2007 Region I LaCue Teachers of the Year

Two of Plaquemines Parish’s finest teachers received top honors at the recent LaCue conference (Louisiana Computer Using Educators) held in Baton Rouge, Dec. 28-30^th.  Paul Wolf, Belle Chasse High School’s World Geography teacher and Jan Rice, Belle Chasse Primary and High School’s Gifted and Talented teacher were named 2007 Region I Teachers of the Year in their divisions.  Qualifying criteria included their philosophy of technology in education, integration of technology-rich projects in their classroom, use of cooperative learning/differentiated instruction, grants written and their influence in moving technology initiatives forward at their schools.

BCHS’s Paul Wolf, High School Teacher of the Year, LaCue Region I

BCPS’s Jan Rice (L), Educator of the Year, LaCue Region I

Paul Wolf is a mentor with the Digital Arts Alliance Leadership Institute wherein together the advancement of effective classroom technology integration is the focus. He recently presented at the NECC, National Education Computing Conference, held in Atlanta. Mr. Wolf’s classes have participated in three digital residencies.  Representatives from the DAA spent two full weeks each residency working with the students.  Students collaborated on movie-making at the computer using curricular material from the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. They researched, wrote their scripts, collected still and video images, narrated their scripts and put it all together using Adobe Premiere software. Their final project was made available on a DVD.

     Mr. Wolf’s students participated in a video pen-pal program with students in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania at the Jane Goodall Institute. BCHS students spoke directly with the African students via web cam and shared their movie-making experiences.  Additionally, Paul Wolf taught students from across Plaquemines Parish how to make movies using Adobe Premiere at the 2007 Digital Arts Summer Camp.

     Jan Rice is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher and mentor who holds a Masters plus 30 degree.  She believes that technology in the classroom should be integrated in such a way that it is as natural a resource as a textbook. She serves on several school and district level committees and has written and received several grants, one of which awarded her participation in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund program. This year the BCPS students, faculty, and parents will be immersed in a year-long journey that infuses the country and culture of Japan into their lives, including Parent Read and Math Nights, Fall and Spring Festivals, and live Japanese performances.  Mrs. Rice’s “Study of Japan” WebQuest was submitted to the Japanese Fulbright program and is being used in twenty different states in the U.S.

     Mrs. Rice has presented at district-wide meetings and will host a Pearson Foundation Digital Arts Residency this spring which will teach her students to make movies on their Japanese experiences.