From electronic projects to alternative reading forms, 18 Tazewell County teachers sought out new and improved ways to engage their students in their classrooms this school year.
And, in order to make their visions a reality, the Tazewell County Regional Office of Education awarded them about $7,700 in mini-grants.
Five of these ideas are being put in action right here in Washington.
Gail Owen, assistant regional superintendent of Tazewell County schools said each September their office sends out an application for innovative teaching ideas to all Tazewell County teachers.
In total, the office received about 40 applications for the mini-grants, Owen said. A committee then selected the recipients.
“I’ve been a real fighter for innovation,” she said.
Because of No Child Left Behind, Owen said it is much harder for teachers to find time to focus on new teaching ideas. Instead, they must constantly focus on state standardized curriculum and testing.
“Their time has been refocused,” she said.
The grants included $250 for a single classroom function, up to $500 for a multi-classroom function and up to $600 for school and-district-wide function.
With the second semester underway, a few of these ideas came to life in Washington classrooms.
Flip Video Cameras, $500
Cathy Coleman, eighth grade literature teacher at Central Intermediate, came up with an idea that combined video cameras and literature.
“The kids were very interested in (the cameras),” she said. “It’s always more fun to include technology in the classroom. It engages them more.”
Coleman said the kids are making “book commercials” based on books they have read for class.
She requires them to read 15 books each school year.
“It’s been great,” she said. “They want to do it again already.”
“We need to work on keeping the camera steady,” she added, while playing one commercial after class.
Other uses for the cameras include recording sporting events and other school activities. And, as the cheerleading and dance coach, she often tapes her squad’s routine, she said.
The school recently videotaped its mascot in action and linked it to the newsletter on the school’s Web site.
Elmo projector, $250
Elisha Wilkerson, second-grade teacher at Lincoln Grade School, applied for a projector that would do more than just project transparencies.
“The big idea was that we would be more technologically advanced and have a greener classroom,” she said, adding that transparencies are not recyclable.
The Elmo projector can take color images, even books, and project them on the wall. It also has a zoom function and can be connected to a laptop.
Wilkerson said she hopes to use it in her classroom for a variety of functions, such as highlighting students’ writings and reading them together as a class.
Wilkerson said she is still looking into how to apply for additional grants to finish paying for the machine, which runs about $2,000.
“I think they will respond really great to it,” she said. “It will appeal to all types of learners. There will be a lot of participation.”
The school currently has one Elmo projector on a cart that is used throughout the school. She added her old projector in her classroom requires a large cart and takes up too much space.
“It disrupts the flow of the classroom,” she said.
Graphic Novels, $500
Julia Sander, librarian at Central Intermediate, was able to purchase 60 new non-fiction books for the library’s collection with the money she received from the mini-grant.
“History doesn’t change,” Sander said. “But the way kids learn and the way kids read does.”
Often called “comic books,” these books with vivid, colorful images help with reading comprehension, she said.
The books include, “First Moon Landing,” “Exploring Titanic” and “Adventures of Marco Polo.”
Half of the novels are located at her library and the others at the primary school’s library, she said.
The library recently eliminated 3,000 outdated non-fiction books.
“We need to increase our non-fiction selection of books,” she said. “We’re slowly trying to rebuild our selection.”
And Sander wants to offer “new ways to read about old things.”
“They love it,” she said. “We can’t have an entire library of graphic novels. But my goal is to get exciting, challenging non-fiction books.”
Audio Books, $500
Kristy Floyd, who teaches fourth through eighth Title I reading and eighth-grade special education, wanted to help her students who struggle with reading.
“We have no versions of audio books for our building,” Floyd said. “Some kids need the audio version of a text.”
The tiny audio books look like MP3 players and cost about $50 each, she said.
“It really helps the struggling readers,” she said, adding that books on tape are outdated. “And CDs can scratch easily.”
Originally, she was going to purchase ones that went along with novels students read in the classroom, but most of them have CDs that go with them.
Instead, she decided to purchase some newer books for each of the grade levels. She has yet to make her final decision on which 10 audio books to buy.
“I hope it motivates them to read more,” she said. “If the reason that they’re not reading is because it’s hard, then this can help.”
Reading is more about “meaning” than understanding every word on the page, she said.
Science Catapult, $500
Jonathan Smith, fourth-grade science teacher at Central Intermediate, is awaiting the arrival of catapult kits for his classroom.
“We’re going to fling tiny tennis balls,” he said.
The goal is for each of his students to pair up with an eighth grader for the project. Together, they will graph the distance the balls traveled.
At the beginning of the year, he asked the kids for advice about which project to pursue.
“The catapult was the clear winner,” he said.
He expects to get the supplies later this month and start the project in April.
“I really want them to enjoy the engineering aspect of it,” he said, adding that it could help them in their future careers.
Washington, Ill. —
