FPMS AP Weekly Update
April 27, 2015
Important Dates this Week
Monday April 27th C Squared Lunch Meetings during all lunches (tentative)
Wednesday April 29th Admin RTI Meetings
Thursday, April 30th Soccer vs HMS at 5:00
Thursday April 30th NJHS Induction Ceremony in FPMS Cafeteria 7:00
Friday, May 1st Falcon Fest PTA Event 5:30-8:30
The Big List of Educational Grants and Resources
Grants
Deadline: May 4; November 6, 2015
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is offering dozens of grants for math educators. Through the organization's Mathematics Education Trust, educators can apply for grants, scholarships, and awards, and there are programs for all different types of work, from in-class projects, to math-related research and professional development. Grant programs are available for in-service and pre-service math educators.
Prize: Funding ranges from $1,200 to $24,000.
Ecotech Grants from Captain Planet Foundation
Deadline: April 30, 2015
This year, they're back -- the Captain Planet Foundation's ecotech grants. This year, the foundation is providing funding to schools and nonprofits for projects that engage students in STEM subjects. Preference is given to projects that "use innovation, biomimicry / nature-based design, or new uses for technology to address environmental problems in their communities."
Prize: There are 16 $2,500 grants available.
Roots and Shoots Minigrants from the Jane Goodall Institute
Deadline: June 8, 2015
The Jane Goodall Institute is providing small grants to students or groups to students for community projects. To participate, students using the Institute's "participatory mapping" method to map their communities and find areas where they can make a difference. Once they've completed the mapping, students can apply for small grants to fund a campaign. Projects should focus on improving the environment, animal welfare or the human community.
Prize: There are many $200 minigrants available for kids of all ages.
Library Grants from the Snapdragon Book Foundation
Deadline: April 24, 2015
Is your school in the process of expanding its library? Well, you should consider applying for a grant from the Snapdragon Book Foundation. Each year, the foundation provides grants to schools and other community organizations to help them purchase books for their libraries. The foundation targets libraries that serve disadvantaged students, and the goal of each grant should be to inspire a lifelong love for reading.
Prize: A handful of grants up to $20,000 are available for public, private, and experimental schools, as well as other educational organizations.
Teacher Grants from the NEA Foundation
Deadline: June 1, 2015 and October 15, 2015
Currently, the NEA offers grants in two categories, including “Student Achievement” and “Learning & Leadership." Both programs have a Feb. 1 deadline. Student Achievement grants are designed to help teachers engage students in critical thinking and problem solving in standards-based subject matter. Winning programs should also improve students' inquiry, self-paced learning, and critical reflection skills. The Learning & Leadership grants fund professional development experiences and collegiate study for educators.
Prize: Grants range from $2,000 to $5,000.
Get Creative With a Software Grant from Adobe
Deadline: Rolling
Educators at Title 1 schools are encouraged to apply for software and teacher development grants from Adobe. The program is designed to increase access to Adobe creative tools through the White House's ConnectED initiative. In addition to software, educators also receive access to on-demand professional development, including webinars, workshops and collaborative courses to learn more about utilizing Adobe creative programs in the classroom.
Prize: Schools receive access to a variety of Adobe tools, including Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. Educators also receive access to online PD courses.
Classroom Newspaper Subscription Grants from USA TODAY
Deadline: Rolling
On a rolling basis, the USA TODAY Charitable Foundation awards teachers digital and print subscriptions to USA TODAY. Currently, the foundation is awarding digital subscriptions to teachers on a first-come, first-served basis; print subscriptions are unavailable at the moment. Teachers must submit a short online application to be considered. Plus, for educators in New Jersey, the Foundation is currently sponsoring the Panasonic Student Eco Citizenship Project, which is an environmental literacy program designed for students in grades 4-8. The deadline for the Eco Citizenship Project is at the end of March.
Prize: Classroom subscriptions to the e-edition of USA TODAY.
>> MORE: Get information on how to find grants.
Contests and Awards
NEW! The Brower Youth Awards for Environmental Advocacy
Deadline: May 14, 2015
Here's an award for the youth environmental and environmental justice advocates in your classrooms. The Brower Youth Awards is an annual program that recognizes six young people in North America for their accomplishments in environmental advocacy. Students aged 13-22 are encouraged to apply, and applicants are judged on four criteria, including the scope of their environmental work and their overall youth leadership skills.
Prize: This year, "winners receive a $3,000 cash prize, a trip to California for the award ceremony and wilderness camping trip, and ongoing access to resources and opportunities to further their work at Earth Island Institute."
Beveridge Family Teaching Prize for History Educators
Deadline: May 1, 2015
Since 1995, the Beveridge Family Teaching Prize has been awarded to K-12 history teachers for their commitment to innovation in the classroom. This year, the prize will be awarded to an individual teacher "for excellence in teaching or for an innovative initiative applicable to the entire field." For example, last year, the prize was awarded to a group of educators who "brought history to life" and developed a local history curriculum that incorporated multimedia production, acting, research, and writing. Nominations are due by May 1, 2015.
Prize: In 2015, one teacher will receive a $500 award.
Deadline: May 19, 2015
Calling all youth scientists, technologists and engineers! The Google Science Fair is back, and individual students or teams of 2-3 students can now submit their projects. The rules are simple: Each project should be an in-depth investigation of a scientific question or engineering problem. Students can explore a question of their own, or Google has created an easy-to-use idea generator designed to help spark inspiration. Plus, for teachers and parents there are many resources to get started, including lesson plans.
Prize: One grand prize winner or winning team will receive a $50,000 scholarship. Twenty finalists receive a prize pack, including magazine subscriptions, a LEGO prize pack, and more. Plus, there are many special awards, including a $25,000 grant for developing a project further from Google and a travel grant from National Geographic.
3M/Discovery Education Young Scientist Challenge
Deadline: April 21, 2015
Calling all middle-school scientists! 3M and Discovery Education are hosting the Young Scientist Challenge, and students in grades 5-8 are encouraged to apply. To participate, students create 1- to 2-minute videos that describe an "innovative solution that could solve an everyday problem." Each project is judged on creativity, scientific knowledge, pervasiveness, and overall presentation.
Prize: Ten finalists receive prize packs, including mentoring, cash awards, and trips to unique destinations. One Grand Prize winner receives a $25,000 award.
>> MORE: Get information about the latest contests and promotions for teachers in our Edutopia discussion group.
Classroom Resources
NEW! Digital Compass from Common Sense Media
In today's connected world, it's increasing important for young people to understand the impact their online decisions have. Digital Compass, from Common Sense Media, is a free multimedia interactive designed to help students do just that. The site encourages students to explore "the twists and turns of everyday digital life," and through games and learning modules, students are able to examine "how decisions made online can affect their futures."
Discovery Education has produced a valuable food education resource for students and teachers. Recipe for Innovation features a variety of materials to teach students farm-to-table concepts. There are resources for elementary, high school and middle school teachers that feature lesson plans, a live interactive field trip and student-centered multimedia tools that help students explore the way food is produced.
MindShift Guide to Digital Games and Learning
Have you ever wanted to know how video games can aid learning? Well, this Mindshift guide can help answer some of your question. This originally began a series of blogs by Jordan Shapiro, and Mindshift has developed it into a more in-depth PDF-downloadable guide. This is a great starting point for any educator interested in game-based learning, as it "explains key ideas in game-based learning, pedagogy, implementation, and assessment." Plus, there are suggestions for classroom use, as well.
Cybersecurity Lab from NOVA Labs
PBS and a variety of partners have created a long list of engaging and innovative labs for students, featuring interactive quizzes, game-based learning modules and rich multimedia. The latest focuses on cybersecurity. Teachers can check out the educator’s guide for using the lab with students. Plus, there are modules for learning about the sun, RNA, energy, and clouds. Each lab features an educator’s guide, as well.
Possible Worlds Free Science Learning Games
Developed by EDC's Center for Children and Technology, Possible Worlds is a suite of free games designed to help students learn about science. Currently there are four games available that focus on scientific misconceptions, covering photosynthesis, electricity, heredity, and heat transfer. Each game includes classroom activities for teachers that have been developed to “leverage students’ experiences within the games.”
PBLU 2.0 from the Buck Institute
Looking for to incorporate PBL in your classroom? Well, you might start at PBLU. Here, there are a variety of projects for every grade that are waiting for teachers to implement them in their classrooms. Currently, projects focus on math, ELA and social studies. Plus, PBLU offers a portal for PD classes that explore the design, management and assessment of PBL in classroom practice. Teachers can enroll in a course, but there is a limited number of spots available in each.
The Ultimate Guide to Games in School
EdSurge has culled a list of articles, resources, and videos to help educators incorporate gaming into the classroom. The guide covers the latest research, as well as strategies and tips from practitioners, and there are plenty of useful reviews of ideal classroom games that support learning. This is a great primer for educators looking to incorporate gaming in the classroom, as well as for teachers who have already embraced the trend.
Classroom Resources from the National Parks
The National Park Service recently released new Back-to-School resources for educators across the U.S. There are curriculum resources, which allow students to explore parks from the comfort of the classroom, information about in-person field trips and online professional development resources for teachers. Currently, there are 53 free curriculum packets for almost every grade, and they explore topics like immigration at Ellis Island and the Civil War at Fort Scott.
CELA Common Core Sample Tasks from PARCC
The 19-state Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, one of two groups developing Common Core-aligned assessments, recently released sample tasks that will give educators a snapshot of how the ELA assessment will look in 2014-15. In addition, PARCC has also released math sample items to provide insights into next-generation math exams and assessments. Both provide great insights for educators transitioning to the Common Core.
Smithsonian Online Education Conference Series
Students and teachers: Interact with experts from the Smithsonian once a month during their hour-long online conferences, held on topics ranging from civil rights to astrophotography. The conference series includes special “virtual teachers’ lounge” sessions for teachers to engage with each other and discuss other Smithsonian learning resources.
STEM–Works is a resource for teachers, parents, mentors, and anyone else wanting to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. The site offers links to virtual field trips, interactive lesson plans, and fun activities for all grade levels.
Rating System for Digital Learning Tools
With so many apps, websites, and digital tools available, how do you know which ones to use? Graphite, a free service from Common Sense Media, provides reviews and ratings to help teachers find the best digital learning products.
Blendspace, formally Edcanvas, enables teachers to create lessons that incorporate online educational resources in one place. The lessons can then be shared quickly with students, and they can be accessed via any digital device. Additionally, teachers can use the platform's built-in quizzes and monitoring features to measure student progress.