Lakeville Schools' Technology Grants to be Rolled Out Today

The 's robust $2.1 million technology push is about to get very real for more than 80 teachers, and thousands of Lakeville's students.

The district announced the on Jan. 31, which will provide digital tools for students, such as iPods and iPads, as well as digital training for teachers. The project is a collaboration with Apple and many teachers are teaming with others on the project.

The entire iLearn 194 project's goal is to increase student motivation and engagement, cultivating innovative learning and thinking and improving career-readiness through use of technology many people use at home.

"When educators use digital tools for productivity and creating projects, students learn at higher levels and make deeper connections to the learning," the Lakeville school district said in a press release.

“This generation is very digital,” Superintendent Dr. Lisa Snyder told last month. “That’s the world we live in now.

The district said one-third of the Lakeville staff applied for the iLearn grants representing a variety of programs, content areas, and includes all schools across the district.  

To see a , and , look at the PDF to the right.

The district has received some criticism for the technology push, especially after the School Board trimmed more than .

But Snyder said the district has $2.1 million in funding for the 2012-2014 Early Implementers Program. A large portion of this revenue comes from the $1.1 million in one time Basic Skills Funding, which Lakeville schools received from the state of Minnesota. The district was given these funds by the state legislature as the result of a special legislative session. The funds are only to be used for the 2012-13 school year.

“You always want to use one-time money to fund something that’s going to last” said Snyder last month.

Much of the remaining funding comes from district budgets and resources that have been repurposed and reallocated. According to a presentation posted on the district website, $85,000 was repurposed from the resource budget and $29,000 was repurposed from the equipment budget. $20,000 was allocated from special education funding.

Incidentally, Feb. 1 is the inaugural 'Digital Learning Day,' a national awareness day designed to celebrate teachers who use innovative instructional practices that strengthen and personalize learning for all students.

District leaders specifically chose this symbolic day to make the iLearn 194 grant announcement, according to the district's press release.