COLUMBUS - Many of us are in disbelief as we realize it is "that" time again Back to School. Walmart has restocked shelves with school supplies and parents are preparing to make the necessary and required purchases while children continue to enjoy their final summer vacation days. What about teachers? Teachers are thinking about creative ways to ensure their students' understanding of the instructional objectives and how to best establish a connection between schoolwork and real life, all while making learning fun and interesting. For the past two years, the Columbus Education Foundation (CEF) Classroom Grant Program has encouraged and supported multiple teachers in their efforts to be informative, creative, innovative, and fun by awarding classroom grants. To date, students have benefited from their teachers' willingness to apply for the grant.
Columbus Independent School District (CISD) classroom teachers at all grade levels are eligible to apply and many did so. Nina Pavlicek, first-grade teacher, and Jennifer Wray, third-grade teacher, were both determined to make their math classrooms informative, interactive, and fun. Pavlicek infused literature into her math instruction to help her students understand the benefit of math in real-world applications. She also used math games that supported specific skills to encourage her reluctant students to not only engage, but experience math success in a non-threatening situation. Wray's philosophy is like Pavlicek's in that she, too, believes students need to have experiences with real-world applications and materials that allow them to see and feel math come alive. But Wray's approach was more dramatic; she changed her classroom environment to a glow-in-the-dark gaming experience complete with glow-in-the-dark manipulatives and questions based on the curriculum standards. Wray said, "They absolutely loved it. They could only work in highlighters, and it was so much fun." StuIndividual grants are up to $1,000; partner grants are up to $2,500 and team grants are up to $3,500. Applications are for all CISD campuses during in-service meetings. They are available at school offices and online at www.ColumbusEducationFoundation.org. The grant deadline is Friday, Oct. 24. The Columbus Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation dedicated to enhancing the education of CISD students.
Wyatt Watson, back, and Jace Kelly, front, Columbus Elementary third-grade students from Jennifer Wray's classroom, have fun with their math assignment using glow-in-the-dark materials. Materials were purchased using CEF Classroom Grant funds.
Amari Coleman, left, and Emma Cole, right, first-grade students in Nina Pavlicek's classroom, practice their addition and subtraction with a game from the classroom math station that uses strawberries as counters. Materials were purchased using CEF Classroom Grant funds.
