Shannon Foundation 2014-15 Teacher Grants

Grant MoneyThe Edgar and Eleanor Shannon Foundation for Excellence in Public Education wants to help teachers and schools implement their best ideas. The Foundation funds projects that directly involve and benefit students. Further, the Foundation encourages proposals for projects that would not ordinarily be funded as part of regular school budgets. Completed applications must be signed by the school principal and submitted on or before April 25, 2014. Learn more about funding criteria and submission. Continue reading

Join the Genius Hour at Tom Tom!

TTFFACPS is working with the Tom Tom Festival on an education track this year. The focus of the education track is the maker revolution, with an opportunity to showcase the collaborative, project-based learning going on in each and every one of our schools. We are hoping you can bring a small group of students to demonstrate some of the innovating work going on in your school. The “Genius Hour” will take place Saturday, April 12, at Lee Park (just north of the downtown mall, along 2nd street by the market) from 12 noon to 2 p.m. For more information and to sign up, please refer to the Genius Hour Application. Have questions? Email Nicole Storm at nstorm@k12albemarle.org.

 

Introduce Your Class to the Creative Process with the Google Doodlers

Doodle 4 GoogleJoin Google for an exclusive classroom event, From Sketches to the Google Homepage, a LIVE virtual field trip with the Google Doodlers on Wednesday, March 5, at 1 p.m. Join us for a sneak peek into the creative process behind your favorite Google homepage creations where we’ll introduce students to brainstorming ideas, digital design tools, and more! Spark creativity in your classroom today and inspire a new generation of Doodlers. Register now!

Virginia Holocaust Museum: Visual Arts Contest & Upcoming Events

VHM LogoFounded in 1997, the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Virginia, strives to educate the public and promote tolerance towards all, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or creed.

Check out the Museum’s 2014 Visual Arts Contest for middle and high school students (entry deadline: March 14), and don’t miss out on these upcoming special events: Lecture on Righteous in Ukraine and Belarus on March 12, and the 2014 Yom Hashoah commemoration on April 27. Continue reading

EduWidgets: Make Content Fun

EduWidgetsEduWidgets authoring tools may be used to create, share and customize widgets (self-contained applications) to enliven digital content on websites, e-books, interactive whiteboards, and other digital classroom devices. Teachers and students can use EduWidgets to create interactive timelines, sequences, graphs, and images. Teacher registration is available now at www.eduwidgets.org. The authoring tools will undergo beta testing for approximately six weeks. Users are encouraged to report technical issues or suggest enhancements to the tool during the beta test period. Continue reading

Celebrate Digital Learning Day this Feb. 5!

Digital Learning Day LogoThis Wednesday, February 5, is Digital Learning Day! Many of our schools have activities planned to help spotlight the ways our excellent educators use contemporary learning technologies as cognitive, creating and connecting tools. In fact, interviews with educators and footage from Albemarle County Public Schools will be used as part of a video that will be featured at the Library of Congress this Wednesday.

More in-depth background on how U.S. educators are integrating digital resources and activities into instruction are available through the following links, plus, if you participate in Digital Learning Day activities, you may be able to earn professional development recertification points. Please reach out to the Ed Tech team at edtech@k12albemarle.org for questions and support! Continue reading