As a fun way to remember the event, I used the green screen equipment I used from another grant I was awarded to take some pictures of my kids as if they were in space. I then printed the pictures out and sent them home with each student. Below is a slideshow of the pictures I took. They are truly “out of this world!”
 

Click on image to launch video

Brandy Magdos
First Grade Teacher
P.H. Greene Elementary
http://magdos.wikispaces.com/

As a result from receiving a grant for distance learning, my kids were talking more to their peers and their parents about what was going on in our class. One student even told me “My mom didn’t want to get out of bed and bring me to school, but I told her I didn’t want to miss our science experiment on solids, liquids and gases with our video conference. So she had to get up and bring me to school.” This is the way school should be! Learning should be fun and exciting and they shouldn’t want to miss one moment!

The addition of iPods to my classroom was a HUGE deal to first graders! They were so excited to be reading and listening to me and other famous authors read books to them. They had a blast challenging each other at being the first to read the sight words as they appeared on the screen. Even more so, once I introduced the mini videos from National Geographic and Discovery Channel you could not imagine the connections my kids were making!! They would stop and tell others, including the principal, how this video connected to what we were already learning in class. Thank you so much for the opportunity to provide these amazing experiences to my students.

Mrs. Brandy Magdos
First Grade Teacher
P.H. Greene Elementary

Click here for a pdf file of the children's comments about their experiences with activity funded by the foundation.

[Click Image for PDF copy]
 

I thought you might be interested to see how the Innovative Grant monies are benefiting our students here at Creek High School. Our students have taken control of one of the Goldstone's Deep Space radio telescopes three times to record radio signals from Jupiter and quasars. By Monday we will have added two more telescope runs of two more quasars. All data is sent to NASA JPL scientists for inclusion in their data bases. This has been an awesome experience and opportunity for our students to participate in actual solar system and deep space research. Because of our participation, we have been invited to participate in teleconferences with the Principal Investigators at JPL. The impact of this program has not yet been realized, but I am confident that as the word gets out it will come to its full potential as a teaching tool.

Kathy Cloud
CCHS Science

Louisa Segert, fourth grade Language Arts teacher at Gilmore Elementary is using visual imagery to demonstrate a lesson about Vincent Van Gogh to her students. Mrs. Segert's class is learning to express emotion through poetry and the creation of chalk pastel art work. Mrs. Segert developed this unit of study through a grant received from the Clear Creek Education Foundation.

I received a grant from the Education Foundation last year for implementation this year. It was to beef up our science curriculum by building and planting an outside garden. I have attached a few slides we have taken this spring.

Robinson Ranger's Kindergarten...
Jennifer J. Wickliffe
Kindergarten