Teaching
Philosophy:
Jennifer Bernabo, Awardee
May 16, 2007
Plano East Senior High
School
Chemistry and Advanced Placement Chemistry Teacher
A teacher can positively
influence student achievement by using technology
in the classroom.
In this day and age, students walk into the classrooms with
a cell phone in their pocket and an iPod in their ears.
Jennifer Bernabo (center) is congratulated
by (l-r) Dr. Jim Wussow, fellow winner Mary Ellen Sablick, and
Keith Braley. Trustees pictured are (l-r) Mary Beth King, John
Muns, Duncan Webb, Superintendent Dr. Doug Otto and Melody Timinsky.
The
majority
of the students in our classrooms know more about technology
than teachers. They constantly use a language of their own
making in their text messages. If we as teachers could teach
using text
messaging and technology in the classrooms, then we could
capture and sustain their attention and interest level in order
for
them to gain additional information and understanding for success
in life.
Other examples of how
technology should be used in the classrooms include using Exam
View, Microsoft Word, and Microsoft Power Point to help achievement
and closing the achievement gap on the Science TAKS Test. Exam
View created TAKS review tests and practice tests for each six
weeks.
Microsoft Word was used
to create student guides while Power Points were created, providing
visuals on how to mark TAKS
questions and incorporate test taking skills such as identifying
relevant information, eliminating excess information, understanding
and identifying vocabulary, and how to identify relationships
which will assist students in making wiser choices on the TAKS
test. Other technologies used in my classroom include an Interwrite
Wireless Writing Pad, the SAS program, the ECC webpage, Pinnacle,
video streaming, and Venier Logger Pro.
These uses of technology
resulted in the 2005-2006 Piano East Science TAKS scores increasing
6% for all students, 10% for African Americans, 15% for Hispanics,
and 19% for economically disadvantaged. Varied technologies reach
a greater diversity of learning styles and increase students'
abilities to reach their potential.
Principal's Recommendation
Teaching a wide
spectrum of students, Jennifer Bernabo is very successful in
teaching
our brightest students in AP and IB Chemistry and makes it look
easy.
Last year, she organized and taught for the first time a TAKS review class for
seniors who had not passed the science portion of the exit-level TAKS. EVERY
student in her class passed TAKS when they retook the test. She's able to successfully
reach all levels.
With only seven years
teaching experience, I selected Jennifer Bernabo as the department
chair of our very large science department last year. In just
one year she has become one of the most respected department
chairs on our campus. She has literally changed the climate within
her department from one of rigidity and inflexibility to an environment
that is truly student-centered.
One of the first challenges
for Jennifer was to create a structured program of TAKS science
warm-ups. Jennifer and her team created a beautiful notebook
of science warm-up activities on all the TAKS objectives that
are delivered via the computer and overhead projectors. The result?
Our science TAKS scores increased tremendously in only one year.
This year she helped our math department develop a similar program.
Jennifer also serves
on the PISD science curriculum writing team, supervised by our
secondary science coordinator as they write and update our web-based
physical science and chemistry curriculum. She also developed
for all the teachers on our campus this year a system of recording
textbooks. She devised a method of taking names directly from
our Pinnacle Grade Book and converting that into a textbook accounting
sheet. We have gone from a $26,000 deficit last year to currently
a break¬even status - a HUGE accomplishment for our entire
campus.
Sincerely,
Karen McDonald
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