Lakeview educator awarded scholarship

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Erin Johnson, a sixth-grade teacher at Lakeview Elementary in Albert Lea, was selected to receive a scholarship to attend training at the Ron Clark Academy Educators&8217; Conference in Atlanta, Ga.

Only five educators throughout Minnesota are receiving this opportunity, thanks to support from Great American Financial Resources. Scholarships were awarded through the cooperation of Education Minnesota, Economic Services Inc. and Educators Financial Services.

Johnson will attend training at the one-of-a-kind Ron Clark Academy, which was founded by Ron Clark, Disney&8217;s Teacher of the Year in 2000 and a New York Times best-selling author. His life story was turned into the made-for-TV movie for TNT titled &8220;The Ron Clark Story.&8221;

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The conference will give Johnson the opportunity to learn from the award-winning faculty at the academy. Topics will cover areas such as bringing creativity into the classroom, hands-on learning, innovative strategies for raising test scores, setting student expectations and more.

Departments propose Project Lead the Way

U.S. industry needs more than one million engineers and technical workers. If workers aren&8217;t available in the United States, companies look to other countries to fill the need.

Albert Lea High School can help supply that need by educating students in the skills and knowledge needed in the engineering world.

The Industrial Technology, Science and Mathematics departments are proposing the implementation of Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at the high school for 2008-09. Project Lead the Way is a national non-profit organization established to help give students the knowledge they need to excel in high-tech fields. Many schools throughout Minnesota and the Big 9 have implemented Project Lead the Way in their high schools and middle schools.

If PLTW is implemented for 2008-09, two new courses would be offered for ninth through 12th-grade students. The first, introduction to engineering, is a computer-based course where students would learn and implement the basics of design using three-dimensional CAD/modeling software. The second course is Principles of Engineering, where students explore technology systems and manufacturing process to find out how math, science and technology help people. Over the next five years, six more courses could be offered.

One of the largest benefits to students taking a Project Lead the Way course is the opportunity to earn three credits from the University of Minnesota&8217;s Engineering School for each course. Next year&8217;s students would have the possibility of earning six college credits at a cost of $25 per credit &8212; a huge savings compared to $311 per credit for students attending the U of M.

Parents or students who want to know more about Project Lead the Way can attend an informational meeting on Jan. 16 at the high school in room E113 at 6 p.m.

Class registration at the high school and middle school will take place the end of February.

Study night planned

A &8220;cocoa and cram&8221; night is planned for next Monday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the media center during finals week to help freshmen get ready for their first end of the semester tests. An abbreviated schedule will be developed for test days: Jan. 16-18.

Learning Center students create holiday project

As a class project, a group of students at the Area Learning Center spent time calculating costs, creating a sales slip and designing advertisements for items they made that staff and students could buy as inexpensive gifts to give for the holidays.

With the proceeds from their sales, the students purchased gifts for four teenage youths that were selected from the Salvation Army&8217;s sharing tree at the Northbridge Mall.