This past year, a handful of teachers here at LHS and over at Vernon Hills have applied for and received almost $20,500 in Innovation Grants from the District 128 Foundation for Learning.
Out of all the teachers that received grants, the most popular reason for applying for these grants was to get technology that teachers thought they could use to aid in teaching. “These grants encourage teachers to think outside of the box,” said Ms. Andrea Lara, who teaches AP US History and Honors US History.
In the Social Studies Department, Mr. Matt Thompson, Ms. Lauren Rust and Ms. Lara applied for funding to help them purchase iPads for each of their classrooms.
“It would be interesting to use iPads to aid with classroom instruction. They would provide an easy way to help with preparation for the AP test, especially with the large number of apps available for that reason,” said Ms. Lara. “They are a more cost effective way to get access to current College Board material.”
In the Science Department, Mr. Mark Buesing and Mr. Mike Cook applied for Doceri in the Classroom, while Ms. Sherri Rukes applied for a few grants (APPS for Chemistry, Extruding Bioplastics, and Looking at Glass in a New Light).
“We saw that the iPad was being used more in everyday life,” said Cook. “And we realized that there were many practical uses for it in the classroom as well.”
The iPad would also allow students to become more involved with participation during class as well. Doceri (an interactive whiteboard for the iPad) allows the teacher to wander the classroom and still write notes on the board, which also means students can do the same.
Ms. Rukes also will receive an app that will help in the classroom. The app will allow for a cheaper alternative to expensive time-consuming experiments and calculations. In addition to this, her classroom will also be equipped with a new furnace and an extruder (used for making glass, key chains, and bioplastics).
“We are also going to use the grant to replenish the chemistry equipment,” said Rukes. “We go through lab materials quickly and restocking is not cheap.”
Other teachers at both Libertyville and Vernon Hills received similar grants, most dealing with technology. At LHS, Ms. Catherine Marcell, the school’s psychologist, received a grant for the EMPOWER Learning Series; Ms. Lynda Ward, who works in the Special Education Department, received one for iPads for Special Needs Students and the Special Resource Department; Mr. Craig Schmidt, Ms. Anne Malecki, Ms. Mary Kate Polzin, and Ms. Dyan Naslund, all teachers in the English Department, received a grant to add and improve Writers Week; and the Chinese Department received iPads and apps to use in class as well.
Photo Courtesy of Paw Prints