Mini-Grant Application for School Year 2021-2022

Submitted by: Christina Carboni Email: christina.carboni@yourcharlotteschools.net Grade Level: 7-8 Subject: Technology
Co-Applicant: Email: Grade level: Subject:

School: Port Charlotte Middle School Type: Public Grade Levels:6-8 County:Charlotte

Approx. Enrollment: 925 Number of teachers:55

School Address:

23000 Midway Blvd
Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Phone: 941-255-7460 Principal:John LeClair Email: john.leclair@yourcharlotteschools.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoITT.cc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoITT_CC

Project Title: Public Service Announcements in 3D
Project Dates: December 1, 2021-May 13, 2022 Grade Levels:

Focus Area(s) :Technology- Research- Soft Skills - Media

Abstract:
Our project for which this grant funding will support is to assemble a mobile video studio, complete with green screen, to create 3D Public Service Announcements (PSA). Students will work in teams to research, create, write, and star in a self-directed PSA focusing on a topic that is meaningful and appropriate for their age group. The studio will be used for the initialization of our Public Service Announcement (PSA) Project which will be the catalyst to catapult students’ current technology skills mastery into a real-world learning experience. As part of the Computer Business Applications class, students are working on achieving their Microsoft Office PowerPoint Specialist Certification (MOS) and this project will take their skills from the screen to the workplace by using this program as the tool to support their PSA.

Proposal:

How is your project innovative?   (25 points)
Students need to see the real-world connection of their learning to understand its purpose and the reasoning behind what we do in the classroom for them to have those “Aha” moments. Also, for our 8th graders, this is the third year using the GMetrix program, a solid tool but it does not independently make those real-world connections. To relinquish their apathetic view of the monotony of staring at a computer screen to go through the simulations, something they have done way too much of during the year of COVID, we will use all their acquired knowledge of the current program they are working on, PowerPoint 2019/365, and turn that into the tool they will use to create their Public Service Announcements (PSA). My 7th and 8th grade students will use PowerPoint as the documentation tool for their research on their approved PSA, creating aesthetically pleasing, audience appropriate, and researched-based slides to be used as a backdrop to support their view on their topic of choice. This project affords students the opportunity to put into real-world practice the skills they are mastering during their MOS PowerPoint Certification training and their Business Computers Applications course, while increasing their soft skills and workplace readiness skills. It provides them an opportunity to socialize in a constructive, meaningful, and purposeful way while learning research strategies and digital citizenship skills. The equipment will be mobile so the studio isn’t classroom or indoor specific, thus its purpose is malleable to offer students flexibility in creativity. Though there are studios of this type in other district schools, they do not afford the mobility we are proposing.

How will it fit into your curriculum (include standards)? (10 points)
The PSA 3D Project will integrate cross-curricular learning opportunities for students as they complete research that is valid and reliable and discover digital media to support the stance on their topics. (ELA.8.C.5.1 Integrate diverse digital media to emphasize the relevance of a topic or idea in oral or written tasks, ELA.7.C.4.1: Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources, and generating additional questions for further research.) As they work in their teams, they will increase their soft skills, to include but not limited to, communication, teamwork, creative thinking, self-motivation, and time management. (CTE-IT.68.WEB.06.01 Create and use a collaborative environment for communicating and sharing among project team members.) The vehicle to display their completed PSA will be on social media and our school website in which we will publish their completed projects and host a voting process so the public and select their favorite. (CTE-IT.68.WEB.06.02: Create and use a social media page to share and publish project components for gauging visitor reaction and obtaining feedback.) Due to the multiplatform and multi-device use, students will increase their mastery in use of Windows, Mac, PC, iOS, iPadOS, Chrome, Google Apps, their compatible files, and the management of their content locally and in the cloud. (CTE-IT.68.GENRL.03.01: Compare and contrast various operating systems used in a computer and mobile devices (e.g. DOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)., CTE-IT.68.GENRL.03.02 Describe and use conventional file naming conventions., CTE-IT.68.GENRL.03.03 Be able to identify file types by extension.)

How will it encourage long-lasting change in your classroom, school or community? (20 points)
First of all, creating a Public Service Announcement (PSA) brings awareness to students and the community about topics that are important to their age group; they have the awareness to market current topics to their peers. It is proven that “explainer videos” like PSA’s are the most effective way to convey messages that are remembered (Krämer & Böhrs, 2017). The PSA’s themselves will afford long-lasting change due to the content being conveyed and sharing the videos with the public via the school website and the voting process. Establishing a mobile green screen recording studio on our campus will afford the school community an opportunity to use this multimedia tool in additional meaningful projects because at this time, we do not have any other recording studio setup. Today, video format is how our students consume information. They need to understand how this powerful message-bearing tool is used technically, legally, and respectfully. At this time, we do not have this instruction in place and through this project for which this grant is written, we will begin our training. A future goal is to have visual displays throughout campus that will continuously run PSA’s and other digital media while providing visually stimulating positive messages for our school community. Ultimately, the long-lasting change will come from the internalization of the PSA messages these pioneer students will convey to their peers and community, as well as, the experience and skills learned creating them.

How will technology be utilized?  (20 points)
Students will use their Windows computers to research and create the backdrops that will include the data from their research using PowerPoint 2019, as well as, additional software. The filming and media manipulation will be done using the iPads and Mac so we can seamlessly AirDrop to and from the devices and store student content. They will need the Apple software that comes standard with this equipment, especially iMovie and GarageBand. Students will use iMovie to bring their PSA to life and merge their active filming session with the background that contains the data and messages from their research. They will use the LED TV to see the merging of the live and stationary content to make sure they are correctly situated before calling action. It is important to note that students are in a lab setting in which each has the use of a Windows desktop computer.

What evidence will you collect to show student gain?   (10 points)
Students will complete a pre and post test to show mastery of PowerPoint 2019 as they dually prepare for the MOS certification. The information they collect and share via their team’s successful PSA will demonstrate their ability to perform valid and reliable research skills. The completion of their PSA will show they have increased their soft skills and use of different operating systems and mobile devices, as well as, the programs and file manipulate between the multiple platforms.

How will participants share your project results with the community?  (15 points)
We will host a contest to select the best PSA and the voting, via Google Form, will be extended to the public via our school website. We will share the PSAs on our social media site/s and share them with our district webmaster for hosting on the Charlotte County Public Schools website.

Budget:

I, Christina Carboni, certify that the application is complete and final, AND I verify that I have received permission to apply for these funds from John LeClair,the Principal of Port Charlotte Middle School and any other individuals required by my school district.

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