Inspiration Software has announced the 25 talented educators who will receive the 2007-2008  Inspired Teacher Scholarships for Visual Learning. The scholarships  recognize educators’ “Best Projects” using Inspiration Software’s  visual learning software tools. The top honor for “Best Overall  Visual Learning Project” scholarship award goes to Kathie Thuillez, a  sixth grade social studies teacher at Fort Settlement Middle School  in Sugar Land, Texas.
All 25 recipients will receive $1,000 to support professional  development or new technology for their classrooms in recognition of  their creative use of visual learning to help their students think  and learn. In addition, Thuillez will receive a bonus of $500 for  classroom technology and a $500 personal award for her exceptionally  innovative and creative use of Inspiration.
Faced with the challenge of teaching sixth-graders the ins and outs  of economics, Thuillez used Inspiration for the unit’s culminating  project. Her students created diagrams to demonstrate their learning  and summarize major economic factors of production, types of  industries and economies. Taking advantage of Inspiration’s  hyperlinking capabilities, the students’ webs linked to information  about events affecting current economic conditions as well as  definitions and examples of terms. With visual learning, Thuillez’s  students were able to delve deeply into understanding the  complexities of economics, using their projects as study guides for  the unit test.
The 24 other talented teachers who received Inspired Teacher  Scholarships follow:

§       Heidi Bradford, Horace Mann Elementary, Ottumwa, Iowa
§       Cathy Bullington, Bedford Middle School, Bedford, Ind.
§       Dawn Capobianco, Robinson School, Westford, Mass.
§       Lisa Caswell, Perrysburg Junior High School, Perrysburg, Ohio
§       Susan Cherup, Hope College, Holland, Mich.
§       Robyn Chrast, Sandburg Middle School, Golden Valley, Minn.
§       Richard Comeau, William Diamond Middle School, Lexington, Mass.
§       Amy Conlin, Tamarac Elementary School, Tamarac, Fla.
§       Amy Goodrich, Woodland Elementary School, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
§       Dennis Grice, St. John’s Lutheran School, Orange, Calif.
§       Craig Hyatt, East Valley Central Middle School, Moxee, Wash.
§       Nedra Isenberg, Holland Patent Elementary School, Holland  Patent, N.Y.
§       Jennifer Kelly, Central Elementary School, Calhoun, La.
§       Erin Kimbro, Calvert High School, Prince Frederick, Md.
§       Donna Klayder, Alliance High School, Alliance, Ohio
§       Joy Lee, South Cluster 2, Republic of Singapore
§       Melinda Leitner, Henrico County Public Schools, Glen Allen, Va.
§       Mijana Lockard, Lincoln Avenue Academy, Lakeland, Fla.
§       Maryanne Porter, Academy Park High School, Sharon Hill, Pa.
§       Margaret Rothblatt, Woods Road Elementary School,  Hillsborough, N.J.
§       Caron Sharp, O. Henry Middle School, Austin, Texas
§       Kenneth Shelton, Walter Reed Middle School, Studio City, Calif.
§       Diane Stolz, Colwich Elementary School, Colwich, Kan.
§       Susan Yerino, Woodvale Elementary School, Lafayette, La.

      Excerpts from the 25 scholarship recipients’ application  essays will be featured in the Inspired Learning Community,  Inspiration Software’s online community for educators who want to  inspire their students to excel with visual thinking and learning.
For information about future scholarships and other opportunities  from Inspiration Software, visit www.inspiration.com/scholarship.

Source: Inspiration Software, Inc., www.inspiration.com