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Kohl’s Cares® and TED Award 18 Educators the Chance to Teach Their ‘Lesson Worth Sharing’ to Kids Worldwide

Eighteen educators chosen to have their lessons featured on TED Ed’s esteemed website

Kohl’s Cares® and TED Award 18 Educators the Chance to Teach Their ‘Lesson Worth Sharing’ to Kids Worldwide

Eighteen educators chosen to have their lessons featured on TED Ed’s esteemed website

Published 10-02-12

Submitted by Kohl's Department Stores

Today, Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) and TED, the nonprofit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” awarded 18 educators across the country with the opportunity to have their most impactful and influential lesson featured as an animated video on TED’s global TED-Ed website, which was built in part with a $1.25 million contribution from Kohl’s Cares®, as part of the “Lessons Worth Sharing” program. In addition, the winning educators and their nominators will receive a $100 Kohl’s Gift Card.

“As Kohl’s continues its commitment to kids education nationwide, Kohl’s is honored to recognize the amazing 18 educators through the ‘Lessons Worth Sharing’ program,” said Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Whether their lesson is about Newton’s Laws of Motion, horticulture, or the Pythagorean Theorem, we are thrilled to reward these outstanding educators with the opportunity to have their greatest lessons reach and motivate learners around the world.”  

School supporters visited Kohl’s Facebook page throughout the month of August and nominated their favorite educator. Nominees included teachers, parents, professionals, and anyone with a lesson worth teaching. The 18 winning educators were selected based on program criteria including, the ability to transform a lesson into a visual story in less than 3 minutes in length and the emotional impact and ability to inspire others, as outlined in the Official Rules.

Winning educators and their proposed lessons include:

Jason Shipinski, Elmwood Park, Illinois

  • Lesson Subject: Social Studies – Using a backdrop of medieval Japan, groups learn the value of teamwork, negotiation, and collaboration.

    Amy Bissetta, Fayetteville, New York

    • Lesson Subject: Social Studies – In this lesson, students learn to think critically about the character traits of historical figures and how those traits impacted the course world history.

    Lisa Chau, Hanover, New Hampshire

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – This lesson teaches students the importance of networking and leveraging social media in today's competitive market for jobs, internships and school admission. 

    Joy Lin, Austin, Texas

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – By relating pop culture to science concepts, this lesson engages students by making a connection between physics and super powers, such as flying and invisibility.

    Bill Shillito, Marietta, Georgia

    • Lesson Subject: Mathematics – In this lesson, students learn some basic information about how matrix multiplication works and how some simple rearrangements of the matrices can make computation easier.

    Jeffrey Steers, West Bend, Wisconsin

    • Lesson Subject: Social Studies – This lesson allows students to be thoroughly engaged with the historical events of the Space Race – from the tensions between the United States and Soviet Union in the early 1950s to the creation of NASA.

    Mindy Ploeckelmann, Douglass, Kansas

    • Lesson Subject: Literature and Language -- Based on a literary discussion of Oscar Wilde’s writing, this lesson demonstrates how the choices we make in life change and form us.

    Mary Koga, Brea, California

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – In this lesson, students use seed planting and observation to gain a grasp of good science methodologies and real-world science applications.

    Amy Herman, New York, New York

    • Lesson Subject: Psychology – Using fine art, students learn the powers of observation and how memory enhances all aspects of our lives – from work to personal relationships – making us more focused, thoughtful, and less judgmental.

    Matt Carlson, West Lafayette, Indiana

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – With the help of a demonstration involving a baseball bat and chandelier, students begin to understand quantum mechanics and how particles in nature are so tiny that they are changed by the mere act of being observed.

    Matthew Ross, Toledo, Ohio

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – Whether it is digging up worms to learn more about soil contents or smelling plants to aid in identification, this lesson teaches aspects of horticulture and plant life.

    Brian Jones, Fort Collins, Colorado

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – This lesson explores the force, power and science behind the cyclical motion of spinning, including an in-depth look at tornados and hurricanes.

    Heather Tunnell, Lodi, California

    • Lesson Subject: Mathematics – In this lesson, students explore the concepts behind the Pythagorean Theorem.

    Michelle Buchanan, Conway, Arkansas

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – In this video, students learn the significance of Newton’s Laws of Motion by identifying and refuting classic misconceptions concerning the causes of motion.

    Christina Kleinberg, Malvern, Pennsylvania

    • Lesson Subject: Science and Technology – This lesson uses a tug-of-war game to demonstrate the water molecule and water properties.

    Steven Claunch, Homestead, Florida

    • Lesson Subject: Other -- Through a personal story, this lesson will show that, despite physical limitations caused by birth defects, students can accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams.

    Sue Fullmer, North Las Vegas, Nevada

    • Lesson Subject: Psychology – This lesson focuses on teaching young people self-worth and self awareness, and helping them understand that they are in charge of their lives and can create the life they want through their choices.

    Melissa D’Annunzio, Summerville, South Carolina

    • Lesson Subject: Literature and Language – Using the backdrop of a shopping mall, this lesson teaches the concept of idioms, such as the expression “knowing something like the back of one’s hand.”

    Earlier this spring, TED launched TED-Ed with support from Kohl’s Cares®. TED-Ed includes a groundbreaking website [http://ed.ted.com] housed on TED.com that enables teachers, parents, and anyone who wants to spread a lesson the ability to create unique customized lesson plans around TED-Ed video content. TED-Ed seeks to inspire curiosity by harnessing the talent of the world's best teachers and visualizers with new tools that spark and facilitate learning. One new innovative tool featured on the site allows teachers to “flip” a video, edit it, and create a tailored lesson rendered on a new and private web page. The creator of the lesson can then distribute it and track individual students’ progress as they complete the assignment. The TED-Ed site was built with support from Kohl’s Cares, and optimizes TED content for use in educational settings.

    Kohl’s is committed to giving back to the communities it serves. In addition to the TED-Ed initiative, Kohl’s philanthropic programs include the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program, which sells special merchandise, including plush toys and books, and donates 100 percent of the net profit, more than $208 million since 2000, to benefit children’s health and education initiatives nationwide, a scholarship program that has awarded $3.4 million in scholarships and prizes, Kohl’s associate volunteer program that has donated more than $47 million since 2000, and a fundraising gift card program that has donated more than $35 million since 2000. For more information on Kohl’s philanthropic efforts, visit www.kohls.com/cares.

     About the TED-Ed Website
    The site builds on TED-Ed content – available on the TED-Ed channel on YouTube – by allowing educators to create custom lessons around each video. Each video featured on the site is mapped, via tagging, to traditional subjects taught in schools and comes accompanied with supplementary materials that aid a teacher or student in using or understanding the video lesson. Supplementary materials include multiple-choice questions, open-answer questions, and links to more information on the topic. The most innovative feature of the site is that educators can customize these elements by flipping a video. In turn, the supplementary materials can be edited and the resulting lesson is rendered on a new and private web page. The creator of the lesson can then distribute it and track an individual student's progress as they complete the assignment.

    About TED
    TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The annual TED Conference takes place each spring in Long Beach, California, along with the TEDActive simulcast in Palm Springs; the annual TEDGlobal conference is held each summer in Edinburgh, Scotland.

    TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TEDTalks are posted daily, the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as the ability for any TEDTalk to be translated by volunteers worldwide, the educational initiative TED-Ed, and TEDBooks, short e-books by speakers that elaborate on a single idea originally presented on TED's stage. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world are given the opportunity to put their wishes into action; TEDx, which offers individuals or groups a way to host local, self-organized events around the world, and the TED Fellows program, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to become part of the TED community and, with its help, amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.

    Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TED.

    About Kohl's Department Stores
    Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,134 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $208 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, or join the discussion on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/kohls or Twitter http://twitter.com/Kohls

    Kohl's Department Stores logo

    Kohl's Department Stores

    Kohl's Department Stores

    Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $231 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (facebook.com/Kohls) or Twitter (twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (pinterest.com/Kohls) and Instagram (instagram.com/Kohls).

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