The Vermont Software Developers Alliance {vStDA} has announced that Vermont teachers and educators have proposed 21 separate science and technology projects using the new iPad 3 in response to requests for proposals from the newly created Bentley Award.
The quality of the proposals so impressed Apple®, and their employees that their employees committed to personally contribute a $100 iTunes gift card for every $500 raised toward the $100,000 goal to fund all 21 projects. Apple® has agreed to match their employee’s generous contribution to the Bentley Award and donate 3 iPads 3 computers.
The Bentley Award honors the memory of Bentley Davis Seifer (age 12) who passed away last summer. Bentley excelled in school and had a knack for scientific and engineering ventures. Bentley is the son of Bruce Seifer, a founding member of the Software Alliance and his wife Julie A Davis.
The Vermont Software Developers Alliance has decided to try to fund all 21 proposals instead of choosing one winner as originally planned. The schools are competing for an award consisting of three iPad 3s and a $3,000 prize. The Alliance has raised $20,000 toward the goal of $100,000 needed to fund all 21 proposals.
The Alliance sought applications from Vermont schools to develop projects related to science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM.)
The decision to try to fund all the applications came after John Canning, President of Physician’s Computer Company, said that, ‘It’s tough to say no to kids, especially when you understand the importance of these projects to their education. It benefits us all for kids to become savvy in science and tech related projects. ‘
Anyone interested in contributing to the Bentley Award Project can do so by visiting the Vermont Software Developer’s Alliance website at www.vtsda.org or mailing a check to the Vermont Software Developers’ Alliance, 70 South Winooski Ave. #270, Burlington, VT 05401.
This is a summary of the proposed Bentley Award STEAM projects:
#1 Flipping the Classroom:. 'Lectures' are recorded as Vodcasts which students can access anywhere/anytime freeing up class time for more engaging pursuits in which teachers can help students with their own thinking. The Bentley Award could help by allowing the purchase of computers and software to set up a recording studio
#2 Geocaching: is an adventure game for GPS users where students will set up caches all over their community and then share these locations on the internet. They will learn to use GPS technology and will further document their travels using iPads and digital cameras.
#3 Interdisciplinary Study of Weather: As part of a recent renovation of our science laboratory, ABC School installed a weather station on the school roof which is certified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Our goal is to expand weather data capabilities to include more outdoor observations, measurements and data collection and expand this curriculum to our elementary school, grades K - 4.
#4 Digital Media: Expand digital media into their integrated approach to STEM activities which already includes building balsa structures, rocketry, magnetic levitation vehicles, rubber band powered airplanes, electric terrain vehicles, computer- aided design, and Photoshop collages.
#5 Study the habitat and life cycles of different animals: Currently fourth grade science students have the opportunity to study the habitat and life cycles of different animals. Throughout the year the focus is on: dwarf frogs, fiddler crabs, worms and ducks.We would like to expand this project into a 2 year study which would follow the students into fifth grade.
#6 Botball Education Robotics annual competition: 14 Students in an after school program want to enter this competition in Massachusetts. As part of this project, they are working on software design, mechanical design and developing an overall project plan.
#7 iPads into our classroom: A grades K’2 school in an increasingly impoverished and largely rural community in northern Vermont added iPads to the classroom last year in an effort to engage students and diversify what they learned. Initial reception has been quite positive. The most noticeable improvements coming from students with social and emotional disabilities; the mobility of the iPad allows these student to relocate to a less stressful area when necessary. The Bentley Award would allow the school to increase the number of mobile devices available.
#8 Science Fair: Ten years ago, our school launched a science fair for grades 4 through 8 that places an emphasis on the scientific process and STEAM related projects. Winners from the upper grades go on to compete in the state wide science fair. The science fair is funded solely by donations; the The Bentley Award would provide additional resources for the student body.
#9 Support a student organization focused on a Sustainable Future: The organization introduces students to sustainability and modeling and encourages them to investigate and apply their learnings to addressing global challenges such as renewable energy. The Bentley Award will allow the school to purchase additional computers that the students can use on a daily basis.
#10 Create Video with iPads of town to share with pen-pals in Germany, Italy and France: Using media, data, pictures, and video students would collaboratively create a dynamic movie on their community that gives their pen-pals the opportunity to see what life is like in ABC while communicating through Skype, email, and blogs.
#11 Integrate Physics, Industrial Technology and CAD: Produce tangible student projects using computer modeling, graphic design and finally computer controlled fabrication to make a low cost pellet stove for heating, wooden truss structures fabricated with a computer controlled router, and sports equipment.
#12 Lego League Competition: Students use their math, technological, and engineering skills to design a robot for international competition with people competing from 55 countries. The Bentley Award would allow more students from our school to enter the competition.
#13 iPads to teach Astronomy: My sixth grade science classes focus on the solar system. The iPads provided by the Bentley award would augment our current curriculum thanks to the many wonderful applications that help students understand the solar system and the night sky.
#14 iPads as tools in field science: The project, focused on the LaPlatte River and Champlain Basin, is innovative because it will introduce the use of iPads as tools in field science to elementary age students, thereby linking stewardship of nature with technology tools which are increasingly a part of their daily lives.
#15 Create an outdoor classroom and attached greenhouse : Renovate shack on school grounds to create an outdoor classroom and attached greenhouse with the goal of studying the natural areas. The Bentley Award would provide a much needed boost to the fund raising efforts for this project.
#16 Science Inquiry Project: Incorporate technology use in classrooms in order for students to access the greater world. Science is one area where students are encouraged to have authentic experiences, (instead of being talked to by the teacher) with topics that they would not necessarily have access to in a typical school environment.
#17 The Benefits of Technology in Kindergarten: Podcasting, video, SmartBoards and iPads are all wonderful technological tools that inspire young children to think deeply about their ideas while also allowing important collaboration with others. iPads double up as a digital video/camera that will allow me to instantaneously email what is being captured during class time, as well as provide a myriad of opportunities via either educational applications or iBooks.
#18 Set up an online Academy: Student will create teaching videos and other learning materials on STEAM topics, so that other students and their families can use them in school and at home. The Bentley Award would support the costs associated with hosting the web site, video conversion software so that all the videos on our site would be in the same format, styluses and other accessories for the iPads, and digital projectors so that students could see and use the videos in their classrooms. We would use the iPads themselves for creating and editing videos.
#19 Place based science program: Continue innovative project because it combines a study of local biomes with a technology component using a WIKI and connecting different schools with local experts and residents
#20 Purchase 15 electronic readers for struggling students: E-readers have certain functions that are beneficial to students struggling with reading such as: the ability to get the definition of a word at a touch, the ability to ‘talk’ to one another electronically, the ability to store many books on a single device, and to read at a comfortable font size and with a lighted background.
#21 NASA Kids Science Challenge ‘ Meals on Mars: Provide funding for computers used by students competing in the annual NASA Challenge. This competition encourages students to be real scientists and problem solvers. The computers will be used to conduct research, organize and analyze results, prepare reports and presentations.
About the VtSDA
The vtSDA is an 8 year old trade group that was founded by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, to celebrate the creative technology sector of Vermont’s economy.
Vermont students to get new iPad 3s through Bentley Awards
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