While most students dread the thought of summer school, one student is counting the days.
Robin Dillon, a third-grade teacher at Woosters Cornerstone Elementary, has been selected to attend the 2010 Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy.
According to Wooster City Schools Superintendent Michael Tefs, the five-day program provides third- through fifth-grade teachers with tools and innovative ideas for motivating students learning and appreciation of math and science.
This intensive, all-expense-paid program is designed, instructed and managed by two of the nations leading teacher-training organizations, Math Solutions Professional Development and the National Science Teachers Association, according to Tefs. During the week-long training, teachers participate in fun and educational math and science experiments that they can bring back to share with their students.
The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, launched in 2005 by pro golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, centers around two main goals, according to the organization.
The Mickelsons wanted to develop a program that inspires teachers from across the country in math and science and equips them with interactive teaching tools to ignite their students passion for these subjects, with the ultimate goal of the program being to help develop the next generation of science savvy citizens who will grow up to make the next breakthrough in medicine, in energy, or in any of the growing number of fields that require a solid foundation in math and science.
Since its inception, more than 2,000 teachers have attended the intensive learning experience.
According to the organizations website, the curriculum for this years program has been designed so that science is the content driver and mathematics is the tool for learning the science.
Based on current math and science standards for third- through fifth-grade students, the faculty selected the topics of motion and forces, action and reaction and Newtons Second and Third Laws as the focus for the science portion of the curriculum. Mathematics topics including graphing on a coordinate plane, linear growth, measurement, estimation and data collection were specifically selected because they support this science content.
When Dillon travels to New Jersey this summer, shell be joined by elementary school educators from across the nation, all intent on sharing best practices for bringing math and science alive for their students.
According to Tefs, a panel of teachers from the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics review the applications and select the participants. Their decision is based on qualifications, dedication to inspiring students at an early age and overall commitment to enhancing the teaching profession.
Tefs noted that of the 1,300 teachers who applied for the 2010 teachers academy, only 200 teachers from throughout the country were selected. Of those 200 teachers who will be heading to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., from July 18-23, only three are from Ohio, including Dillon.
It is an honor to be selected to attend the academy, Dillon said.
As teachers, we need to be constantly learning and developing new ways to educate and motivate our students, said Dillon. Im excited to meet other teachers from across the country and learn inventive ways to engage my students and get them excited about math and science. said Dillon.
The Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, said Tefs. Ms. Dillon will meet with the best professional development organizations and learn new ways to provide our students with a world-class education.
For information on the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, including an application to attend the 2011 academy, visit their website at www.sendmyteacher.com.
