Waller ISD Trio Awarded ExxonMobil Grant
WISD-Fields Store Elementary 4th Grade
Teacher, Kathy Eckermann, Technologist, Stacey
Huffine, and Waller ISD Science Coordinator, Sharon
Wilder, teamed up together to pursue funds from
ExxonMobil to hold a science workshop that will
benefit Waller ISD and Greater Houston Area
teachers.
The trio worked together to apply for an ExxonMobil
Science Education Teacher Training Grant and were
awarded $4,000 in grant funds. The grant funds will
be used towards hosting a free Science and
Technology Education Workshop for up to thirty
teachers; fifteen teachers from Waller ISD and
fifteen from surrounding districts. Digital and
movie cameras will be purchased to be used as a
training aide in the workshop.
Kathy Eckermann said, “Teachers today have to
compete to hold students interest because students
are highly entertained at home with high-tech
games. Students have personal computers, Wii, Play
Station and Nintendo Game Machines, etc. Teachers
have to also learn more technology to make their
lessons more interesting and engaging to our
students.
This workshop will focus on how to integrate
technology into science lessons and can be used in
many other content areas. Teachers often assign
students research projects and students produce
posters, written reports, etc. The workshop will
educate teacher to use Movie Maker and Story Maker
for science research projects. By the end of the
day, teachers will have created their own movie or
news report. By learning additional technology
applications, teachers will be able to encourage
students to work in groups using technology to
present their research similar to a news reporter or
a television station.”
As
part of the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program,
the ExxonMobil Science Ambassador Program provides
twelve grants annually to local school districts to
sponsor professional development workshops for K-12
teachers in science and math. The Science
Ambassador Program also has a volunteer program
where more than 600 company employees and retirees
go into schools to serve as science and math mentors
and guest teachers. ExxonMobil provides the
educational materials to the volunteers and awards
money back to the schools after the employee or
retiree makes three presentations. Several
ExxonMobil employees and retirees visit Waller ISD
schools throughout the school year to make
presentations to help raise grant funds for the
schools.
Since 2000, ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program
has provided grants to local schools across the
nation. ExxonMobil seeks to improve the quality of
local schools by awarding numerous grants,
scholarships, employee volunteer and matching gift
programs.
