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HomeTravelAylesworth Elementary teachers get grant to make educational TikTok videos in Europe

Aylesworth Elementary teachers get grant to make educational TikTok videos in Europe

Kara Orosz, left, and Caryn Rybecki, right, teachers at Aylesworth Elementary School in Portage, received a Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program grant to make educational TikTok videos in Europe this summer. – Original Credit: Portage Township School Corp. (Handout / HANDOUT)
Two Aylesworth Elementary School teachers in Portage will be putting their TikTok skills to the test this summer as they travel to create educational videos, thanks to the Lilly Endowment Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program.
Caryn Rybecki, who teaches fifth grade, and Kara Orosz, who teaches fourth grade, received their grant for their project entitled “Educational TikToking Across Europe.”
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The idea for the project came about after the two teachers struggled to find grade-level appropriate videos to support various aspects of their curriculum. They thought back to the time during the pandemic when they would make videos asking the kids to guess where they were.
In a release, Portage Township Schools announced the award and said that the two plan to fly to Ireland, then visit England, France, Italy and possibly Spain. Orosz’s daughter, who attends Portage High School, will join them and film their TikToks.
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“It is TikTok, so there will be an amount of entertainment that will be there, because the kids enjoy the silly,” said Rybecki. “So they’ll enjoy the learning part of it, but I think you don’t want to make it dry. You want to make it so they can watch us be silly and they can laugh with us, or at us.”
Rybecki and Orosz hope that their students’ families follow their journey and help their children post questions that the teachers can answer through additional videos.
“It’s happening as it goes, and they’re not waiting until we get back. They can actually interact in the comments and ask us questions,” said Rybecki.
Though the Lilly Teacher Creativity grants provide educators the opportunity to enhance their own learning, the program is also intended to help teachers recharge and explore their passions.
“I’ve lived in two different countries, I’ve taught in two different countries, so being able to get over to Europe and really explore it in a more individual way is going to be huge,” said Rybecki.
Orosz said she hopes their project will inspire her students.
“For me, I’m always looking for some better way to do things,” said Orosz. “I’m always on a quest. I feel like this will help me to find those other things, like what can I do that’s interesting, what can I do that’s inspiring. Because they need to be inspired.”
“Ms. Rybecki and Mrs. Orosz have developed a creative project that will allow them to focus on their passions and engage our students even further in the curriculum,” said Dr. Amanda Alaniz, Superintendent for Portage Township Schools. “Their success with the Lilly grant serves as an example of the creative abilities of our Portage staff and their innovative approach to education.”
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Deena Lawley-Dixon is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

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