Contact: Pam Young
(734) 487-4400
pamela.young@emich.edu
May 17, 2006 - YPSILANTI, MI - Cindy Hasselbring, a math teacher at Milan High
School and an Eastern Michigan University alumnus, has won the 2005
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science
Teaching, the nation's highest honor for teaching in this field.
She was awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Science Foundation
(NSF) which administers the program on behalf of the White House,
and an all expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where she was
honored May 4.
Hasselbring, who earned a master's degree in curriculum from EMU in
2001, has taught Milan students in grades 9-12 since 1995. "It's
quite an honor. I was one of only 100 teachers in math and science
nationwide to receive this prestigious award," said Hasselbring, who
was nominated by her principal, Ronald Reed.
Hasselbring, 32, was recognized for her innovative use of technology
to teach math, such as incorporating interactive white boards with
pixels to allow her students to make up classes they missed. She
also uses a remote system she calls the clicker game, which allows
students to click a response during class.
To apply, she had to submit an hour-long videotape of her teaching,
which showed how she interacted with the class during an activity,
and had to write a 10-page paper that reflected on her teaching.
"Excellent teachers help students learn challenging mathematics and
science content every day and the Presidential Awards give us, as a
nation, a way to show how much we value and appreciate their
contributions," said Celeste Pea, Ph.D., program director of
elementary, secondary and information education programs at the NSF.
The presidential award is one of several national awards recently
won by Hasselbring. She was one of only 60 teachers nationwide, to
be selected last year for the Toyota International Teacher Program.
"We learned about Japanese culture and history and how to use it in
class," said Hasselbring. "I was able to use origami to teach
geometry and my classes are making 1,000 origami cranes to send to
Hiroshima." That experience encouraged her to apply for Toyota's
traveling alumni program. She recently learned that she is one of
only two teachers nationwide to be chosen for that program, which is
affiliated with the International Teacher Program.
Hasselbring will fly to Los Angeles for a weeklong orientation in
June and then travels to Tokyo to study architecture. She'll also
visit Kyoto where she'll take a traditional arts course, participate
in a tea ceremony and see a traditional Noh Theatre production.
She also is active in the Network of Educator Astronaut Teachers
(NEAT), which helps teachers incorporate NASA information into the
curriculum, and is the assistant cross country and track coach at
Milan High School. She is a resident of Milan.
