Grant Proposal: Makerspace Sandbox

​I am a new person in a new position in my District. This District Tech Integration position just started with this school year. We are lucky to have a great infrastructure of devices and an awesome network, but I think teachers have yet to see some innovation with our 1:1 devices (chromebooks 9-12 and iPads 2-8). So many times, I hear teachers say they want to “do more” with tech, but they don't know where to start. This Makerspace Sandbox will be a travelling presentation to our 5 schools in our district as well as to other school districts (via EdCamps or other conferences). It will allow teachers to work/play/test/study with some makerspace goodies (robotics, coding, circuitry, etc.). This experimentation by teachers will SPARK their interest and give them the hands-on experiences to give them confidence to bring these items into their classrooms. The materials/equipment that I plan to purchase will cover a wide range of activities that can be implemented in classrooms from our youngest Kindergarten students to our advanced High School students.

Award Letter

Resources

Time Schedule for Project

After I receive the check, I will have all items ordered/received within a 2-3 week period.
I currently own plenty of ipads/chromebooks needed to work in conjunction with the equipment listed below. I will be sure to download all necessary apps/software and then experiment with the devices myself. 
I will setup sandboxing times for my teachers in afterschool drop-in sessions for them to try-out a sampling of items. (Each session will be different – so that teachers will not get overwhelmed). These sandboxing sessions will take place over the span of weeks in all of our different district buildings. In my sandboxing sessions, I will provide teachers with ideas on how they could integrate these types of items into their classrooms and provide them with a link to my website with a repository of information about the items (links, price, curriculum integration ideas, videos, etc.).
Also, I will be providing a chance to bring these items into the classroom, so that I can co-teach with the classroom teacher about using this type of technology with students.
Throughout all these sessions, I will be taking pictures/videos and then reporting about the sessions on my blog.

List of items purchased with grant funds

Meeperbot -  $96.79 - Receipt (Gray) - Receipt (Red)  *The company also helped me stretch my grant monies by offering and additional robot at 50% off! (So $97 for 2!)
Rechargeable 9v Batteries for Meeperbots - $21.99 - Receipt
Finch Robot  - $89 -  Receipt
Dot & Dash Wonder Pack - $295.39 -  Receipt
Parrot Spider Mini-Drone (w/Extra Batteries) - $72.49 - Receipt
Sphero SPRK edition - $99.99 - Receipt
Code & Go Robot Mouse Set - $40.69 - Receipt
Code-A-Pillar - $38.99 - Receipt ~ Extra Modules (found at Kohl's) 3/$5 each=$15 (no receipt)
Playdoh Touch Shape Studio - $31.00 - Receipt
Ozobot Bit - $63.29 - Receipt
Miniature Bowling Pins for Ozobot - $9.99 Receipt
3Doodler Starter Set - 52.74 - Receipt
Stickbot Studio - $14.50 - Receipt
Legos (for Meeperbots & Drone) - $13.59 - Receipt
Tripod (for Green Screen projects) - $12.96 - Receipt
LED Lights (for Paper Circuits projects) - $6.89 - Receipt
Disc Batteries (for Paper Circuits projects) - $10 (no receipt)
Copper Tape (for Paper Circuits projects) - $8 (no receipt)
Plastic Totes (to transport sandbox items) - $15 (no receipt)
Total Grant Money Spent on above - $1,008.29

BONUS:
MakeyMakeys - 6 DONATED (as a part of my ambassadorship with the company) - VALUE=$299.94

Sandbox Event @ Eastern Carver County Schools (Chaska, MN)

Sandbox Event @ Jefferson & Lincoln Elementary Schools (Richland Center, WI)