here's an example of a teacher using a class blog to to illuminate students' prior knowledge and engage them in academic discussions. You can compare student posts over time to see how she has had to redirect them to post on-topic and articulate their thinking.
Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Funds are available at the beginning of the school year; funds can pay for standards based lessons that go beyond what districts are expected to provide (e.g. field trips!!!)