Tag Archives: STEM teachers

NYC STEM teacher Laginne Walker garnered 2024 Sloan Award

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New York City STEM educator Laginne Walker of New York has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics. Photo Credit: Fund for the City of New York

It is always my pleasure to shine a spotlight on exceptional educators who have earned honors for their work in the classroom. One of these is Laginne Walker, a STEM teacher from New York City. She has garnered a 2024 Sloan Award for Excellence in Teaching Science and Mathematics.

Laginne teaches STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses in Algebra and Computer Science at the Bronx Engineering and Technology Academy. She has worked there for the pat seven years. The school, founded in 2004, was originally funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but currently is funded with public school monies.

Laginne was raised in a home characterized by diversity and a strong sense of social justice. Her mother, an occupational therapist, emphasized the value of education, while her father, from a military family, taught her the importance of hard work. As a young woman, Laginne attended Lick-Wilmerding, a private high school in San Francisco that enrolled students from diverse backgrounds. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Wesleyan in 2001. She earned her first Master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Brooklyn College in 2006, and a second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Pace University in 2007.

As a Master Teacher at Math for America, Laginne has both organized and participated in professional development workshops and courses. Through her hard work and self-determination, she became competent in computer science, which enabled her to create computer science courses for students and establish a computer science curriculum for the school where she teaches.

In addition to her Sloan Award, Laginne has earned several other accolades. She was honored with the UFT Excellence in Education Award for High School in 2020; she was named a FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence semi-finalist in 2020; and she received an honorable mention for the Greater New York City NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology in 2020. In 2019, she garnered a UFT Champions of Computer Science Award.

To learn more, view this three-minute You Tube video.

Dr. Roy Biñas Basa has been named New Mexico’s 2024 Teacher of the Year

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Dr. Roy Biñas Basa of Zuni, New Mexico, has been named his state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo Credit: New Mexico Public Education Department

I always enjoy sharing the story of an exceptional educator who has earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Dr. Roy Biñas Basa, a STEM teacher from Zuni, New Mexico.

Roy teaches natural science and career and technical courses to high school students in grades nine through twelve at both Twin Buttes Cyber Academy and Zuni High School.

Most of Roy’s curriculum involves project-based activities, such as making fatty acid methyl esters from selected plant seeds as an alternative biofuel. That project garnered the 2022 New Mexico Governor’s STEM Challenge. Roy’s students also make motors and generators, solar panels, simple robots, and windmills.

Roy earned his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with a major in General Science; his Master’s degree in Education with a major in School Administration and Supervision; and his PhD in Educational Management. He earned all of his degrees at the University of Negros Occidental, Recoletos. While studying there, Roy’s academic excellence was recognized with awards such as High Academic Distinction and Outstanding in Dissertation. While still engaged in ongoing studies for his Master’s of Education in Special Education at Western Colleges, he also earned a Master’s of Education in Natural Science from the University of St. La Salle. He has also obtained Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) certification, an International Teaching License, and successful completion of the Licensure Examination for Teachers in the Philippines. He has also authored a number of books. To view a list of his books click on this link to roybasa.com.

Roy is a dedicated educator who has made significant contributions to the field, being recognized with numerous awards and honors from local, regional, national and international organizations. His pedagogical priorities revolve around fostering an inclusive learning environment where every student’s unique needs and perspectives are valued, ensuring that high-quality education is accessible to all and empowering students to reach their full potential.

To read more about Roy Biñas Basa, click on this link to the New Mexico Department of Public Education.

CA Career Tech Ed teacher Lamar Hanger earns Construction Education Award

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Career Technical Education teacher Lamar Hanger has earned a Construction Education Friend Award from the Associated General Contractors of California. Photo Credit: Fontana Herald News

I am always eager to share news about an exceptional educator who has earned recognition for their work with young people. One of these is Lamar Hanger, a teacher from Fontana, California. He has earned a Construction Education Friend Award from the Associated General Contractors of California.

Lamar teaches courses in the Building and Construction Pathway at Fontana High School in Fontana. The program is part of the school’s Career Technical Education Department. He has worked at the school since 2021.

In the past three years, this amazing educator has nearly tripled the number of students enrolled in the General Construction program. The program provides students with a practical, real-world STEM education, supported by a curriculum approved by both the state and the district. This curriculum features projects and hands-on learning.

When Lamar started at the school, his first project was to remodel the old wood shop classroom into an updated training lab. To accomplish this, he sought donations of tools and materials from local contracting companies with which to equip the lab, and he enlisted the aid of students to help with the construction tasks.

In April, 2022, Lamar led a group of his students to the Construction Industry Education Foundation’s Design Build competition. The students, who had received only five months of instruction, placed second in the competition and garnered Rookie of the Year honors.

Before becoming a public school teacher, Lamar worked 32 years as a union carpenter. He has demonstrated considerable expertise in construction, welding, metal-stud framing, and lath. In fact, he has completed freeform lathing projects on several attractions at Disneyland theme park. Lamar also worked as an instructor for the Southwest Carpenters Training Fund, a program that trains apprentices for eight years before they serve as a special representative for Southwest Carpenters.

To read more about Lamar Hanger, click on this link to an article about him published by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

FL STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame

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Congratulations to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 National Teachers Hall of Fame. Photo Credit: National Teacher Hall of Fame

Hearty congratulations are due to STEM educator Dr. Caryn Long of Clermont, Florida. She has been inducted into the 2023 Class of the National Teachers Hall of Fame (NTHF).

Caryn serves as a Specialist in Educational Technology Innovation and STEM integration at Montverde Academy in Clermont, Florida. Previously, she taught STEM subjects in public elementary schools in Charlotte, North Carolina, and STEM for all grade levels at NASA. Her career as an educator spans 34 years.

The honored educator says in her classroom she strives to achieve two goals: Students should love learning more than they did in previous years, and they should improve their overall attitude about learning. “I’ve often described my classroom as controlled chaos,” declares Caryn. “We dance to music allowing the kids ways to transfer complex science knowledge into long-term memory. They lean over tables and answer various levels of questions that scaffold on previous understanding,” she continues. “Providing diverse role models in the science fields is a crucial part of my kids’ education. Throughout the year, they speak to experts from NASA, NOAA, Boeing, and other agencies/businesses that can bring real world connections to the concepts they are developing,” she describes.

Caryn’s selection by the NTHF is not the only recognition she has earned. In 2021, she was named Montverde Academy Middle School Teacher of the Year. In 2019, she became a Space Educator Ambassador for the National Space Foundation, and the same year she was selected Florida’s Air Force Association STEM Teacher of the Year. In 2002, Caryn was honored as the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator, and in 2001, she was named the Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the NSTA. In 2000, she was named a Eleanor Roosevelt Teacher Fellow.

Caryn earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Queens University of Charlotte in 1988. She earned her Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of North Carolina in 1990. She completed the requirements for her PhD in Educational/Instructional Technology from Oklahoma State University in 2015.

The National Teachers Hall of Fame was founded in Emporia, Kansas, in 1989. Since the inaugural induction ceremonies in 1992, 150 educators from 41 states and the District of Columbia have been inducted. To learn more, click on this link to the NTHF.

Alaska names Catherine Walker as the 2024 State Teacher of the Year

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Science teacher Catherine Walker of Anchorage, Alaska, has been named her state’s 2024 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Anchorage School District

Our nation’s students are fortunate to have such dedicated and capable teachers in the classroom. One of these is high school science and career technology educator Catherine Walker of Anchorage, Alaska. She has been named the 2024 Teacher of the Year for her state.

Catherine teaches oceanography, marine biology, unmanned aviation science, and Project Lead the Way engineering essentials to students in grades nine through 12 at Dimond High School in Anchorage. She has taught there since 2006. In addition to instructing her courses, she also sponsors the Battle of the Books, the Gender Sexuality Alliance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Guardian, and the National Ocean Science Bowl clubs. And as if all that were not enough, she also teaches courses for educators new to science at Prince William Sound College.

Alaska is not the only place where Catherine put her knowledge of the environment into practice. She also served in the Peace Corps in Mali from 2002-2004 as a Natural Resource Management Volunteer.

Catherine earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She earned her Master’s degree in Teaching from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. In addition, she completed the Semester in Environmental Science at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. In 2019, she earned her National Geographic Educator Certification and attended the National Geographic Education Summit in Washington, DC. Furthermore, she is a 2023 Earthwatch Project Kindle Fellow and a 2023 Lindblad National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellow. 

Her selection as Alaska’s Teacher of the Year is not the only recognition Catherine has received. In 2023, she was honored with the Alaska Marine Science Outreach Award, the National Science Teaching Association’s Shell Science Teaching Award, and the Alaska Oil and Gas Association Teacher Grant. In 2015, she garnered a Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST). She has also won the Eleanor B. Schick Award for Environmental Excellence from Brandeis University. Furthermore, she is a member of the Pacific Ocean Educators Network and a board member for the Alaska Society for Technology in Education.