Logan County School District is striving to spark student interest in math. Thanks to the support of local farmers and America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, Logan County School District received a $10,000 grant to pilot five ‘flipped classrooms.’
Internet technology, including iPad2s, Flip video cameras, and Camtasia software will be used by the students at home to supplement and enhance classroom curriculum, allowing for a more personalized approach to student learning.
America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, offers farmers the chance to nominate a local public school district, which can then compete for a grant of up to $25,000 to enhance math and/or science education. More than 1,150 nominated school districts submitted applications. The Monsanto Fund will invest $2.3 million through America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education grants this year.
“We believe that the ‘Personalized Learning with a Flip’ program will allow students to be genuinely engaged in their education experience,” said Dawn Slaton, grant writer at Logan County School District. “The flipped classroom creates an environment where the teacher is a learning coordinator/facilitator, and the students are active learners with class time to demonstrate what they learn, and to apply the material in a way that makes sense to them.”
Logan County School District was presented with the $10,000 grant at a celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Logan County School District board meeting at Auburn Elementary School.
Nominated school districts across the country submitted grant applications in the spring. During the summer, a panel of educators from ineligible districts reviewed and evaluated applications based on merit, need and community involvement. The strongest submissions were then sent to the America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education Advisory Council. The Advisory Council, comprised of farmer-leaders with an interest in agriculture and education, selected the winning grant applications from this pool of finalists.
“A record number of America’s farmers stepped up this year to improve math and science education in farming communities across the country,” said Deborah Patterson, Monsanto Fund president. “By nominating their local school districts to compete for this grant opportunity, these farmers demonstrated their dedication to growing the next generation. The Monsanto Fund is committed to strengthening rural America and this program is an exciting way to honor that commitment.”
America’s Farmers Grow Rural Education launched nationally in 2012 and has grown to include 1,271 eligible counties in 39 states. Since its inception, the program has invested more than $4.8 million in rural school districts across the country. America's Farmers Grow Rural Education helps farmers support math and science education in local rural school districts. Currently in its second year, this program is part of the Monsanto Fund's overall effort to support rural education and communities. America's Farmers Grow Communities, which offers winning farmers the chance to direct a $2,500 donation to a nonprofit organization in their county, is also part of this effort. Enrollment for 2014 Grow Communities is currently underway. Visit www.GrowCommunities.com to enter to win $2,500 for your county.
To date, these programs combined have contributed more than $15 million to rural communities. To learn more about either program, please visit http://americasfarmers.com/.
Shown in the above presentation picture, from left, are Caycee Spears, principal at Chandler’s Elementary; Marshall Kemp, superintendent of Logan County Schools; James Wilkerson, nominating farmer; Kelly Hardison, math teacher at Lewisburg Elementary; Sheila Cunningham, math teacher at Chandler’s Elementary; Randy Marcum, principal at Lewisburg Elementary; Casey Jaynes, principal at Logan County High School; and Scott Cooper, a Russellville native who is a Monsanto representative. Amanda Coursey, math teacher at Logan County High School, was absent.