WCS Receives BYOT Grant

Published June 28, 2012

A check for $105,496 was presented to Williamson County Schools June 18 to assist with the district's Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) initiative.  Verizon Foundation made the presentation at the School Board's regular monthly meeting.

A portion of the money will be used to fund the BYOT Teacher Leader program, which is designed to integrate mobile technology in the classroom.  A total of 174 teachers will participate in the program including four classroom teachers from each elementary school, five teachers from each middle and high school and six tech coaches.  BYOT teacher leaders will not only apply new learning in their own classrooms but will also support the training and professional growth of other teachers in their buildings.

Some of the grant money will also be used to support the district's nine middle schools that have been selected into Verizon's Innovative Learning School program.  Verizon's program provides them with year-long training from ISTE, a prestigious global organization dedicated to helping educators more effectively use technology to support student learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.