Polk County Public Schools
Michelle DiGioia, a teacher at Lakeland’s Lawton Chiles Middle, was one of two teachers statewide to receive an award from the Florida Engineering Foundation at the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics conference held in Jacksonville.
The foundation presents an award to one elementary and one secondary teacher for creatively using or promoting engineering and technology in their mathematics lessons.
DiGioia has taught for 20 years and currently teaches advanced math, algebra, geometry and an integrated math/science/technology laboratory class at Lawton Chiles Middle.
DiGioia uses a number of technology and software tools to make the curriculum engaging and relevant. Her students collect data and measure variables such as velocity, acceleration, humidity and force. They also learn mathematics by studying manufacturing processes, rocket engine propulsion, water quality analysis and weather.
She received a check for $1,250 from the Florida Engineering Foundation.
The C-SPAN campaign bus made a stop to three Polk schools during the fall campaign season. The 45-foot bus is equipped with mobile multi-media demonstration centers and TV production units that can be used as studios during live programs.
Students and staff at Haines City High, Lakeland’s Kathleen High and Winter Haven’s Westwood Middle toured the bus. The bus stopped at those schools because teachers from each of those schools were selected to participate in the C-SPAN & Bright House Educators Conference in Washington, D.C. over the summer. Teachers Janel Vasallo (Haines City High), Pat McLarty (Kathleen High) and Jean Colton (Westwood Middle) used the summer professional development opportunity to learn about C-SPAN programming, Web sites, classroom applications and other learning tools. The teachers used the resources, including the C-SPAN bus visit, to prepare their students for this year’s presidential campaign and other elections.