Man fishing for money from fishbowl

Are you a K-12 teacher based in the United States that has a technology-focused lesson plan in any subject others would benefit from seeing?  If so, you could receive a $1000 grant from Verizon’s The Beacon.  I received an email from a reader that alerted me to the contest (thanks, Jessica).  Therefore, I had to dig around a bit for background information on what exactly is The Beacon.

Who Is The Sponsor?

The Beacon is the technology blog of Verizon’s FIOS effort.  As a major telecommunications company and a provider of fiber-optic backed internet, Verizon has an interest in making sure the students of today become the technological experts of tomorrow.  I’m also sure they are trying to drum up interest in The Beacon which is their technology-focused blog.

Grant Contest Criteria

While you should definitely check out the full requirements available at the grant application webpage,  the winning submission will rank highly on the following six criteria:

  • Creativity: Does the lesson plan creatively combine lecture, classroom activities, multimedia, and out-of-class projects to teach students about tech?
  • Completion: Does your submission contain enough information for another teacher to be able to use your plan effectively with no prior knowledge?
  • Feasibility: Could another professional be able to reasonably implement your plan in the upcoming semester?
  • Opportunities for Participation: How well will your plan keep students engaged? Active vs passive learning is encouraged
  • Age Appropriateness: While K-12 teachers are encouraged to apply, the lesson plan should be geared towards the K-8 grade range.
  • Originality: Is this your own work?

Six submissions will be awarded grants, with the top two receiving $1000.  Winning plans will also be featured on The Beacon so you and your school will get some nice exposure as well.  It seems like a no-brainer if you already have a lesson plan written out in a similar format and ready to go.

The application deadline is December 9, 2017.  I have a request in with a representative of the company for more information about the contest. I will pass along whatever additional info I find out as I receive it.

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