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ASU Faculty Awarded Professional Development Grants

March 28, 2011

Four Angelo State University faculty members have been awarded U.S. Department of Education grants to continue projects aimed at aiding the professional development of area K-12 teachers in various subjects.

Dr. Andy Wallace, head of the ASU Physics Department, and Dr. David Bixler, associate professor of physics, have been awarded $94,833 through a sub-award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to continue the project, “Physics Teacher Quality Grant.”

Wallace’s and Bixler’s efforts focus on high school science teachers, who mostly teach biology and chemistry, to bring them up to speed on physics. The program includes a summer institute on the ASU campus, academic workshops at the Region XV Education Service Center, professional conferences and a physics-related field trip. The grant funds pay for travel, registration fees and compensation for the participating high school teachers.

Dr. Donna Gee, associate professor of teacher education, has been awarded $88,598 through a THECB sub-award to continue her project, “Enhancing Number Sense in Teachers at the Upper Elementary Level.”

In partnership with the San Angelo Independent School District, the first two years of Gee’s project were designed to give teachers of grades 3-5 a deeper understanding of mathematical number sense to help them implement that knowledge in the classroom to increase student achievement. The third year will focus on increasing teachers’ knowledge of measurement. Participating teachers will attend a summer institute and fall sessions in 2011 to earn three hours of graduate credit in teacher education. Those attending all three institutes (2009-11) earn nine hours of graduate credit. The grant funds provide stipends for participating teachers as well as supplies they can use in their classrooms. There are selection criteria for participating teachers.

Dr. Marilyn Eisenwine, associate professor of teacher education, has been awarded $35,000 through a sub-award from the National Writing Project for her “Pearl of the Concho Writing Project,” which provides annual summer institutes on the ASU campus for improving secondary teachers’ writing skills.

Local and area K-12 teachers interested in participating in the physics program should contact Wallace at 942-2242 or andy.wallace@angelo.edu. Those interested in the number sense program can contact Gee at 942-2052, ext. 480, or donna.gee@angelo.edu. Those interested in the Pearl of the Concho Writing Project can contact Eisenwine at 942-2052, ext. 258, or marilyn.eisenwine@angelo.edu.