1Arizona Technology in Education Association (AzTEA) and Century Link

Innovation in Classroom Technology Integration (ICTI) Grant2011-2012 Project Proposal

Cartooning Your Way to a Better School

Proposed by:

John Kainalgona81@yahoo.com

Lowell and Shaw Elementary SchoolsPhoenix Elementary School District #1

Phoenix AZ

2Introduction

Need for the Project: Seth Godin's book Linchpin is about how you can make yourself an

indispensable member of your organization. Godin's mantra is: "You have to ship," i.e., "you have to

create a meaningful product and deliver it to an external audience." In most schools, shipping is rare.

Students read, write, and test within the cocoon of the classroom.

High-stakes testing have made Arizona schools very effective at preparing students to be

students. One of the anchor goals of the Phoenix Elementary School District is to ensure that students

complete eighth grade ready for high school. In addition, the Common Core Standards blend together

research and media skills: "...create a high volume of print and nonprint texts in media forms old

and new.” (http :// bit . ly / commoncorestandards , page 4).

The project “Cartooning Your Way to a Better School” will make students ready for high school

by telling stories in new media forms. More importantly, it will help them to become linchpins in their

careers.

Description of Project-Based Learning Activities: Students will work in teams to create animated

cartoons that address the driving question: “How Can We Make Our School Better?” They will use Flip

video cameras and the online animation tool GoAnimate4Schools (http :// bit . ly / animate 4 schools ).

Innovation: My project would elevate students to a higher level of technology skills -- they would

create content instead of just consuming or interacting wth it.

Additionally, after students complete this project, I will train other teachers to do this project with

their students.

Student Impact: I’ll launch this project with about 60 seventh- and eighth-graders at two schools.

Students will research, organize, read, write, and collaborate during the course of the project. After it’s

completed, these students will be able to plan, create, and convey a complex visual message aimed at

solving problems. I’ll train other teachers to execute this project with their students.

3Project Narrative

School Environment: Lowell Elementary and Shaw Elementary are K-8 schools located at in

central Phoenix. Both schools have a high percentage of ELL students and studens eligible for free or

reduced lunch.

Need for the Project: Our students need to improve their writing skills.

Here are the 2010-11 AIMS results for Reading and Writing for sixth- and seventh- graders at

Lowell and Shaw Schools (the 2011-12 seventh-

and eighth-graders with whom I’ll work.)

Project Impact:

Student Impact: About 60 students will be

impacted during the initial project, with several

hundred more students impacted in the future..

Students will engage in all the Essential Elements

of Project-Based Learning, with an emphasis on collaboration, inquiry, and creation of a publicly-

presented product.

Teacher Impact: The impact on me is that the more PBL activities I do, I become a more skilled

PBL teacher and a more skilled PBL trainer of other teachers. I hope the impact on other teachers is that

they will become PBL believers.

Community Impact: For many students and parents at these two schools, the school is the only

place they have easy access to sophisticated technology tools. A “Cartoon Festival” on Open House

night would be a strong community relations tool. As a former Phoenix TV news reporter, I could invite

my former colleagues to help students with the finer points of writing, recording narration, and video

editing.

Learning Goals and Outcomes

Final Student Outcome: By the end of the trimester, the student will present a cartoon-based

multimedia story that answers the driving question, “How can we make our school a better place?”

Reading:

%Passing

Writing:

%Passing

Shaw 6th Grade 60 21

Shaw 7th Grade 65 49

Lowell 6th Grade 67 38

Lowell 7th Grade 79 42

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Description of Project-Based Learning Activities

Activity, Instructional Strategy, Learning Goals & Objectives,Contact TimeGather Data: Student teams poll students outside the class to answer question: "If you were in charge, how would you make our school better?" Students use todaysmeet.com and record interviews with Flip video cameras. Students use polling data to craft answers to the Driving Question.DifferentationWriting, Grade 7-8: S1, C1, PO1; AZ Tech Standards S2, C1, PO1;S4, C2, PO16 class periods (class meets twice a week, 50 minutes per period)Storyboarding: Student teams prepare scene-by-scene storyboard for their cartoon using online brainstorming tool bubbl.us. Each scene includes all dialogue and detailed description of characters' actions. At least one scene will be live-action video shot with the Flip cameras.Problem-based instruction supported by teacher-led, Web-based screencasts. Writing, Grade 7-8: S1, C1, PO5; AZ Tech Standards S3, C2, PO44 class periodsCreating cartoons: Student teams build their cartoon using the online tool goanimate4schools.com after creating practice cartoons until they are expert animators.Problem-based instruction supported by teacher-led, Web-based screencasts.Writing, Grade 7-8: S3, C1, PO1; AZ Tech Standards: S1, C4, PO1; S1, C4, PO2; S6, C2, PO58 class periodsPresenting: Student teams post their cartoons on the school blog and make face-to-face presentations to the principal explaining why their ideas for making the school better should be implemented.Cooperative learningListening & Speaking S3, LS-E2; AZ Tech Standards S2, C1, PO22-3 class periods

Learning Goals & OutcomesLearning Goal, Student Outcome, AZ Content Standards, AZ Tech Standards (7th Grade to High School)Students will generate potential ideas through a variety of activities. Student teams interviews students with Flip video cameras and copy video files to their computer. Writing, Grade 7-8: S1, C1, PO1, S2, C1, PO1, S4, C2, PO1Students will establish a central idea appropriate to this format. Members of each team review interviews, discuss possible topics, and agree on a topic.Writing, Grade 7-8: S1, C1, PO4, S2, C2, PO1Students will use organization strategies to plan their cartoon.Using the online brainstorming tool bubbl.us, each team will create a detailed storyboard for its cartoon.Writing, Grade 7-8: S1, C1, PO5, S3, C2, PO4Students will create a narrative in the form of a cartoon.Using the online animation tool Goanimate4Schools.com, each team will build a cartoon that includes animation and video elements.Writing, Grade 7-8: S3, C1, PO1, S1, C4, PO1, S1, C4, PO2, S6, C2, PO5Students will deliver an oral report and effectively convey the information to a specific audience.Students will link their cartoons to the school blog and give a live presentation to the principal.Listening & Speaking S3, LS-E2S2, C1, PO2

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Assessment

Students will be assessed via rubrics and informal observations. Students will complete short

assignments to help them learn how to use the tools within GoAnimate4Schools – for example, they

would be assigned to make a character walk into and out of a scene. Each assignment will be assessed

based on a simple 4-3-2-1 rubric.

When teams begin working on their cartoon project, each team will start each segment of the project

with a specific, detailed rubric. Each team will also have a checklist for each segment that corresponds

to that segment’s rubric.

Each team will create screencasts that explain how to complete one very specific element of the

project (i.e., how to create a plan in bubbl.us). Along with the teacher-created screencasts, these

screencasts will be a repository of instruction for future reference.

At certain points during the project will we watch the “rushes” – the partially completed cartoons.

When a team shows its rushes, the other teams will offer constructive criticism. Teams will also use the

classroom social networking tool Edmodo to reflect on their own project and offer feedback on other

projects.

I will also use Edmodo to send students suggestions and feedback.

Technology Support:

Our district’s software support specialist and I, as our district’s instructional technology coordinator,

will be responsible for implementing and sustaining the project.

Sustaining the Project After the Proposal Period

I will continue carrying out this project with future classes. Additionally, I will offer project training

to other teachers. I hold a weekly “Tuesday Tech Snack” for teachers that focuses on one technology

tool. Each Snack includes a Web page with links to screencasts that walk the trainee through the steps of

using that tool. Here is the page associated with my GoAnimate4Schools training. (Scroll down to

Objectives to find links to screencasts.)

Innovation:

Students will: Plan and create cartoons using Web-based tools accessible 24/7 from any Internet-

connected computer. They will have access to Web-based, teacher-created and student-created

screencasts that walk them through the steps for using each technology tool, accessible 24/7 from any

Internet-connected computer. They will use the social networking tool Edmodo to communicate with

each other and their teacher, and to receive feedback from each other and their teacher, accessible 24/7

from any Internet-connected computers.

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Budget NarrativeDirect Costs

Item Quantity Total Cost RationaleGoAnimate4Schools SchoolPlus Package

2@$99 (one package = 50

student accounts)

$198 Student teams will insert live-action video into their cartoons and make cartoons of unlimited length (free package has 2-minute limit)

Flip Video Cameras 20@$79.99 $1599.80 Student teams will interview students to gather planning data, and shoot video segments to appear in the cartoon. Flipes record video to a flash drive that can easily be uploaded to a computer via built-in USB.These cameras can also be used for other technology projects.

Vidpro Flip Tripod 20@$20 $400 Avoid shaky video.4 Pack Ultrasaver AA Batteries

10@3.99 $39.90 Replace Flip Camera batteries

Total Direct Cost: $2237.70

Indirect Costs: $200. This is the value of my time spent creating GoAnimate4Schools student accounts

and creating instructional screencasts.

Total Cost of Ownership: $2437.70

Value On Investment: While it would be presumptuous to attach numeric predictions to this project, I

believe that students who complete this project will improve their score on the writing portion of the

AIMS. More importantly, students will become more comfortable learning in a technology-rich

environment and recognize the rewards of writing within the context of a multimedia project for a real-

life audience.

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AzTEA/CenturyLink ICTI Budget Form(Total Funding Requested = Instructional + Support Services + Capital as detailed below)

Total Funding Requested for the Project:                                  $ 2437.70                                       1. Applicant Name: John Kain2. District/School: Phoenix Elementary/Lowell & Shaw Schools3. Project Title: Cartooning Your Way to a Better SchoolsITEMIZED PROJECT COSTSList all components and price for each component. Applicants must research fair prices on requested equipmentPROPOSED BUDGET: LINE ITEM DESCRIPTIONFunction Code Object

CodeDescription Budgeted

AmountInstructional (1000):Purchased Professional Services

6300 My time spent creating GoAnimate4Schools accounts and instructional screencasts

200

Purchased Property Services

6400

Other Purchased Services 6500Other Purchased Services 6600Supplies 6600Other Expenses 6800

Instructional Subtotal 200Support Services (2100, 2200, 2600, 2700):Purchased Professional Services

6300

Purchased Property Services

6400

Other Purchased Services 6500Other Purchased Services 6600Supplies 6600Other Expenses 6800

Support Services Subtotal 200Capital OutlayProperty 6700 QTY Cost Per

UnitDescription Purpose

2 99 GoAnimate4Schools SchoolPlus Package for 100 students

Allows students to insert live-action video in their cartoons, & to make cartoons of unlimited length

198

20 79.99 Flip Video Cameras Shoot video to gather ideas & to create content

1599.80

20 20 Vidpro Tripods Avoid shaky video 40010 3.99 4 pk Ultralast AA

batteriesReplace Flip Camera batteriess

39.90

Capital Subtotal 2237.70Total Funding Requested (Instructional + Support Services + Capital)

Not to exceed $10,000.002437.70

In-Kind Contribution (included Direct and Indirect Costs not covered by funding request) 0Project Total Cost $2437.70

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Biography

I have been an educator for 14 years – nine as an instructional

technology specialist, and five as a classroom teacher at the middle-school

level. Prior to that I spent 15 years as a TV news reporter.

I’m very comfortable with technology, and moderately comfortable with

project-based learning.

I’ve found that teaching and learning with technology often means

trying for force technology to fit an anti-technology environment. This funding will make it easier to

create a pro-technology environment for me and my students.

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