DoDEA grant will place interactive devices in Okaloosa secondary math and science classrooms

District curriculum staff told the school board that a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) grant will fund interactive technology — described in the transcript as "clear touches," iPads and large classroom monitors — for secondary math and science classrooms.

"These grants help support, the last two we've had four since I've been here. The last two have been called Engage and Engage 2, and this is to make an interactive classroom and increase the technology in our secondary science and math classrooms," said a district science curriculum staff member who explained how the program places iPads and large monitors in classrooms to allow teachers to circulate and project from mobile devices.

Board members asked how schools were chosen for the devices and were told principals and curriculum staff selected classrooms where the technology would be most effective. The transcript notes that the DoDEA grant funds are being spent for technology in targeted classrooms and that DoDEA encourages secondary-focused proposals rather than K–12-wide projects.

Staff also said the DoDEA grants have supported roughly 5,000 iPads districtwide and that the district trains "TEC" (technology-enhanced classroom) teachers who receive additional classroom technology. "These grants have supported about 5,000 iPads in classrooms," the presenter said.

The DoDEA funds referenced in the workshop were described as the source for the specified devices; board members discussed how many "clear touches" would be allocated. The transcript records the grant explanation and Q&A but does not record a formal vote on the grant spending in the workshop record.