APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, March 6, 2015 at 5:00 pm
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Or mail or hand-deliver to BEF, 40 Webster Place, Brookline, MA 02445
BROOKLINE EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Teacher Grant Application for 2015-2016 Academic Year
Cover Page
APPLICATION MUST BE TYPED
Project Title / Japan /Name of Applicant(s) / Maggie Russell
School and grades/subjects you teach / Lawrence School – 2nd Grade
Home Telephone Number(s) / 617-429-0996
Email Address(es) /
Years teaching in PSB,
total years teaching / 1 year (+3 month long-term substitute position)
7 years
Amount Requested / $2,500
Are you applying for the Charlie Baker Legacy Award? / Yes
Please list previous BEF grants (year, title, teacher/collaborative) / N/A
I understand that, should the Brookline Education Foundation fund my grant application, I am obligated to submit a written evaluation of my project at its completion and present the results of my grant at a BEF sponsored event. Evaluations of projects completed during the summer will be due by December 31, 2015. Evaluations of projects completed during the school year will be due by May 31, 2016. I further understand that only educators employed by the Brookline Public Schools at the time the project is undertaken are eligible to receive funds.
Acknowledgement of Applicant(s): Date: February 3, 2015
For online submissions, please acknowledge that you have read and agreed to the above statement. MAR
BROOKLINE EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Teacher Grant Application for 2015-2016 Academic Year
Project Description Section
1. Project Summary (1-3 sentences)
I am thrilled that this summer I will be visiting three different cities in Japan (Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Tokyo) over a ten-day period. I will be traveling with Keryn Gannon, my colleague who teaches second grade, who is visiting Japan through the SET-J Program (http://lawrenceschoolbrookline.org/pto/set-j/). My mission is to experience the history, cultures and traditions that represent the 50 – 70 Japanese students Lawrence School educates each year. I will spend time with and learn from families who are a part of our Lawrence community, but reside in Japan (relatives of current students or past students who have returned to Japan). I will visit multiple schools in order to attain an understanding of the education system that our Japanese students experience before and after they attend Lawrence. As a second grade teacher, I am responsible for teaching students a unit about Japan, and my hope is that through my experiences, Keryn and I will be able to collaborate and create an authentic, accurate, interactive and engaging curriculum for all of our future students.
2. Goal Statement
What are your explicit goals for the project? What would be the best outcome for the work you propose?
1. I would like to create an environment where families from Japan feel welcomed, understood, and valued. I will achieve this by learning about Japanese history and culture through personal interactions, museum and memorial visits, and experiencing the daily traditions in Japan.
2. As a second grade teacher, I am responsible for educating students on the geography and culture of Japanese people, past and present. Students are expected to know the geography of Japan, as well as the beliefs, foods, clothing, literature, shelter, music and visual arts of Japanese culture. Students should understand how Japanese culture has changed over time and how it is both similar and different to our lives in Brookline. Through experiencing and documenting my trip to Japan, I will be able to provide all of my future students with accurate information about the geography and cultures in Japan. The benefit of traveling with my co-worker is we will be able to collaborate and create an interactive and engaging unit.
3. It is a privilege to be able to visit multiple cities in Japan (Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Tokyo) and have an authentic learning experience about the varying cultures that exist in Japan. When I return to Brookline, my hope is to educate my colleagues about my experiences to help develop their understanding of where our students come from and how we can support our Japanese families. I have already met with the SET-J parents to coordinate visits and experiences that will support this goal.
4. As a Brookline educator, I have the benefit of teaching students from all over the world. Education systems throughout the world differ in their philosophies and ways of teaching. By visiting multiple schools in Japan, I hope to have a better understanding of the value and depth of education that our Japanese students have when they come to Lawrence and accommodate to their needs and desires. I will also be able to act as a liaison recognizing the similarities and differences between the school systems for my colleagues.
5. When I think about visiting Japan, I experience some anxiety considering I will be in an unfamiliar city, with traditions I am unaccustomed to, and a language I know very little of. The benefit of this experience is that I will have a more empathetic understanding of what my students and families experience when they move to Brookline from countries all around the world. Lawrence has the highest number of English Language Learners in our district (18.8% of students). My goal is to be more thoughtful of ways that I can accommodate families who transplant from different countries.
6. I have spoken with Geoff Tegnell, the social studies coordinator in Brookline Public Schools to see what realia we could bring back to Brookline to add to our Japanese Kit for 2nd grade classrooms. He mentioned we are lacking materials to help students understand the contemporary Japanese child. I would like to gather realia that will help support this aspect of Japanese culture for our students.
3. Context
a. What experiences or needs have led you to apply for this grant?
b. How have your education, training, and/or classroom experiences prompted the interest or need for this project?
When I taught in Colorado, I was responsible for teaching my students about the American Revolution. I was fortunate enough to be from the city of Boston, where many historical events occurred. Therefore, on my visits home, I made a point to visit a museum or a historical site each time. I was able to build my background knowledge on the subject, as well as collect books, realia, and other materials that would support my students’ understanding of the American Revolution. I found my enthusiasm and success for teaching this subject improved greatly because of my experiences in Boston.
I have also had opportunities to travel around the United States, Europe, and Latin America. From these experiences, I know that immersing yourself in cultures is valuable because it allows you to experience and understand the ideals of each unique place. By engaging in the daily life of different cities, one is able to differentiate between common misunderstandings and reality.
In addition to my citizenship in the United States, I have an Irish citizenship. My parents raised us emphasizing our Irish heritage. We were exposed to Irish literature, poetry, music, art, history and we communicated with our cousins in Ireland through letter writing and phone calls. Although all of this added to my understanding of my Irish culture, it was not until I studied abroad in Ireland that I truly appreciated the beauty and traditions of the country.
As I began to plan my unit on Japan this year, I realized that I had limited background knowledge about Japan. The resources I used were all from the generosity of my teammates. While teaching this unit, my interest level and sense of urgency to learn more about Japan grew immensely, and I found myself constantly reading and watching documentaries to further my understanding of the country so I could portray it accurately to my students. I have a few friends who have spent significant amounts of time in Japan, and after having conversations with them about the rich culture they have experienced, I was inspired to venture to Japan for myself.
Kyoto is an official sister city of Boston, and I believe this experience will help me show my Japanese families that I value and understand where they come from. I want to be sure that I am demonstrating appropriate respect and understanding for these families while they are in our community.
4. Project Description
Describe the structure of this grant. What is your time frame? When and where will you be working? With whom will you work? You may include copies of supporting material (e.g., conference brochure, tour itinerary). Links to websites may be used for supporting materials and are preferred, if available.
June 26th – June 27th / Travel from Boston to KyotoJune 28th / Tour Kyoto with Mr. and Mrs. Oke (Grandparents of a Lawrence 1st grader)
Arashiyama (http://www.insidekyoto.com/arashiyama )
Matsuo Shrine (http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-temples-shrines/matsuo-taisha )
June 29th / Travel from Kyoto to Hiroshima on the Shinkansen (http://english.jr-central.co.jp/about/)
Mijajima Sightseeing (http://visithiroshima.net/world_heritage/miyajima.html)
Homestay at Mrs. Kamei’s (Parent of past Lawrence student) guest house in a traditional Japanese bedroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfuQuta_QMY
June 30th / Hiroshima National Peace Memorial http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html Lawrence students have made 1,000 paper cranes as a peace offering that we will present at the Peace Memorial.
Voice of Atomic Bomb Survivor
Travel from Hiroshima to Tokyo by Skinkansen
July 1st / Tokyo City Fifth Mtaka Elementary School (previous Lawrence student now attends this school)
July 2nd / Kanagawa Prefecture Yokohama City Daido Elementary School (previous Lawrence student now attends this school)
Shibuya Crossing http://en.japantravel.com/view/shibuya-crossing
July 3rd / Tokyo Day Activity (possibilities in Charlie Baker component of application)
Homestay (Mrs Kida – Lawrence family & SETJ Member)
July 4th / Tokyo Day Activity (possibilities in Charlie Baker component of application)
Welcome Party – A celebration with all the Japanese families who are alumni of Lawrence School
Tsukiji Market http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
July 5th – July 6th / Travel from Tokyo to Boston
5. Impact
Describe as specifically as possible the impact of the work you propose:
On Yourself –
I think this experience will develop my passion for teaching all of my future students about Japan. It will also improve my ability to teach the material more accurately and in more depth. I will be able to strengthen my curriculum resources, content and context. I believe this experience will help me understand the challenges families who move from different experience when they come to Brookline. My hope is I will be more empathetic and understanding of their experiences, and be able to better accommodate the needs of my students and families.
On Your Colleagues - What impact will your project have on your professional community either directly or indirectly?
This experience will benefit my colleagues in multiple ways. I will blog my experience, so my colleagues will be able to monitor where I have visited and what I have learned about the cities that many of our students are from. I think the most beneficial aspect of my trip for my colleagues will be my visit to multiple Japanese schools. It will help my colleagues understand the daily school life that our Japanese students are used to. I will also collaborate with Keryn to prepare a presentation that we will share with out staff at a staff meeting that will bring awareness to the values and traditions of many of our Japanese families. Lastly, I will be able to help my colleagues who teach second grade by providing them with a unit outline that Keryn and I will collaboratively create. We will also purchase and share realia, photographs, recordings of interviews, and other objects that will help our students better understand the country of Japan.
On Your Students - How will your students benefit from this project in the short or long term?
My students’ passion for learning about Japan this year encouraged me to further my knowledge about the country. Therefore, I want those students to benefit from my trip to Japan. Before I leave, I will show the students how to read and respond to a blog that I will maintain on my trip. I plan to pose questions, describe with sensory details what I am experiencing, post photographs and give lots of details about the places I am visiting. I will also respond to comments and questions they post while I’m on the trip. I will also use this blog in the future as a reference that students can use when learning about Japan. I plan to write a postcard to each of my incoming students for the 2015-2016 school year from Japan, with a brief description of what I have done and how excited I am to teach them about Japan that year. I will also use the postcard to explain how to access my blog. All future students will benefit from the unit that Keryn and I plan, as well as the objects that we bring back from Japan. Lastly, I want to instill in my students a passion for traveling and learning about different cultures.
6. Evaluation and Dissemination
How will you evaluate the success of the project? For example, will you create a before and after study, conduct a survey, collect and examine work products, engage in peer observation, share results in departmental meetings or on departmental wikis, or design other forms of evaluation and dissemination of your project?