By Alexandria Mooney
I present at a number of (mostly technology) conferences throughout the year, and someone in my session inevitably says, “My school can’t afford this technology” or “How am I supposed to do this in my classroom when I don’t have any resources?”
My heart goes out to them. I’ve been fortunate enough in most of my teaching career to be in schools where technology is highly looked upon and sought out. However, I have been on the flip side of that as well, where technology was on the back burner and other, more pressing issues took priority. What I always tell these commenters at my session is, “This may sound harsh, but those are merely excuses. Don’t let your school’s limited budget stop you from using technology—any kind you want—in your classroom.”
What I mean by this statement is simple: if you don’t have something you want in your classroom, get it. No, that doesn’t mean fork out your own money for new software or equipment (but you can, if that’s your cup of tea). Instead, find someone to get what you desire for you. There are tons and tons of technology grant programs out there to help teachers get anything and everything for their classroom. My favorite (and probably one of the easiest!) grant-esque teacher resource-seeking sites is DonorsChoose.
As the website states, "DonorsChoose.org makes it easy to help classrooms in need. Public school teachers post classroom project requests, which range from pencils for poetry to microscopes for mitochondria.” I personally have had three projects funded through DonorsChoose for my classroom: two Chromebook projects, and one Nexus 7 tablet project. Each of these projects was funded mostly by anonymous donors (although you might get lucky and have Stephen Colbert or Oprah Winfrey adopt your project).
The DonorsChoose funding allowed my students to do things in my classroom that we otherwise could not have done, like our War of 1812 Twitter Challenge. Another great thing about DonorsChoose, as opposed to some other grants, is that it’s not school-specific; your DonorsChoose project items go with you, the teacher, if/when you change schools. So when I started at a new school this year, the Chromebooks and tablet came with me and have found a new home with new students at my new school.
Although my school couldn’t budget these new technologies for my classroom, I didn’t take that “no” as my final answer. Instead, I found a way to fund them myself, because I wanted them for my students to better their understanding of whatever topic was at hand.
Some education-centered companies, such as SMART®, have grants and funding available for teachers whose schools don’t have the equipment they want. For example, a teacher I taught with several years ago really wanted a SMART Board for her classroom. We were teaching at a school that still was equipped with chalkboards and overhead projectors hanging on by a barely functioning bulb. She taught writing, and longed to be able to have her students interactively annotate on the SMART Board. After striking out with the district for funds, she turned to a grant she found online. After some research, writing, proposing, and submitting, she found herself ending the year with a new SMART Board in her classroom. I use this example in my presentations when the comments arise about no money or funding for tech needs because those are just excuses; if you want something, go get it!
Never let the budget or financial woes of your school deter you from doing what you want to do in your classroom. It may take a little more time and effort on your part, but there are resources and means out there for you to get technology in the classroom without dipping into your own pockets.
Interested in donating to DonorsChoose or posting a project of your own for consideration? Learn more.
Alexandria Mooney teaches technology at Ursuline Academy in Kirkwood, Missouri. She has a bachelor’s in secondary education and history, and a master’s in educational technology. In 2012 she became a Google Certified Teacher and is also a self-described tech nerd, Apple lover, history buff, root beer enthusiast, avid reader, unofficial movie critic, photographer (picsandpawsphotography.com), world traveler, micro-blogger (@MrsMooney12), insta-overgrammer (@mooneyalex12), reality TV addict, former division-one softball player, #googleglass explorer, self-proclaimed meteorologist, devoted wife to a crime scene investigator, and, most importantly, a mama to Patrick and a beautiful 9-year-old dachshund/terrier mix named Scooter (@Scooter_the_Dog). Visit her at: http://mooneyclasses.blogspot.com/
