Spartan Education Foundation Allows Teachers to Create More Innovative Classrooms

With tough economic times bending school district budgets to the breaking point, many schools have had to make tough cuts. And unfortunately, newer and more innovative programs often are the first to get the ax.

But thanks to the Spartan Education Foundation, students at Oak Lawn Community High School will still find themselves on the cutting edge of education in many classes.

Each year since 2004 the foundation has awarded mini-grants to teachers with the most positive ideas for new classroom programs and tools.

"The board members (of the foundation) set up a review process and select the most innovative projects with the greatest classroom benefit to the students. It's difficult because all of the submissions are very good," said District 229 Superintendent Dr. Michael Riordan.

This year's recipients are: the Oak Lawn Community High School art department; science teacher Chris Repa; math teacher Karyn Horn; English and media center teachers Lauren May, Nick Grijalva and Eileen Jones; special education teacher and social worker Joyce Rafferty and Carol Gustafson; and special education teacher Jamie Atkus.

Atkus, whose project is "We Learn With iPads," used her $2,134 grant to purchase four iPads and a keyboard.

"I heard about how some universities were starting to have students purchase iPads and then just download their textbooks," Atkus said. "I thought it would be a good idea to try piloting the program here."

Riordan said the program is innovative and a great example of a program the school ordinarily would not be able to support under such a pressured budget. He said the foundation's grant money comes from fundraisers and business contributions, and most of the teachers in the district make contributions from each paycheck.

"Even with a tight budget, teachers still want to help implement new programs in the classroom," he said. "Interest in the grant program this year surpassed any level in the past."

Atkus said she was excited her program was chosen for the grant, and she already has received the iPads and put them to use in the classroom. She does not own an iPad herself, so she has been learning with the kids and on the Internet.

She said it's too early to say if the iPad is a complete success, but the majority of the students have been excited to use Apple's newest gadget and it even piques the interest of kids who don't always participate.

"Kids that might not ordinarily want to read aloud in class will volunteer because they want to try the iPad," Atkus said.

Although she is primarily a special education teacher, Atkus also does some co-teaching and said kids of all developmental levels have seemed to enjoy and benefit from the iPad.

In addition to awarding grant money for programs such as Atkus', the foundation also provides scholarships to Oak Lawn Community High School students who will be moving on to college and university institutions. Riordan said the process is somewhat similar for awarding the scholarships, but more intensive, and possible selections also are reviewed by a sub-committee of the board.

The scholarship is awarded based on achievements in the classroom (GPA and class rank), but also on many other factors, including participation in clubs and athletics, within or outside of the school, and community service. Students also write a letter about their accomplishments so far and what goals they wish to accomplish as they continue their education.

The foundation consists of 11 members, including Riordan, and the current president, Laura Shallow. In addition to funding from private donations and teachers, the district also received $200,000 as part of a lease for the Ronald McDonald House. The property, adjacent to Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, is owned by the district. The district invested the money, and each year the interest earned on the principal is given to the foundation.

In addition to the iPad grant, the details of the funding include the art department's Raku Workshop and Curriculum Enhancement, which will use its $683 to sponsor a raku workshop, a special kind of ceramic firing process used for creating pottery.

Repa, whose project is titled "Students on the Move: Vernier Motion Detection and Analysis," received $1,450 to purchase motion detection equipment and software for use in physics classes.

Horn's project, "Graphing Calculators: Technology Needed for Every Algebra Class," will use $3,000 to purchase graphing calculators for all algebra classrooms.

May, Grijalva and Jones, whose project is "Podcasting: An Authentic Broadcasting Experience," will use their $630 to purchase video and audio recording equipment to produce student podcasts. Rafferty and Gustafson will use $1,150 to purchase resources and supplies for the special education art program.