Grants Awarded for the 2017-2108 School Year
1. Broadway Teachers Workshop
Kristin Hall, Drama Specialist, Brooks & HMS
This initiative provides funding for our Lincoln Drama Specialist to attend a 3-day Broadway Teachers Workshop in New York City in July 2017. Attendance at this high-quality workshop allows our district drama department of one to network with other theater educators and potentially establish a virtual Professional Learning Community with teachers from other schools. This workshop also provides an in-depth, inspiring learning experience that could be used to strengthen teaching and student learning & engagement on both the Lincoln and Hanscom campuses.
2. Technology Integrated Classroom
Matt Reed, 4th Grade Teacher, Smith
This initiative aims to improve student learning by developing technology-embedded lessons across the curriculum. Funding supports the creation meaningful lesson plans for all subject areas that are based on best practices of technology integration as well as the new digital literacy and computer science learning expectations. This proposal also funds the purchase of 10 iPads and supplemental materials for iPad use and storage in order to have a full class set. This allows for one-to-one use so that the technology can be seamlessly integrated into learning throughout the day. This work can serve as a model across the district.
3. The Green Classroom
Shirley Daniels, 6th Grade English Language Arts Teacher, Brooks
This proposal supports a redesign of the English Language Arts 6th grade curriculum to incorporate a yearlong environmental “Earth” theme. This newly designed curriculum allows for greater student choice/ownership and fewer units, allowing for more in-depth study. It will also have cross-curricular connections, linking ELA and Social Studies. The goal of this work will be for the students to feel inspired and empowered to make a difference in the community and the world. If successful, the experience will be shared with colleagues to make connections to other content areas and perhaps spark interest in future team projects.
4. Making Lincoln Alive Live
Jenny Nam, Teacher, Brooks
This initiative establishes Lincoln Alive, Lincoln School’s long-standing literary magazine, as an ongoing online forum to publish and share students’ creative works in various media—video, audio, print, etc. Funding supports the purchase of an outside web platform and/or tech equipment as well as provides a stipend for tech specialists and teacher time. As a real-time online forum, this provides an authentic audience for student work from across the curriculum to be seen and heard outside the classroom, using all available media, not just printed writing. This can be run as an extension class for 7th and 8th graders or as an extracurricular.
5. Coaching High-Impact Teacher Teams
Becky McFall, Superintendent, District
This grant initiative provides all 40 district administrators and teacher leaders with necessary skills and knowledge to facilitate collaborative practices that are focused on student learning. Funding includes a 3-day experiential workshop through Research for Better Teaching in Acton. It also includes individualized coaching for participants during the 2017-2018 school year. This work builds on previous district-wide professional development on collaborative practices and Professional Learning Communities. The goal is to empower teachers to guide the work of their teams and their own professional development, for students to receive more targeted, individualized instruction, and for teachers to work together to improve their practice with support, when needed.
6. Off-site, Online & On-site PD!
District Kindergarten Team
This 3-part grant sends the district kindergarten team (classroom teachers, special educators, & literacy specialists) to an off-site professional development on literacy, provides a summer online book study of the books provided for the off-site PD, and brings the PD presenter to Lincoln to work directly with the district kindergarten team as well as the parent community from both campuses. This project unites the district kindergarten team through a complete professional learning experience that impacts all kindergarten students in the district. It allows the entire team to learn together to build a common foundation and then continue the learning in our schools. This is not about a training in a specific program, but rather professional development in pedagogy. In the future, this model of cross-campus learning could spread to other cross-campus teams, as well.
7. Yoga & Mindfulness Workshop
Rachel Goldner & Laura English, Kindergarten & ELL, District
This grant funds a 1-day workshop entitled Yoga and Mindfulness in the Classroom to be offered to interested LPS teachers during the summer of 2017. Yoga and mindfulness can help improve concentration, self-regulation, attention span, self-awareness and awareness of others, and community building. Students and teachers have responded positively to the 2016-17 Yoga and Mindfulness grant work and this workshop will take the next step beyond this. Based on a district-wide survey, 81% of responding teachers said they would be interested in participating in a yoga and mindfulness workshop.
8. Learning and the Brain
Keith Johnson, Social Studies Teacher, Brooks
This grant provides funding for two social studies teachers to attend a 1- day conference in Dedham entitled Learning and the Brain: The Science of Learning. The goal of this conference is to explore ways to increase student engagement by better understanding the science of learning. This impacts 6th and 7th graders on the Lincoln Campus.
9. King Middle School Site Visit
Sharon Hobbs, Principal, Brooks
This initiative provides funding for two site visits to the King Middle School, a high-achieving and innovative EL Education Mentor School in Portland, ME. King Middle School follows the expeditionary learning school model by having students engage in 8-12 week experiential learning expeditions that are in-depth, interdisciplinary, authentic and engaging. Funding covers the cost of two groups of 5 teachers (6th grade team and Sharon Hobbs/ 7th grade team and Sharon Hobbs) to each attend a day-long professional development visit as well as provide an additional meal/travel/accommodation stipend.
10. Meridian Academy Site Visit
Sarah Collmer, Principal, Smith
This grant provides funding to send Smith School team leaders, ITS, and principal to Meridian Academy in Jamaica Plain for a day-long visit. Meridian Academy is a project-based independent school serving children in grades 6-12. Students carry out long-term original projects in order to grow as problem solvers, questioners, and community members. Funding covers visitor fees and a meal stipend for 9 people.