Tag Archives: STEM teachers

Shanti’ Coaston named a Ohio state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST honors

Posted on by

Computer science educator Shanti’ Coaston of Westlake, Ohio, has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST award. Photo credit: The Villager

It is always my pleasure to recognize outstanding teachers who have earned accolades for their work in the profession. Today I shine a spotlight on high school school teacher Shanti’ Coaston of Ohio. She has been named a state finalist for a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching).

The PAEMST honors the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, inventors, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.

Shanti’ inaugurated her career as an educator when she accepted a position as an intervention specialist in an alternative education program at Shaw High School in East Cleveland. After seven years working with young people as a school-based therapist and a youth career coach, she went into the classroom and taught Special Education. Then she decided that she could do more for her students as a computer science teacher. “I saw it as a way for kids to have a better life, just embracing technology,” Shanti’ explained. This year, she accepted a position as a computer science teacher at Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio.

This outstanding educator has introduced her students to careers in the computer science and technology fields. She ensures her students are exposed to college tours, career fairs, and computer science competitions. She believes that every student, especially girls and students with disabilities, deserve to learn computer science. Through this dedication, she was chosen as a member of the inaugural class of CS Equity Fellows for 2019-2020 by the Computer Science Teachers Association, and she serves on the advisory board for Computer Science Honor Society.

In addition to her work in the classroom, Shanti’ provides professional development presentations at the local, district, and state level on how to integrate technology into the curriculum. She also places special focus on the recruitment of girls and students of color into computer science courses.

Shanti’s selection for a PAEMST is not he only recognition she has earned. She also garnered a 2023 Computer Science Teaching Excellence Award. And she was a nominee for Ohio State Teacher of the Year.

Shanti’ earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1999, and a second Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Salisbury University in 1999. She has also earned a Master’s degree in Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University in 2000. She completed the requirements for her teacher certificate as a Mild/Moderate Intervention Specialist from Notre Dame College of Ohio in 2011.

RI science teacher Amy Biagioni garners prestigious PAEMST

Posted on by

Science educator Amy Biagiioni of Rhode Island has garnered a prestigious PAEMST. Photo credit: Rhode Island State Department of Education

There are many excellent science educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Amy Biagioni, a science teacher from West Greenwich, Rhode Island. She has garnered a prestigious 2023 PAEMST (Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching) from her state’s Department of Education.

The PAEMST recognizes the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a visit to the White House and a $10,000 cash prize.

Amy has been in the classroom since 2014. She currently teaches physics, chemistry, and engineering courses at Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School in Rhode Island, where she has worked for the past 15 years. In her courses, Amy places special emphasis on wind energy, and leads her creative students in wind energy competitions each year. In fact, her teams were named Top Performers in the 2021 National KidWind Wind Turbine Challenge by the North Kingstown Chamber of Commerce.

From 2012 through 2018, Amy worked as an instructor for the Spark Summer Inquiry Program at Brown University. There she developed and led inquiry-based activities for the advanced middle school summer science program. The activities covered topics related to the spread of disease and projectile motion.

Amy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics at the University of Rhode Island in 2004. She earned her Master’s degree in Curriculum Instruction and Assessment from Jones International University in 2007.

To learn more about Rhode Island’s state PAEMST program, click on this link: RI Dept. of Education.

Oregon STEM teacher Ranjani Krishnan garners coveted 2023 PAEMST Award

Posted on by

Computer science and mathematics teacher Ranjani Krishnan from Lincoln High School in Portland, Oregon, has garnered a coveted 2023 PAEMST Award. Photo credit: Lincoln High School

There are so many talented educators who have earned recognition for their expertise, creativity, and hard work in the classroom. One of these is Ranjani Krishnan, a high school  STEM teacher from Portland, Oregon. She has garnered a coveted 2023 PAEMST award.

The PAEMST, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, recognize the dedication, hard work, and importance that America’s teachers play in supporting learners who will become future STEM professionals, including computer technologists, climate scientists, mathematicians, innovators, space explorers, and engineers. The PAEMST program, founded in 1983, is administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The honor comes with a meeting with the President and a $10,000 cash prize.

Ranjani teaches computer technology and mathematics at Lincoln High School in Portland. She has worked there for seven years. Her efforts include participating in an annual schoolwide student-led Wellness Fair on her campus. During the pandemic, she orchestrated student research that resulted in a 3-D prototype of a face shield designed to protect health care workers in her city.

In addition to her work with students, Ranjani is also an accomplished musician. Her first album, released in 2015 and entitled Cream of Portland, offers musical selections that are a composite of many musical styles, Indian Classical, Flamenco, Balkan, North African, Jazz, Celtic, and Country.

The honored educator earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and another in Music Theory and Composition, both from Reed College in Portland. She earned a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Illinois Urbana at Champaign, and a second Master’s degree in Mathematics Teacher Education from the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling.

Science teacher Seema Naik named one of Florida’s top teachers

Posted on by

Elementary school science teacher Seema Naik has been named one of Florida’s top teachers in 2023. Photo credit: Florida Department of Education

I always enjoy sharing stories about exceptional educators who have earned accolades for their work in the classroom. One of these is Seema Naik, an elementary school science teacher from Broward County, Florida. In 2023 she was named one of Florida’s top teachers. In fact, she was recognized as one of five finalists for her state’s Teacher of the Year.

Seema inaugurated her career in public schools more than ten years ago when she became a volunteer in her daughter’s classroom. She went on to become a cafeteria aide, and then accepted a position as a teacher’s assistant. “And then I realized the reward that I was getting, the pure joy that I was getting, was being around the children, and I began teaching,” Seema revealed. “I love working with kids,” she says. “Teaching is my destiny. I want to make a difference for my students,” she continued.

Today, Seema teaches fourth grade at Eagle Ridge Elementary School in Coral Springs, Florida. In her classroom, she blends innovative project-based learning with research-based instructional strategies to motivate her students. Born into a family of musicians from India, Seema regularly uses music as a teaching aide. She creates songs and chants with lyrics that incorporate her curriculum. In addition, she is passionate about teaching STEM subjects. In fact, in 2017, she founded her school’s first Robotics Club, and she continues to serve as the advisor for the group today.

Seema comes to the classroom with an extensive background in science. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Vadodara, India, in 1984. She earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Toronto in Canada in 1991. Additionally, she has completed the requirements for Alternative Certification for Educators from the Teaching and Leadership Center at Florida Atlantic University. In addition to her honors from the Florida Department of Education, she was named Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) Teacher of the Year at the 2022 Caliber Awards Ceremony.

WV STEM teacher Tiffany Pace earns Mission Possible Operation Advance Technology Competition

Posted on by

West Virginia elementary STEM teahe3r Tiffany Pace earns the very first Mission Possible Operation Advance Technology Competition. Photo credit: PAEMST

Congratulations to Tiffany Pace, an elementary school science teacher from West Virginia who has been named the recipient of the very first CIA Mission Possible Operation Advance Technology Competition!

The goal of the Operation Advance Technology Program is to improve education in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) in public schools. The program is managed by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, supported by the Central Intelligence Agency, and funded by the US Department of Energy. Tiffany is one of five winners of the new competition. She was selected to represent the Southeast Region of the United States. The prestigious award comes with a computer and coding lab for her classroom worth $60,000, as well as laptops and other STEM equipment.

Currently, Tiffany teaches third graders at Cross Lanes Elementary School in Charleston. There she leads her students in a partnership with students in a third grade classroom at the Anglo-American School in Managua, Nicaragua. To create a global connection, Tiffany’s students video conference with the students in Managua to compare climates and share photos and stories of about their environments and habitats.

In addition to her instruction in the classroom, Tiffany’s work as a teacher-leader is extensive. She has been a presenter at the NSTA National Conference in St. Louis and the INSTA STEM20 Virtual Conference. She has authored articles and is a reviewer for the NSTA Science and Children Journal. Furthermore, she is a certified educator with National Geographic, an Underwood-Smith Scholars mentor, and a Fuel Up to Play 60 Advisor.

For her work as an educator, Tiffany has garnered many accolades. In 2020 she earned a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). She was also recognized as the West Virginia Environmental Science Teacher of the Year, and in 2022 she was named a Fulbright Teacher for Global Classrooms. Furthermore, she has written and received over $400,000 in grants for educational supplies, STEM materials, technology, gardening materials, healthy eating and physical activity supplies, community outreach programs, and professional development.

Tiffany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Public Relations from West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, in 1999. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 2012. Her career as an educator spans more than ten years.