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WINSTON PARK ELEMENTARY IS AMONG 130 U.S. SCHOOLS $35,000 grant includes HP wireless equipment, cash and professional development MIAMI – Winston Park Elementary was among 130 schools nationwide selected to receive a $35,000 grant from Hewlett Packard (HP). The grant, HP Technology for Teaching, totals $4.5 million in cash and equipment and was awarded to teams of five teachers at each school. Preference was given to schools serving low-income students and projects including a math or science component. HP designed the grant program to transform and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology. These projects will impact nearly 40,000 students in the 2006-07 school year. Winston Park’s grant package includes five HP Tablet PCs, five HP multimedia projectors, five HP digital cameras, five HP all-in-one printer/scanner/copiers, software and accessories, a cash stipend for each teacher and a professional development program that includes customized learning opportunities, expert mentoring and participation in an online learning community to support teachers’ use of technology. Winston Park will create a model ecosystem, “The Ever Changing Landscape,” that will allow students to investigate native and exotic plants. The technology will foster critical-thinking skills and transform the classroom. Students will work side-by-side gathering data with the help of HP Tablet PCs, digital cameras and various metric measurement instruments. They will track the rate of germination, plant growth, weather conditions and soil samples. The advantages of live on-site, hands-on investigations are priceless. Cooperative teams will analyze and share findings taking on decision-making roles. “Excitement is running high here at Winston Park!” said Mary Tweedy, a 5th-grade teacher at the school. “When I received news of the generous HP Technology for Teaching grant, I immediately set out to notify one and all who had worked diligently to write our grant. We had been searching for an innovative way to instill in our students a renewed passion for science and mathematics.” She added, “We can’t wait to get started!” Winston Park is transitioning into a K-8 Center and will open its first 6th-grade class in the 2006-2007 school year. The school has a strong academic program that has been rated by the state as an “A” school for the past four years. “The HP Technology for Teaching initiative focuses on transforming teaching and learning through technology,” said Bess Stephens, vice president, Philanthropy and Education, HP. “By integrating mobile technology in meaningful ways into their classrooms, instructors can increase student achievement and interest and prepare them for greater success in the competitive global workforce.” More information about the 2006 HP Technology for Teaching program and grant recipients is available at www.hp.com/go/hpteach. # # # |
