VERIZON GRANT SUPPORTS
LITERACY INTIATIVE

By MARIA GRENINGER

Bob Williams (left), assistant dean of the School of Education, and President Lloyd W. Benjamin III (right) accept a donation from Rick Risinger of Verizon.

When used in literacy learning, computers can become a powerful tool for students and teachers alike.

This is exactly what elementary education professors Michaeleen Davis and Beth Whitaker thought in their pursuit of funding for a “Teaching Literacy through Technology” initiative.

The proposal was on the table — a proposal which would once again pair ISU’s School of Education with the Vigo County School Corporation — and the Verizon Foundation came through with $20,000 to support the project.

“Through the foundation, one of our primary focal points is to support literacy programs in the respective communities,” said Rick Risinger, area manager for customer operations for Verizon (formerly GTE) in Terre Haute. “Our relationship with ISU and the fact that this program dealt specifically with literacy, made this program a perfect match and a good reason to support it with foundation dollars. This is probably the largest grant we’ve ever given in the Terre Haute area for literacy work.”

Two Vigo County schools will participate in the program, which targets students during their second grade year. This is a crucial time, according to Whitaker, since ISTEP testing begins for Indiana students in the third grade.

“This is one way to enhance the instruction of language arts for young children,” said Whitaker, assistant professor of elementary and early childhood education at ISU. “This program will give teachers another way, another avenue — beyond paper and pencil — to celebrate writing and to teach and learn language arts.”

The two participating schools have yet to be determined, although at least one will be one of ISU’s 20 Professional Development School (PDS) sites. A decision on the schools should be forthcoming within the next few months.

“The purpose of this program is to enable teachers to see the natural link between computers and literacy instruction,” said Davis, assistant professor of elementary education at ISU. “After all, computers can enhance a student’s interest and skill in reading and writing.”

Not only will this unique opportunity impact area elementary students, it also will provide the future teaching workforce with valuable experiences and lessons on integrating  technology into the curriculum.

“This project is designed to assist teachers in an ongoing fashion as these computers become a regular part of their classrooms and instructional practices,” Davis said. “The fact that ISU students will also be a part of the program only strengthens the long-term benefit to the educational field as a whole.”

Davis and Whitaker both agree that the most important aspect of the project is its ability to provide area public school students with the opportunity to become better readers, writers and users of technology.

“Research indicates that computers motivate students,” Whitaker said. “If we can link that kind of motivation with achievement in language arts, then we’ve done something special.”

February 19, 2001