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The Ganek Family Student Teacher Mini Grants for Innovation in EducationWe are pleased to announce the fall 2008 recipients of the Ganek Family Student Teacher Mini Grants, which were made possible by the generous support of Lynne Brenner Ganek and her family. Fall 2008 - please click on the student name to find out more information about the projects.
Spring 2008
Fall 2007 (inaugural semester)
Student Teacher Mini Grants were created to provide an opportunity to American
University Student Teachers to test out new methodologies and innovative lesson
ideas with their cooperating teachers in DC area classrooms. The program is sponsored
by American University supervisor and clinical faculty member, Lynne Brenner
Ganek. Professor Ganek developed this program in 2007, based on her dedication
to the tradition of inspiring student teachers to create exciting learning experiences
for their students.
The purpose of the program Ganek Family Student Teacher Mini Grants is to foster and support student teachers in the development of inventive classroom activities, lessons, projects, and experiments. The grants are designed to enable student teachers to explore new methodologies and experiment with activities and lessons while under the supervision of cooperating teachers in local schools. Mini grants are awarded every fall and spring semester to student teachers who promote academic excellence and design exciting learning experiences which meet curriculum standards. Students, for more information about the grants, please contact Karen DiGiovanni at digiovanni@american.edu. You can download the application here. Fall 2008 Grant Recipients Kira Sonberg, BA Elementary Education (2008)  Ms. Sonberg
created Z-ville, a mock community, in Shana Zallman’s second grade
classroom at Janney Elementary School. The idea is attributed to Jennifer
Miller, a fellow second grade teacher at Janney who has experienced a lot
of success with her own “Millertown.” The students created
a connected classroom community that they were responsible for running.
Students
took on classroom jobs that mirrored jobs in a real community such as running
a post office, the Z-ville store and the Z-ville bank. They completed their
jobs with pride because they learned the affect those jobs had
on the well-being of the classroom. Students also experienced the Washington
D.C community
as the classroom was visited by real workers who have
the same jobs as those in Z-ville. Students met police officers, firefighters,
the American University eagle, a crossing guard, and other individuals
who are important to the Janney School community. Through their exchange
of “money”,
students developed financial responsibility as they worked to be paid,
paid classroom expenses, and then decided whether to spend or save their
money.
Students experienced the real world within their classroom community in
a fun and exciting way. Ms. Zallman was so excited about
Z-ville that she plans to continue the project in the future.
Spring 2008 Grant Recipients Tom Bishop, MA International Training and Education, Graduate Certificate
in Secondary Teaching, Social Studies (2008) Ariella Brodecki, BA Elementary Education (2008) Alison Clark, BA Secondary Education, Mathematics (2008) Hilarie Shanley, MAT Elementary Education (2008) Fall 2007 Grant Recipient Usha Chidamber, MAT Elementary Education (2007)
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