Three Lawrence County school districts will net hundreds of thousands of dollars for technology, thanks to a federal grant program.

Wednesday, December 06, 2000

Three Lawrence County school districts will net hundreds of thousands of dollars for technology, thanks to a federal grant program.

Dawson-Bryant, Fairland and Ironton school districts will receive up to $125,000 in three incremental draws, the Ohio SchoolNet Commission announced last week.

Each school was named to the Raising the Bar at the High School Program, an initiative to provide funds for computer hardware, software, professional development, online access and related technologies.

The schools were among 60, representing 56 districts selected, to participate in the program. A total of 215 school districts applied for the grant program.

Funded through a $425 million five-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, Raising the Bar is an effort to support new models of learning, said Ed Hill, the funds program manager at Ohio SchoolNet.

The money will help the schools incorporate technology into the curriculum, involve parents and communities and provide effective online learning tools, Hill said.

"These funds will be used to support a variety of hands-on student activities and instructional strategies that feature multimedia technology, helping educators to better address various student learning styles," he said.

"Through this program, educators and students will be able to use technology to help shape the next generation of technology applications specifically used to improve the teaching and learning process."

For more information about the federal fund, contact Hill at 614-644-3044.