 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
2019-20 Innovative Learning Grants
Classroom Grants awarded in 2019/2020
​
Quick and Easy Posters for Link Crew - Hatboro-Horsham High School
​
Grant Author: Vanessa DeLuca
Reinforcers to Facilitate Learning and Engagement - Keith Valley
Children who are labeled as “non-verbal” need to learn to communicate. I am trying to teach communication via picture
exchange, signs, and devices. They need preliminary skills to work their way up to using a device or pictures etc. Providing highly reinforcing objects such as toys, manipulatives they enjoy, or even just a small taste (e.g.- a sip of lemonade) they learn and make the association that a picture, or a sign, or word stands for their desired object. Students in the Autistic support class that I wish to use the grant money towards need substantially more trials than their typically
developing peers, which is why a consistent regular supply of these items are needed. In addition, in order to be functional as these students live their lives, or even to prepare for future work, they need to learn functional skills such as basic kitchen/cooking needs. Therefore, having kitchen supplies and having the opportunity to go and learn about shopping and buying food items and preparing the food is an important and functional skill. Here is a video example of "mand" training we do with kids with Autism that justifies some of the items requested and gives an example of teaching communication
method.
This grant would allow me to use the funds to work with a variety of students, particularly in the autistic support class, but also in my speech-language therapy sessions to provide reinforcers and other activities to support communication skills. I will be working with the occupational therapist and Autistic support teacher when using grant items for the kids in the Autistic support class.
Grant Authors: Neha Parekh, Jill Moynahan, and Dawn Gallagher
Sensory Items for Autistic Support Classroom - Simmons
These items will help my students to receive the sensory input that they need in order to remain calm and ready to learn. We are working on identifying emotions and feelings and how we can address our feelings in order to be the best learner possible. Providing students with multiple sensory items to utilize in order to meet this basic need of theirs will create greater opportunities for success.
Grant Author: Molly Fitzpatrick
Building Number Sense and Mathematical Reasoning Through Games – Blair Mill
These items will allow me to incorporate games into my math classroom that will help to build my students math reasoning and number sense. By ordering 2 sets of each game, I will be able to share with my 5th grade colleagues so that the benefits of the games reaches beyond the walls of my Learning Support Classroom.
Number sense and math reasoning skills are important building blocks in becoming mathematical thinkers and being successful with high level math concepts. Game play in the math classroom can provide opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of numbers and operations. It allows them to persevere through problem solving
strategies in a low risk environment.
Grant Author: Amy Ambler
Inspiring Young Minds to Do Great Things - Pennypack
We live in an ever changing, fast paced world, and students need to develop skills that build innovation, creativity, and problem solving. The Lego Education WeDo set does exactly this in a fun, exciting, and challenging way!
With the WeDo core set, children will build different types of robots and apply drop-and-drag coding to set their robots in motion! The set comes with directions for building lots of different robots or children can create their own! Teamwork, collaboration, resiliency, coding, communication, and many many more skills will be practiced as students engage with this awesome tool. The built in wireless technology makes coding the Lego robots fun and easy!
Grant Author: Sharon Mirabelli
Full STEAM Ahead- Connecting STEM with Literacy and Art - Hallowell
Students need more exposure to good literature. Students should have the opportunity to collaborate and be creative with science, technology, engineering and math ( not math class- real world math concepts) on a daily basis while connecting to content, literature and art.
Students will have multiple opportunities to problem solve and be creative throughout the week, in an ELA classroom.
Grant Author: Elizabeth Schrader
#ClassroomBookADay Challenge – Crooked Billet
The goal is to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, 180 days of sharing texts to build classroom community, provide joyful reading engagement, add variety to lessons and curriculum, improve comprehension, fluency, and listening skills, and respond to classroom academic and social-emotional needs.
Grant Author: Tiffany Hood
Building Supplies for STEM – All Elementary Schools
I have always found that building with Legos and K'nex helps create an excitement for engineering and design. Students are drawn to these "toys" but they can be used in so many ways in the classroom. I truly feel that they are essential to a STEM classroom. For my younger students, they will use these in free play times when we are finished an activity, but may also be used in some of our STEM challenges. For my older students, they will use these as specific challenges and will be asked to build with them and incorporate them into projects.
Grant Author: Kristina Skladaitis