RUNNING HEAD: SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT

Vernier Computer Software for Lab Based Science Courses

Meghan Montoya
Arizona State University
SED 464 Signature Assignment
Classroom Technology Proposal Template
Based off of the
Arizona Technology in Education Association (AzTEA) and Century Link
Innovation in Classroom Technology Integration (ICTI) Grant
2011-2012 Project Proposal Template

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School Environment Narrative
Description of School
As part of the Tempe Union High School District, Corona del Sol High School is one out
of their seven schools. It is located at the crossroads of Rural Rd. and McClintock Dr. to provide
education to students in the respective area entering 9th- 12th grade. The school sits in a middle
class community within Tempe, Arizona and is ranked 40th in state.
Although the school first opened in 1977, the grounds do not resemble a 40-year-old
school. Entering through the front gates, you walk into a recently remodeled courtyard.
Surprisingly, this courtyard maintains extremely green grass throughout the year and also houses
a few donated statues and sculptures. Being the first thing you see walking onto the campus, this
courtyard makes the school very inviting.
The orange brick building itself surrounds this courtyard in a diamond-like shape. Corona
del Sol is one of the few schools left to utilize student lockers. These are placed along the walls
of the building facing into the courtyard. Subject specific classrooms (i.e. Science, English,
Math) are strategically placed in the same relative areas. This makes it easy for teachers to
collaborate, share equipment, and help each other when needed.

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Image 1. Floor Plan of Corona del Sol High School

Student Population
With an enrollment of 2,498 students, Corona del Sol is the largest high school within the
Tempe Union High School District for the 2015- 2016 school year. The school has over 100 full
time qualified teachers creating a student- teacher ration of 24:1. Each of the four grade levels
contains roughly 25% (~600 students) of the student population. The male to female ration for
enrollment is very similar with the male population exceeding the female population by only 4%.
The ethnic background of the student population varies. This can be seen in Graph 1 and shows

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68% White, 13% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 6% Black, and 2% Indian. In addition, more then 29% of
the student population is enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses provided by the school.
This information shows me, as a teacher, that my students not only have different
learning styles, but they also are ethnically and culturally different then their classmates. It is also
evident to me that some of my students may be better off finically then others. This would result
in more resources at home for those students, which would require less one-on-one help from me
in the classroom. Where as other students may not have these opportunities at home and will
require more of my attention and help when in class. All of these aspects come to my mind when
thinking of my lesson plans. I want my course to allow every student to succeed.

Graph 1. Demographics of Ethnicity at Corona del Sol High School

Demographics

6% 2%
11%
White

Hispanic

Asian

Black

Indian

13%
68%

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Description of Classroom
This project will take place in my 9th grade Advanced Placement Chemistry classes at
Corona del Sol High School. I teach a total of six classes, containing roughly 30 students in each
class. Upon entering the classroom you see the student desks and lab tables to the left and my
demonstration table and office to the right. There is a clear differentiation between the student
area and teacher area. Due to this being a lab class, there is not much decoration on the walls.
Instead, there are cabinets displaying projects made by previous students.
The student desks are aligned in columns facing towards the front of the room. The front
of the room contains my demonstration table, white boards, as well as a smart board that I utilize
when I can. Desks are arranged in such a way to emphasize a lecture learning style to prepare
students for college education. There are a total of eight lab tables on the outskirts of the room,
surrounding the student desks in a U-shape. Each of these lab tables contains an iMac for the
students to use during laboratory experiments to graph, record measurements, and record
observations.
Due to the cramped space in a science classroom, Corona del Sol has provided an
attached office for science teachers. Facing the front of the room, you will find my office directly
to the right of the demonstration table. To the left of the demonstration table is an equipment
room filled with lab equipment and chemicals, which is shared between myself and two other
teachers. Although both of these rooms are accessible by the students, they are not permitted to
enter without permission.
Although the classroom is already equipped with different technological devices, they do
not get utilized as often as they should. The smart board is the most utilized piece of technology
within the classroom. It is used to present information, show movies, and provides me with

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interactive modules. My students love getting to play with the smart board by interacting with
these modules. They become more involved with the lesson, which ends up creating a better
learning environment.
On the other hand, the iMac computers that I have been supplied with barely ever get
used. They are in place to enhance the laboratory experience for my students to make graphing
and recording data easier. In reality, they only slow down the laboratory experience and take up
excessive time in my classroom. The one item I could only dream of adding to my classroom
would be a tool to create an easier laboratory experience for my students.
For this proposal I am asking for the Vernier Computer Software for my classroom. This
software will be downloaded onto the iMac computers already provided for me, which will
enhance the usage of these expensive technological devices. Vernier ultimately will create a more
efficient laboratory experience by graphing and recording data through probe attachments for the
students. This will save a bunch of time in the classroom, which will allow the students to better
analyze the data obtained. It will also provide more opportunities experimentally. The Vernier
Computer Software is a great tool that I ultimately want to utilize within my classroom daily.

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Image 2. Floor Plan of Classroom

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References
Corona del Sol. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14th, 2015.
Corona del Sol High School Tempe, AZ Enrollment and Demographics. (n.d.). Retrieved
September 14th, 2015.