More than $1 million in technology grants awarded to AISD teachers

TI grant winners pose for a photo

Oct. 26, 2017 - Teachers at 37 AISD campuses got quite a surprise last week when members of the AISD information technology department showed up at their schools to let them know they had won a Transformation Through Innovation grant (See photos).

Seventy grants were awarded, totaling $1,013,490.

The TI grant is funded by the 2014 Bond package and includes about $1 million in each of the bond’s five implementation years to be awarded to AISD teachers and schools who develop innovative learning environments for their students through technology. This was the final year of the program.

Teachers develop their own technology-based concepts and innovative ideas and then submit proposals to get them funded. Winning grants this year included professional quality cameras for photojournalism, technology for makerspaces, iPads, Chromebooks, robotics and more. (Read about all the grant winners.)

"Teachers who receive grants also receive individualized support from AISD instructional technology specialists," said Elita Driskill, AISD director of instructional technology.

The grant money’s purpose is to facilitate innovative teaching methods that will truly transform the classroom and learning environment. It’s about using technology as a tool to teach in a new, more effective way.

"Transformation Through Innovation grants provide wonderful opportunities for teachers to acquire specialized resources to prompt student creativity, collaboration, and communication," Driskill said. "Additionally, grants will offer coding and problem solving experiences."