“Teaching” might not have made this list of scariest jobs, but teaching about Jack the Ripper might have made the cut (pun intended).

With their Fund for Teachers grant, Bryce McMinn (science teacher at Orville H. Platt High School in Meriden, CT) and Rachel McMinn (English/Journalism teacher at Success Academy, also in Meriden) researched notorious crimes of the 19th and 20th century in the United Kingdom to create cross-curricular learning through the lens of technology in the field of forensics and the role of investigative journalism in solving crime.

“There is little high interest content to demonstrate the evolution of forensic science, evidence collection techniques and crime scene processing. Additionally, there is the same lack of high interest content for that time period to adequately teach investigative journalism and the links between fiction/non-fiction writing,” wrote the teachers in their 2022 grant proposal.

To bridge both curricular gaps, Bryce and Rachel designed a fellowship to:

• Study the work of Dr. Joseph Bell and Dr. Henry Littlejohn, early forensic scientists who inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write Sherlock Holmes
• Identify the evolution of the science in crime scene investigation
• Define the role of investigative journalism in the help/hindrance of crime solving
• Study the history of investigative journalism from 1800’s Victorian England (Jack the Ripper Case) to modern day and recent media coverage of crimes such as The Golden State Killer, and
• Determine the role of the press in bringing public awareness to criminal cold cases and unsolved crime and how this impacts societal views toward journalists.

Their investigation included experiencing the Jack the Ripper\True Crime Museums to examine and document evidence of his crimes; documenting with a 3D survey crime scene of late 1800’s serial killers; interviewing at Kings College London Fellows from the Forensic and Analytical Science Department; touring the Sherlock Holmes Museum to examine evidence collection techniques; and viewing the British Library’s St. Pancras Newsroom‘s extensive collection of original newspapers from 17th-21st century, including those from the time of Jack the Ripper.

“We plan on using our fellowship experience to create authentic learning experiences for students that spark interest in STEM and investigative journalism,” said Bryce. “The learning experiences will consist of mock crime scenes from London and the students will have to attempt to solve them using modern era techniques and science.” A Forensics Club is also being proposed.

Rachel is pioneering an elective that leverages her fellowship learning into a study of investigative journalism and the role it plays in solving crimes both in the past and the present day.

“While London may be beyond their reach today, there are links to these units right here in the state of Connecticut,” she said. “Meriden is home to a world-renowned forensics laboratory for example. This might open students to think about career options in forensics and journalism.”

In the words of Sherlock Holmes, “Education never ends, Watson.”

You might not know that October 25 is the birthday of Georges Bizet (composer of the opera Carmen) and Johann Strauss II (composer of multiple operettas). Or that today is World Opera Day, the fourth year in a movement to increase awareness of access to opera. Perhaps most surprising of all, one of our grant recipients designed a fellowship around OPERA.

Lucian Guilmette (Meriden, CT) crafted a fellowship to attend the Ancient Greek Music seminar in Riva del Garda, Italy, research the origins of opera in Florence, and the later development of opera and origins of antiphonal polyphony in Venice, to facilitate teacher collaboration across disciplines and increase student engagement through the use of authentic materials and deeper context. Why did a high school music teacher choose opera as his focus?

“Our western musical tradition, like so much of our culture and society, can be traced back in a direct line to the music that was studied and practiced by Greek philosophers, poets, and musicians in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries B.C.” said Lucian. “Like most music teachers, however, my formal training in musical history is very scant before the year 1700. I have done what I can to fill in the gaps in my own education, because I recognize how important it is to be able to draw a solid line from the past to the present, whether my students are studying the theory or the history of music or musical theater.”

See Lucian’s complete post-fellowship summary here.

We checked in with Lucian to ask about any updates since his 2017 fellowship…

The Church of San Giorgio

My fellowship was indeed an amazing experience.  One night in Venice I went to the church of San Giorgio. I had heard that the monks there sing vespers every night, and it was my hope to be allowed to listen to Gregorian Chant sung by those who truly understand it and do it the way it is supposed to be done. Imagine my surprise when the abbot handed me a missal and invited me up with them! It seriously taxed my language and music skills, but I participated fully. It was a profound and moving experience.

 

In the conference room in Riva del Garda. The students and professors I met here are some of the most intellectually accomplished people I have ever known.

In addition to singing with the monks, I also attended two operas–La Traviata in Venice, the city where it had premiered, and Barber of Seville in Florence in the Pitti Palace, site of the very first opera performance ever, back in 1597.  But the centerpiece of my fellowship was the week I spent in Riva del Garda attending a conference on ancient Greek music.  That conference was made up of the most important figures studying ancient music today.  For example, when I was in college, we learned that while we had surviving examples of written music from ancient Greece, no one could read the symbols and therefore we didn’t know what that music actually sounded like.  Well, in the intervening years people have indeed deciphered those symbols–and those people were at the conference!  Much of the conference was over my head–I was by far the least knowledgeable, least educated person in the room.  I was amazed to watch, for example, a young Italian graduate student asking questions in English about a book she was holding that was written in ancient Greek, then making notes in the margins in Italian (as she was receiving answers in English).

 

At the feet of David–it was amazing to see so many fabulous works of art!

I did learn quite a bit however and came back with a much more solid grasp of how music worked, both technically and philosophically, in the ancient world.  I was able to do two things with that–on one hand, I injected that material directly into the college-level class I teach in Music History.  On the other hand, I was able to give a Professional Development session (both well-attended and well-received) on the lessons we can draw from the Greek approach and utilize in our classrooms today.

The biggest change for me is that beginning in the fall of 2021 I now teach primarily mathematics at my school.  I didn’t change schools, just departments!  And while I am now primarily a math teacher, I still teach a college-level music class every year and still incorporate what I learned during my fellowship.  I should also mention that I know of three other fellowships that happened fairly directly because of mine–two different ones by other teachers in my school and one by my cousin who teaches in a different school.  It was a very rewarding experience to assist those people with their applications and to see them be awarded the fellowship and then be able to have their own experiences.

 

Now that the five-year window has gone by, it is very much in my mind to apply for another fellowship.  Now that I am teaching math, I am exploring areas where I may be able to gain some deeper understanding of my subject area, and perhaps before long I will be off again!

On October 1, Fund for Teachers launched our 22nd year of investing in educator’s self-designed experiential learning. It’s also our 22nd year of recognizing teachers as professionals worthy of respect and their students deserving of engaging curriculum. We stand by this mission and remain proud of the national cohort of 9,000 strong preK-12 teachers who returned from fellowships validated, empowered and seen as changemakers in their school communities.

Apply today and submit by January 19

Our application process is 100% transparent — we even make public the rubric by which proposals are evaluated. The process is also 100% blind, meaning that any identifying information (name, school, district) are redacted. Here are a few more facts to consider when starting your 2023 grant proposal:

• Public, private and charter school teachers from across the country are invited to apply for up to $5,000 as an individual or $10,000 as a team of two or more for a fellowship to take place during the summer.
• PreK-12 teachers are eligible to apply after three years of teaching in a classroom or classroom-like setting at least 50% of the day. Therefore, librarians and coaches are eligible to apply; principals and administrators are not.
• Applicants must plan to return to a classroom or teaching environment the year following their fellowship and demonstrate the ability to incorporate what they learn into their teaching.
• Successful proposals reflect thoughtful documentation on why this experience is vital to students’ learning.  Click here for more grant writing tools and resources.
• This Fellowship Search catalogs 20 years of projects by key word, subject area and grade level to provide examples of what’s possible with a Fund for Teachers grant.
• Previous recipients must wait for five years before reapplying.

To simplify sharing this opportunity, we created this poster, program information sheet and brochure:

We’ve also scheduled multiple opportunities to dialogue with our staff and FFT Fellows to learn more, including:

• Information Session co-hosted with Latinos for Education on October 4 at 5 p CT | Register Here
• Grant Information Session on October 26 at 6p CT | Register Here
• Weekly webinars for Applicants of Color | Register Here
• Travel Tips Information Session on November 9 at 6p CT | Register Here
• Grant Information Session on November 30 at 6p CT | Register Here

Learn more about our grant recipients and their impact on our podcasts, this blog and Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

“Now more than ever, it is imperative that we invest in the most important component of any classroom — the teacher,” said Karen Eckhoff, Executive Director of FFT. “Educators are facing countless challenges every day, and Fund for Teachers is dedicated to further diversifying the ways that we can support them. Our grants represent trust in teachers’ professionalism, creativity, and vision, offering flexibility to meet the unique needs of each classroom, with the students remaining the ultimate beneficiaries as they continue to grow and learn in today’s ever-changing world.”

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Want to encourage others to apply? Feel free to use this graphic and direct peers to fundforteachers.org.

September 21 is International Day of Peace, declared by The UN General Assembly as “a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.” Three 2022 FFT Fellows chose to devote their fellowships to the ideals of peace on behalf of their students this summer.

Christina Campbell and Meredith Branch (Vista Condor Global Academy – Santa Ana, CA) designed their fellowship to attend the World Peace Game Master Class in Long Island, NY, to bring the World Peace Game to students who will explore global themes such as the economy, diplomacy, war, and the common good. And,

Ryan O’Connell (Northeast Academy Arts Magnet School – Mystic, CT) attended a World Peace Game Master Class to become a certified World Peace Game facilitator, observing the implementation of the simulation with students and studying its guiding philosophies and unique applications for learning design in his school community.

What is the World Peace Game and why do these teachers find it important enough to design a fellowship around it? We asked Ryan for more information…

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Since meeting World Peace Game (WPG) creator John Hunter as a graduate student and discussing its core principles with him over time, it has been my aspiration to attend a WPG Master Class to train as a facilitator. Observing students’ gameplay and discussing it with fellow educators has reaffirmed my belief that in and beyond our classrooms, no matter one’s background or ability, everyone has something valuable to contribute.

My training took place in Dallas, Texas. Each morning, my colleagues and I viewed the facilitation of the simulation with students in grades 6-8 participating in a summer session of the World Peace Game Camp at The Hockaday School. Each afternoon, per the World Peace Game Foundation, we identified “the essential attributes necessary to facilitate the Game through a series of reflective questions and activities” as well as design “learning that is inspired by the principles and spirit of the Game.” After the five-day Master Class, I am now a facilitator!

Students addressed a variety of crises drawn from current global events, from land and water rights to nuclear proliferation to climate change. Through the WPG experience, my students will better understand these often-intersecting issues and explore ways to create positive change in our school and community.

Because facilitators must construct their own World Peace Game boards, I used a portion of my fellowship funding to purchase building materials and playing pieces. During the 2022-2023 school year, I will facilitate the World Peace Game for the first time in my fifth-grade classroom as part of a social studies unit on understanding and applying concepts of history, geography, economics, and civics to the study of growing nations.

While the Game is the primary focus of the Master Class, fellow educators and I also left with an understanding of how to integrate its principles into lesson design. Hands-on learning and self-reflection are key elements in my instruction, and this fellowship has provided new insights and approaches that I am excited to bring to my classroom. Through this enriching opportunity, I have gained the tools to nurture my students’ appreciation for the role of tolerance and consideration of multiple viewpoints around an issue. The World Peace Game provides a vehicle to help them recognize what they can achieve when they work together.

Above are images of the WPG board Ryan created and will use this spring with his students.

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Through a classroom culture that promotes creativity and collaboration, he inspires his students to push the boundaries of their knowledge and learn through alternative approaches that express their unique talents. He is the 2022 Groton Public Schools Teacher of the Year and a Connecticut Teacher of the Year semifinalist.