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Smithsonian SHOUT Environmental Education Program Inspires Thousands to Explore Water Issues and Take Action
Smithsonian Badges Program Begins, Extending Student Learning Beyond Interactive Webinars Series and Classroom Activities
WASHINGTON (May 24, 2012) – More than 4,500 students and teachers from 18 countries, representing a diverse range of grade levels and learning environments, connected with experts and peers during the live online conference series presented this spring by the Smithsonian SHOUT environmental education program to explore water from academic and real-world perspectives. Educators incorporated “Water Matters” materials into their classrooms to engage students in standards-aligned, interdisciplinary content and project-based learning rooted in environmental education. Now educators can participate in SHOUT, a joint project of the Smithsonian, Microsoft Partners in Learning and TakingITGlobal, through the online archive of the conferences and supplemental resources, and extend student learning beyond the classroom with the new Smithsonian Badges program.
“Environmental education is important to integrate into the school curriculum to help students make better choices for their communities and the world,” said Jensi Kellogg-Andrus, AP Biology teacher at Watertown High School and South Dakota Outstanding Biology Teacher. “In addition to learning science concepts, students create content and collaborate with peers and experts all over the world through the SHOUT program, applying what they’ve learned and honing their writing and critical thinking skills.”
New to the SHOUT program this year is the addition of Smithsonian Badges, an online program where students earn digital badges by proving their knowledge of environmental topics and completing services activities in their community, based on content introduced in the archived SHOUT webinar sessions. Since its launch in April, nearly 2,000 students have signed up for the program and have begun to participate in game-based learning activities to earn up to seven badges, such as “Dirt Detective” and “Enviro-Scientist.”
Cameron McKinley, technology coach at Hoover City School and 2007 Alabama Teacher of the Year, is introducing Smithsonian Badges to teachers and students at her school. “Bringing experts into the classroom to talk about topics that matter and that involve science and social studies is compelling,” she said. “Students will be motivated by the badges they can earn and by the high-quality content they will experience while in the program. SHOUT has offered me a vision of how powerful student learning and engagement should be done.”
The SHOUT “Water Matters” program offers teacher preview sessions to support classroom integration, comprehensive lesson-planning materials, hands-on activities and a three-part series of interactive webinars led by renowned Smithsonian scientists and experts in the arts and humanities. SHOUT gives participants a framework for success, with resources and tools for exercising social responsibility while building the 21st-century skills.
The 2011-2012 SHOUT program focuses on water issues, while the 2010-2011 program centered on land. Both webinar series and related resources can be viewed through archives on the SHOUT website that teachers and students can access anytime during the summer and new school year.
About Smithsonian Institution
Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian is the world’s largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and nine research facilities. There are 6,000 Smithsonian employees and 6,500 volunteers. Approximately 28.6 million people from around the world visited the Smithsonian in 2011. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is estimated at 137 million.
About Partners in Learning
Partners in Learning is a 10-year, nearly $500 million commitment by Microsoft to help education systems around the world. Since its inception in 2003, the Partners in Learning program has reached more than 196 million teachers and students in 114 countries. Supporting the program is the online Partners in Learning Network, one of the world’s largest global professional networks for educators, connecting millions of teachers and school leaders around the world in a community of professional development.
About TakingITGlobal
TakingITGlobal provides innovative global education programs that empower youth to understand and act on the world’s greatest challenges. Often described as a “social network for social good,” the award-winning www.tigweb.org is available in 13 languages and offers a diverse set of educational resources and action tools intended to inspire, inform and involve. Since being founded as a charity by two young Canadians in 2000, 40 million people have accessed the website to learn, grow and realize their potential.
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Creativity Expert Sir Ken Robinson to Moderate Opening Keynote Panel at ISTE 2012
TV actress and physics/chemistry teacher Mayim Bialik, PhD, is among the keynote panelists at the world’s most comprehensive education technology event.
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Council for Economic Education Provides New Personal Finance Curriculum
For Chicago Public Schools
New York, May 21, 2012 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has just announced plans to implement a new
Financial Literacy Framework to build financial skills at the K-11 level, along with a dedicated personal
finance course for 12th-graders created by the Council for Economic Education (CEE). This initiative is
the result of a 4-year partnership with CEE and other leaders in finance and financial education, and
will provide students with the necessary real-world skills to navigate today’s financial landscape. This
announcement was formally made this month at the White House Summit on Financial Literacy, where
CEE and the school system were recognized for their ongoing efforts to prioritize financial education in
our nation’s schools.
CPS’ 12th grade personal finance course is designed to culminate the K-11 skills taught by the Financial
Literacy Framework. The one-semester course will use curriculum provided by the CEE, offering seniors
both an academic challenge and an education in the real life lessons they need beyond graduation. The
capstone course will be introduced to approximately 25 schools in spring 2013, and is expected to reach
all district high schools by 2016. Funding by a $1 million grant, courtesy of Discover Financial Services,
will also include training for 250 teachers over the next three years.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be part of this important endeavor by Chicago Public Schools,” said
Nan J. Morrison, President and CEO of CEE. “Our graduating seniors are entering college and the
workforce woefully unprepared for the real-life financial challenges ahead of them. By providing them
with the financial education they need, we hope to change that.”
Additional partners in the development of the Financial Literacy Framework include: Ariel Investments,
UIC – Center for Economic Education, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), Federal Reserve
Bank of Chicago, JP Morgan Chase, National Endowment for Financial Education, CME Group Foundation
(Chicago Mercantile Exchange), Chicago Community Trust, Junior Achievement (JA), Illinois State
Treasurer’s Office, City Treasurer’s Office, EverFi and the Economic Awareness Council. Money Savvy
Generation, CARE, Girl Scouts of America/ Journey World, Illinois Credit Union League and Sargent
Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.
About the Council for Economic Education
The Council for Economic Education is the leading organization in the United States that focuses on
the economic and financial education of students from kindergarten through high school. CEE trains
educators to teach young people the fourth “R”—a real-world understanding of economics and personal
finance—so that they will be able to make informed and responsible choices throughout their lives as
consumers, savers, investors, citizens and participants in the global economy. Each
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Teachers Can Now Earn Graduate Credits through Completed Atomic Learning Training
May 22, 2012—Little Falls, Minnesota—Atomic Learning now provides grad credit options to meet educators’ personal and professional growth objectives. These 1-, 2-, and 3-credit training options focus on the effective application of technology in the classroom.
For 1 graduate credit, Atomic Learning customers complete any of the more than 300 workshops or projectsavailable from Atomic Learning, and then complete additional reflective steps to qualify for credits through Augustana College. The cost to earn the self-paced graduate credit is $125.
The 2- and 3-credit options utilize Atomic Catalyst courses. These are 6-week, instructor-led courses that build upon Atomic Learning content from a highly-qualified course facilitator. Each week a webinar is held with a live instructor to collaborate and discuss topics, strategies, and apply new skills. The cost to enroll in a course is $150 per individual teacher, or a school can choose to purchase enrollment vouchers for their teachers.
Completion of each course qualifies the teacher for 2 graduate credits, which are awarded through our academic partner, Learner’s Edge for $195 in addition to the course enrollment fee. If 3 graduate credits are desired, participants can elect to do further reflective work beyond the 6-week course, which upon completion qualifies them for 3 graduate credits at a cost of $265 in addition to the course enrollment fee.
With both options, educators need to register with Learner’s Edge and successfully complete any remaining course requirements. After completion, educators earn their respective credits from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, an NCA and NCATE accredited school. These are graded, semester, graduate-level credits that very often are transferrable into other graduate programs and qualify for licensure renewal.
For more information on earning graduate credits through Atomic Learning and to view a full list of upcoming Atomic Catalyst courses, visit http://al.atomiclearning.com/teachergradcredit.
About Atomic Learning
Founded in 2000 by a group of technology educators, Atomic Learning serves over 16 million individuals in more than 45 countries worldwide. Atomic Learning offers a cost-effective just-in-time professional development, technology integration and support solution that empowers educators to effectively utilize technology to positively impact student achievement. As your ed tech training partner, Atomic Learning helps teachers develop college and career-ready students with 21st century skills-based training. Visit us today at www.AtomicLearning.com.
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Alabama Elementary School finds observe4success Classroom Observation Software “So Easy To Use!”
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – May 22, 2012 – Susan White, Principal of Pearl Haskew Elementary School in the Mobile, Alabama area is honest about one of her biggest weaknesses. “I am not very tech savvy, but observe4success is so easy to use. I’m convinced that if I can do it, anyone can!” says White.
Classroom observation software is often talked about using terms such as “cumbersome” or “difficult”, the process is even sometimes “dreaded”. observe4success changes this perception with its simple, user-friendly software system that makes the process of getting into the classroom and providing teachers with feedback about their observation easy, simple, and even fun!
White appreciates that she can use the software on her iPad and finds great value in the format which allows her to spend more time observing and entering data and less time actually writing notes. Her teachers have enjoyed observe4success as well. White says, “My teachers love the instant feedback that the software provides! I email the observation form to my teacher before I leave the classroom, sometimes I can hear the “ding” of a new email arriving at their computer before I walk out the door!”
Considered one of the best classroom walkthrough software packages available today, observe4success melds the benefits of technology, research-based content, and graphic reports to create an easy to use system. This offers educators and administrators the clearest means of recording and using data to support and improve the teaching process.
Developed by educators for educators, observe4success started as a grassroots effort to capture and systemically report the essence of classroom culture and instructional practice so that administrators and peer observers could easily grasp classroom characteristics. With observation data collected, stored, and sorted, administrators and teacher work together to identify strengths to build on and weaknesses to address. As current research encourages continuous improvement to support instructional practices while implementing exemplary teaching practices, observe4success offers the tools to make these efforts seamless.
The data tracking also keeps Principal White and her administrative team accountable to their board, parents, and supervisors. observe4success tracks the date, time, duration, and observer every time she completes an observation.
Ready to transform your classroom observation and walkthrough practices? Visit observe4success to schedule your personal demonstration at:
http://www.observe4success.com/
About observe4success
observe4success is the best classroom walkthrough software on the market today and truly is a collaborative tool for administrators and teachers in the 21st century.
observe4success is a practical, real-world, simple tool that educators can use to observe, encourage, enhance, and sustain effective instructional practice and classroom cultures in school communities. observe4success uniquely combines the newest technology, content that is easily understood, and meaningful graphic reports to support and assist teachers as both administrators and teachers study and improve the craft of teaching.
Respectful of the complexity of teaching and the observation of the practice, observe4success was developed by educators for educators. The dimensions and elements of observe4success reflect the best practices of current research. observe4success is committed to being a fluid product that reflects a system of continuous improvement to support the growth and enhancement of instructional practices and recognize exemplary teacher practice. observe4success offers a variety of reports, making your observation data easier to understand and more meaningful.
To learn more go to: http://www.observe4success.com
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NASBE AWARDS GRANTS TO HELP STATES DEVELOP SCHOOL NUTRITION POLICIES
Arlington, Va. — The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) awarded grants to seven state boards of education to develop and implement policies to improve school nutrition.Connecticut,Ohio, andWest Virginia will each receive $15,000 over three-years, whileArkansas,Kentucky,Michigan, andNorth Carolina will each receive $6,000, two-year awards to continue work in this area.
Grants for the first group of states are intended to provide an intense level of NASBE technical assistance to help their respective state boards of education develop, strengthen, and implement nutrition policies. Connecticutplans to apply its award to help build district capacity to implement health policies. Ohiowill create a model state wellness policy and work with districts to strengthen physical activity policies. West Virginia will create a yearly food service program assessment and train principals and county food service directors to complete it.
The second group of states, already funded by NASBE grants, will receive help with ensuring their health committees and other activities can be sustained. In addition, Arkansasplans to increase the number of breakfast-in-the-classroom programs and North Carolinawill consider requiring student representatives on local School Health Advisory Councils. Kentucky will continue its work on enhancing the state’s process of evaluating schools’ compliance with school health initiatives and Michigan will continue to revise its policy on Quality Physical Education.
“Research tells us that good health helps students succeed academically,” said NASBE Executive Director Jim Kohlmoos. “Working with state boards to develop policies that encourage advances in the health and wellness of every student is one of NASBE’s core missions. The benefits of providing students at all levels with the knowledge and tools they need to lead healthier lives impact not only academics, but reach far beyond school walls.”
NASBE’S Obesity Prevention Project and the state grants are funded through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and all applications were reviewed by an outside review panel.
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The National Association of State Boards of Education represents America’s state and territorial boards of education. NASBE exists to strengthen State Boards as the preeminent educational policymaking bodies for citizens and students. For more, visit www.nasbe.org.
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ASCD Announces New PD Online® Courses Addressing Differentiated Instruction, Common Core State Standards, and More
Alexandria, VA (05/22/2012)—ASCD, the global leader in providing programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner, announces the release of seven new PD Online® courses for educators focused on differentiated instruction, Common Core State Standards implementation, and teaching students in high-poverty communities.
Since 1996, ASCD has provided innovative and award-winning PD Online courses to educators across the world. The PD Online series incorporates multimedia and high-quality digital content that fits the needs of almost any type and size of learning group—ranging from individual learners to state-wide deployments and integration with university programs. Today, some of the largest districts in the United States count PD Online courses as an integral component in their professional development strategy. With the PD Online series, districts and schools are able to personalize and monitor professional development for individual educators and groups looking to earn college course or professional development credits.
Four of the new courses focus on supporting differentiated instruction. Created by top experts in differentiated instruction and featuring new video material with Carol Ann Tomlinson, the suite consists of:
- Differentiated Instruction: An Introduction, 2nd Edition
- Differentiated Instruction: Teaching with Student Differences in Mind
- Differentiated Instruction: Creating an Environment That Supports Learning
- Differentiated Instruction: Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom
Early this summer, ASCD will release two more courses in this suite titled Differentiated Instruction: Using Ongoing Assessment to Inform Instruction and Differentiated Instruction: The Curriculum Connection.
In addition, ASCD has released two new courses that use the Understanding by Design® framework to help educators implement the Common Core State Standards. The Understanding by Design framework, created byGrant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, enables educators to implement a standards-based curriculum that helps students better understand material and improve achievement. The courses feature hours of new video content from a popular Common Core State Standards seminar led by Wiggins and McTighe. The titles are:
- The Common Core Standards and the Understanding by Design® Framework: English Language Arts
- The Common Core Standards and the Understanding by Design® Framework: Mathematics
Finally, a new PD Online course from ASCD author Eric Jensen called “Teaching with Poverty in Mind,” is now available. This course reviews current research on poverty and how it affects students’ physical and mental health, and consequently their academic performance. The course also provides educators with schoolwide and classroom-level strategies for combating the negative effects of poverty in an academic setting.
“Bringing high-quality professional development solutions to educators worldwide is one of ASCD’s central missions,” said ASCD Executive Director and CEO Dr. Gene R. Carter. “By effectively leveraging technology to deliver world-class content like these seven new PD Online courses, ASCD continues to empower educators around the world to support the success of each learner.”
For more information on ASCD’s other programs, products, and services, or to join ASCD, visit www.ascd.org.
ASCD is the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. Comprising 150,000 members—superintendents, principals, teachers, professors, and advocates from more than 145 countries—the ASCD community also includes 58 affiliate organizations. The nonprofit’s diverse, nonpartisan membership is its greatest strength, projecting a powerful, unified voice to decision makers around the world. To learn more about how ASCD supports educators as they learn, teach, and lead, visit www.ascd.org.
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Vernier’s Summer Workshops Help Instructors Integrate Data-Collection Technology into Their Science Curriculum
Workshops provide educators with concentrated hands-on professional development using probeware
BEAVERTON, Oregon, May 21, 2012 – This June Vernier Software & Technology will provide science educators nationwide with practical training to integrate data-collection technology into their curriculum during the company’s summer workshop series. Participating educators will perform hands-on data-collection activities using Vernier’sLabQuest 2 and LabQuest Mini devices during the 6-hour workshops.
“The use of data-collection technology provides students with engaging opportunities for scientific discovery,” said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and a former physics teacher. “Led by current or former classroom science and math teachers, the hands-on workshops help instructors learn new and innovative teaching and data-collection techniques, which they can then use with their students to further expand scientific learning.”
The summer workshops teach concepts and lessons appropriate for a variety of science disciplines, including chemistry, biology, physics, middle school science, physical science and Earth science. The workshops additionally offer professional development for science educators and attendees have the option of earning two (quarter) Graduate Science credit hours through the Portland State University Center for Science Education.
Interested educators can select dates from the schedule below.
June Workshop Dates and Locations
| June 11: Dallas, TX | June 11: Omaha, NE |
| June 14: Little Rock, AR | June 14: Minneapolis, MN |
| June 25: Atlanta, GA | June 25: Rosemont (Chicago), IL |
| June 28: Raleigh, NC | June 28: Warrensville Heights (Cleveland), OH |
July Workshop Dates and Locations
| July 16: Boston, MA | July 16: Phoenix, AZ |
| July 19: Philadelphia, PA | July 19: San Diego, CA |
August Workshop Dates and Locations
| August 6: Beaverton, OR | August 9: Spokane, WA |
In addition to the summer workshops, Vernier will also offer two-day, subject-specific institutes that provide in-depth, expert training on how to use probeware in the classroom. Each institute will focus on a specific science discipline such as high school biology/AP Biology, AP Chemistry and physics/AP Physics, as well as college biology and chemistry. Graduate credit hours are also available for these institutes.
Interested educators can select dates from the schedule below.
High School Institutes: Dates and Locations
| Biology/AP Biology | June 22-23: Denver, CO | July 9-10: Linthicum (Baltimore), MD |
| AP Chemistry | June 20-21: Denver, CO | July 11-12: Linthicum (Baltimore), MD |
| Physics/AP Physics | June 18-19: Denver, CO | July 13-14: Linthicum (Baltimore), MD |
College Institutes: Dates and Locations
| College Biology | August 6-7: Downers Grove (Chicago), IL |
| College Chemistry | August 8-9: Downers Grove (Chicago), IL |
For complete details and to register for a Vernier workshop or institute near you, visit http://www.vernier.com/workshop.
About Vernier Software & Technology
Vernier Software & Technology has been a leading innovator of scientific data-collection technology for 31 years. Focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), Vernier is dedicated to developing creative ways to teach and learn using hands-on science. Vernier creates easy-to-use and affordable science interfaces, sensors, and graphing/analysis software. With world-wide distribution to over 130 countries, Vernier products are used by educators and students from elementary school to college. Vernier’s technology-based solutions enhance STEM education, increase learning, and build students’ critical thinking skills. Vernier’s business culture is grounded in Earth-friendly policies and practices, and the company provides a family-friendly workplace. For more information, visit www.vernier.com.
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Maine School Purchases A School-Wide License to Tales2Go Audio Books to Leverage Their Investment in Mobile Learning
Washington, DC, May 22—K-5 students in Falmouth, Maine were given a common reading assignment one recent morning: pick a book and start listening on their iPads via Tales2Go.
iPads caught the attention of a progressive librarian in the state of Maine and the students are the winners, hands down. She knew that the power and portability of Apple’s iPad line would enhance reading for her students.
Cathy Potter, Falmouth Elementary School K-5 School Librarian, acquired a school-wide license to Tales2Go soon after her school purchased hundreds of iPads for its K-5 classrooms. The school was looking to phase out audiocassettes and they didn’t want to spend a lot of money on CDs because they were not part of the 21st century digital learning plan.
In a modern twist on a proven, decades-old learning tool, Tales2Go is breathing new life into the audio book marketplace to help students get more excited about and skilled at reading. Tales2Go streams thousands of audio books and stories from leading publishers and storytellers to mobile devices in classrooms and beyond, giving educators and students instant and on-demand access to a large library of name-brand titles, all for one low annual price.
Listening to audio books exposes kids to vocabulary, builds critical listening, fluency and comprehension skills and excites kids about literature. For readers at all levels, and particularly those who struggle with reading skills or visual learning, Tales2Go can help augment their education, making reading an enjoyable, life-long skill. Many current subscribers use Tales2Go in concert with printed text, bringing oral and decoding skills together. In fact, recent studies suggest that student achievement increases measurably when a listening component is added to reading instruction.
“Tales2Go was just what our school was looking for this year. We recently deployed iPads in our K-5 classrooms, and teachers have used Tales2Go to set up reading centers in their classrooms,” stated Potter. “Some teachers also use their iPads to play audio books for class read-aloud time. The selection of books is excellent; our students find Tales2Go highly engaging.”
Potter has found Tales2Go such a timely tool in helping her school better leverage their investment in iPads and iPods that she shared details of her implementation with colleagues at a recent state library conference. She has also been creative with funding due to budget cuts within the district. She used dollars from a library fund that is earmarked for technology products that enhance the library. Her school collected Box Tops to build this important source of funding.
“Since oral language precedes written language, kids learn by listening first; it’s how they start building their vocabulary, a large vocabulary being key to word comprehension while reading,” says Weil. “In fact, as reading becomes more complex and abstract in later grades, its just common sense to continue using students’ auditory strengths to apply meaning and context to the written word. Tales2Go offers a bridge to learning at all reading levels, not to mention sparking a student’s imagination and encouraging active listening skills.”
Tales2Go offers a free, 30-day trial as well as monthly and annual subscription plans, including bulk sales for schools. For more information, visit http://www.tales2go.com
Schools.com infographic examines rapid rise of tablet use among kids
As the popularity of tablets increases, a new study from Nielsen shows that mobile devices are increasingly valued for their ability to help children learn, improve performance on tests and engage academically.
Foster City, Calif. May 21, 2012 - - Schools.com, a digital resource for education, released an infographic exploring how tablets and other mobile devices are transforming the way children learn and interact with technology. “The New Nanny: Tablets and other mobile devices teach and entertain kids“ centers on the recent upsurge in tablet purchases and their use among children ages eight and younger.
“It’s fascinating to see how children embrace tablets and other technologies so quickly,” said Seth Restaino, spokesperson for Schools.com. “They’re not just using these devices to play mindless games, but instead games and apps that promote reading, memory and math skills.”
The study also shows that 42 percent of kids use educational apps on an iPad, iPod or smartphone. While more and more parents are downloading apps for their children at home, educators have started infusing tablets and apps into their lesson plans. In 2011, more than 600 school districts nationwide reported using iPad programs to replace traditional textbooks in the classroom.
“Many students are seeing higher grades on tests and overall improved academic performance,” continued Restaino. “Technology can be distracting and overwhelming at times, but in this case, it’s proving to be beneficial.”
For news related to this infographic and other information about online schooling and education news, followSchools.com on Pinterest and @SchoolsEdu on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.
About Schools.com
Schools.com is a definitive source for education, connecting current and prospective students with the right information, people and schools to help them advance in life. Featuring in-depth sections with faculty interviews, campus tours and national education news, the site aims to be a hub for higher education topics and trends. Schools.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that meet their needs. The company is a leader in visitor-friendly marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.
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Educators who enter are in the running for a $500 Pitsco Catalog gift certificate in each remaining quarter of 2012. The goal of the scholarships is to honor teachers who make a difference while providing them with the opportunity to try a new activity with students. Based on teacher responses, the program seems to have achieved that goal.******************************
