Nicholls recently received one of its largest grants in history.

The $1.3 million grant from the United States Department of Education will fund a program that will instruct more than 2,000 current and future teachers in the use of technology in the classroom.

The three-year project, “Re-Tooling Teacher Preparation: Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology,” will join University faculty with teachers from various schools in the area by incorporating technology into the curriculum. By doing this, the education will improve from pre-kindergarten to college.

“This grant is going to bring Nicholls State University into the next level technologically, and ultimately, it is to prepare our teachers to integrate technology into the classroom,” Michael Delaune, director of University relations said.

Lawrence W. Howell, assistant vice president for academic affairs, is the director for the three year project. Dr. James E. Barr, distinguished professor of education, was important in developing the grant proposal with Patrick Marquette, director of research and sponsored programs.

Dr. Gregg Stall is the newly appointed coordinator of the program.

“In many of our school districts around here, there is a computer in every classroom. However, nationally there’s an issue that has arisen with human capital. We’ve developed this fantastic technological capital as far as equipment is concerned, but the problem now is that few know how to use all of this new equipment,” Stall said.

He said as in the case with many fields, the human factor is the problem. The capabilities of the individuals using the equipment lag behind the technology itself. The new program is going to remedy this situation.

“Of course, here at Nicholls, we do have teachers, instructors and professors who are using technology. We’re planning on building on the number of people who are using it, so that eventually, it becomes something that most people are doing, rather than just a few people,” Stall said.

In order to instruct the Nicholls faculty to utilize technology better, they will visit schools where the use of technology is emphasized. The faculty will also attend workshops conducted by technology consultants.

“At the school sites, we will go out and observe the use of technology there. So we will be working with K-12 schools as well, and we will also be redesigning the curriculum here at the University so that technology will be infused into the course work,” Stall said.

Matching funds priced at $1.4 million will come from Nicholls and other local and state agencies. The contributors include the Education Service Center at Nicholls State University and the Louisiana Technology Literacy Challenge Implementation Project, comprised of St. James Parish school system in collaboration with St. John Parish public schools, the South Louisiana Economic Council, and the school systems of Ascension, Assumption, Lafourche, St. James, St. John, St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes and the Nicholls College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences.