Teacher is named Einstein Fellow
Friday, April 17, 2009
An Emporia Middle School teacher is one of 20 who have been chosen to be an “Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow” for approximately one year in Washington, D.C., as part of the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education.
Dennis Newell, who teaches explorations in technology at EMS, had applied for one of the fellowship openings in October and was notified this month that he had been chosen for the honor.
The Triangle Coalition is a non-profit organization created by Congress in 1994, based in Washington, D.C., and made up of more than 100 member organizations from three areas — business, education and scientific and engineering societies.
The coalition was created “to bring together the voices of government, business and education to improve the quality and outcome of science, technology, engineering and mathematics ... education.”
Between October and April, Newell’s application made it through a process that winnowed down the 400 applications to a manageable number of finalists.
“They notified me in January that I was in the top 10 percent, top 40 (applicants),” Newell said. “So then I had to wait.”
Sponsors furnished his application and resume to government agencies that wanted to utilize Einstein Fellows.
“Then a couple of weeks later they informed me that I had made top 25. They flew us to Washington, all expenses paid, to interview for four days,” he said.
The interviews were with the National Science Foundation, in geosciences and lifelong learning.
“These are just general topics for many things underneath them,” he said.
Two weeks later, Triangle offered him the fellowship.
“We’re all real proud of him for being accepted,” said Superintendent John Heim. “It’s a nice honor for the district, but Dennis did this on his own.
“He’s done a lot of things in his career; he’s advanced himself professionally. He’s taught in several different areas so he has a unique perspective, which was just what they were looking for.”
Newell is looking forward to taking on the challenge of the fellowship.
“I’ll have to do a lot of different things. I’ll work with presidential math and science awards, and I also will work with any type of media that deals with any kind of lifelong learning skills,” he said, describing the duties he will assume later this year.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “I just don’t know if I’m ready to move to Washington, D.C., for a year. It’s an 11-month fellowship.”
Newell has been granted a leave of absence from the school district; he will receive a “pretty stipend” from the coalition for his work, plus money to move to the coast for 11 months, and to attend conferences and make presentations across the country.
The educators will give government and business input about education policy, what is happening in their home states, teach about government, as needed, and make presentations nationwide as required.
Einstein Fellows work as professional staff members in Congressional offices, the Department of Energy, NASA, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation.
“This program provides an opportunity for classroom teachers to impact national educational policy and to learn about the political process and agency programs,” according to information from the Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education.
Newell received his bachelor of science degree in education from Kansas Newman College in Wichita in 1977 and his master of science degree in curriculum and instruction from Emporia State University in 1984.
He received English as a Second Language endorsement in 2003 from Kansas State University in Manhattan and became a National Board certified teacher in early adolescence science in 2006.
Newell taught for three years at St. Thomas Aquinas in Wichita before coming to the Emporia school district in 1980. He taught algebra, mathematics and computers at Emporia Middle School for 12 years and from 2002 to 2007 was eighth-grade general science teacher.
Since then, he has taught Explorations in Technology at EMS.
Newell calls the class a “hybrid industrial arts-shop class.”
“All I’m doing in my curriculum is trying to exposes the kids to different kinds of technology in the career world,” he said.
Students who enroll work with all kinds of technologies utilized in the career world, such as digital-audio production, woodworking, graphic design, metalworking and other diverse specialties. They build bridges, power miniature race cars and take part in other hands-on learning experiences.
“They fill this class full, and everybody wants to take it,” Newell said.
kchabass (anonymous) says...
Congratulations Dennis. You are very deserving of this opportunity and I know you will be a wonderful ambassador and representative. Take DC by storm and show 'em how it's done!
April 17, 2009 at 3:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )