By a small measure, Duluth's Nettleton Magnet Elementary School will be able to decrease the size of the digital divide between haves and have-nots, thanks to a grant from the Qwest Foundation and the Minnesota Business Partnership.
The $7,500 Teachers and Technology Grant was presented to Nettleton teacher and technology coordinator James Olson during a regular school meeting this morning. It came as a surprise to Olson, who received the grant for his "Where We Live, Making A Difference" proposal.
The proposal calls for creating integrated lessons on community so students will recognize their role as contributors through interactive lessons. The grant will help buy classroom video-conferencing equipment.
"Technology is transforming every aspect of our lives, including education," Charlie Weaver, executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, said in a news release. "This proposal shows how technology can engage students and improve how they are prepared for the real world."
Olson said the project will help students who might not have access to technology at home to better prepare for middle school and beyond.
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"Whenever we can get funding and bring in new things for our students, it's very special," Olson said.
Although he recognized individually with the grant, Olson modestly shared credit with others at the school.
"It's not just one person who sits down and writes a grant," he said. "It's a team of teachers working together to benefit the entire school."
Now in its third year in Minnesota, the Qwest Teachers and Technology Grant Program received applications from more than 80 public-school teachers around the state. A blue-ribbon panel selected 13 of those proposals to receive grants this year totaling $93,000.
