ING Unsung Heroes

Well, between packing my classroom up for the summer and some super, humbling accolades that I received, June went by in a blink. I know you are probably now in full on summer mode, but while you have the time off to think, consider applying for the ING Unsung Heroes award. Each year ING selects 100 teachers (about two from each state) to receive $2,000 for a classroom project, based on your written application and how you plan to use the funding. Once you are selected to receive the $2,000, you are eligible to be consider for the top three awards (3rd place is an additional $5,000, 2nd place another $12,000, and first place is $25,000)! It's a great honor to have your project selected and a chance to secure funding to do some wonderful activities in your class or school.
The application isn't due until April 30, 2014, but once the school year starts, things get so topsy-turvy busy that you end up having to forgo extra things like grants. Starting this year, it appears that you will be doing the application online instead of mailing it in. If you want to check out my past grant writing tips click here for the link. Take a look at it - you may just come up with a great summertime idea!
http://ing.us/about-ing/citizenship/childrens-education/ing-unsung-heroes
http://techknowclassroom.blogspot.com/search/label/grant%20writing

Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

One of the things I wanted to do when I started this blog was share some of the opportunities I have had to meet and work with teachers across the United States. Somehow, I haven't got around to it, but there's no better time to start than now.

So, while everyone else is gun-ho on football tonight (no, thank you, teaching is my only sport), I want to share with you my experience at the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. This is a summer math and science academy for teachers in grades 3-5, sponsored by professional golfer Phil Mickelson and ExxonMobil. It is held in Jersey City, New Jersey, just a hop, skip, and subway ride from New York City (as in, you will see the Statue of Liberty every day from your hotel room, as well as the skyline). The training provided to you is courtesy of the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics. About 200 teachers from across the United States are selected to attend each year. A parent or teacher can nominate you, or you can apply to attend yourself here.

I attended the first national academy back in July 2009. I had been browsing on Grant Wrangler for grants, and a link for "MEMTA" (as we alumni like to refer to it) popped up. Oh, if you would have only known me back then. I was a "good teacher," I guess, but my world...wasn't very big. And I knew it. I've always had an idea of the kind of teacher I wanted to be, but at the time I had no idea how to get there. Maybe, I thought, where I was at was all there was. This, however, sounded like what I was looking for - to learn more about the best ways to reach students, with the best teachers. Did I have a voluminous resume with lots of presentation experience or prestigious awards? Oh, heavens, no. To put it in runner's terms, I was "good for my age group," but not a top finisher. But, if you never try, the answer will always be "no."

 So, at 9 PM on October 30th (the deadline being the 31st), I went for it. I typed my application right on the online form and hit send - and little did I know, it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life as an educator.

MEMTA was an experience like no other. The exposure to the National Science and Math standards was priceless, as I was about to begin National Board Certification. Not only was the professional development top-notch (what you would expect from a national academy), but the way the teachers were treated that week was exemplary as well. In short, the staff and teachers at MEMTA treated us like super stars. As a relatively new(er) teacher at the time, that was almost overwhelming for me. New(er) teachers have to "fight" for everything, whether it's for respect or a bookcase. To be treated so first class (I don't want to give too much away because if you go I want you to be as WOWED as I was), well, I almost didn't know how to act - and then I got a handle on myself.



MEMTA was featured on the CBS Early Show during
our academy. Why, yes, that is Harry Smith!

What I didn't expect from attending MEMTA is probably what has changed how I teach the most. Not only did I attend this academy with other teachers from across the United States (that were all amazing and to this day I still consider out of my league), but I learned from them. I learned things about technology and teaching that week, just from listening to other teachers, that I never would have known otherwise. I learned what issues affect teachers in different states - some different, some the same as those in West Virginia. My view of my role as a teacher and the possibilities available in education changed overnight. I am still am in contact with several of the teachers who attended  MEMTA that year, and probably will be forever. I came away from MEMTA convinced that networking is the most powerful professional development you can provide an educator.

I realize it's October 6th on a Saturday night, but if I can crank out "something" in a handful of hours before the deadline, you surely can give some consideration to applying to the Mickelson ExxonMobil Academy this year. Don't tell yourself it isn't possible. Sometimes, the only way to get going in the direction you want is to put yourself on the right road. Nobody else is going to do it for you - just take the keys (computer keys, in this instance)...and drive.

http://www.sendmyteacher.com/index.html

Donors Choose

There's a light at the end of the tunnel...and its name is Spring Break! Although the school year is nearing it's end, it's never too early to think about things you need for next year. If you haven't heard of the organization I'm about to tell you about, you're in for a treat - and if you have, I hope it encourages you to get thinking about what you could accomplish for your classroom!

Donors Choose is an online non-profit that allows donors and organizations to donate funding to classrooms across the country. All you need to do as a teacher is to make an account and create a project. Using the selected vendors that Donors Choose has designated (there's plenty of them for all your needs, ranging from basic supplies to technology to musical instruments), choose the materials that you need for your classroom. Once your write about how the materials will benefit your classroom, your project will go "live" in about five days so others can view your project.

So far, I have had two projects funded by Donors Choose this school year alone. I was pretty pumped to come home Thursday afternoon to find out someone had donated the remaining funding for additional math and reading materials for my classroom! How fast your project gets funded depends on many things. Your best bet is to create a project that is less than $400, even if it means breaking a larger project down into several requests. Mine were both under $400 and received funding within 3-4 months. Sometimes there are special opportunities for you to earn funding for your project, such as gifts cards through companies like Skype and Groupon.

If you needed any more motivation to post a project on Donors Choose , look no further than Horace Mann's The Classroom Project II. Starting April 4th, Horace Mann (a teacher's insurance company) will start funding 10 projects a week $500. All you need to do is "like" Horace Mann on Facebook and post your project ID number under the link for The Classroom Project II.

If you are a new teacher or just new to writing grants, Donors Choose is a great way to get practice creating projects for funding. You have nothing to loose and a lot to gain. There's no limit on how many projects you can have funded, so this is an opportunity to begin a means of securing materials for your students for years to come. It's pretty amazing to think that people you will never meet have the opportunity to impact your classroom and students. Take a look - you may think of something to write for over Spring Break! It's almost here!!!

http://www.donorschoose.org/teachers

http://www.horacemann.com/teacher-lounge/donorschoose.aspx

Digital Wish: Flip Video Camera for $24.95

This is the mother of all good deals.

Flip Camcorders are fabulous little devices, are they not? Easy to record with, nice built-in software to put clips together to make a little movie, and completely kid-friendly. I can always hand my Flip over to one of my students to record a project with (almost) complete confidence there will not be any snafus. WHY ON EARTH they decided to stop making these gizmos is beyond me, because they are a teacher's dream to use for capturing your classroom moments and producing student projects. I'm all about the iPad/iPod-mania, but those are going to be expensive and sought after for quite a while. Taking pictures and video is a great skill for students to develop and utilize to show what they have learned, and it's nice when there's a economical way of making it happen.

However, for a very short time (because, like I said this is the mother of all good deals) teachers can get a Flip Video Camcorder through Digital Wish for $24.95! Yes, Digital Wish is touting this as a FREE Flip Cam, but there is a processing fee of $24.95 so I am calling it as I see it. It's a chance to get a video camera for your classroom really cheap. If you want to secure a easy to use piece of technology for your classroom, now is the time to jump on this deal. Even though they are going to stop making Flips, you can still record with them and use the installed software for movie making. Totally worth it and the price is definately right. There is a limit of one Flip per classroom for this offer.

And yes, this offer is completely legit. Digital Wish is a fantastic organziation that I have received grants and special offers through in the past. In fact, check out their website for what's coming down the pike in the way of grants and contests, because there are several things with a deadline of March 15th! Their products and software are made for the classroom. Usually their grants involve writing a lesson or unit plan stating how you plan to you the technology you are applying for in your classroom. In order to purchase the Flip Camcorder, apply for grants, or set up a wish list, you will need to register an account (it's free, no worries) to "prove" that you are indeed a savvy, technology seeking teacher.

Hope this added some zip to the end of your week! And since this isn't what I was planning on posting (I just HAD to share this though), come back for more techKNOW very soon!

http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/product?id=112550

http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/home

UPDATE: My (HD even!) Flip Cam arrived exactly one week after I ordered it! Can't wait to get it charged and put it to good use!

Beyond Question Student Response System Grant

Disclaimer: I have a set of interactive student responders, "clickers," remotes, or whatever you choose to call them. They are amazing. You enter the questions using the software, students log in using their remotes (which is easy enough for even a younger student to do independently), and students "click" in their answers as they appear on the projected device. Once all students have responded to the questions, you as the teacher receive instant feedback to share with the class on their progress - no grading of papers required (my favorite part). Did I mention they are amazing?
So, I guess my disclaimer for this grant is that I have a different "brand" of student responders than I am featuring in this post. The one I use in my classroom is the SMART Response PE System. I'm sure that all of the different types of responders (which seem to be appearing more frequently) that are on the market have their similarities and differences, so if anyone has experience using another type of responder, feel free to comment below. Just felt that I should clear this up, being that my motto is classroom tested and teacher approved.
With THAT being said, Beyond Question is offering a $1000 grant for their student response system. There is an application on their website to download in PDF, and apparently the deadline is "rolling" (in grant-speak, that means they accept applications continuously or until funding runs out). The difference left over after applying the grant is $399, which for a set of 30 responders, receiver, and software isn't too bad. If you have funding in your school to provide for the amount left over from the grant, this opportunity is definately one to consider.
Even if you don't have an interactive whiteboard, you can still utilize responders as long as you have a computer and an LCD projector. The receiver (included in most response systems) is what captures the data from the remotes, not the interactive whiteboard. Just thought I'd through that out there!
http://www.bqlearning.com/Beyond-Question/k-12-grants2

Grant Wrangler

So this isn't exactly a "tool" to be used in the classroom, but it may lead you to things that will improve your classroom and teaching in ways you never imagined. When I was going to school to be a teacher, someone (a professor most likely) said loftily one day in class, "If you can write a grant, you can do just about anything." Hmm. Deep. I put that sage advice in the back of my mind for a few years, until I had been in the classroom for a while. It doesn't take an economist to figure out that the money teachers put into their own classrooms doesn't make a lot of "cents" (yeah...that was corny). I was feeling limited, for lack of a better word, by what I could do in my classroom and where I was going as a teacher. So I started Googling - and I do believe that is a word now - Grants. Grants for teachers. How to write a grant. Grant writing. And somewhere, among the many pages of the Internet, I found Grant Wrangler.

Grant Wranger is a treasure trove of funding opportunities for classrooms and professional development opportunities for teachers. You can search for grants by subject, or just start at the first page and click on through. Everything is listed on this website by "first due," meaning the most upcoming events and grant deadlines (or things that are ongoing) are listed first. Grant Wrangler really shows you that there are countless ways to change your classroom and your teaching practice, if you are willing to do a little writing. I could write an entire post just on how to write grants (which I probably will in the very near future).

Before you ask, yes, Grant Wrangler has led me to some wonderful funding opportunities and professional development. The first thing I found on Grant Wrangler that really "popped" out at me was the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. Talk about hitting a home run right from the get-go. That experience is a entire post in itself (which I will tell you all about when the application opens again). There have been many other things that I have come across on Grant Wrangler that have lead to funding and experiences that otherwise I never would have known about. I highly recommend subscribing to the e-mail bulletin to receive regular updates on new things that are added to the site. If you are interested in finding grants and professional development outside your local area, this is - in my opinion - one of, if not THE, best places on the web. Check it out, and you will probably be back regularly.

http://grantwrangler.com/

Turning Technologies Grant Opportunity

Here is a great opportunity to earn technology equipment for your classroom! Turning Technologies is accepting applications for their Classroom Improvement Technology Grant now until February 15. Each of the 10 recipients will receive a Samsung Galaxy Tab (a mobile tablet similar to an iPad), a classroom subscripton to Brain Pop, and a student response system and software from Turning Technologies. A student response system is where each student has a remote to digitally send their answers to questions to a receiver linked to a classroom computer. Instead of assessing via pencil and paper, the teacher and students can automatically get feedback on their performance. You can find out more about the capabilities of the responders (called keypads in this case) available through this grant here.

The grant application is available through the online link. Who knows - you might "Spring" into a new season with some cool technology!

http://www.turningtechnologies.com/studentresponsesystem/turningfoundation/k12grants/