The Maine Science Teachers Association (MSTA) recently recognized outstanding science educators in Maine in the following two categories: Philip Marcoux (for a non-formal educator) and Louis P. Lambert (a former educator).
The 2021 MSTA Philip Marcoux Award Recipient went to Terri Dawson, technology integrator, and the 2021 MSTA Louis P. Lambert Award Recipient went to Angela Gospodarek, seventh grade teacher, both educators at Gorham Middle School (GMS).
Photos courtesy of Gorham Middle SchoolTerri Dawson (top) and Angela Gospodarek, both educators at Gorham Middle School, were recently named award recipients from Maine Science Teachers Association.
The Marcoux Award is designed to recognize non-formal science education professionals who work outside the formal classroom setting and who: make continuous and enduring contributions to science education; demonstrate capacity for creating and implementing successful science education-related activities; show creative approaches to improving student achievement in science; and make a permanent contribution to MSTA by integrating with national initiatives, promoting the science education profession, or providing training and resources to other science education professionals.
“Terri plays a central role in the GMS community,” said Gospodarek. “Her contribution to the school and community is multi-faceted and impacts the daily lives of both students, educators, and community members. During the school week, you often have to check her online schedule to see which classroom she is presenting in.”
The technology and science curriculum she has developed for specific classes includes teaching about Digital Citizenship, Digital Footprints, Fake News, iMovie, 3D Printing, Apps for Geography, programming Cue Robots to help teach genetics, Cue Curriculum for the Robotics Challenge, and she will even help teachers make Digital Breakouts for their current units.
Monthly staff meetings have a special time for Dawson to present her current “tech tips” and strategies to the faculty – always offering her assistance to follow up with anyone who has questions.
With passion and energy, Dawson runs the iTeam, an after-school technology club, for middle school students. The list of activities the students are involved in is amazing. Students participate in activities such as Scratch coding to make video games, Edison Robots (Edware.com), Stop Motion animation, VR activities, various coding activities, and working with drones to name a few.
Dawson partners with the teachers in the alternative education program to provide high-interest, integrated science and technology instruction to at-risk students. Students have tremendous respect for her and look forward to her robotics challenges, lessons with drones, and video game design.
“Most importantly, Terri establishes very strong relationships with students who often struggle with positive self-perception, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance,” said Gospodarek. “She connects with them, makes learning relevant, is extremely compassionate, and still maintains high expectations for the technology curriculum.”
Dawson empowers students to pursue their interests and showcase their knowledge by co-presenting with her at multiple events. Students have presented at 3D Print workshops, the annual MLTI Student Conference, and have presented to staff during professional development time. She assists staff with developing presentations for national conferences, boosting both their confidence and productivity.
“Terri has truly taken the role of technology integrator to a higher level. Her presence in our classrooms and her dedication to her students is truly inspirational,” said Gospodarek. “We are lucky to have Terri as a member of our faculty. She is always willing to lend a hand, teach a lesson, develop an activity, encourage a student in new technology, trouble-shoot with an educator, or investigate a new technology tool.”
The Lambert Award is designed to recognize a public or private school teacher who: inspires student achievement in science in a caring, compassionate manner; shows creative approaches in linking student learning to the Science Content Standards of the Maine State Learning Results and Maine’s Curriculum Framework for Mathematics and Science; and makes continuous and enduring contributions to science education by integrating with local and state initiatives, promoting science education, and providing training or resources to other science teachers.
“Angela is an integral part of the amazing GMS community and can always be counted on no matter how busy she is,” said Dawson. “Teaching is clearly her passion and the opportunities she provides for her students are nothing short of amazing.”
Gospodarek is one of those teachers who is willing to improve her practice by trying new things with excitement and passion. When things don’t go exactly as the lesson was planned, she always has a plan B and rarely misses a beat. She’s quick on her feet and isn’t afraid to show students the power of Fail vs Sail (First Attempt in Learning vs Subsequent Attempts in Learning).
Gospodarek frequently demonstrates the power of community outreach by bringing in experts in the field of science for her students to learn from like Mr. Drew and his exotic animals, Portland Water, and a multitude of others. She has her students run and maintain an aquaponics unit that provides food for the classroom mascot Sally the tortoise.
“She willingly and bravely tries new technologies like 3D printing,” said Dawson. “When her aquaponics unit fill pipe failed, she asked students to design and 3D print a new fill pipe. After nine iterations of the pipe and a lot of encouragement, the aquaponics tank works perfectly.”
She received a grant from the Maine Botanical Gardens and The Theodore Roosevelt Foundation. The Maine Botanical Gardens designed a new program to get kids outside and into the natural world – inspired by “Becoming Teddy Roosevelt.” The Lunder New Naturalists Program had nine middle schools involved, from Sanford to Fort Fairfield, with teachers using the story of Teddy Roosevelt and his visits to Maine as an introduction to biodiversity and conservation.
“The end result was an amazing experience to watch Angela teach a curriculum as she was learning it,” said Dawson. “Her determination to be the best for her students is evident in everything she does.”