Six Boston teachers honored by Mass Technology Leadership Council

BOSTON – Six Boston Public Schools (BPS) teachers from the Sarah Greenwood K-8 School in Dorchester were selected to receive the Mass Technology Leadership Council’s 2009 “Above and Beyond” award in recognition of their exceptional efforts to engage students in science, math, technology and engineering learning through robotics. The teachers were honored by 400 executives and business representatives in a special ceremony at the Copley Marriot on November 5 and received a $2,500 grant to continue their work.

The team of teachers has been leading the Sarah Greenwood’s efforts to integrate robotics and engineering throughout all grades at the school so that all students become fluent with the engineering process. The Sarah Greenwood is one of the first schools in the district to pilot a new Alpha-Robotics curriculum developed for the BPS, through which children as young as kindergarten design, build, and program robots using LEGO robotics kits. Seventeen of the Sarah Greenwood’s 30 teachers have been trained in robotics, and engineering projects are part of the school’s curricula in all subjects. Students in the upper grades also have opportunities to showcase their engineering skills at citywide robotics competitions.

Superintendent Carol R. Johnson congratulated the teachers and highlighted the benefits of access to hands-on learning opportunities such as robotics.

“Not only does robotics provide students with exposure to important science, technology, engineering and math concepts but it also builds students’ teamwork, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, which will serve them well throughout their academic careers,” said Dr. Johnson. “We have seen the impact of robotics programs at the high school level and are pleased to see these programs successfully adapted for younger children.”

The team from the Sarah Greenwood is one of five groups of teachers statewide recognized this year by the Mass Technology Leadership Council, the state’s largest association for technology companies. The council’s Education Foundation created the “Above and Beyond” awards program in 1996 to honor Massachusetts educators who go “above and beyond” to provide K-12 students with highly meaningful exposure and skill development opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math.

The following Sarah Greenwood teachers will be recognized:

•    Juanita Brown, K1
•    Carlos Vega, Grade 2
•    Louis Diaz, Grade 4
•    Loida Mora, Grade 5
•    Brian Vitarisi, Grade 5
•    Eric Simoneau, Grades 6-8

The Sarah Greenwood offers a dual language Spanish/English program to approximately 370 students in pre-kindergarten (K0) through Grade 8 and has been recognized multiple times for its improvement and progress in closing achievement gaps among groups of students. In 2006, the Sarah Greenwood was selected from among all Boston Public Schools as the recipient of the first EdVestors $100,000 Thomas W. Payzant School on the Move Prize. In 2005, the school was named a “Title I Distinguished School” by the National Association of State Title I Directors (NASTID) and selected by the Massachusetts Department of Education as a Compass School to serve as a model for improvement for other schools.

For more information on the Mass Technology Leadership Council, visit www.masstlc.org.

Photo 1:  (L-R) Principal Isabel Mendez pictured with Sarah Greenwood teachers who won the Mass Tech Leaders Council’s 2009 “Above and Beyond Award.”  Pictured (L-R) Principal Mendez, Juanita Brown, Carlos Vega, Brian Vitarisi, Louis Diaz, Waleska Landing-Rivera (Program Director) and Eric Simoneau. Loida Mora not pictured.

Photo 2: Second graders Shannon Clary and Jesus Baez work on their LEGO robots.