Teacher Talk

FREE Children's Books!

Earn FREE Usborne children's books. Here's how:

1. Host an online eShow
   • Complete this form.
   • Pick an end date.
2. Contact your friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc.
3. Have them visit this site, click on your eShow and purchase books.

The orders are totaled up for all the people that placed an order for your eShow and your allowance of free books is calculated based on this chart.

We can even schedule an online chat enabling your guests to learn about Usborne books' unique qualities, ask questions and get help while selecting the best books for their children.

Grants for MN Girls (Age 10 - Grade 10)

The Ann Bancroft Foundation is awarding Dare to Dream mini-grants!

Individual girls, age 10 - Grade 10, living in Minnesota, with an idea and passion to try something new, improve a skill, attend camp, take lessons, etc. in need of financial assistance and encouragement from an adult mentor.

This Fall 2006 round of Dare to Dream minigrants for Minnesota girls age 10 through grade 10. Girls can receive grants from $100 to $500 for a variety of programs, classes, travel, school activities and more.

Each girl should have an adult mentor (not a family member) who will help her prepare her grant application, work with her to accomplish her activity, and help her with her final report to the foundation.  To date, the Ann Bancroft Foundation has awarded more than $210,000 to 570 girls in Minnesota.

If you know of a young woman who would benefit from this program, please visit www.annbancroftfoundation.org and click on Dare to Dream Mini-grants. The application can be downloaded and printed.

Please read the directions carefully. Every girl must submit an application individually, and questions must be answered carefully and thoughtfully. Questions? Contact Kathy Bardins at 763-541-9363.

They look forward to receiving proposals from girls in your school or organization. Thanks, in advance, for helping us spread the word by telling others, your consideration in mentoring a girl and supporting this opportunity.

You can help girls achieve their dreams and learn that anything is possible.

Deadline for applications is November 15, 2006 and MUST BE POSTMARKED by this date. No fax applications will be accepted. Please follow directions carefully.

Please let us know here at Teacher Talk if this ends up being something from which a girl you know benefits. We'll happily tell others and share her story here.

Tags: grant, grants, money for girls, money for lessons, money to learn, scholarships for girls, scholarships for kids, parents, homeschool, mentors, private school, public school, teach

Invasion of the Robots: CONTEST

Contest Info

Create conversational robots, or BOTs, for MSN® Messenger and Windows Live™ Messenger.
The most original, useful robots collect $40,000 in total prizes.

Robot Gallery

Watch out! A mob of brilliant robots has us surrounded. And it’s growing larger every day.

Check out the entries and while you’re here, vote! You can vote as often as you like. Feel free to choose your own robot. The BOT with the most popular votes on September 15th wins the $500 User’s Choice Award!

GRANT: Middle School Math

MathMovesU is a new education initiative that aims to excite American middle school students to study math and improve their perceptions of math.

Why MathMovesU?
A recent national survey, sponsored by Raytheon, verified what you as teachers already know -- that only a third of students report liking math a great deal, and many report having a difficult time understanding the math they are taught (43%) or think it is boring (34%).

However, the majority of these students want to improve their math skills and recognize math's importance. The vast majority of middle school students report that they would be more interested in math if they learned about celebrities (79%) or were shown how people in music, sports and video games use math in their jobs (81%).

So MathMovesU enlists celebrities like skateboard legend Tony Hawk and soccer star Mia Hamm to get kids' attention and show them how math plays a surprisingly important role in their careers.

Program Details

Through MathMovesU, you can:

• Apply for a Math Hero Award, which makes $2500 grants to individuals and $2500 grants to the school or math-related non-profit program of the individual’s choosing.
• Send in your ideas about making math fun and win a surprise celebrity visit for your school.
• Encourage middle school students to win exciting prizes every week by answering celebrity-related math challenges online.
• Spread the word about the $1000 scholarships offered to middle and high school students, with a matching $1000 grant to the students’ school.

Exciting Upcoming Events
In April, MathMovesU will host the nation-wide “Hippest Homework Happening” event online at the MathMovesU Web site. MathMovesU celebrities will be on hand to demonstrate how math figures into their careers and the MathMovesU team is going to make math homework a cool thing to do!

We applaud educators like you who work with kids everyday, and hope we can help you engage students in a new way. Additional teacher resources and information is available on the MathMovesU Web site.

Virtual Crime. Real Money.

www.startheregoplaces.com www.catchmegame.com

The case is virtual. The $2,500 reward is real. Can you solve the Case of the California Con? You’ll have to trust your gut (and no one else) to investigate and indict the guilty employee of a surf rocker’s night spot. Compete for the highest score to win: • Grand Prize: $2,500 • 1st Prize: Sony 42" 3LCD Rear Projection Television • Ten (10) 2nd Prizes: 60G Video Apple iPod® The contest only runs for 3 weeks — and with these prizes, it’s a crime not to enter. Play now — it’s free.

Adopt-A-Classroom $500 Grants

Teachers who register at the Adopt-a-Classroom web site can be adopted/sponsored by an individual, a business, or a foundation. Once adopted/sponsored, teachers will receive $500 worth of credit to purchase items that enrich the learning environment, including classroom technology. Teachers help solicit their own sponsors by downloading and distributing fliers within their community or by sending out a personalized, pre-written eMail from the Adopt-a-Classroom web site. Every donor receives information about the classroom it has adopted, including an itemized list of what teachers bought so donors can see the impact of their donation.

Nominate an Exemplary Teacher

The U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is seeking nominations and information about teachers who are improving student achievement, using innovative strategies in the classroom, and making a difference in the lives of students. Teachers across all grade levels and disciplines will be honored.

Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators and others can nominate an exemplary teacher to become an American Star of Teaching. One teacher recognized from each state.

Learn more at Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative.

Nominations must be completed by April 15.

Money & Mobile Phones for K-12

HP is back with another Technology for Teaching Grant supporting the innovative use of mobile technology in K-12 public schools and two- and four-year colleges and universities.

Q.   Not sure what innovative mobile technology looks like?
A.   Ask your colleagues at Teacher Talk.

Deadline: February 15, 2006.
Interested? Get more information CLICK HERE.

$2000 for Innovative Educators

Do you have an innovative idea or project to improve student learning? If so, the ING Unsung Heroes opportunity may be for you.

100 awards of $2000 each, plus additional prizes, to K-12 teachers and teacher-teams to create or develop innovative learning programs. Deadline = May 1, 2006