Florida DKG Educational Foundation
2021 Professional Development Award Recipient
Missy Jones
STEAM Coach Winter Springs Elementary Sanford, FL |
Professional Development
“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, Missy experienced 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. |
Photos of "Space Camp for Educators" provided by Missy Jones
2021 Grant Recipients
Cyd Heyliger-Browne
Miami FL |
Grant: "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 Homestead, FL |
Grant: "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 |
Grant: "Help Me to Be Me"
Kathleen Poe worked 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 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. Kathleen purchased 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. |
Photos of Grant Project "Help Me to Be Me" provided by Kathleen Poe
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Melissa Whitson
Roulhac Middle Bonifay, FL |
Grant: “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 RECIPIENTS
2020 Award and Grant recipients did not allow the pandemic to hamper their resolve to provide unique educational opportunities that would excite and motivate Florida students. Projects were modified to meet health criteria yet provide innovative experiences for students. Conferences that were cancelled in 2020 have been rescheduled for 2021. Recipient updates are include below.
2020 Educational Grant Recipients
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Pam Ayers
“First Chapter Fridays Literature Circles in the High School Classroom” Port Charlotte High Port Charlotte, FL |
2020 Educational Grant recipient Pamela Ayers used the funds awarded through the Florida DKG Educational Foundation for her project titled "First Chapter Fridays". The project was designed to promote literature with the students at Port Charlotte High School in Port Charlotte, FL.
Photos of Grant Project "First Chapter Fridays; Literature Circles in the High School Classroom
provided by Pam Ayers
provided by Pam Ayers
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Diane Driggers “Creating Future Scientists” Medart Elementary Crawfordville FL |
Diane Driggers a 2020 Educational Grant recipient used funds provided by the Florida DKG Educational Foundation for her project titled "Creating Future Scientists". The funds allowed her to provide needed supplies for hands-on application of the science concepts with 5th grade students at Medart Elementary in Crawfordville, FL.
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Desiraye Pulizzi “Learning to 'Code' in Kindergarten” Lake Trafford Elementary Immokalee FL |
2020 Educational Grant recipient Desiraye Pulizzi used funds awarded for her project: "Learning the 'Code' in Kindergarten". Desiraye used Blue-Bot robots to introduce STEM activities and engineering to kindergarten students at Lake Trafford Elementary in Immokalee, FL.
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Janie Register “123, Community Helpers Are We!” Ft. Braden Community Center and Tallahassee Museum Tallahassee FL |
Janie Register used the Educational Grant to fund her project: "123, Community Helpers are We!" The program provided pre-kindergarten students at Fort Braden School in Tallahassee, FL an opportunity to engage in community service projects with senior citizens.
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Sharon Richardson “Measurements Matter” First Christian Academy DeFuniak Springs, FL |
2020 Educational Grant recipient Sharon Richardson used the funding awarded through Florida DKG Educational Foundation for a project titled "Measurement Matters". The project provided teacher training and measurement tools for the teachers and students at First Christian Academy in DeFuniak Springs, FL.
Photos of Grant Project "Measurement Matters" provided by Sharon Richardson
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Janice Tucker “Flight to Freedom” Ft Mose Historic Park and Lincolnville Museum St. Augustine FL |
Janice Tucker received funding for her project titled "Flight to Freedom", a project which took 8th grade students from Orange Park Junior High on a historical "virtual" fieldtrip to Ft. Mose’ and the Lincolnville Museum & Cultural Center as they studied the plight of slaves/African Americans from the 1700's to the Civil Rights movement.
Virtual Field Trip to Lincolnville Museum Link
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Click on the video link > > > |
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Debra Spradley “BrainPOP” Tommy Smith Elementary Panama City, FL |
2020 Educational Grant recipient Debra Spradley used funds awarded through Florida DKG Educational Foundation for "BrainPop", a high interest, multi-modal resource. The project was used with 3rd-5th grade students at Tommy Smith Elementary in Panama City, FL.
2020 Professional Development Award Recipients
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Jennifer Guarraia Trinity Catholic Tallahassee, FL |
Professional Event: “Get Your Teach On” National Conference Orlando FL
RESCHEDULED July 19 - 22, 2021
RESCHEDULED 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 Event: Coursework: “Set Theory”; Graduate Level Mathematics
Ft Myers FL, May - June, 2020
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: “FAME” (Florida Association for Media in Education) Orlando FL
RESCHEDULED - November, 2021
RESCHEDULED - November, 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.
Debbie Bohanan
Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy
Kissimmee, FL
Professional Event: “ISTE21”(International Society for Technology in Education National Conference)
San Antonio, TX RESCHEDULED 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
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Nancy Rosenbaum Teach/University School, Tallahassee, FL Professional Event: "Space Academy for Educators" Huntsville, Alabama |
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Sarah Watters Riversink Elementary, Crawfordville, FL Professional Event: "Happy Teacher Revolution Facilitator Training" (online course) |
2018 Professional Development Award Recipient
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Carol Hedrick Lehigh Elementary, North Fort Myers, FL Professional Event: "International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE18) Conference" Chicago, Illinois |
2017 Professional Development Award Recipients
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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 |
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Cara Dunford Holt Yankeetown School, Yankeetown, FL Professional Event: "Kagan Cooperative Learning - The Writing Process" Orlando, FL |
Thank you for your interest in the Florida DKG Educational Foundation Professional Development Award and Educational Grant.
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Last Update: August 2021
Webmaster-D. Graff: fldkgef@gmail.com |