Education Runs Through Our Veins

How many educators are in your family?

In my family...
1 grandpa was a teacher, coach, and principal.
4 aunts are teachers.
2 uncles were teachers and 1 is now a principal.
At least 5 cousins are studying or have studied education.
And, my mom is a teacher.

After visiting one of my younger brother's blogs, I started thinking about how valuing education is a trait that runs in families just like our physical traits and our senses of humor. Tim's blog is LanguART. The objective of LanguART is to improve foreign language learning with the use of art. Harold Lorayne’s The Memory Book inspired Tim's idea. Tim's method uses sounds from the target language and relates them to English words or phrases in order to create memorable images; this helps foreign vocabulary retention. LanguART is a great site for visual learners.

Differentiated Instruction

     As I walked into the teacher's lounge today, I discovered a clipboard with a note from my principal scheduling (the dreaded!) classroom observations. Fortunately for me, I really don't dread these. I like to think of observations as a way to see my classroom from the outside. It is always wonderful to hear what someone else sees or thinks about what I'm doing, especially when it comes from a place of positive reinforcement as is always the case at my school. This year our observation lessons should have a focus on differentiated instruction. My school along with others in our district have been receiving training from ASCD for over 3 years in DI strategies. We have been working hard to implement these strategies and our recent attendance at the ASCD conference only helped to give us more understanding and ideas for our students. DI is the wave of the future for education because it focuses on teaching to each child's needs. A quote that hangs in our copy rooms says, "Differentiated Instruction is responsive teaching rather than one-size-fits-all teaching."I chose to have my observation done on Language Arts Centers which I believe are my most DI part of the day. Students have a checklist for the week of activities that they can do which are often leveled for ability. The centers are varied for learning styles and there is something that works for everyone. My students roam about the classroom independently choosing where they want to work while I take small reading groups.  It amazes me the ease with which they are able to do this. A lot of time at the start of the year was put into organizing and readying the students for this kind of independence in first grade but it sure is worth it!

My coworker who teaches fifth grade has become a leader at our school in DI strategies. One big project she implemented was a "mall project" in which students created stores and essentially built a mall in their classroom. The proceeds from the project helped to fund a smartboard for her classroom. As a result of this, ASCD elected to come and record her class and interview members of our faculty to spotlight DI in action. (Shameless plug for my school but it's worth a look! )

Like everything in learning, implementing DI strategies takes time and our school has really focused on taking it slow and making it happen in areas that you are already comfortable teaching. Seeing my students take control of the their learning, stay on task and still call Centers one of their favorite parts of the day is success in my book.

Skype Makes it Easier to Use in the Classroom

Skype in the classroom is a platform that connects teachers to other teachers that are interested in collaborating on classroom projects through Skype.

How does it work?

1. Make a profile that indicates your interests, expertise, and location.
2. Then, create a project. You’ll want to provide a brief summary, and then list the ages of students, subject area, and language. You can also add photos or videos. This information will be posted on the website for other teachers to see.
3. You can also search existing projects posted by other teachers. Click here to see some projects already posted.

The video below shows students in the U.S. working with students in Chile to learn about earthquakes. Very cool!

Show Me the Money!

My post on March 16th got me thinking about grants. I specifically looked into the grants provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation because I come across an article every couple months that tells the story of a group working to improve education systems using money from the Gates foundation to fund the group’s education strategy.

The Gates foundation is looking to provide grants to tax-exempt organizations that will benefit as many people as possible with a strategy that includes measureable results. Many of their grants benefit those in developing countries. They also provide grants through their United States Program whose mission is the following: Help ensure greater opportunity for all Americans through the attainment of secondary and postsecondary education with genuine economic value.

Click here to learn who is eligible for a grant, the types of projects the foundation supports, and how to apply.

The organizations that have already received grants:

Washington STEM, “a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing innovation, equity, and excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in Washington state.”




Inigral Inc., an organization that created an education-focused social media digital product, the Schools App, built on Facebook Platform.




Next Generation Learning Challenges invests in technologists, institutions, educators, and entrepreneurs with strong plans to create technology solutions for students.




(How can you not love the Gates??)