Receiving this award validates the years I have spent developing an on-site, hands-on, inquiry-based science curriculum. It also means that new avenues of influence will be open to me. I look forward to having greater opportunities to promote science education. I hope to carry the message that reading and math are essential, but our future lies in the hands of young people who’ve been taught to use scientific reasoning, problem-solving techniques, creativity, and the latest technology.

Nola Wilkinson Decatur, IL | K-6, Science, 2008

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Nola Wilkinson has taught kindergarten through eighth grade science in Decatur Public Schools, District 61 for the past 20 years. As lead science teacher at Johns Hill Magnet School, she has helped write the curriculum for the district and served on the school's Science Committee to plan the annual science fair. Mrs. Wilkinson has developed science units such as Teaching Physics with Toys, where her fifth graders used LEGOs to build simple machines. In her Edible Geology unit, students made models of the earth's layers with food and edible glaciers, followed by a field trip to a geological teaching lab for children. Mrs. Wilkinson wrote a grant to participate in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Educational Workshops for Elementary School Teachers (NEWEST) program. It resulted in a study unit where she helped other teachers adapt the lessons for their classes. This experience also resulted in a field trip for her students to visit Illinois State University, where students experienced NASA simulations first-hand. Mrs. Wilkinson's ability to reach students is illustrated by a former student with Asperger's syndrome (a form of high-intellect autism that includes sensory challenges). The boy, who generally avoided eye contact or touching, opened his arms to Mrs. Wilkinson and gave her a hug and a beaming smile. She continues to challenge her students and inspire her colleagues by teaching at meetings and conferences what she has learned via continuing education such as NEWEST; Teaching Science With Toys through Miami University (Ohio); and Purdue University's INSPIRE program, a unique research-based model for engagement in precollege engineering education. Mrs. Wilkinson received the Partners in Education Small Grant Writer of the Year award, the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year award in 2002, a Golden Glitter Award from the Prairieland Gifted Association, and the District 61 Teacher of Excellence award in 2007. Mrs. Wilkinson has a B.S. from Millikin University and a Master of Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and is certified in master elementary education for kindergarten through ninth grade.

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