Blog grant to benefit classroom instruction
Thirty language arts teachers in the Cobb County and Marietta City school systems will be provided…
Georgia (Apr 12, 2006) — Blog grant to benefit classroom instruction
Karen Kennedy
Abstract
Contact: Frances Weyand‚ Director of University Relations‚ 770−423−6203 or fweyand@kennesaw.edu
Thirty language arts teachers in the Cobb County and Marietta City school systems
will be provided a year’s worth of training on how to use weblogs to enhance language
arts instruction in the classroom. This Kennesaw State University initiative is funded
by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The project entitled “Improving Language Arts Instruction through the Use of Weblogs”
features a weeklong workshop in June. Key presenters include nationally recognized
technology and language arts experts Will Richardson‚ author of the recently published
book “Blogs‚ Wikis‚ Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms‚” and Anne
Davis‚ Georgia−based consultant and author of the technology−education weblog EduBlog
Insights. Following the workshop teachers will receive a year’s worth of on−demand
instruction to allow them to maximize their skills in the classroom.
This project was developed and will be overseen by Dr. Earl Holliday‚ assistant professor
in the department of educational leadership in the Bagwell College of Education; Michael
Keleher‚ English instructor in the department of university studies; and Leonard Witt‚
Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication in the communication department.
“We are excited to be considered among the pilot group‚” said Timothy D. Jones‚ principal
of Marietta Middle School. “We emphatically believe that this workshop will increase
the interest level of young writers and readers and give students a creative and techologically
savvy way to share information and present their writing.”
The project is made possible by an approximately $46‚000 grant funded by the Title
II−Part A‚ Higher Education — Improving Teacher Quality section of the federal No
Child Left Behind Act. The grant funds approximately 75 percent of the total cost
of the project.
“The leadership team’s combined expertise ensures the success of the project‚” said
Betty L. Siegel‚ president of KSU. “Leonard Witt brings expertise in using weblogs
and training others in their use. Mike Keleher brings experience in using weblogs
in the classroom to strengthen students’ reading and writing skills. Earl Holliday‚
former principal of Campbell Middle School‚ specializes in working with diverse‚ at−risk
students and in the retraining of public school teachers.”
The participating schools include Marietta Middle School‚ Marietta High School‚ Cobb
County’s Central Alternative School and Floyd Middle School.
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Kennesaw State University is a comprehensive‚ residential institution with a growing
student population of 18‚500 from 132 countries. The third largest state university
out of 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia‚ KSU offers more than 55
undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its approximately 38,000 students. With 13 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 92 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status, and one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.
