Florida DKG Educational Foundation
2021 Professional Development Award Recipient
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Missy Jones
STEAM Coach Winter Springs Elementary School Sanford, FL Project: “Space Academy for Educators” Huntsville, Alabama June 3 – June 7, 2021 As a STEAM Coach, Missy Jones is charged with finding and implementing new hands-on science, technology, and engineering activities to present to teachers and students at Winter Springs Elementary. Jones has created a special Space Lab in an empty classroom to engage students in hands-on Space Science Lessons in a “space” atmosphere. By attending the Space Academy for Educators, Jones will experience lessons and activities that can be conducted with the 600 K-5 students in the “Space” Lab at her school. Her goal is to foster an interest in Space Science and have a better understanding of the Space Science Standards. Jones plans to provide training to the staff at her school site. She is also willing to share her experience through Professional Development sessions.
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2021 Grant Recipients
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Cyd Heyliger-Browne
Miami FL Project: Discovering Endorphins (Sports Konnected to Literacy and STEAM) Cyd Heyliger-Browne plans to purchase and mail science kits to 30 elementary age students so that they may participate in an online standards-based integrated curriculum that includes physical/mental fitness, literacy, science, technology, education, art, and mathematics activities. The one (1) hour online lessons will be provided through the Miami Dade County Public Library System Zoom portal once a month. The organization Sports Konnect will provide the content for the lessons. Content includes an introduction to a book of the month, a mental health activity, a S.T.E.A.M. video-quiz-experiment and physical fitness activity. The program provides students with an outlet for desired activities along with a socialization component and creates a safe space for students to learn the educational basics while having fun. The project is a collaborative effort between the Sports Konnect (a 501(c)3) and the Miami Dade County Public Library system.
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Paula Nelson-Shokar Middle School Science Homestead, FL Project: Supporting STEM Learning with iPad Technology Paula Nelson-Shokar, a middle school teacher recognizes that science teaching and learning would benefit from teacher-led science field studies. Although her online class is unable to participate in actual field trips to conduct data collection, Nelson-Shokar would like to purchase an iPad to be used in conjunction with a Hot Spot to make it possible to conduct science field studies virtually to engage her students. The iPad will allow her to use Zoom technology with each class to collect the necessary data while she is in the field. She can then upload and transfer data to students for them to immediately analyze. Nelson-Shokar will be able to communicate with her students out in the field while the iPad camera allows students to see, in real time, what is being collected and analyzed. Students will be able to extend their learning beyond the walls of the classroom/home and be engaged in real-world problems through collaboration.
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Kathleen Poe Jacksonville Beach, FL Project: Help Me to Be Me Kathleen Poe will be working through PossAbilities Plus, an educational center in Atlantic Beach, Florida that addresses the needs of young adults (age 14 and up) with Autism, Down Syndrome, and other such social and intellectual diversities. One of the classes offered is Time Management and Interpersonal Communications. The time management class is designed to help these young adults prioritize their time; set goals; plan a to-do list and schedule using personal calendars and planners. Poe will be purchasing items and supplies for students that will help them better understand their strengths and weaknesses when communicating with peers as they work through scenarios where they must read clocks, learn to set a time; plan with a time deadline; and plan for doing multiple tasks within a specified time frame.
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Melissa Whitson Language Arts Roulhac Middle School Bonifay, FL Project: “Check It Out” Melissa Whitson is a middle school language arts teacher at Roulhac Middle School who has discovered that her students are becoming more disinterested in extra-curricular reading each year. Whitson plans to purchase a list of current and popular books to add to her classroom so that her students will make stronger connections to the titles in the class library. Whitson feels that there is a vital need for expanding reading for all of her students. She knows that reading helps improve student vocabulary, communication, grammar and writing skills. The project will impact over 100 - 7th and 8th grade students. |
2020 Educational Grant Recipients
2020 Professional Development Award Recipients
Jennifer Guarraia Trinity Catholic Tallahassee, FL Professional Event: Rescheduled “Get Your Teach On” National Conference Orlando FL, July 19 - 22, 2021 2020 Professional Development Award recipient Jennifer Guarraia attended the "Get Your Teach On" Conference in Orlando. The conference provided training to create a more meaningful, engaged classroom environment with the 5th grade students at Trinity Catholic School in Tallahassee, FL. The 2020 conference was cancelled and rescheduled due to the pandemic.
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Stacey DeWolfe Lemon Bay High Englewood, FL Professional Activity: Course - “Set Theory” Graduate Level Mathematics Class Ft Myers FL, May-June, 2020 2020 Professional Development Award recipient Stacy DeWolfe completed a course at Florida Gulf Coast University titled "Set Theory-Graduate level Mathematics". Completion of the class allowed Stacey to teach a College Algebra course to students at Lemon Bay High in Englewood, FL.
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Kim Franklin Waller Elementary Youngstown, FL Professional Event: Rescheduled “FAME” (Florida Association for Media in Education) Orlando FL, Nov, 2021 2020 Professional Development Award recipient Kim Franklin will attend the 2021 "Florida Association in Media in Education" (FAME) Conference in Orlando. Kim is pursuing training for a program called "Makerspace". Kim wants to discover new ways to immerse books and reading into the Makerspace classes at Waller Elementary in Youngstown, FL.
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Debbie Bohanan Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy Kissimmee, FL Professional Event: Rescheduled “ISTE21”(International Society for Technology in Education National Conference) San Antonio, TX , June 27-30, 2021
2020 Professional Development Award recipient Debbie Bohanan attended "ISTE21”(International Society for Technology in Education National Conference) held in San Antonio, Texas. Attendance at the ISTE20 Conference was cancelled and rescheduled due to the pandemic. |
2019 Professional Development Award Recipients
Nancy Rosenbaum Teach/University School Tallahassee, FL Professional Event: Space Academy for Educators Huntsville, Alabama Nancy attended the Space Academy for Educators at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The week-long camp was packed with simulated space missions. Nancy is thankful to the FLDKGEF for funding her dream of attending Space Camp and she shared her experience with her 5th grade class. |
Sarah Watters Riversink Elementary Crawfordville, FL Professional Event: Happy Teacher Revolution Facilitator Training (online course) Sarah Watters took the “Happy Teacher Revolution” online training course. The course allowed Sarah to facilitate meetings that focus on the mental health and wellness of teachers at her school. Sarah established the first “Happy Teacher” group in the state of Florida. |
2018 Professional Development Award Recipient
Carol Hedrick Lehigh Elementary North Fort Myers, FL Professional Event: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE18) Conference Chicago, Illinois By attending the International Society for Technology in Education Conference, Carol Hedrick enhanced her skills and knowledge of teaching with technology so that she can properly educate her students using the products and innovation that comes with digital learning. |
2017 Professional Development Award Recipients
Dr. Stephanie Lutton Carey University of South Florida Tampa, FL Professional Event: "International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) 16th World Congress". Cape Town, South Africa Funding from FLDKGEF allowed Dr. Stephanie Carey to attend the “International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) World Congress” in Cape Town, South Africa. Stephanie gained a better understanding of the International perspective concerning prosthetics and assistive technologies. She also added a project to her college course requiring her students to design assistive technologies that will help those with disabilities in developing countries. |
Cara Dunford Holt Yankeetown School Yankeetown, FL Professional Event: "Kagan Cooperative Learning - The Writing Process". Orlando, Florida Cara Dunford Holt used funds awarded through Florida DKG Educational Foundation to attend the “Kagan Cooperative Learning - The Writing Process” workshop in Orlando, Florida. Cara used the strategies she learned to make writing engaging for the students and teachers at her school site. The workshop gave Cara strategies that changed the student's perspective of writing into an opportunity instead of an assignment. |
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Professional development is defined as a growth-promoting learning process that empowers employed educators to further excellence in education.
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Thank you for your interest in the Florida DKG Educational Foundation Professional Development Award and Educational Grant.
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Last Update: July 2021
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