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Granting Wishes

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Wouldn’t it be nice if there really was a genie in a bottle or if money really did grow on trees? Think of the endless possibilities we could provide for our students, teachers, and schools. Well, since this isn’t reality, technology coordinators must be creative in coming up with ways to fund technology needs. Before purchasing anything, the technology coordinator and his or her committee must analyze the needs and wants of the teachers and/or students. The items must align with the goals of the school or district’s technology plan (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017).

Once decisions have been made, the exciting time begins…purchasing. When purchasing technology, schools must purchase off of the Alabama K-12 Joint Purchasing List or from a bid list.

Technology can be expensive. As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) point out, “school districts spend considerable funds developing technology infrastructure, establishing networks, and installing educational technology resources" (p. 186). I’m sure there are lots of times that the budget runs out before all of the wants are met. This is a time when the technology coordinator can find other ways to fund purchases.

Grants

Writing a grant seems like a time consuming process, but one that is well worth it. Hooper (2022) gives some information on grant writing. The technology coordinator in my school is currently writing a grant for new items in our STEAM lab. She tries really hard to ensure that our school is meeting our technology goals and improving student achievement.

As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) states, grants can provide extra money for new technology, projects, and even professional development opportunities. In education, there are two types of grants - Entitlement Grants and Competitive Grants. Their name basically describes the difference between them.

Entitlement grants are ones that make sure that the district funds are distributed equitable between the schools in that district. These include Title I, Title VI, and Eisenhower funds. The formula for these grants are determined by enrollment and/or the number of low-income families (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017).

Competitive grants are just that - competitive. These are the types where an applicant writes a proposal and then competes against others to be awarded the grant. The sponsor of the grant will determine the winner based on certain criteria. These can be sponsored by state or federal education agencies or even private organizations (Frazier & Hearrington, 2017).

Grant Writing

Writing a grant can be a time consuming, but rewarding process. According to Sehlaoui et al. (2021), educators reported facing obstacles when trying to write a grant. The obstacles reported were finding the time to write a grant, lack of guidance on how to receive and find grants, lack of motivation, and feeling unsupported.

Some ways to overcome these obstacles could include holding professional development sessions on how to write and find grants, creating a grant writing team or committee that could be of assistance to others (Sehlaoui et al., 2021).

As Frazier and Hearrington (2017) explain, “by taking the time to explore grant funding opportunities, working with others to develop the support needed to carry out a grant project, and crafting a winning grant application, the technology coordinator can secure the funding necessary to carry out a meaningful technology project” (p. 190).

There is a lot of free information available online about writing a grant. Learn Grant Writing (2019) has a three part video session for teachers learning how to write competitive grants. If you would like to learn more, watch Part 1 below. 




References

Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education. 


Giphy. Middle East Genie. https://media.giphy.com/media/2t1xQwwvkcFYFkxQDI/giphy.gif


Hooper, A, (2020, January 31). Never applied for a grant? Here’s what you need to know. TechSoup. https://blog.techsoup.org/posts/never-applied-for-a-grant-heres-what-you-need-to-know


Learn Grant Writing (2019, October 6). Learn how to write a grant - Grant writing 101 - Part 1 of 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDxCUGCODhA


Planbook. (n.d.). 19 Technology grants and organizations to help expand your classroom. https://blog.planbook.com/technology-grants/


Sehlaoui, A. S., Gross, E., & Ruengwatthakee, P. (2021). Motivating factors and obstacles behind grant research: The case of a teaching focused state college. Journal of Research Administration, 52(1), 39–58.


Comments

  1. The Hi-Tech Teacher, Valerie MatsonMarch 16, 2022 at 5:55 PM

    Dana,

    I enjoyed reading your interpretation of the material. I like how you pointed out the importance of starting the planning process with the school or district's goals . "No planning process can be effective without data to support decision making" (Frazier and Hearrington, 2017, p. 170). Using a system-wide survey can help the technology coordinator determine what is really needed based on data and not just "wants". I learned a lot about options for purchasing technology from your post. I think grant writing, as well as some of the other ideas you shared are underutilized options. The time and specialized knowledge it takes to write a grant are definitely two of the biggest factors that prevent people from attempting to write grants (Sehlaoui et al., 2021). Partnering with stakeholders in the community, such as local businesses might be another avenue to purchase new technology. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.

    Thank you for sharing,
    Valerie Matson

    References

    Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The technology coordinator’s handbook (3rd ed.). International Society for Technology in Education.

    Sehlaoui, A. S., Gross, E., & Ruengwatthakee, P. (2021). Motivating factors and obstacles behind grant research: The case of a teaching focused state college. Journal of Research Administration, 52(1), 39–58.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andrew ReidMarch 17, 2022 at 6:56 PM

    Dana,

    In my opinion, grants are a very underrated source of funding available. You are right that grant writing can be a time consuming process which I feel is a big reason why more don’t write grants. I do agree that I think training on how to write grants and apply for grants is needed for most districts. As Frazier and Herrington (2017) state, grants can allow a technology coordinator to secure funding necessary for meaningful technology projects. Great summary for all educational personnel.

    Andrew Reid

    References:
    Frazier, M., & Hearrington, D. (2017). The Technology Coordinator’s Handbook.

    ReplyDelete

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