The first annual Marilyn Baker Award has been presented to five veteran educators who have committed to using technology, specifically SMART Board interactive whiteboards, to make a difference in the classroom. The awards ceremony took place at the National Education Computing Conference (NECC) in Atlanta, Georgia. To be considered for the award, the recipients had to be nominated and submit a 500-word essay about how technology has changed their teaching practices. The winners were selected by Marilyn Baker and SMART representatives from a pool of nominations received from across North America. The recipients are:
Gale Ferrington teaches fourth grade math, science and social studies at Delhi Charter School in Delhi, Louisiana. With over 25 years of teaching experience, Ferrington is a true teaching veteran, much like her sister, Marilyn Baker. Twelve years ago, Ferrington realized that students required something more than a chalkboard to keep them focus and engaged and to motivate them to learn. As she watched her students interact with their world filled with sound, movement, color and light, it became clear to her that technology in the classroom wasn’t a luxury– it was a necessity. While assisting Baker with presentations at LaCUE, Ferrington became familiar with the SMART Board interactive whiteboard and its potential in the classroom. Ferrington now uses a SMART Board as part of her everyday teaching and appreciates how the interactive whiteboard meets the needs of all the students while engaging them in a truly interactive experience.
Ann Joyce teaches fourth grade at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Washington, Missouri and believes that all children are born curious, exploring and interacting with their environment. A teacher for 16 years, Joyce is always looking to incorporate new ideas and ways of teaching in to her curriculum. Three years ago, Joyce attended a computer workshop that incorporated a SMART Board interactive whiteboard in to the instruction. Determined to have one for her classroom, Joyce found grants to help fund the purchase, and has since facilitated the purchase of four more SMART Boards for her school. Joyce uses her SMART Board in every subject area and loves watching her students become problem solvers and critical thinkers with a love for learning.
Jessica Sabino teaches third grade at Howell Elementary School in Springhill, Louisiana, and has always considered education to be an integral part of her life. A 15-year veteran in teaching, Sabino describes herself as a teacher who is respectful, understanding, approachable and supportive. Sabino believes that creating a student-centered learning environment that utilizes technology in meaningful ways with purpose is paramount to a quality education. Sabino uses technology and a variety of teaching methods to make concepts understandable to students and promote independent thinking.
Joan Badger teaches grades six and seven in the subjects of math, social studies and computer applications at Van Walleghem School in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In Badger’s 19-year career, the landscape of her classroom has changed vastly. An advocate for technology, Badger has been using a SMART Board interactive whiteboard in her classroom since 2003 with great results. To make their learning experience more interactive, Badger has her students participate in blogging, emailing, instant messaging and video conferencing with people from around the world. Badger also finds creative ways to use software to engage her students including using SMART Ideas concept-mapping software to have her students participate in an online literature circle. Badger also hosts the SMART Board lesson pod cast where, along with her co-host, she shares her ideas and SMART lessons with other educators. They have recorded 75 pod casts and have over 50,000 unique listeners worldwide. By shifting her classroom to a digital learning environment, Badger feels she has empowered her students and motivated them to become critical thinkers.
Christine Hudock teaches sixth-grade language arts and socials studies at Benjamin Middle School in Chicago, Illinois. Over Hudock’s 30-year career, she has looked to the words of John Lubbock for inspiration in teaching– “The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.” In Hudock’s thirty year career, she’s discovered that reading, writing and arithmetic skills aren’t the only ones needed for success. Hudock knows her students need technology skills to compete in the 21st-century workplace and society. To prepare her students for the technology-savvy world, Hudock places assignments on the school website, teaches keyboarding skills, uses a variety of technology such as video clips in her lessons, and has students present to the class using Microsoft PowerPoint software. Hudock’s greatest hope in using technology is that her students will leave the classroom as excited and eager learners.
