Tag - amazing teachers

Amazing Teacher Sends Snow to Zambia Students

Donna Kaufman is a first grade teacher at Louisa May Alcott School. She goes above and beyond to not only bring science into her Chicago classroom, but into a classroom in Zambia, South Africa.

Zambia is located in central South Africa and is home to the spectacular Victoria Falls, game reserves and diverse wildlife.

Donna sponsors a child in Zambia through an organization called Spark Ventures. Spark Ventures partners with organizations around the world to help vulnerable children achieve their potential.

Through sponsorships the students are able to receive free education (since education is not free), free school supplies, medical check-ups, and hot meals every weekday all year. This is typically the only meal they have each day.

Donna’s sponsored child attends Hope Community, a school that serves grades 1-7 and has 9 teachers.

In February, the executive director and program director for Spark traveled to Zambia and brought classroom exchange materials. Donna’s students made a big book about Chicago landmarks and a book that described snow. A teacher translated the books from English to Bemba, which is the language the students speak.

Chicagoans are very familiar with snow, but the
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Spangler Science Ambassador Makes a Huge Mess in Minnesota!

Once a year, Education students at Northwestern University, in Minnesota, get the opportunity to make a huge mess and learn a lot about making teaching exciting along the way.  Spangler Science Ambassador, Lisa Schoneman normally teaches Kindergarten at Halverson Elementary in Albert Lea, Minnesota… but once a year she packs up her science tricks and heads to Northwestern to give pre-service teachers a chance to learn how to be amazing.

“The teachers get really excited about learning and usually bring what they learn from the workshop into the classroom and share the ideas with their cooperative teachers, where they are completing their field hours,”  says Schoneman about her workshops.

This year, the university students learned about everything from color mixing to that infamous Mentos and Diet Coke Geyser.  And, yes, they made a huge mess… but had a lot of fun… in the process.

Space Camp for Teachers:

What do you call 102 teachers gathered together who are crazy about space science? Teacher Space Camp. I often write about my search for “amazing teachers” – teachers who truly inspire students to want to learn. Last week I paid a return visit to the U.S. Rocket & Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama where I met another group of amazing teachers who really make learning fun. My training was sponsored in part by the Boeing Corporation who also sponsored the entire group of teachers. Katrine Balch is the Director of Education Programs and her staff does an amazing job of hosting some of the best teachers on the planet. The goal of the week-long program is to provide teachers with hands-on training in the space sciences… plus so much more. When I arrived on Wednesday afternoon, a group of teachers was busy building model rockets while another group conducted experiments with plants in space. My workshop on Thursday focused on best practices and strategies for integrating more science with reading, writing and math… and ways to make science even more fun in the classroom.

Sure, I always enjoy conducting teacher trainings, but this workshop was especially fun for me because
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Colorado Science Teacher of the Year

Just stick your head above the crowd and someone will shoot at it. One Colorado elementary teacher is getting hit in the head with flying film canisters powered by water and Alka-Seltzer… and the kids are being praised. Colorado Association of Science Teachers selected Shannon Koppenfafer as the Science Teacher of the Year for the state’s elementary school teachers. She was nominated by John McConnell, the Grand Valley’s version of Mr. Science who runs the Western Colorado Math and Science Center.

Here’s a secret that I learned years ago… constantly seek out amazing teachers. Read about them… watch them in action… study their writings… find out what makes them tick. As teachers, we all benefit when one of our own receives this type of well-deserved recognition.

Amgen Award 2005 – Amazing Science Teachers Share Their Secrets

We all have attended our share of awards banquets and recognition dinners, but tonight’s celebration was like none I have ever attended. Tonight I received the honor of getting to speak to the 2005 Colorado recipients of the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence and the many honored guests who turned out to celebrate the achievements of two amazing teachers. Bob Dorsett of Meeker High School in Meeker, Colorado, and Mary Ann Varanka Martin of Estes Park High School in Estes Park, Colorado, each took home a cash award of $5,000 for their personal use and $5,000 awarded to their school.

Bob Dorsett has a list of accomplishments a mile long, but I was most impressed with his ability to motivate and inspire students to think like scientists. One of the many letters that accompanied his nomination was written by a student who explained that Dr. Dorsett only has two rules in his class. “Rule #1 is to think like a scientist and Rule #2 is to treat all living beings with respect.” Oh, by the way, the “doctor” title is an M.D. That’s right, he left the medical profession to teach science. Amazing!

Mary Ann Varanka Martin exhibits strong leadership
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