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Through the Georgia Teacher Initiative, the Georgia Foundation for Public Education has awarded grants between $500 and $2,500 in Teacher Grants for Innovation to Georgia public school teachers with an innovative project designed to improve learning outcomes and make a measurable impact on your student’s lives.
$1,430.00 Grant
Ms. Widdowson will use the Teacher Grant for Innovation to implement bee-bots, a programmable robot used to teach coding to young learners. The bee-bots will help students solve real-world reading and math problems through escape rooms, coding tasks, and puzzles. This cross-curricular approach to coding engages students in all subject areas and across elementary grade levels.
“The role of innovation in my classroom is using a different approach for students to show their understanding. In using these programmable robots, students will show innovation in solving real world problems.” – Chrissti Widdowson
$ 2,200.00 Grant
Mr. Hurde will use the Teacher Grant for Innovation for his Artificial Intelligence and Mechatronics pathway students to build AI-enabled, 3D-printed robotic arms. The arms will utilize a camera for object recognition to detect and sort various objects. The project provides a cross-curricular, hands-on STEM opportunity for students and teachers.
“In my classroom, innovation involves the integration of cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary projects to enhance student learning and increase engagement. This approach transforms learning, making it more relevant and exciting while preparing students for future careers in STEM fields. My classroom environment encourages students to take risks and explore new ideas and solutions which aligns with the evolving demands of the modern world.” – Jason Hurd
$ 1,350.00 Grant
Ms. Ford will introduce to her students BreakoutEDU, a game-based learning platform that provides students with immersive digital escape room experiences. The escape rooms experience requires students to apply critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills in new ways and reinvent traditional classroom pedagogy. The activity also encourages personalize learning where content can be customized to each students’ needs.
“As the library media specialist, innovation plays a vital role in creating an engaging, future-ready learning environment. By seamlessly integrating innovative tools and practices, the library becomes a leader in disrupting traditional instructional models and cultivating the problem-solvers and lifelong learners of tomorrow. Innovation is central to the library’s mission of inspiring intellectual curiosity.” – Dana Ford
$ 1,065.00 Grant
Using the Teacher Grant for Innovation, Ms. Gregory will integrate robotics into her gifted elementary curriculum. Robotics provides students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities where they can design, build, and program robots to solve real-world challenges. It fosters creativity, critical thinking, digital literacy and computational thinking skills as they collaborate with their peers to explore various STEM concepts.
“Innovation in elementary gifted classrooms serves as a catalyst for nurturing creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills among students. By integrating innovative approaches, such as robotics kits and project-based learning, educators can create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity and exploration. These experiences empower gifted students to explore their passions, collaborate with peers, and tackle real-world challenges, preparing them to become lifelong learners and future innovators in an ever-evolving world.” – Lindsay Gregory
$ 1,500.00 Grant
Ms. Reno will use the Teacher Grant for Innovation award to purchase a microscope with a digital camera to enhance her Life Sciences pedagogy. Specifically, Ms. Reno wants to introduce the concept of microbiology to her third through fifth grade Life Sciences students – a concept not taught until the advanced high school level. Additionally, she will work with the Centers for Disease Control to invite speakers to help students develop the importance of understanding the world that they cannot see.
“My students innovate everyday by trying to find a new solution to common problems or trying to create and run their own scientific experiments. My students learn that collaboration is key to success and productive struggle is necessary for scientific breakthroughs.” – Alicia Reno
$ 1,550.00 Grant
Using the Teacher Grant for Innovation award, Ms. Cheek will install a sensory path in the hallway of Big A Elementary School for the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. Sensory paths incorporate movement such as jumping, crawling, spinning, bending, animal walks, and skipping, which help children build connections in the brain that are responsible for touch, sight, and sound. These paths also allow students to release excess energy, unblock the neurological gridlock that can occur in their brains, and reduce sensory seeking behaviors that can have a negative impact on their learning in the more structured classroom environment.
“Innovation plays a role in my classroom because I am always thinking of new ways to serve my students and keep them excited about learning. This sensory path would be created not only for the students of my classroom but all of the students at Big A Elementary.” – Jana Cheek
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