Catherine Meyer Wins Scholarship from New Jersey Science Teachers Association

2011 Oct 28

Science, math, and technology teachers are in demand, and Catherine Meyer of Hillsborough is one of three education majors at The College of New Jersey who were recently recognized for their eagerness to supply with a scholarship awarded by the New Jersey Science Teachers Association.

The award was given at the NJSTA Convention, held on Oct. 11 and 12 at the Garden State Convention Center in Somerset.

"They are all high achievers and excellent teachers already," said Assistant Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education Linda Burroughs, who has taught each of the awardees. "Since I teach science methods, I am delighted and grateful to find support and recognition for students who stand out as future teachers."

Meyer is a junior elementary education/mathematics major.

The students received one-year memberships to the NJSTA, paid admittance to the New Jersey Science Teachers Convention and a meal ticket at the awards ceremony.

Taylor Dickerson commented: "I had so much fun attending many informative and hands-on workshops at the Convention, including Beach Combing in the Classroom, Make a Splash: Project WET, and Engaging Activities to Use with Earth Materials, Fossils, and Dinosaur Units. This opportunity gave me a chance to see how teachers are teaching science in creative and innovative ways, especially in a world full of new technology, and it gave me ideas that I hope to incorporate into my own classroom someday."

Of receiving the scholarship, Catherine Meyer said, "It was great experience for me as it gave me the opportunity to attend the Annual New Jersey Science Convention where I observed several different techniques and lesson ideas for teaching science. After I graduate from TCNJ, I hope to either be an elementary school teacher or a middle school science teacher, and I plan to utilize the different methods of teaching that I learned while I was at the convention."

Shannon Robertson said, ""This award was a really great opportunity for the people chosen to receive it," said Robertson. "I plan to someday have the chance to teach middle school science so receiving this award helped me to make connections and gain new information that could help me to accomplish that."

The scholarship honors Dr. Doris Gnauck White, an exceptional New Jersey science teacher and biomedical and biophysics researcher who devoted her life to scientific research and the professional development of teachers before her death in 2001.

"The award is given jointly with the NJ science and math supervisors association, so it is a nice recognition," said Burroughs. "We have actually had five years of awardees, but this year was certainly special in that it recognized three applicants from (the College). In the past, only one was recognized (each year). I am pleased that three of the six past recipients were my students."

According to the NJSTA website, to be eligible to apply, each student had to be enrolled in a K-12 Teacher Preparation Program at a New Jersey institution of higher education. Winners were chosen by the NJSTA Awards and Presentations Committee and approved by the Executive Board in recognition of their exceptional recommendations and applications, which included the writing of an original science lesson plan. The Committee is composed of active and retired science teachers, all members of the NJ Science Teachers Association.

According to Burroughs, the NJST convention was notable not just for the awards ceremony but also for the networking opportunity it represented for the students.

"Students have universally been surprised and thrilled with the time spent at the convention, and the professional teachers have embraced them and helped them throughout their day, treating them just like 'members of the club'," said Burroughs. "...Their comments on the effectiveness of the convention have always been positive."