Funds Will Help Bring More Technology to K-12 Classrooms Across the U.S.

NEW YORK- Doing IT for Good (DITFG), the corporate philanthropy platform of strategic advisory firm Landmark Ventures, today announces Digital Wish as the 2010 beneficiary of a $50,000 financial and consulting grant. Digital Wish is an online forum where teachers can find funding for their technology wish lists, and communities can engage with local schools with the goal of modernizing K-12 classrooms with technology and preparing students for tomorrow's workforce.

 “The selection of Digital Wish provides a unique opportunity for the DITFG network to apply its expertise and thought leadership to support a promising organization at a critical stage of development”

DITFG focuses on leveraging Landmark’s experience and relationships across the technology and financial sectors toward the support of deserving nonprofits. The program aims to encourage new methods of corporate social responsibility and increase the social impact of Landmark’s company, community and network.

“The selection of Digital Wish provides a unique opportunity for the DITFG network to apply its expertise and thought leadership to support a promising organization at a critical stage of development,” said Landmark Ventures General Partner Zeev Klein. “And through their work of connecting teachers and corporations to bring technology into local classrooms, working with Digital Wish will allow us to support an extensive underserved community of thousands of K-12 students.”

“We are very thankful to Doing IT for Good for selecting Digital Wish as the grant recipient. We currently have more than 116,000 schools listed on Digital Wish, 26,037 educators and donor registrants from all 50 states, and source over 700 technology products from 54 vendors. This grant will help us increase these numbers and strengthen our foundation so we can continue to help today’s students become tomorrow’s leaders,” said Digital Wish Founder and Executive Director Heather Chirtea.

About Landmark Ventures/DITFG

Founded in 2007 by Landmark Ventures, Doing IT for Good uses a unique model combining financial grants, network building, and ongoing organizational assistance to promote corporate social responsibility within the technology arena. Landmark Ventures is a leading strategic advisory firm offering a unique combination of venture development and global investment banking services, with a focus on serving growth oriented technology companies and their venture capital and private equity sponsors. www.landmarkventures.com

About Digital Wish

Digital Wish is on a mission to modernize classrooms and prepare students for tomorrow's workforce. Digital Wish promotes the early adoption of technology within schools by providing a platform for teachers and educators to develop wish lists, share project plans, collaborate on best practices, and purchase technology in a cost-effective manner. And by streamlining and targeting the process of giving, Digital Wish allows large and small-scale donors to directly impact their local schools. www.digitalwish.org

Contacts

For Landmark Ventures
Meredith Smith, 408-892-0574
[email protected]

Published by: Jon Ketchum

In early October of 2009 Tim Foley, the Video teacher at Bennington Community Development Center in Southern Vermont challenged his tech-hungry students to a competition where more than just grades were at stake. In conjunction with Digital Wish, Foley asked his students to craft creative Public Service Announcements to help inform American educators about the Flip Video Matching Program administered by Digital Wish. As added incentive, Digital Wish granted two Flip Videos to the winning producers.

Making sure not to stifle the creative license of the students, Digital Wish gave Foley's students a project description with only three major criteria. Each video had to be shorter than 30 seconds; it had to deliver a strong understanding of the Flip Video Matching Program and most importantly; it had to be original.

Within the first week of the assignment, nearly all of Foley's students had crafted individual story-boards and presented them to Digital Wish staff members by video conference. Originality was plentiful as these eager High School students sat in front of the classroom's computer screen presenting early video concepts on scribbled loose-leaf paper. After pitching their ideas each contestant was given direct guidance on how to take their brainchild to the next level.

Consultation continued throughout the next month as Foley's students worked at completing a variety of unique, comical and inspiring commercials to help educate American teachers about the Flip Matching Program.  Just before the holiday break, Digital Wish reviewed the final entries and decided on two projects that met all of the project criteria. Producers Austin Bevin, with her comical 'teacher-testimony' and Drew Johnson, with a visual representation of a 'student-testimony' took the crown.

To view the student's final creations click on their names below:
Austin Bevin's PSA
Drew Johnson's PSA

Please share these links with other educators!  These were created by students using Flip camcorders.

Digital Wish users submit over 20 Flip Video classroom projects for teachers to use with students.

In an effort to showcase teacher ingenuity in the classroom, Digital Wish recently held a video contest where we asked our users to show us how they were using their Flip Videos with students. Teachers responded with over 20 interesting and comical classroom submissions, ranging from the well-scripted, student-produced news skits, to stop-action claymation shorts.

To review some of the creative submissions crafted for the contest click here

With great advances in educational technology, the traditional “instructor” is quickly morphing into a congenial classroom collaborator.  Much like the ‘coach’ of a unified sports team, this technologically savvy teacher triggers student engagement by offering a collaborative learning environment for their class. 

Brian Greene is a teacher/leader who considers himself to be the 'coach' of his classroom. At Prairie Crossing Charter School in Illinois, Greene educates his students using what he calls 'unconventional tactics.' Through his many hands-on lesson plans and classroom field trips, Greene claims that he motivates his students to take ownership of their knowledge by trying to have them physically 'experience' it.

"Constructivist learning and the multiple intelligence theory are utilized to allow students to think out of the box and push the envelope in education," Greene says.  

Within this atmosphere Greene claims that he is as much a member of his team as any other student, not only does he teach but he learns as well. In an effort to help his students share their growing knowledge and experience, Greene also strives to integrate technology into his classroom. Although his students actively navigate the Web and produce PowerPoint presentations for class projects, Greene hopes to start using webinars and podcasts to collaborate with students and teachers from around the nation. According to Greene, he is always looking for the next best way to engage his students.

"As the principal, staff, students and parents know that there is no challenge I will turn down if it means success for our students," Greene says. "We have so many 'cool' things going on at school; it is sometime hard to explain them all." 

Prairie Crossing Charter School also prides themselves on their ability to physically 'think outside of the box' according to Greene. Often times students will paticipate in an outdoor classroom where they tend to the school's garden and individual student food plots. Greene claims that this physical learning environment reaffirms his classroom ideology that students will take ownership over their knowledge when they are personally invested in it.

"Every student is a part of 'Farm to Table,' which teaches our students about sustainability and agriculture," says Greene. "Students in each grade are in charge of planting, cultivating and harvesting a crop that they will turn into a meal for their fellow classmates." 

Greene advises that the many teachers who still consider themselves to be  ‘instructors’ should try and stimulate their students in new ways. He asks that teachers consider his teaching philosophy posted on Digital Wish, "We must put the power to think, create, develop and challenge into the fingertips of our children." 

Published by: Jon Ketchum

In late October, a Digital Wish donor named John Lintner paid homage to his community by gifting needed resources to his children's elementary school. Earlier that month, Lintner approached Marianne Williams, the Principal of Willard Elementary with the intent of making a technology donation to the school. Upon doing so Williams suggested that there was one item that was in high demand among her teachers; it was a Flip video camera.

"We had a vendor come in last year and show us the Flip camera and we were thrilled with it," the principal said. "At that time we cobbled together enough money to buy three or four of them for the building, you know how it is with budgets!"

As soon as Lintner became aware of the school's videos needs, he immediately searched the web and found Digital Wish through Flip's website.

"I was extremely happy to find Digital Wish," Lintner said. "Through the site I was able to contribute more than double the amount of cameras to my children's school."

When Lintner informed Williams about Digital Wish, she immediately told her teachers to register so they could continue fundraising for technology.

"I thought that this would be a perfect organization for my teachers and I to get involved with," Williams said. "Teachers list specifically what they want for their classroom and donors can then view  a teacher’s exact needs."

Within a few days of helping her teacher to register on Digital Wish, Lintner had donated 24 Flip Camcorders to William's school.

"When the teachers and students found out that they were going to be receiving flip cameras through John Lintner’s donation they were absolutely beside themselves," Williams said. "Since receiving them they have been in constant use in the classroom."

Through his experience donating, Lintner claimed that one of the largest benefits of giving through Digital Wish was knowing that 100% of his money was going directly towards putting Flip Cameras into Willard Elementary.

"I would recommend Digital Wish to other donors for the same reasons I used the site; it’s convenient, easy, and you know exactly where your money is going."

 Although Lintner said that his initial intent to donate to Willard Elementary was sparked by his willingness to pay homage to his local 'community.' Lintner's actions have in turn brought a new sense of school pride among the teachers and students that received his gift.

"Although my intent was to donate to the school," Lintner said. "The true beneficiaries of this donation are of course the teachers and the students."

Published by: Jon Ketchum