| MTSU grad honored by President |
|
|
Posted: Thursday, January 7, 2010 4:53 pm
|
 Email  Print
|
MT grad Rebecca Holden is congratulated by Rep. Bart Gordon at the White House.
|
|
|
MTSU graduate Rebecca Holden received the Presidential Award for Excellence for Mathematics and Science Teaching during an event at the White House.
Congressman Bart Gordon, who is also an MTSU graduate and has been instrumental in authoring legislation to improve math and science education in the United States, attended the event and congratulated Holden.
“The U.S. needs to not only keep producing the world’s best scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, but, for the sake of our national economic competitiveness, we also need every student to have a strong foundation in the STEM fields,” Gordon said. “It starts with the teachers, and Rebecca Holden’s commitment to teaching math has significantly improved the education available to thousands of students. Rebecca received a top-notch education from MTSU, a university whose quality teacher training programs have helped to empower teachers across Middle Tennessee and around the country. By honoring Rebecca, the White House has also honored MTSU and its commitment to providing a quality education for Tennessee’s teachers.”
Presidential Award for Excellence for Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Holden has been teaching mathematics and science for more than 30 years. For the past seven years she has taught first grade at Battle Academy for Teaching and Learning in Chattanooga.
Holden said, “Receiving the Presidential Award gives my work and beliefs about mathematics perspective in the national arena. I am honored to measure up to the award's extremely high standards. I am passionate about the importance of primary mathematics. As I continue to support best practices in mathematics, the respect associated with the award will provide opportunities for a wider audience.”
As a system teacher leader in mathematics, Holden has conducted numerous professional development sessions, helped write curriculum alignment in mathematics, selected textbooks, and developed curriculum plans for each mathematics standard. She has served on several state committees to revise mathematics standards and has presented at conferences of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She has also attended special training offered by NASA.
Holden received her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in both early childhood and elementary education and her master’s degree in education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she also earned an Urban Specialist Certification. |
|
Facebook
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!