Tag Archives: STEM teachers

Tennessee’s Shasta Charlton earns Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award

Posted on by

First-year high school STEM teacher Shasta Charlton of Nashville, Tennessee, earns coveted 2019 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher award.

It isn’t often that a first year teacher is singled out for special recognition for their work in the classroom. But this is what happened to Shasta Charlton, a high school STEM teacher from Nashville, Tennessee. She has earned a coveted Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award for 2019. The recognition comes with $50,000 in classroom technology for her classroom. Shasta was one of ten exceptional educators to win an Amazon award in 2019.

Shasta earned her degree at Tennessee State University. She teaches computer science 10th through 12th grade at Whites Creek Comprehensive High School. She also serves as the advisor for her school’s Robotics Club.

“Mrs. Charlton is a first-year teacher whose passion and dedication go beyond her subject matter expertise by helping students achieve more than they thought possible,” declared Jeremiah Davis, Principal at Whites Creek. “She challenges students through exposure to various industries and technology while providing the support and encouragement needed for students to excel,” he continued. “Amazon’s extreme generosity will continue to fuel exposure and success for Whites Creek Cobras in technological arenas,” the principal concluded.

Charlton was selected among thousands of teachers and Amazon said she was recognized for going above and beyond to inspire her students to build skills in computer science, and to promote diversity and inclusion in the field, in their classroom and beyond.

To read more about Shasta Charlton, see this article published by the Tennessee State University Newsroom.

Indiana’s Mark Snodgrass garners Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award

Posted on by
Computer science educator Mark Snodgrass of Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of ten exceptional educators from all over the country who has garnered an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.

Ten exceptional educators from around the country have garnered a Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. One of these is Mark Snodgrass, a computer science teacher at Southport High School in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mark was recognized for his work helping students in under-served and under-represented communities build skills in computer science. “Computer science skills will be of vital importance as we take on and solve the challenges of the future,” declared Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer. This is the first year Amazon has offered the prize.

“Mr. Snodgrass is a shining example of innovative instruction,” declared Brian Knight, principal of Southport High. “He recognizes that education doesn’t happen only inside of the classroom. Instead, Mr. Snodgrass builds meaningful relationships with community partners who have vast resources that engage students and take their learning to the next level.”

A graduate of the University of Indianapolis, Mark’s career as an educator has spanned 18 years. He has worked at Southport High School for four of those years. Mark is committed to providing his students with new learning experiences. He inaugurated a “Girls that Code” program into his curriculum to encourage more girls to pursue STEM careers. In addition, Mark encourages every student to join the FIRST Robotics team.

Each of the ten award-winning teachers received a prize package valued at over $50,000 to be used to benefit his or her school and students.The package included Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablets, classroom essentials from AmazonBasics, and additional items from Amazon Essentials. Award recipients also received one full year of Amazon Music Unlimited and a 12-month Audible.com Gold Gift Membership. Mark and his fellow award-winners also received a $200 Amazon gift card to celebrate their hard work on behalf of computer science students across the country.

To learn more about all the winners of the award, see this link at Amazonblog.

California’s Jacob Jun named an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year

Posted on by

Computer science teacher Jacob Jun from Gonzales, California, is one of ten educators who has garnered an Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award.

Ten exceptional educators from around the country have garnered a Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. One of these is Jacob Jun, a computer science teacher at Gonzales High School in Gonzales, Monterey County, California. The honored educator was recognized for going above and beyond for his students to build skills in computer science, and for promoting diversity and inclusion in his classes. 

One of Jacob’s goals as a teacher has been a campaign to recruit girls to enroll in his course. “In this classroom, you…are all worthy,” asserts Jacob. “You can all do this.” As a result, of his effort, girls now account for about half the student enrollment in his classes. “The girls in the classroom have really changed the landscape, and we have a broader perspective, students from various backgrounds speaking out,” declares Jacob. “It challenges the way I normally operate.”

Each of the ten award-winning teachers received a prize package valued at over $50,000 to be used to benefit his or her school and students.

Jacob earned an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies from Hartnell Community College in Salinas, California, in 2002. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 2006. He launched his career as an educator as a teacher of English in Seoul, South Korea. He spent one year there. The next year, Jacob worked as an Assistant Supervising Editor at Korea Poly High. There he edited curriculum used in teaching English to South Korean foreign language students. While in this role, he created an outline for a series of elementary school grammar textbooks and he authored a book in the series. He also performed final edits and oversaw the handling of publishing materials, and he worked with the department head to develop computer safeguards and to create a budget for media storage. He also spent two years as an ROP Instructor and EdTech Coach at Mission Trails ROP, where he built a program that involved hands-on training in a professional studio for students looking to gain experience in the field of cinema arts and TV media. He has taught at Gonzales High School for the past three years.

To read more about Jacob Jun, see this article published in the Californian.

 

California teacher David Rodriguez garners Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award

Posted on by

Math and technology teacher David Rodriguez from Hesperia, California, garners coveted Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award.

I love to share stories about exceptional educators who have been recognized for their hard work and talent in the classroom. One of these is David Rodriguez, a math teacher from California who has garnered a coveted Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award from Amazon. He is one of ten educators from around the country to be so recognized.

David teaches at Canyon Ridge High School in Hesperia in San Bernardino County, Southern California. The school offers an alternative program for students who were not succeeding in a traditional school environment. The Amazon prize comes with $25,000 of computer equipment and $25,000 in school supplies for his school.

“This is the first year that we brought coding to Canyon Ridge, and it was challenging,” explained David, “but the collaboration and discussions that happened in the classroom because of it were unforgettable. This award will allow me to expand the technology in my class,” he continued. “It means further access for students, stronger and more capable equipment for coding and ESports, and a potential for a deeper and richer learning environment.”

In his coding and Esports class, David teaches the fundamentals of coding while also bringing in the teamwork and competitive elements found within Esports.  His students have built computers, competed in Esports tournaments, and developed successful lines of code as a team. “Many of our students have learned the importance of their core classes through the lens of coding and Esports, most importantly, statistics, number sense, and the reading and comprehension of informational text,” David revealed.

Amazon selects the recipients of the Future Engineer Teacher of the Year Award based on a variety of criteria. These include their commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education, a recommendation from a school administrator, and compelling, personal anecdotes about their school and students.

To read more about David, see this article published in the San Bernardino Sun.

Lisa Bagley of Texas earns 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award

Posted on by

Lisa Bagley of Texas earned a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year award. Lisa teaches AP Environmental Science and Computer Science at West Mesquite High School.

I always enjoy sharing stories about talented classroom teachers who have earned accolades for their work. One of these is Lisa Bagley, an AP Environmental Science and Computer Science teacher at West Mesquite High School. She is one of ten educators nationwide who has been selected as a 2020 Amazon Future Engineer Teacher of the Year.

As part of her award, Lisa received a prize package valued at more than $50,000 for West Mesquite High. The package includes $25,000 for the school and an additional $25,000 in computer supplies, including Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablets. Lisa also received one year subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited and a 12-month membership from Audible.com.

“I am incredibly thankful to have the ability to deepen that impact through this award!” Lisa expressed. “The award will allow us to purchase the technology we need for our scholars, facilitate training for our computer science and engineering teachers, and strengthen the STEM pipeline from our feeder middle schools so that our West Mesquite students have every opportunity to showcase their excellence!” she continued.

In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Lisa serves as a consultant and mentor for the National Math and Science Initiative in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She has also served for the past six years as a reader for AP Environmental Science for the College Board located in New York.

Lisa earned her Bachelor’s degree at Rice University in Anthropology in Houston, Texas, in 1994. She earned her Master’s degree in Anthropology from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 1998. She worked for the Dallas Independent School District for five years and she has taught in the Mesquite Independent School District for the past seven years.

To read more about Lisa, follow this link to an article about her published in the Dallas Morning News.