Tag Archives: STEM teachers

Dr. Kim Lawe: Educator and escapee from Communist Viet Nam

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Kim Lawe, former  science educator and STEM school principal, now works for the Riverside County Office of Education in Riverside, California. Photo credit: Azusa Pacific University.

Here is the inspirational story of a very amazing educator, Dr. Kim Lawe. I worked with her at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, California, before I retired from the teaching profession in 2017. In the brief video below, Dr. Lawe shares a story about her family’s escape by boat from Communist Viet Nam following the fall of Saigon, and how she eventually grew up to become a teacher in the United States.

From her humble beginnings, Kim went through American schools, eventually earning her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Redlands University in Redlands, California. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum and Design from California Polytechnic University in Pomona, California. She completed the requirements for her Ph.D. at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California. She inaugurated her career in education as a science teacher, eventually becoming the principal of the STEM academy in the Corona Norco Unified School District in Corona, California. Recently she accepted a position in the Riverside County Office of Education in Riverside, California.

“Our family’s journey from Vietnam to the US succeeded because of my father’s diligent planning, and because everyone shared a vision of where we were going and what we needed to do to get there,” Kim asserts. Now a leader in secondary education, this amazing Chalkboard Champion applies that same mindset to create a common mission among the faculty, staff, and students she serves, knowing that collective purpose put into action can achieve mighty things. “My history is a testament to that,” she declares. “I want them to know that together we can beat the odds and rise to the occasion, no matter the challenges.”

To read more about Dr. Kim Lawe. read this profile of her published by Azusa Pacific University.

Educator Bonnie Bracey Sutton: Spokesperson for the profession

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Educator and consultant Bonnie Bracey Sutton is a spokesperson for the profession.  (Photo credit: Educational Technology & Change)

I think it is wonderful when a fellow educators become spokespersons for our profession in Washington, DC. One such educator is Bonnie Bracey Sutton, a former elementary school teacher who now works as a technology consultant.

Bonnie taught at the Ashlawn Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, and was a teacher-in-residence at the Arlington Career Center, where she taught all subjects. Since 2004, Bonnie has served as the Education Director for Digital Equity and Social Justice. The Digital Equity Network enables educators, researchers, and educational reformers to be aware of policies, news, and new technologies. She is also an active member of the Digital Divide Network and does preventative work on cyber-bullying.

Bonnie was one of the first teachers to promote the role of the internet in classroom instruction. She was the only teacher selected by the Clinton administration to serve on the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIIAC). Bonnie also served as the lead educator on President Clinton’s 21st Century Teacher Initiative.

This remarkable educator is a graduate researcher at George Mason University’s Telecommunications Department, where she evaluated new programs and technologies. She was also a member of the George Lucas Educational Foundation advisory board.

Throughout her career, Bonnie has earned many accolades. She was named a Christa McAuliffe Educator for the National Foundation of Education, and she is a faculty member of the Challenger Center. She was  named a Young Astronaut teacher and, in 1990, was named a Challenger Fellow. That year she received the President’s Award in Teaching in Science. Bonnie has also attended the Hubbell Space Science Institute and holds honors in a variety of fields in educational fields, including technology, aerospace, physics, geography, and multicultural education. She has also earned a graduate degree from Marymount University SED program.

Bonnie Bracey Sutton: Truly a Chalkboard Champion. To read more about her, see her articles published by the George Lucas Foundation on Edutopia.

AZ educator Jill Jones earns Amazon Future Engineers Teacher of the Year Honor

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Computer Science educator Jill Jones from Phoenix, Arizona, has been named one of ten Amazon Future Engineer Teachers of the Year.

Congratulations are in order for computer science educator Jill Jones of Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, Arizona. She has been recognized by Amazon as one of their Future Engineer Teachers of the Year. Jill was one of just ten educators from around the country who has earned the honor.

The honored educator will receive a total of $50,000 in technology equipment for her classroom and her school. This is the first year Amazon has distributed the awards. Jill was recognized by the technology giant for her dedication towards helping students in under-served and under-represented communities build real-world skills in computer science.

Carl Hayden High School is a public inner city school that faces many typical inner city school challenges. The student population is 97% Hispanic, and 98% of the students qualify for the federally assisted school lunch program. Many of the students are first generation immigrants, and most are the first in their family to graduate from high school. In selecting the ten recipients for the award, Amazon took into consideration the teacher’s commitment towards promoting diversity and inclusion within computer science education.

“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.  “We are thrilled to honor these teachers,”  he continued.

“I am beyond humbled and honored to receive this award,” expressed Jill. “I hope to use it (the prize) to promote the message that computer science is for everyone,” she continued. “This award brings honor and recognition to our school and to all the hard-working and dedicated students we serve.”

Jill is a graduate of Arizona State University. Her career as an educator has spanned 30 years. To read more about this amazing educator, click on this link to Patch.com.

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

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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

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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.