October 14, 2002 - National Semiconductor Corporation presented "Internet Innovator Awards" to 10 teachers and teaching teams recognizing the effective ways they are using the Internet in their classrooms. Winning teachers received $10,000 for their personal use, and their schools were awarded $20,000 to spend on technology training.
National presented Internet Innovator Awards to educators in Calif., Maine and Texas, states where the company has a major presence. A panel of judges, comprised of experts in instructional technology, evaluated the teachers' projects.
The winning teachers and their projects are:
CALIFORNIA:
* Daniel Chaja from James Logan High School in Union City: "Genetics Webpage Project." Students used the Internet to study genetics and then design, create and upload an informative Web page to share their learning with future biology students.
* Therese Folco formerly from South San Francisco High School in South San Francisco: "Connecting Legends to Real Life." This semester-long project encouraged students to use the Internet to develop a proficiency in Spanish while targeting communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
* Lori McGlone and Don Peck from Robertson Intermediate School in Daly City: "Room 8 Angels - A Student-Run Business." Kids created valentines and poetry, sold them via the Internet and then donated the proceeds to charity and go on field trips.
MAINE:
* Michael Arsenault and Peter Gillingham from Lake Region Middle School in Naples: "Virtual Field Trips in Maine Classrooms." Students created a new History Channel show specifically for teens using the Web.
* Helen Melvin from Dr. Levesque School in Frenchville: "Cyber-Sailing the St. John Valley." Children researched their roots, family history and their community using the Internet.
* Janet Perry and Darlene Nein from Sea Road School in Kennebunk: "Art on the Web - Study, Lessons, Process Results, Comparison and Fun." Students used the Web to study artists and their work and take virtual field trips to museums around the world.
* Laurie Richards from Pendleton Street School in Brewer: "Our Global Garden: A Study of Plants and Places Around the World." This project integrated the study of plants and geography while using technology as a tool.
* Emily Thompson from Wiscasset Primary School in Wiscasset: "The Invention Convention." Each child created a unique invention that would solve a problem and then used the Internet to do research and share their work.
TEXAS:
* Jodi Bender from Williams Elementary School (Arlington): "Everything I Needed to Know About Texas, I Learned in Kindergarten." Children studied the state of Texas by using the Internet to enhance many skills including reading, writing, math, art and social studies.
* Gema Padgett from Willie Brown Elementary School (Mansfield): "A Tornado, A Hail Storm, A Hurricane...and Other Things We Learned About Texas!" Students used the Web to learn about extreme weather events, including major storms, throughout Texas.
Funded through its charitable foundation, National has provided over $1.7 million to teachers and their schools through the Internet Innovator Awards program. The program is one component of the company's Internet Training Initiative for teachers which also includes "Global Connections," a leader-led training course showing teachers how to use the Internet to enhance their curriculum, and "Global Connections Online," a free, Web-based course which enables teachers anywhere in the world to obtain Internet training.
National, which makes integrated circuits for information appliances that access the Internet such as set-top boxes, thin clients and consumer-access devices, established its Internet Training Initiative when studies revealed a critical need for teacher training in technology.
About National Semiconductor
National Semiconductor is the premier analog company driving the information age. Combining real-world analog and state-of-the-art digital technology, the company is focused on the fast growing markets for wireless handsets; displays; information infrastructure, and information appliances. With headquarters in Santa Clara, California, National reported sales of $1.5 billion for its most recent fiscal year and has about 10,000 employees worldwide. Additional company and product information is available on the World Wide Web at www.national.com.
