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PASCO, NSTA announce their 3 innovative science educators

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Winners of annual awards program are honored for committment to innovative science and technology instruction

PASCO Scientific, creator of 21st century science education tools, has announced the winners of the 2016 PASCO NSTA STEM Educator Awards. The annual awards, which are sponsored by PASCO in partnership with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), honor middle and high school educators who are implementing innovative inquiry-based, technology-infused programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

This year’s award winners are Jacqueline Fernandez, a science teacher and STEM director at the LAYC-Career Academy, a public charter school in Washington, D.C.; Brandie Freeman, a science teacher at Woodland High School in Cartersville, Ga.; and Chris McChesney, a science and engineering teacher at Pikesville Middle School in Baltimore, Md. Descriptions of the winning entries can be found at: www.pasco.com/STEM2016 [1].

Each recipient will receive up to $1,000 for travel expenses to attend the NSTA National Conference and be part of a STEM share-a-thon workshop, a $500 monetary gift, and a $5,000 certificate for PASCO products. The conference is being held in Nashville from March 31-April 3. Winners will be formally recognized during the conference’s awards banquet.

As part of the application process, educators submitted a narrative describing how they address real-world applications or problems integrating the elements of STEM, differentiate their instruction for students of varying ability levels, incorporate sensor-based data collection and visualization technologies, and support national science education standards. They also included student examples, along with letters of support from education colleagues.

“I am passionate about providing STEM opportunities for every child at our school, not just the gifted and talented,” said winner Brandie Freeman. “Incorporating sensor-based technology helps me engage all students through real-time data connected to real-world applications.”

“Research shows that students learn best with inquiry-based teaching that puts real-world tools and technology into their own hands. These incredible educators have taken this to heart and are using PASCO’s science solutions in imaginative and innovative ways that help students connect STEM to the world around them,” said Steven Korte, CEO of PASCO.