Looking for a creative way to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week this year?
Here's a nice opportunity: To honor educators this week, the Carnegie Corporation has launched a photo-sharing site on the art of great teaching.
The site, called Picture This! Great Teaching, was developed by the philanthropic organization in collaboration with a host of nonprofit education grantees and partnering groups (including Education Week). It is open to anyone with an interest in teaching and a camera—prominently including teachers themselves, parents, and students (13 or older). Participants are asked to upload photos that to them exemplify inspired teaching and to share their stories about the images.
And there's a contest, too: The individual who submits the best photo will receive $3,500 for a K-12 public school of his or her choice. The winner will be determined early next month by a panel of judges to include Education Week's director of photography, Charlie Borst.
The idea behind the site is to emphasize the positive things happening in education today, said Deanne Lee, Carnegie's chief communications and digital strategies officer.
"So much of coverage of education these days focuses on the daunting and negative challenges," she said. "The common mission we share with our partners is positive—to create pathways to great education and opportunities for kids. Let's not lose site of that."
Talia Milgrom-Elcott, a program officer in urban education and senior manager of STEM teacher initiatives for Carnegie, said that the organization also hopes the photos and stories shared on the site will also provide documentary examples to help "elevate what makes great teaching."
So, go ahead: Take a shot of that admired colleague in action, or give your students a photo assignment on what inspires them in school. It's for a good cause.
Photo: Judith Estime, a teacher at Match Community Day Charter Public School in Boston, helps a student during a game-playing exercise.
—Charlie Mahoney/Prime for Education Week
Editors' Note: The Carnegie Corporation provides support to Education Week for coverage of business and innovation. Education Week and Education Week Teacher retain sole editorial control over the content of their coverage.
