NDIA Awards $30,000 in Teacher Grants for Science
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
 Michele McKain (L) of Valparaiso ES and Kathy Morris of Bob Sikes ES were extremely grateful for the grants they received to buy science equipment for their classrooms. |
 Rick Soria of Choctawhatchee HS discusses the latest "sorties" - aviation experiments - with Megan Tucker of Kenwood ES. |
 Dawn Pack (center) of Destin ES, with her family. Pack conducts water testing in the bayou once a month. The students learn how to accurately collect scientific data and analyze it, and they also learn to respect the fragile eco-system. |
 District science specialist Shawnea Tallman will give digital microscopes to elementary schools, while Rick Hernandez of Niceville HS will use his grant to offset the cost of scuba diving for NaGISA, a worldwide marine life census. |
 From L-R: Dondie Sugden of Shalimar ES with Nancy Huerkamp, Sondra Singleton and Karen Ott of Lewis MS. Lewis received a combined grant for science and engineering cross-curriculum projects that will involve all the core subject areas. |
 Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts joins the grant winners for a group photo. Tibbetts expressed her gratitude for the continued support of the NDIA for the district's STEM initiatives. |
"Our entire future and the national security of this country is in the hands of educators like these," said National Defense Industry Association Board member Dave Andrews of Raytheon, as he introduced the recipients of the NDIA teacher grants. The Gulf Coast Chapter of the NDIA awarded $30,000 in grants to 26 educators during the national symposium last week.
With fewer and fewer US college students choosing majors in science and technology, the NDIA is helping address the problem by awarding grants that encourage innovation in the teaching of math and science. Now in its third year, the $1000+ grants provide needed funds at a time of extremely tight budgets in education.
"The Gulf Coast Chapter of the NDIA is truly partnering with the school system to promote STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] education," said Okaloosa science curriculum specialist Shawnea Tallman. "They are a unique NDIA chapter and this is a unique community."
Tallman and math specialist Debbie Davis received a grant for their "Let's Go Nano II" teacher training workshops. They will use the award to purchase digital microscopes for third to fifth-grade teachers. The workshops will give teachers up-to-date news about nanotechnology and biotechnology, with ideas for making the information relevant and easy for elementary students to understand.
Making Abstract Concepts Concrete
Michelle McKain, who teaches second grade at Valparaiso ES, was hooked by the first "Let's Go Nano" workshop for kindergarten through second grade teachers last summer. She will use the grant to purchase a class set of loupes and a digital microscope. The students will examine soil samples and other objects under the magnifying lenses, giving them their first glimpse of the microscopic world. Using the digital microscope for an even closer look, McKain will be able to project its images onto her SmartBoard for all the students to view.
"There is a way to teach science in second grade that makes abstract concepts concrete," says McKain. "This is very hands-on and it helps them see what they don't normally see."
Dondie Sugden of Shalimar ES will use her grant to buy digital camcorders. The students will produce and edit film presentations to demonstrate how math and science are part of everyday life. They will also use the equipment on field trips to film the animal and plant life specimens they find.
Kathy Morris of Bob Sikes ES and Dawn Pack of Destin ES will use their grant money to purchase water testing kits, while Sharon Richardson of Davidson MS will purchase lab equipment for eighth-graders in her Advanced High School Biology class. This year, during the biochemistry, ecology and genetics experiments, Richardson will encourage students to create questions of their own to investigate.
"We are so grateful for what the NDIA does for us," said Richardson.
Rick Soria, assistant principal of Choctawhatchee HS and founding member of Engineers for America, echoes that sentiment. Part of his grant will be used to purchase supplies for the development of new "sorties" (aviation experiments) for elementary and middle school students who visit the Air Force Armament Museum.
"This award helps every elementary and middle school student in the county," said Soria. "They can come to the museum for free. They collect data themselves and then go back to the classroom to analyze it and create graphs and charts. We're trying to help get kids involved in the scientific process, instead of just doing problems from a book. [This way] they know who held the stopwatch."
Megan Tucker, who teaches fourth grade at Kenwood Elementary noted that the funding for the school's first aerospace curriculum began with the NDIA grant three years ago. The program has since grown to include the entire school, with Kenwood's first grade teachers receiving their first grant this year.
"The generosity of the NDIA has reached so many students," said Tucker. "This year, my grant proposal has a renewable energy component added to the aeronautics that will get my fourth-graders thinking about future fuels. I would not be able to bring as much real world application into my science instruction without the commitment from the NDIA."
Superintendent Alexis Tibbetts was especially appreciative of the group's efforts. "I realize the hard work of NDIA to raise these funds and I greatly respect and appreciate their commitment by donating this large sum of money to teachers, programs and schools," she said. "We truly must be partners with professional organizations such as NDIA if our education system will remain viable to prepare our next generation of mathematicians, scientists, engineers and technologists. The future of America depends on our youth being competitive and well-educated in a global market to protect and defend this great nation. Thank you, NDIA, and our outstanding teachers for developing innovative and creative programs to motivate our children to be interested in science."
***
· “Innovative Engineering: Forming Future Fuels” – Megan Tucker, Kenwood ES
· “What’s Up with the Weather?” – Susan Mikel, Pryor MS
· “Inquiry into Force and Motion” – Susan Mikel, Pryor MS
· “Learning Biology Concepts…Inquiry and Real Life Applications” – Sharon Richardson, Davidson MS
· “The Joe’s Bayou Project” – Dawn Pack, Destin ES
· “Planting Big Ideas” – L. Griggs, S. Tomaschko, T. Sasser, J. Griffith, Kenwood ES
· “Math and Science Quest” - Michelle Strickland, Bluewater ES
· “Discovering the Micro-World!” – Michelle Strickland, Bluewater ES
· “Chain Reaction” – Elaine Hagan, Choctawhatchee HS
· “Let’s Go NANO” – Debbie Davis, Shawnea Tallman, Curriculum Office
· “Mini Medical School” - Trisha Mikel, Choctawhatchee HS
· “Growing Math and Science” – Nicole Ludwig, Valparaiso ES
· “Wetlands Research Project” – Kathy Morris, Bob Sikes ES
· “Giving Trees” – Dawn Pack, Destin ES
· “Pass Me a Mobi” – Jill Russ, Plew ES
· “Take Them to the Stars” – Cindi Eastman, Davidson MS
· "Soaring with Rockets" - Beth Clary, Pryor MS
· "Lego Robotics" - Alan Anderson, Ruckel MS
· "FIRST Robotics" -
· "NaGISA" - Richard Hernandez, Niceville HS
· "Pre-Engineering Program" -
· "Gone Nano" - Michelle McKain, Edge ES
· "Every Day Math and Science" - Dondie Sugden, Shalimar ES
· "Engineers for America, Middle School Sorties" - Rick Soria, EFA
· "Engineers for America, Refills" - Paul Maryeski, Armament Museum
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