Thursday, December 27, 2012

LET'S TAKE A SUMMER VACATION!


Bored?  Probably not, but if you’d like to put off cleaning the house another day I’ve got a great idea for you!  I have five conferences this summer, and I’d love to spend some time with you.  However, I know that money is a huge issue right now for most school districts.  So, I did a little surfing on the web and I found some sites where you might get some funding.  Somebody’s going to get the money, so it might as well be YOU!

Charleston is the # 1 (yes, number one) tourist city in the world!  It’s my home and I’m excited to be a part of the second Early Childhood Summit at the College of Charleston.  It’s going to be a fusion of techies and dinosaurs (Vanessa Levin of pre-kpages.com is the techie and you guessed it – I’m the dinosaur.)  We’ve got lots of great speakers and choices for sessions.  Besides, you can take a carriage ride in Charleston, eat shrimp and grits, visit the straw market, and extend your vacation at one of our nearby beaches.
“Laugh, Learn, Teach” (aka Camp Kindergarten) will be sponsored by SDE (Staff Development for Educators) in Oklahoma City, Nashville, Omaha, and Ontario.  I’ll try to “fuse” all the special songs, activities, and games from my 40 years as an educator with Common Core State Standards and 21st Century Skills. 
June 19-20, 2013   Oklahoma City, OK                            sde.com
“Laugh, Learn, Teach”  (Formerly Camp Kindergarten)

June 26-27, 2013   Nashville, TN                              sde.com
“Laugh, Learn, Teach”  (Formerly Camp Kindergarten)

July 8 & 9, 2013   Charleston, SC                           ecsummit.cofc.edu        
“Techies and Dinosaurs” 

Jul7 31-August 1, 2013  Omaha, NE                           sde.com
“Laugh, Learn, Teach”  (Formerly Camp Kindergarten)

August 7-8, 2013  Toronto, Ontario                              sde.com
“Laugh, Learn, Teach”  (Formerly Camp Kindergarten)

Got money?  Want money?  Here are some sites where you might find grants that will fund your training.  Many districts have grant writers who could also provide you with some funding opportunities.


Here’s a new site I found when I was doing research on 21st Century Skills:
ed.gov/programs/21stcclc  (grants for the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours)


schoolgrants@schoolgrants.org (A collection of resources and tips to help preK-12 educators apply for and obtain special grants for a variety of projects. The site offers fundraising ideas, sample proposals, and grant writing tips.)


edutopia.org/grantinfo (This site does not offer grants, but has some useful information.)



CAN'T NEVER COULD AND YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO LOSE!  GOOD LUCK!