Cornerstone for Teachers features Follett Challenge

Do you read Angela Watson’s The Cornerstone for Teachers site?

If not, you should! It’s a great resource for teachers and other educators and includes valuable resources aimed at making classroom management easier. It also features guest blogs, and recently the featured blog was authored by Britten Follett. Titled, “Win up to $200K worth of tech resources for your school,” the blog outlines  how the contest has made a difference in so many schools and how you can enter to win this year’s contest. You can read the blog here: http://t.co/zWBFtLFKx1

Be sure to watch the videos that are a part of the entry — they are so inspiring!

With the contest open until February 28th, 2014, there is still plenty of time to work on your entry and get it submitted by the deadline. All of last year’s winners were surprised to learn they won…. and they never would have had a chance if they had not entered.

So take a moment to visit The Cornerstone for Teachers and then get started on your Follett Challenge entry at follettchallenge.com. You can save your entry and revisit it later to finish.

Now is the time!

Britten Follett

Taking the Follett Leap

by Meg Omainsky, Teacher Librarian, Henry M. Gunn High School

I’ll admit, I never would have entered this contest if I was not encouraged to do so by a colleague and parent within my school district.  I’ve never been one to seek out awards, and prefer to be a behind the scenes, “idea person” rather than in the spotlight. After some persuasion, though, I decided to go for it.

“How do you cultivate an environment of creativity and collaboration within your library or school environment?”  As soon as I heard this challenge, I knew the Follett Challenge was the contest for Gunn Library.

Schools continue to face budget shortfalls, and our district is no different.  With the onset of the new Common Core curriculum, our site is racing to revamp our resources to make this new alignment.  The Follett Challenge winnings are being split between school libraries within our district so we can meet these new challenges head on.  Soon, each site will have new audio titles of core novels to assist lower level and struggling readers.  Students prepping for AP and Sat exams, will be able to access test prep materials through the digital Follett Shelf.  Our collection will become rich with primary sources giving students a first hand look into the history they are studying. Additionally, for the first time since our library opened, we will have access to materials in languages other than English and Spanish.

None of this would have been possible without Follett making this opportunity available and without the urging of my wise colleagues and supporters.

I encourage other librarians to take the leap and show off your accomplishments.  You just might win the grand prize.