Awards and Accolades

By: NWP Staff
Publication: The Voice, Vol. 9, No. 2
Date: 2004

Summary: Looking for some new reading material? Find out about your colleagues' latest articles, books, and honors.

Arkansas
National Writing Project of Central Arkansas
Trina Bright, 1999 fellow, received National Board certification in Early Adolescent English/Language Arts in November 2003. Bright teaches English at McClellan Magnet High School in Little Rock.

Northwest Arkansas Writing Project
Sharla Keen-Mills, 2003 fellow, received National Board certification in Language Arts, Young Adolescents.

Samuel Totten, director, had “To Deem or Not to Deem ‘It’ Genocide: A Double-Edged Sword” published in The Genocidal Temptation: Auschwitz, Hiroshima, Rwanda and Beyond, edited by Robert S. Frey (University Press of America, February 2004).

California
Inland Area Writing Project
Susan Foster, 2002 fellow, received an Honorable Mention in the 2003 Writing Contest of the Inland Empire California Writers Club for her short story, “Life on Maple Street,” which was published in the club’s journal, Fresh Ink (winter 2003). Foster teaches seventh grade at Mountain View Middle School in Beaumont.

Jason V. Fowler, 2002 fellow, had “Filling the Void: Building a Support Network for Teachers” published in the December 2003 issue of California English. Fowler was also selected to be a consulting teacher for the Peer Assistance and Review/Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program. This program provides mentorship for new teachers and support for more experienced teachers who are struggling. Fowler teaches at Mt. San Jacinto High School in Palm Springs.

Cyndi Furr and Richard D. Hartwell, 1999 fellows, coauthored “The Embedded Nature of Standards-Based Instruction” in the Kappa Delta Pi Record (Fall 2003). Hartwell also had “An Invitation to Think Broadly” published in Sunspots (Southland Council of Teachers of English, December 2003). Hartwell teaches at Vista Verde Middle School in Moreno Valley, and Furr teaches at Palm Desert High School in Palm Desert.

Gayle Hall-Christensen, 1996 fellow, was a runner-up in the poetry category of the Cincinnati Celtic Music and Cultural Festival Writers Contest for her poem, “Song of Cian the Bard.” Hall-Christensen is now retired.

Catherine Humphrey, 1999 fellow, had “‘Let’s Talk’: Building a Bridge Between Home and School” published in Breakthroughs: Classroom Discoveries About Teaching Writing (NWP, 2002). Humphrey teaches at Los Osos High School in Alta Loma.

Robin Paul, 1997 fellow, had “Togetherness Helps Family Cope with Death of Father” published in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in the “Holiday Memories” section (December 24, 2003). Subsequently, three of Paul’s students from her sophomore writing class also had their pieces published in the “Holiday Memories” section. Paul teaches at Los Osos High School in Alta Loma.

San Diego Area Writing Project
Yolanda Halloran, 1999 fellow, earned National Board certification. Halloran is a second grade teacher at Silver Strand Elementary School in Coronado.

Akiko Morimoto, 1981 fellow, is the co-chair of the 2003 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention and past Representative-at-Large, Middle Level. Morimoto is the current vice president of the California Association of Teachers of English. Morimoto, a recently National Board certified teacher in Early Adolescent English/Language Arts, teaches at Washington Middle School in the Vista Unified School District.

Zenaida Rosario, 1997 fellow, was selected as one of five California State Teachers of the Year. The honor follows her San Diego County award. Zenaida has taught for 21 years in San Ysidro, near the California-Mexico border.

Pat Vreeland, 1997 fellow, participated in the program Academy Preparation for the Teaching of Advanced Placement English Literature at Worcester College, Oxford University, summer 2003. Vreeland teaches English at La Jolla High School in La Jolla.

Carrie Wastal, 2002 fellow, was appointed acting director of the Muir College Writing Program at the University of California, San Diego.

Wendy Weisel-Bosworth, 2003 fellow, was named Teacher of the Year at Capri Elementary in the Del Mar Union School District.

Karen Wroblewski, 1989 fellow and co-director, was named principal of the School of International Studies at San Diego High Education Complex. Wroblewski is a National Board certified teacher and has been teaching for over 35 years.

Dana Young, 2003 fellow, was named Teacher of the Year at Clairemont High School in San Diego and is being considered for the district honor.

Colorado
Denver Writing Project
Maureen Early, 2002 fellow, had “Reciprocal Reading Recommendations” published in the May 2004 issue of English Journal.

Jennifer Gottschalk, 2003 fellow, presented “Insuring Success for All Students” at the National Middle School Conference.

Mark Overmeyer, 2003 fellow, had his poem “Second Chances” published in the first issue of Copper Nickel. Overmeyer also presented a session entitled “Differentiating Writing Experiences for All Ability Levels in Grades K–5” at the Beyond Giftedness Conference in Colorado.

Rick VanDeWeghe, director, had a column entitled “Research Matters: What Makes a Difference in Literacy Instruction?” published in the January 2004 issue of English Journal.

District of Columbia
District of Columbia Area Writing Project
Sandra Britt Jenkins, 1998 fellow, was named 2004 D.C. Teacher of the Year.

Diane Riley, 2000 fellow, earned National Board certification. Riley, a primary level teacher, has served as a summer institute coach and youth writing program coordinator.

Aressa Williams, 1995 fellow; Sandra Chriss, 2001 fellow; and Alice Chandler, 2002 fellow; were included in the 2004 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (Educational Communications).

Georgia
Coastal Georgia Writing Project
Sharonda Johnson, 1997 fellow, was named Teacher of the Year for the secondary level at the Georgia Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference. Johnson teaches English at Savannah High School in Savannah.

Nancy Remler, director, was selected as the 2004 Arthur N. Gignilliat Professor of Teaching and Learning at Armstrong Atlantic State University.

Pat West, 1993 fellow, was named Teacher of the Year for the middle grades at the Georgia Council of Teachers of English Annual Conference. West teaches language arts at Tompkins Middle School in Savannah.

Georgia Southern Writing Project
Vicki Dwinell, 2003 fellow, was named Star Teacher at Bryan County High School in Pembroke.

Illinois
Illinois Writing Project
Harvey Daniels and Steven Zemelman, directors, published Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to Content-Area Reading (Heinemann, February 2004).

Kansas
Flint Hills Writing Project
Lori Atkins Goodson, 2003 fellow, received National Board certification in Early Adolescence English/Language Arts. Atkins Goodson was also named co-editor of The Alan Review.

Kentucky
Purchase Area Writing Project
Stephanie Kirk, co-director, received the High School Teacher of Excellence Award at the 2003 National Council of Teachers of English convention in San Francisco.

Maryland
Maryland Writing Project
Barbara Bass, director, had “Darwinian Gardening” published in Nesting—It’s a Chick Thing: Tips and Tales for an Inspired Home and Garden (Workman Press, May 2004).

Diane Curry, 1999 fellow, was selected to attend the Fulbright Hays Seminar Abroad Program, “Thailand and Vietnam: Educational Challenges in the Mekong Region.”

Beth Edelstein, 2000 fellow, received Honorable Mention for “Pimento Cheese” published in The Southern Register, the Newsletter for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture of the University of Mississippi.

Gloria Neubert, 1981 fellow, was a receipent of the 2004 University System of Maryland Board of Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest honor that the board bestows to recognize outstanding faculty achievement in teaching and mentoring.

Imogene J. (Jacki) Rone, 1990 fellow, received the distinguished Black Marylander Award for Education in February 2004. The award, sponsored by the Towson University Office of Diversity, serves to recognize the contributions of African American men and women to their professions and to the community.

David Wolinsky, 1995 fellow, had a poem “The Three Laughers of Tiger Ravine” published in the anthology Cabin Fever: Poets at Joaquin Miller’s Cabin, 1984-2001, edited by Jacklyn Potter, Dwaine Rieves, Gary Stein (The Word Works, January 2004).

Missouri
Prairie Lands Writing Project
Rebecca Dierking, 2001 fellow, was appointed to serve on the National Achievement Awards in Writing Advisory Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English. Dierking teaches English at Maryville High School in Maryville.

Three writing project teacher-consultants wrote successfully funded St. Joseph District Apple Seed Foundation grants last fall to implement teaching projects in their classrooms during the 2003–2004 school year. Amy Grier, 2001 fellow and teacher at Robidoux Middle School, submitted “Rain Forest Investigation.” Roxanna Kerns, 2002 fellow and teacher at Hyde Elementary School, wrote “Relaxing with Rhythm.” Marie Puett, 1999 fellow and teacher at Eugene Field Elementary School, submitted “Everyday Mathematics.”

Mary Lee Meyer, 2001 fellow, had a teaching unit “Plants and Poetry” published by Successlink, an online teaching resource sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, at the SuccessLink website. The department also selected Meyer’s teaching unit as a top lesson plan for October 2003. Meyer teaches at Jefferson C-123 School in Conception Junction.

Nebraska
Nebraska Writing Project
Cathie English, 1997 fellow, received the 2003 Aurora Area Chamber and Development Outstanding Educator Award for her work with integrating technology in the classroom with oral history Web pages and digital stories and for her work with the writing project.

New Hampshire
Plymouth Writing Project
Alison Charbeneau, 2002 fellow, was named the Promising Practitioner of 2004 by the New England League of Middle Schools. Charbeneau teaches at Belmont Middle School in Belmont.

Ohio
National Writing Project at
Kent State University
Debra DeBenedictis, 1997 fellow, was named assistant editor for a new publication, Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy (Educator’s International Press). DeBenedictis is taking a sabbatical from her fourth grade classroom at Nordonia Hills City Schools.

David Bruce, 1997 fellow and co-director, had “Visualizing Success: Using Video Composition in the Classroom” published in the Ohio Journal of English Language Arts 44 (1). The journal is coedited by Allison Baer, 1997 fellow. Baer, a doctoral student at Kent State University (KSU), is on sabbatical from Warren City Schools. Bruce also coauthored the 2003 National Council of Teachers of English resolution on New Literacies with Nancy McCracken, director, and Bill Kist of KSU.

The following teacher-consultants contributed writings to the Fall 2003 issue of Ohio Teachers Write. Mark Jamison, 1998 fellow, published his poem “About Face.” Jamison, editor of the journal, teaches English and journalism at Coventry High in Akron. Susan Louis, 1998 fellow, published her poem “If I Were the Sky (for my students).” Louis teaches at Holden Elementary in Kent. Holly Mansager, 2000 fellow, published “Haiku 1.” Mansager teaches at Stark State College in Canton. Joe Paris, 2001 fellow, published a story “For Better or for Worse” and a poem “Meeting the Family.” Paris teaches English at Solon Middle School in Solon and is on the editorial board of the journal. Judy Sewell, 2003 fellow, published her poem “Runnin’.” Michele Winship, 2002 fellow, published her poem “Just Another Fairy Tale.” Winship teaches in the education department at Capital University in Columbus.

Nancy McCracken, director, published “Surviving Shock and Awe” in the January 2004 issue of English Education 36 (2).

The Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA) held its annual spring meeting in Columbus this March. Colleen Ruggieri, 1997 fellow and president-elect of OCTELA, coordinated the convention. Deb DeBenedictis chaired the Buckeye Book Awards, and Janie Reinart, 1998 fellow, served as Poetry Day liaison. At the convention, Allison Baer was selected as a trustee after her tenure as president. Michelle Winship will serve as the new secretary, and David Bruce was chosen as vice-president.

Darla Wagner, co-director, received the Outstanding Middle School Language Arts Teacher Award from OCTELA. Wagner teaches English at Solon Middle School in Solon.

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State University Writing Project
Laurie Boulden, 2000 fellow, received a $10,000 Toyota Tapestry grant.

Tracy Fredman, 1994 fellow, had “Teacher Work Sample Methodology: Implemenation and Practical Application in Teacher Preparation” published in the spring issue of the Action in Teacher Education journal.

Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania Writing Project
Gail Ghai, 1994 fellow, received a tuition grant from the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts to attend the Squaw Valley Writers Conference, summer 2003. Also, Ghai had her poems “That Cobalt Button,” “Bagels,” and “Somewhere in the Winter” published in the winter 2003 issue of Descant. In addition, Ghai had “January Thaw,” “A Blue Stillness,” and “White Asparagus” published the fall 2003 issue in the New Orphic Review 6 (2) and had “Freshly Turned Earth” published in Earth’s Daughters 63 (2003).

Tennessee
West Tennessee Writing Project
Betty Hicks, 2000 fellow, has been selected to represent Northview Middle School in Newbern, Tennessee, as their representative for Teacher of the Year.

Texas
Heart of Texas Writing Project
Colleen Fairbanks, director, was named College Educator of the Year by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts.

Bill Martin, 2002 fellow, was named High School Teacher of the Year by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts. Martin teaches at Westlake High School in Austin.

Utah
Utah Writing Project
William Strong was recognized for 25 years of service to the writing project site on March 6 in Salt Lake City. Strong, who will take early retirement from Utah State University in June, will also retire as director of the writing project site. Strong’s work will be carried on by co-directors Brock Dethier, Lynn Langer Meeks, Margaret Roskowski, and Denice Turner. Dethier and Meeks teach in the English department at Utah State University. Roskowski teaches at Ogden High School in Ogden, and Turner teaches at Mount Logan Middle School in Logan.