University of Lynchburg has received a $20,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation through a program of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges for enhanced use of technology in K-12 education.
LC is one of five Virginia schools to receive a $20,000 “Teaching with Today’s Technology” grant. University of Lynchburg will use its grant to:
• Enhance technology training for education faculty. This specialized training will feature Verizon’s educators’ website Thinkfinity;
• Enhance technology training within existing education courses; and
• Conduct two one-week technology courses for in-service teachers and others entitled, “Effective Classroom Technologies” and “Applied Geography.”
The “Effective Classroom Technologies” course will be held June 14-18 and taught by Dr. Woody McKenzie. It willinclude SMARTBoard technology and its integration with online educational resources (Verizon’s Thinkfinity), its integration with other software (Microsoft Office), and web-based educational technologies (Skype). Effective use of other technologies including web page portfolios, concept mapping software, computer probe software, and computer microscopes will also be examined.
The “Applied Geography class will be Aug. 2-6 and taught by Dr. David Perault. The course provides a comprehensive overview of geographic principles with examples from the physical and social sciences. Technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) will be used to understand and demonstrate topics, with an emphasis on pedagogical approaches to applying these concepts in the classroom.
The other 2010 Verizon Foundation recipients are: Emory & Henry, Randolph, and Randolph-Macon Colleges, and Shenandoah University.
The Verizon Foundation is one of the VFIC’s top corporate partners, contributing more than $3 million to the VFIC cause over the course of 55 years. Since 1998, Verizon’s commitment to improve student learning and faculty instructional effectiveness has made a meaningful impact on colleges across the Commonwealth.
This grant will provide significant tuition support for each of these courses for a limited number of teachers in both public and private schools. Interested applicants should contact Paula Lichiello in the School of Education, Leadership Studies, and Counseling at lichiello@lynchburg.edu or 434-544-8464 for additional information and to reserve space in the courses.
