Local Teachers Win Bob Costas Grant!
Mountain View Middle School teacher Beth Cramer and Rio Rancho Mid-High School teacher Andrea Perrino are the recipients of the Bob Costas Award for Teaching of Writing from the Southwestern Region of the College Board. (The award was named for Bob Costas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author, for his dedication to the craft of writing and his generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing.)
Each year the College Board recognizes exceptional teachers of grades 6 through 12 for the innovative methods they use to develop their students' writing skills. Grants of $3,000 each will be awarded to teachers who are doing an inspiring job of teaching their students to write and who will benefit most from a grant to enhance a successful project. Awards are given in each of the 6 College Board regions.
The award was named for Bob Costas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and author, for his dedication to the craft of writing and his generous public service work on behalf of the National Commission on Writing. I would like to make the official announcement of the winners of the 2009 Bob Costas Award for the Teaching of Writing for the Southwestern Region of the College Board.
Beth Cramer and Andrea Perrino received this award for their creation of The Writers' Showcase--which is unique in that they help sculpt student writing to elevated levels that go beyond many opportunities to recreate writing in the classroom. The official announcement below was made in Oklahoma City where they were being honored by the College Board.
"Biography/Announcement for 2009 Bob Costas Winners:
Beth Cramer from Mountain View Middle School and Andrea Perrino from Rio Rancho Mid-High School hail from the Rio Rancho Public Schools in New Mexico. The district’s Writing Task Force, of which Ms. Cramer and Ms. Perrino were key participants and have worked to vertically align writing skills from Kindergarten to 12th grade."
From this experience, these two fine teachers developed the idea of “The Writers' Showcase,” a research-based method for improving student writing through publication. The Showcase is a web-based tool that provides school and community members to view student writing that has been elevated to the level of publishable merit. It showcases good writing not only as a celebration of student achievement but also as a teaching tool for other students and community members to view publishable prose and poetry.
By extension, the blog has provided other teachers with inspiration to encourage creative writing among other students. They can enrich the experience for those who are writing above grade level and provide exemplars to guide developing writers’ voices.
The proceeds from the Bob Costas grant will enable these fine teachers to develop a more interactive and sophisticated interface and to market this blog as a teaching tool for all students and teachers. They have truly reinvented the literary magazine experience and have found a way to make the experience accessible to all.
Please join us in congratulating these two extraordinary teachers.