.00

2008-2009
Netbook Lab/Projection System/Protective Cabinet	$16,176.85
Interactive Whiteboard and Mobile Cart	2,767.00
5 Multimedia Presentation Carts	3,555.00
Laptop Lab (28 Acer Laptops/LaserJet Print & Print Server, Storage Cart, Power Distribution Strip)	20,600.00
WAPS for Smartboards	$431.82
Subtotal	$43,530.67

2009-2010
Upgrade to Clara Peterson Lab: New Computers, Keyboards, Monitors	$6,608.00
32 Acer Flat Panel Display 17" Monitors for Clara Peterson Lab	3,358.40
Netbook Lab (28 netbooks, HP LaserJet Printer and Server, Storage cart, Power Distribution Strip)	11,808.90
13 Hishare Kits w/128 MB PCI	2,880.00
Subtotal	$24,655.30

TECHNOLOGY GRANTS IN 2010
7 Ceiling-Mounted LCD Projectors
4 Laptops
5 Document Cameras
1 Portable Computer Projector
1 Digital Storytelling Station (Laptop, Video Camera, Tripod, Software, Tripod)
2 AverPen Class Packs
1 ActivBoard and Activotes
Subtotal	$17,400.00

To see a list of Advantage . . . PBL donors, visit Advantage . . . PBL Donor Page

Click here for a Contribution Form to send along with your donation.