PRESS RELEASE — Apr 02, 2015

Commissioner George P. Bush today unveiled the redesigned and streamlined Texas General Land Office education website – www.txglo.org/education. A former school teacher, Commissioner Bush is making education a top priority at the General Land Office. This website is the first of its kind in the GLO’s storied history, bringing all of the agency’s educational resources together in one place for teachers and students. This site will also be the home of future GLO educational lesson plans, activities and other offerings. The purpose of the GLO education website redesign—the second of the GLO websites to be redesigned—is to streamline access to information and lesson plans provided by the GLO for use by Texas educators and parents.
 
“I am committed to improving the quality of GLO service by utilizing the latest technology, coding techniques and design to effectively communicate to all Texans, including parents and teachers,” Bush said. “Over the next few months, all GLO websites will be consolidated, redesigned and relaunched to be responsive across platforms and easier to navigate. The new GLO education website will help educators and parents access valuable lesson plans that can help make educational topics come alive for children across the Lone Star State.”
 
(AUSTIN, Texas) — The GLO has developed lesson plans focused on Texas history and coastal stewardship that directly support Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements:
 
Texas History Lesson Plans – Our GLO educators and archivists have crafted historical lesson plans for Texas teachers and students. Relevant TEKS references are included with every lesson plan, along with supplemental files and information as needed.
 
Coastal Stewardship Lesson Plans – The purpose of these lesson plans is to educate children (ages 5 to 14; grades K through 8) about coastal issues in a way that is fun and challenging. There are six lessons, each with a specific message to help students broaden their knowledge of marine debris and coastal issues.
 
Highlights:The website features a responsive, mobile-friendly layout
PDF-based files that are easy to download, distribute and print
Consolidation of all GLO educational materials into one easy-to-navigate online location
Overview descriptions of lesson plans and supporting documents that detail topics covered

 
 “Prior to the redesign, available classroom materials were difficult for educators to find,” said Bryan Preston, GLO Communications Director. “Our challenge was to consolidate lesson plans on a variety of topics into one easy to navigate website. The GLO education site will be an ongoing development that grows over time. The future vision includes the development of interactive content and digital media that Texas educators can leverage in the classroom in real-time so that Texas students can interact with as primary and supplemental educational experiences.”
 
The GLO has long played a key role in education across Texas. The Texas Constitution of 1876 set aside half of Texas’ remaining public lands to establish a Permanent School Fund (PSF), to help finance public schools. Legislators intended for this land to be sold and the proceeds deposited into the PSF. Deposits to the PSF would be an inexhaustible source of revenue because only interest income from the fund could be spent and would be apportioned among the state's public schools.
 
The Land Office manages these lands, including sales, trades, leases and improvements, as well as administration of contracts, mineral royalty rates, and other transactions. These lands generate revenues primarily through oil and gas revenues, but also through land sales and leases for surface uses. The interest earned on the PSF investments is distributed by the State Board of Education to every school district in Texas on a per-pupil basis. In short, the GLO turns Texas’ vast natural mineral resources into textbooks for Texas’ future leaders.
 
Follow the Texas General Land Office on Facebook at http://www.txglo.org/facebook, or on Twitter at www.txglo.org/twitter, or YouTube at www.txglo.org/youtube.
 

More Press Releases