Do you know an outstanding young educator?
Student contest information often comes my way. But this week, I came across an advertisement in Education Week that gives teachers and administrators a chance to shine.
A middle school social studies teacher in New Jersey was named as the 2008 Outstanding Young Educator. Now, the organization that bestows the title – the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development – is taking nominations for 2009.
The organization will, for the first time, honor not only one teacher but also one administrator. Nominations are due Aug. 1; the nominees must be age 40 or younger.
To nominate someone you know, visit www.ascd.org/oyea. And if you’d like, share your stories here about a great educator — young or young at heart – that has crossed your path.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Summer science
Ten students recently started an intense, eight-week program at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.
The nine Fleming Scholars and one Presidential Scholar are getting hands-on experience with scientific research, conducting experiments and learning from those whose shoes they one day hope to fill.
2008 OMRF FLEMING & PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS
Seated, left to right: Sishir Mannava of Edmond; Meaghan Wierzbic of Harrah; Anne Alger of Shawnee; Stephanie Wilburn of Fitzhugh; Sara Moore of Norman; and Leah Henry of Oklahoma City. Standing, left to right: Johnnie West of Lawton; Jack Laurent of Oklahoma City; James Harding of Lancaster, Texas (Presidential Scholar and Langston University student); and Alia Ramirez of Oklahoma City.
Have you participated in the OMRF program or something similar? What was your experience like?
Share your thoughts here on NewsOK’s Education Station.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Lights, camera, science
Science is not my strong suit, despite having hands-on science kits packed with a microscope, test tubes and powdery chemicals like borax when I was a kid.
Discovery Education, which is affiliated with the Discovery Channel, wants Oklahomans who do have a knack for science to submit video entries for a contest.
A spokeswoman for the Discovery Education/3M Young Scientist Challenge, Pat McMurray, said there are too few entries from Oklahoma right now.
The competition is open to students in grades 5 through 8. The video entries must demonstrate how well students understand and explain scientific concepts.
A winner will be selected from each state, and 10 finalists will get an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, where a national winner will be crowned and handed a $50,000 savings bond.
More information about the contest is available at www.DiscoveryEducation.com/YoungScientist.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
The feat of feet?
I’ve been to two graduations in two weeks. I’ve heard inspirational speeches, the usual blah-blah-blah about achieving dreams, and watched parents that talked on their cells phones for much of the ceremony.
But the image that sticks with me most are toes: some hairy, most unmanicured and often hanging off the ends of flip flops.
Our nation’s future — a generation of hope! — wore flip flops to their commencement ceremonies. Grads are required to wear standard graduation gowns and those square-shaped caps, leaving their shoes as their only fashion option.
If this were a test, most flunked. Especially the men. I saw hundreds in battered flip flops that would be an embarrassment on a beach, must less a place of pomp and circumstance.
Some women did wear nice footwear, sensible flats or even heels. But others failed just as miserably as the men.
Am I old-fashioned to think that graduates should dress a little better for this very important occasion? Did their parents even care? It would seem a sign of respect to try to look your best at graduation. And yes, people are looking at your feet. Or trying to look away.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com
From bad to worst
The Center for Union Facts wants to give $10,000 each to 10 teachers — to stop teaching.
The organization said Tuesday it can be impossible to fire a bad teacher if he or she is protected by a union. To clarify, the Washington-based nonprofit also says it’s not against unions, just against corruption and the like within unions.
Anyone age 13 or older can submit nominations for the Worst Union-Protected Teacher at www.TeachersUnionExposed.com.
The Web site in part singles out Tulsa for firing “only two tenured teachers” out of more than 2,000 between 2003 and 2006. During that time, six tenured teachers seemingly resigned or retired in the face of termination, according to the site.
Do you think there are more than a handful of teachers in any given school district that should leave the profession? Do you think unions protect them too much? Or do you think union rules need to be in place for the good of the majority, even if that means a few unsatisfactory teachers are protected?
Share your thoughts with me and with other readers on the Education Station blog at NewsOK.com.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Excuse to doodle
Google. It is a noun, a verb, and now, a competition.
The popular search engine is asking schoolchildren to design a Google logo for its homepage that is inspired by the question “What if…?”
Already, students from five Oklahoma campuses have submitted entries, Google spokesman Eitan Bencuya said.
The five schools are Southern Hills Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Christ the King Catholic School and Francis Tuttle Technology Center — Reno Campus in Oklahoma City; and Victory Life Academy in Durant.
The winning design of the “Doodle 4 Google” competition will be displayed at www.google.com on May 22, and the student who sketches it will win a $10,000 college scholarship plus a $25,000 technology grant for his or her school.
Schools must be registered by March 28 and entries must be postmarked by April 12. To participate and for more information, visit www.google.com/doodle4google.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
Tie one on
Some of you may have added a new name to your holiday gift-giving list — Oklahoma State’s next president V. Burns Hargis.
You may even be tempted to buy him an orange tie or two since he’ll be wearing them 24/7 now.
As a former regent, Hargis has more than a few orange ties, I’m sure. But can you ever really have too many? He joked this week that he might call up former president David Schmidly, now at the University of New Mexico, and see if he still had any to spare. I’m betting Schmidly didn’t make it out of the state with any orange ties.
Today, Hargis was a guest at the OSU Regents meeting in Oklahoma City. I complimented him on his tie, which featured tiny elephants on an orange background — a perfect portrayal of his devotion to both OSU and the Republican Party.
This time Hargis quipped that he’ll have to shop for some non-partisan ties — a neutral shade of orange, you might say.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Plant one here
There’s a neat story in this week’s Home & Garden section about the yearly poinsettia sale at Oklahoma State University’s campus in Oklahoma City. It included the statement that poinsettias aren’t toxic to humans, as is commonly thought.
I wondered if it was safe for pets too. I’d like to get some plants this year but have three dogs and a cat, all known to sample a leafy lunch.
According to Dr. Sandra Morgan, an associate professor at OSU’s veterinary school, the pretty holiday plants have gotten a bad rap over the years.
“Like any plant, if a dog or cat eats too much of it, it will get ill,” she said. She warned that mistletoe is far more toxic to animals than poinsettias.
That’s good news for my pets — and my holiday decor. Not such good news for my husband, who won’t be getting any kisses under the mistletoe.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
From the “duh” files
This just in — Highly-educated University of Texas at Austin researchers have discovered that “College Students Drink More on Game Days!”
Their study found that students drank more on football game days than on Halloween or New Year’s Eve, other holidays with a reputation for inebriation.
Male students drank more for all games. Female students tended to chug-a-lug most during away games.
Said one study author: “Most events associated with heavy drinking occur only one a year, such as Spring Break, or once in a lifetime, such as a 21st birthday, but the weekly football schedule presents students with more regular opportunities to drink.”
The study is published in November’s issue of Addictive Behaviors.
Susan Simpson, Education Writer
Statehood Day and schools
There’s a video on the Oklahoma City Public Schools Web site of students singing ”I’ve Been Everywhere in Oklahoma” for the state’s 100th birthday.
The Nichols Hills Elementary School students keep up well with the fast-paced tune of Johnny Cash’s drawn-out ditty.
But they’re certainly not the only ones with a centennial tribute in the works.
Tell me, what’s your child’s class planning? And, will it mean you have to use a vacation day to stay home while your child is off for a holiday? I’d like to know how working families work around that situation.
Write to me at wkleinman@oklahoman.com.
Wendy K. Kleinman
Education Reporter
