Back-to-school GoFundMe promotion gives every classroom a $50 bonus

In addition to the tissues and graphing calculators on most school supplies lists, teachers might consider something new — a small cash donation. For its relatively-new back-to-school promotion, crowdfund site GoFundMe is gifting a $50 donation to classrooms that raise at least $250 from five different donors.

The campaign that raises the most money will also win a $10,000 prize for their school.

To be eligible for the $50 donation, classrooms must create their campaign using this link between Aug. 17 and Sept 16 (and with the hashtag #GFMtoSchool embedded in the description). Additional details are available on the contest page.…Read More

Contest rewards library-educator collaborations with cash prizes

The 2015 TEAMS Award is open to K-12 educators and library media specialists

library-mediaA new contest from Gale and Library Media Connection will award prizes and library resources to schools that share collaboration success stories between library media personnel and educators.

The contest is open to K-12 public and private schools in the U.S. and Canada. Called the 2015 TEAMS Award – Teachers and Media Specialists Influencing Student Achievement, it recognizes teacher-media specialist teams in elementary, middle, and high school settings for their critical collaboration to promote learning and achievement.

Past efforts that have been recognized include: a collaborative project involving the art, music, and physical education departments; a project-based learning initiative in which students created their own civilizations while simultaneously learning about ancient civilizations; and a student-generated interactive etextbook on the First World War.…Read More

Set Up Your Own Digital Media Lab for Next to Nothing

A green screen and a Mac turn a storage space into a hi-tech playground

media-labBack when I was in school, class projects were limited to written reports, dioramas, and posters—things we could create with pencils, paper, Popsicle sticks, and glue. To say our students today have many more options available to them would be the understatement of the 21st century.

With the advent of lightning-quick computers and gorgeous digital media tools, students are now dreaming up PowerPoint presentations, Prezis, websites, wikis, Photo Stories, and more—things limited only by their imaginations. Creating these types of digital projects has become second nature to them, and they have no concept of a time when these technologies were not available. In fact, creating digital media has become a very personal matter. Just look on Facebook, YouTube, Vine, Vimeo, Instagram, Twitter and you will see that our students are creating and sharing digital content on a daily basis.

As educators, it behooves us to find ways to provide opportunities that allow our students to engage in learning activities relevant to their lives. As a library media specialist, I know there’s no better place to provide them with these opportunities than a school’s own library media center.…Read More

Money Matters

Strategies and solutions your schools need right now

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10 ways to save on schoolbudgets, How to trim the fat without hitting the bone

Also inside:
Grant-seeking skills you can bank on, Going ‘green’ to stay out of the red & Keeping ed tech off the chopping block…Read More