Arlington
August 9, 2019
This past school year my Kindergarten learners deepened their identities as explorers in an unexpected way - through a subscription to Explorer Magazine from National Geographic Education! My intentions for the magazine was to show learners exemplar models of exploration. What I did not realize is that I'd be giving them a passport to see themselves as explorers. Check out this blog post to learn more!
Psssttt - my fellow #EducatorExplorers - did you know that the Explorer magazine team is incredibly responsive to messages from your learners? I tweeted to National Geographic Education and the team responded back via email!
August 9, 2019
Two years ago an incredible journalist named Nancy Zuckerbrod visited my 2nd grade classroom to interview me for the Hewlett Foundation and Deeper Learning Movement. This year we joined forces again for the last issue of Scholastic Magazine in an article titled "Making a Career Change in Education." This topic means so much to me. Also two years ago my innovative principal, Dr. Lynne Wright, invited me to consider teaching Kindergarten. She had some compelling reasons, yet I loved teaching 2nd grade and was successful there. What is an #EducatorExplorer to do?! Read here to find out about taking career change leaps from me as well as my beloved Arlington Public Schools colleague Nancy Routson!
January 12, 2018
Isn't it fun when worlds collide!? I love to make new connections between what I teach and learn personally or to introduce friends and colleagues who have so much in common but don't know one another yet. At the end of last school year, post National Geographic's Explorers Festival but before the last day of school, my Educator + Explorer Exchange partner and friend Dalal Hanna visited my Kindergarten class and Arlington's AETV crew was there to capture the joy and learning! Check out this joyful-yet-tear-jerking video (it makes me teary, at least)! It encapsulates what kind of magic occurs when an educator and an explorer join forces...in other words, when their disciplines collide!
As if that weren't cool enough, later that summer I visited National Geographic Headquarters to visit my pals Luke, Anne, Alison and JT with Monica Buzo Nuñez and saw THIS on the new National Geographic Education floor! Proof that National Geographic values Educators as Explorers and (this gets me teared up again) Learners as Explorers!
Above: Screenshot of the AETV Video from APS and Monica, Anne, Jennifer & JT behind a fabulous new portal at NatGeo HQ!
Left: Jennifer posing next to the screen on the floor for National Geographic Education. Rotating photos of explorers shine brightly next to the elevators...AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM! Digital portrait taken by Mark Thiessen.
August 2, 2018
Wow!!!! Arlington Public Schools was named a "District of Distinction" by District Administration Magazine for their focused work on local history, including A is for Arlington by Elizabeth Kuleski and moi! *Squeal!* Want to read the accolade? Visit this link to read about the different initiatives APS began to teach learners about local history! #APSisAwesome
Want your own copy? Contact the APS Social Studies Office or send me a message! Copies are $5.25 and can be signed by the author upon request!
May 15, 2018
Last week my A is for Arlington co-author, Elizabeth Kuleski, and I had the privilege to volunteer with Cathy Hix (Arlington Public Schools' - APS - Supervisor of Social Studies and beloved Arlingtonian) at the Arlington Historical Society (AHS) annual banquet! This organization was crucial to our research about Arlington for our book, and it was a joy to serve those who supported us. An APS middle school student won the annual essay contest which included a hefty cash prize! Also, the AHS debuted their new website! It was wonderful to see local history advocates come together and celebrate our wonderful county. You can support AHS by visiting their museum site at the Hume School, the oldest standing school house in our county, where the downstairs hosts rotating exhibits and the upstairs replicates the school room from days long ago. You can also join AHS and participate in preserving local history as a member!
For more about local history, follow my 2018 #ABCCountdown to Summer Break on Twitter beginning with A is for Arlington and B is for Ball-Sellers House, which you can also visit!
Photos courtesy of Jennifer Burgin
From left to right: Elizabeth Kuleski working the 50/50 raffle, Jennifer and Elizabeth volunteering at the historic photo sale, Cathy Hix and AHS President honoring an APS Middle School student essay winner, and Elizabeth, Cathy and Jennifer smiling about a wonderful night!
November 1, 2017
I squealed when I saw a message in my inbox today that the Scholastic Teacher Magazine article I was interviewed for about my National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification process was live! You can read the article in your copy of Scholastic Teacher Magazine or online here. In the article different NBCTs (National Board Certified Teachers) describe their certification process including the pros, the cons, and the costs. We were all very real about the short-term sacrifices and the long-term gains. Enjoy!
Do you teach in Arlington Public Schools? Are you considering going through the certification process? Learn more here!
Want a visual? See this video starring several of Oakridge Elementary's educators!
Photo courtesy of the Hewlett Foundation
September 19, 2017
Today I received an email from journalist Brooke Giles with Arlington Now about an article she wrote about technology use in Arlington Public Schools. It's a wonderful article showing the diverse thoughts behind technology use and the shared love of our learners. Thank you!
Photo by Arlington Now
September 8, 2017
The Oakridge Annual Black Top Ball was such a joy! Not only did we get more copies of A is for Arlington into the hands of children and families, but I also got an email with this video clip in it! I shared it with the families from last year and saw little ones sharing the joy of learning on their parents' devices around the dancers at the ball!
Last school year Mrs. Amin-Arsala led my class through the National Geographic Explorers Festival Challenge while I was on my fellowship in the Galápagos. My 2nd graders researched Dr. Ryan Carney and his incredible journey from curious kid to professional scientist. Then, as if the research and animation project creation wasn't enough fun...he came to see us! If you ever have questions about this incredible partnership, please reach out to me at jennifer.burgin@apsva.us!
All photos by Jennifer Burgin.
Dr. Ryan Carney (black tee shirt) and Meghan Modafferi (bottom right photo, National Geographic Society) spent an entire day with my second grade class in June 2017 discussing Dr. Carney's virtual reality work with the archaeopteryx. The video made from this experience helps us relieve a wonderful project led by Mrs. Amin-Arsala (top left photo)!
August 26, 2017
Last weekend, Elizabeth and I attended the Arlington County Fair to sell and sign copies of A is for Arlington. We were thrilled to see two of the docents from the Arlington Historical Society who supported our research! If you have yet to visit the Hume School or Ball-Sellers House, they are a must for all who live in Arlington, VA!
It was encouraging to have so many people interested in local history share their stories and excitement with us. Thank you to our lovely and amazing Cathy Hix, APS Social Studies Supervisor, for setting this experience up for us!
Top Row: Elizabeth and Jennifer show LOVE for Virginia!
Middle Row: Elizabeth and Jennifer meet Baby Groot and sell copies of A is for Arlington at the APS table at the Arlington County Fair.
Bottom Row: Elizabeth and Jennifer learn about firefighter skills from the Arlington County Fire Department - they were EXCELLENT educators on fire safety! I now know that you check a door for fire with the back of your hand - the front of your hand has too many nerves and heal less quickly.
Photos taken by Elizabeth Kuleski, Frank Bellavia and Jennifer Burgin.
August 10, 2017
I am pleased to announce that Elizabeth Kuleski and I will be selling and signing copies of A is for Arlington at the 2017 Arlington County Fair on August 19th from 1:00 - 5:00 in the afternoon! Copies are $5.25 and signatures and pictures are free! We will be accepting checks made payable to Arlington Public Schools and cash.
August 1, 2017
Wow! I am always amazed at the incredible job done by AETV, the Arlington Education Television Department! Watch the latest video that describe Global Village Summit, the program I am proud to be a part of that teaches geo-literacy to young children through project based learning!
July 17, 2017
For the past 5 summers I have worked with Global Village Summit, or GVS as the cool cats call it; this summer enrichment program is through the Arlington Public Schools' Social Students department...and it rocks! I even plan my vacation around these three weeks. Not kidding.
Listen to Episdoe #2 of the new APS podcast as I share with my program director, Diana Jordan, about this incredible opportunity for K-4th grade students in Arlington, Virginia!
Photos taken by Jennifer Burgin of the 2017 GVS Program
Top Left: A student describes what the tri-color flag and crest of the Ecuadorian flag mean.
Top Right: Students imitate Ecuadorian wood cutting with yarn paintings of the Andes Mountains, inspired by the book illustrations from Love and Roast Chicken.
Bottom Left: A Wakefield High School graduate presents on her home country of Eritrea to the students.
Bottom Right: A embassy employee from the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan visits the students to share about her home country.
Photo taken by Brian Kuleski
In the Spring of 2016, APS Social Studies Supervisor Cathy Hix came up with a brilliant idea to a new problem. The Virginia Standards of Learning now stated that Kindergarteners should learn local history. However, Arlington does not have any child friendly books written about it! Thus the idea for a book written for Arlington students by Arlington professionals was born! After Cathy Hix recruited my "school sister" Elizabeth Kuleski, NBCT - A is for Arlington began to grow from an idea of including ABCs to a published book through Jostens!
Photos taken by Cathy Hix, Elizabeth Kuleski, & Jennifer Burgin
Our book writing journey stretched us as educators. Elizabeth and I consulted with local historians, neighbors, children, families, and APS professionals to ensure that this book represented the beautifully diverse story our county offers.
If you want to obtain a copy of A is for Arlington for your family for $5.25 per book, contact the APS Social Studies Office!
We have had a blast promoting this book for our schools' children. We are available for speaking engagements and book signings. We have already spoken to a Boys Scout Troop made of students from Discovery Elementary and Jamestown Elementary and at the Oakridge Diversity Pot Luck in the 2016-2017 School Year!
If you have a connection to our book, please Tweet using #AisforArlington!
If you would like to learn more about Elizabeth Kuleski, NBCT - my amazing co-author - follow her on Twitter @MrsKuleski.