Awards Gala

Through the “Pass Path to Math Achievement” project, students will meet the demands of Magnolia Middle School’s 21st century technology goals. Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Webb will appeal to students’ enthusiasm for technology to improve their math ... more »

Mrs. Thompson will introduce iPads into her language arts classes to help better meet students’ needs as they improve their speaking, listening, viewing, and media literacy skills. Students will engage in differentiated learning projects and work in collaborative ... more »

Mrs. Estes and Mrs. Miller will use iPads to improve ESL and Title I student achievement in reading and writing. Conferences between educators and individual students will be used to record student writing samples both digitally and observationally. Educators will use ... more »

To increase student understanding of math and science, Ms. Fanelli and Mr. Wachtel will work with students to collect data in laboratory experiments, analyze the data, describe mathematical phenomena, and design experiments to explore self directed, open ... more »

JFK Middle School students will participate in the conservation of the Blanding’s turtle, a threatened species in eastern Massachusetts. In collaboration with wildlife biologists, students will raise and care for hatchlings which will be released upon maturation ... more »

To address varying readiness levels and interests, educators at Pocomoke Middle School will introduce iPads in classrooms to provide instructional methods that draw on students’ interests. Educators will use instant feedback to prepare for lessons and modify ... more »

To encourage students to become technology leaders, educators at Russell Area Technology Center will implement the “SMART Classroom Suite.” Through the use of SMART boards, students will work collaboratively on educational games and discussion questions. ... more »

Mrs. Dennis and Mrs. Gilpin will introduce a project based learning experience through which students will determine the best alternative energy source to use on school property. Students will research different “green” energy methods, draft informative ... more »

To foster student creativity, Mrs. Galezewski will encourage elementary students to participate in the creative process through musical composition. Students will first observe educators composing music and then will write collaborative compositions through the use of ... more »

Mrs. Liberio and Mrs. Hoekstra will introduce touch screen technology to encourage increased academic participation and communication by special needs students diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s, nonverbal learning disorders, and learning difficulties. Students will ... more »

To increase the reading proficiency of underperforming and special education students, Mrs. Spencer and Mrs. Kinsinger will expand the “System 44 Reading” program. Through the program, students will be exposed to small group instruction, independent reading ... more »

Mrs. Robinson and her colleagues will introduce learning activities that pair students with autism with basic education students. The project will serve to enhance academic learning and communication and social skills for both groups. Students will gain a ... more »

Special education teachers will use iPads to increase student learning and collaboration among educators. Through a hands-on approach to community based learning, educators will present practical lessons on social and communication skills. Students will additionally ... more »

Through the “Science is Real Life” project, Ms. Arellano and her colleagues will bring grade level standards to life by introducing students to the Los Angeles Conservation Corp’s Sea Lab. Students will see the water cycle in action through direct ... more »

Mrs. Feldt, Mrs. Cannon, and a team of colleagues will strengthen math lessons by teaching the “Han-5 System of Mathematics,” a program with differing strategies for visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners to master basic math concepts. Students will learn ... more »

Second grade teachers at Liberty Elementary School will expose students to interactive hands-on visual projects to improve student understanding of the school’s comprehensive language arts program. Educators will create and provide interactive vocabulary ... more »

To improve student reading and writing proficiency, educators at Bartlett High School and its feeder elementary and middle schools will implement the “Step Up to Writing” program as a school wide initiative. The cohesive writing program will provide students ... more »

To spark student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math, Mrs. Loper and Ms. Williams will introduce “Pathway to STEM,” a hands-on technology project.  The project will combine local and state standards from all core content areas to ... more »

Through Bringing Everyone Together with Technology, Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Johnson will emphasize language acquisition and increased cultural awareness in their students. Educators will infuse 21st century skills throughout the curriculum by incorporating relevance and ... more »

To reduce student risk factors and promote student achievement, Mrs. Prahl and Ms. Haygood will implement a parent involvement project to train parents in specific reading and math strategies. Parents will participate in learning workshops taught by primary level ... more »

Mrs. Carpenter and Mr. Siner will implement the Salon approach to teaching English language learners, in which educators will teach critical theory to students to guide student discussion about text. Educators will teach in a way that utilizes an informal approach to ... more »

To address the need for student improvement in science, language arts, and mathematics, a team of educators at Forest City Regional Elementary School will enhance their students’ 21st century learning environment by incorporating tablets into every classroom. This ... more »

Mrs. Macrory and Mrs. Wolf will create the Cheyenne Outdoor Exploratorium. This learning station will provide an environment where students will conduct experiments and complete research and field studies. The station will be composed of gardens, a greenhouse, alluvial ... more »

Mr. Kurtz-Nicholl and Mrs. Yurkovich will lead the implementation of iClickers in social studies classrooms at AC Reynolds High School. Educators will build learning communities that focus on common assessments, essential questions, and ways to compare classes. ... more »

Ms. Fish and Mrs. Mahone will promote 21st century data collection and learning in early childhood classrooms at Brentwood Elementary. The team will utilize electronic portfolios and real time photographic and video recordings of student learning to promote both data ... more »

Dr. Rozalski and Mr. Miller will work with a team of educators to collect, review, and teach literature that will develop students’ social skills. The team will develop, present, and evaluate bibliotherapy lessons in an alternative education setting. The team will ... more »

Chemistry, earth science, and biology teachers at Saranac Lake High School will facilitate classroom learning by using collaborative teaching techniques. Students, teachers, and teaching assistants will form a learning atmosphere to promote the gain of content knowledge ... more »

Mrs. Conrad will implement a leveled literacy intervention, which is a research-based, systematic reading program that will enhance Wahoo Public Schools' Title 1 program to accelerate reading proficiency. The intervention, which will be introduced in the elementary ... more »

Ms. Johnson and Mr. Radermacher will assist special needs students in becoming involved in their Individualized Education Plans. Students in the program will learn to identify and describe their personal disabilities through self evaluation and be able to identify their ... more »

To promote global thinking and strengthen students’ reading and writing skills, Mrs. Heideman and Ms. Middendorf will instruct their students to read narrative, nonfiction text based on young adults from a variety of geographic areas. Students will build and ... more »

To encourage students to meet Michigan Merit Curriculum standards in visual, performing, and applied arts, Ms. Pontius and Mr. Budnick will outfit a lab for industrial arts students at Posen Consolidated Schools. The educators will assist students in choosing personal ... more »

Students will enhance their understanding of math and social science concepts by designing and fabricating ceramic tile quilts. The quilt murals will illustrate local social, cultural, and natural history, and will also link local events to social and cultural histories ... more »

Ms. Corbett and Mrs. Rizzuto will lead an inquiry-based learning unit designed to encourage the development of students’ critical thinking skills and science content knowledge. Students will use these materials in conjunction with science notebooks to construct ... more »

Creating Original Opera (COO) participants from two schools will work collaboratively throughout the school year to create, produce, and perform original dramatic operatic works. Using Skype cameras, web based portfolios, Promethean Board technology, artist visits, and ... more »

Through iLove Math Again, Mrs. Pernice and Mrs. Habermehl will introduce math centers in their classrooms that incorporate technology through the use of iPads. Educators will focus on students’ levels of engagement and interest to improve student achievement. ... more »

Mrs. Mauntel and Mrs. Terwiske will teach their students to use algebraic equations to program robots. Students will learn basic programming language via calculations on TI calculators and will use that language to have their robots perform a variety of tasks. As ... more »

Ms. Flowers will lead a collaborative project between three high school teachers and the Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute (INDI) at Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis. The proposed nanotechnology experience will include lectures, ... more »

Students at Kualapuu School will learn about exploring for survival, discovery, and adventure through a lesson on the history of the ancient Polynesian voyaging that brought the first humans to the Hawaiian Islands. Students will document the process of building scale ... more »

To encourage student learning through the use of technology, Ms. Barreira and Ms. Gasque will introduce e-readers to their classrooms. The devices will be used at all learning levels, with particular focus on reluctant readers. The lead educators will study the impact ... more »

Through the STAR program, educators will meet the needs of accelerated and gifted students. STAR will offer students assistance with developing higher level thinking skills, accelerated pacing in math and foreign languages, and the exploration and understanding of ... more »

Special education teachers in the Adams 14 school district will utilize a research-based math program to address math achievement gaps for at-risk elementary students with identified disabilities. They will be trained in coaching to utilize the core K-5 program and ... more »

Through Imagine Mars, Mrs. Lake and Mr. Bond will implement a design-based learning project to encourage students to actively participate in problem solving through the backward thinking design process. The project will integrate standards-based lessons in multiple ... more »

Turning the Key to Literacy will increase reading and writing proficiency by integrating technology into the classroom. Ms. Farrens and a team of colleagues will use response clickers to monitor and evaluate student responses to multiple choice questions. To increase ... more »

Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Montoya will introduce new lab learning opportunities to chemistry students at Ontario High School. Through rigorous laboratory activities, students will increase their understanding of core concepts through hands-on instruction. Students will be ... more »

Ms. Wescott and Ms. Goodwin will introduce Project Math-I-Khan, a three-component, math intervention. The program will incorporate mathematical differentiated learning to increase student skills and understanding. Students will create math videos to be disseminated ... more »

Mrs. Halstead will attend Columbia University's Teacher College Summer Writing Institute to learn best strategies for implementation, including crucial structures and routines that allow teachers to meet the differentiated needs of all student writers. Mrs. Halstead ... more »

Educators from Virginia and Illinois will collaborate to explore the educational uses of the Tumblr microblogging platform. Ms. Ludwig and Ms. Richardson will use the platform to create overviews, reviews, and document based questions. Additionally, educators will ... more »

To effectively meet the needs of learners with diverse abilities and backgrounds, Mr. Jones will attend the Universal Design for Learning: Reaching All Learners institute at Harvard University. The program will prepare Mr. Jones to implement Universal Design for ... more »

Ms. Hoover will travel to Belize to explore terrestrial, coastal, and coral reef communities. While there, she will join researchers to learn about conservation programs involving species including harpy eagles, jaguars, manatees, and howler monkeys. Additionally, Ms. ... more »