Latest news with #BigIdeasLearning
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
South Hills Child Development Center teacher named Golden Apple Teacher of the Year
The 34th year of the Golden Apple Award ended with the naming of the teacher of the year. The presentation was made on Wednesday night at PennWest Edinboro University. Taylor's Hope spreading addiction, mental health awareness with new billboard The five finalists were named, and then the winner with this year's teacher of the year, was Robin Gilson. She's a teacher from South Hills Child Development Center in Millcreek who was surprised to hear her name. 'Well, I didn't think I'd win the top five, and then when they named me for the teacher award, I was like, I was shocked. It was crazy, just crazy, because all these teachers deserve it,' Gilson said. Golden Apple Award: Robin Gilson – South Hills Child Development Center The Golden Apple is co-sponsored by JET 24, PennWest Edinboro and Big Ideas Learning, which presented the Ron Larsen Cup to Wattsburg Elementary teacher Morgan Kingen. The cup is given for the most creative use of the $250 given to each Golden Apple winner by Big Ideas Learning. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Golden Apple: Reflecting on the 2024-25 winners
Each week, the Golden Apple Award-winning teacher receives $250 from Big Ideas Learning. It's a local company that produces math textbooks and sells them in all 50 states and other countries. The company is headquartered in the former Belle Valley School building. It was started in the 1970s by Tim Larson's dad, Penn State Behrend math professor Ron Larson. He wanted to fix a deficiency in math textbooks. 'Books were not very readable, not very student-friendly. They were difficult to get through. Maybe even intentionally difficult. His idea was that a math textbook should be readable, should be something a person should be able to sit down and understand and enjoy. We always like to say, 'Math isn't really hard unless you make it hard.' The old books were making it hard,' said Tim Larson, Big Ideas Learning's chief product architect. Over the years, Big Ideas Learning has grown to a company of 180 employees. Most of them are working on the Erie campus. In this digital era, you can find Big Ideas Learning math products everywhere 'Every media you can imagine. We do video work. We actually produce thousands of videos a year. We do a lot of digital products of all kinds, delivering book content, practice content. In addition to lots of print. Print is still a big part of what we do,' said Larson. This is the second year Big Ideas Learning has rewarded Golden Apple teachers with a $250 cash prize to help offset costs in the classroom. 'We're an education company. And we're talking to educators every day. And obviously producing products for them. So it's a great fit for us,' said Larson. Once again this year, Big Ideas will be presenting the Larson Cup to one of this year's 27 Golden Apple teachers. It's earned for how creatively they invested their $250 prize. Another way for the local company to say thank you. 'We really do appreciate everything you do. You are the core of learning. This is something research bears out. It's something we believe in strongly, that teachers are the most important part of the learning environment. So this is just a great way to say thank you and to support what you do, thank you so much,' said Larson. Our thanks to Tim Larson and Big Ideas Learning for their support of the Golden Apple Award-winning teacher. Be sure to join JET 24 on Wednesday, May 14, at 7 p.m., where we'll name the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJET/WFXP/
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Golden Apple Award: Shannon Holly, West Lake Middle School
The final week of April marks the final week for honoring a local school teacher with the JET 24 Pennwest University Golden Apple Award. This week, the winning teacher is at West Lake Middle School in Millcreek. Shannon Holly is the music teacher at Westlake. Her mom worked in school and that's what made her choose a career as a teacher. 'I knew I wanted to be in the school in some way,' she said. 'I thought maybe a math teacher. and then that quickly dropped off when I got to high school.' But she added, 'Then I realized music and chorus was my thing, so I just wanted to continue with that, and I'm very glad I have. This has always been my dream job to be a middle school chorus teacher,' she explained. Ms. Holly likens being a music teacher to being a coach. 'Yes, we do music things in here, but we all have to come together as a team on stage to make sure we're singing together as a group,' she said. 'So really it's just about bringing all these different personalities and different uniquenesses together to go toward a common goal.' To reach those goals, it's taken a few years to find the right pitch in the classroom. Holly suggested, 'I really make sure that I get to know the students, what they're doing on the weekend, things that they like. Talking to a student yesterday and found out she's Italian, and they do Sunday dinners. So just small things with students because you have to know your people if you want to work with them and really lead them to success,' Holly said. PennWest University professor Mary Jo Melvin, PhD, said, 'Ms Holly shows her students through music the importance of teamwork, self-discipline and collaboration. And for some students, I think music may be the only voice that they have when there are no words.' This week's student nominator, Andrew Pianta, recently played a lead role in the school musical with encouragement from He said, 'Ms. Holly is a really special teacher to me because I like known her since 4th grade.' He continued, 'She would always say 'bye kiddos' all the time when she would leave, and I thought that was really special. I was originally going to be in orchestra, but I found out was going to be in chorus, so I made that switch to be in class with her,' Pianta said. Like all Golden Apple teachers, Ms Holly received $250 from Big Ideas Learning, an Erie-based math textbook company. 'She found an opportunity to help a student feel like they belong. It opened up a whole world of performance outside a comfort zone, that a student now became a star,' said Damon Finazzo, of Big Ideas Learning. Watch JET 24 on May 14 at 7 p.m. for our annual Golden Apple Awards special presentation. That night, a Teacher of the Year will be selected from among this school year's 27 Golden Apple Award recipients, hosted by JET 24's Lou Baxter. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Golden Apple Award: Walter Chevalier, Fairview Middle School
The Fairview school district is where we found the latest Golden Apple Award-winning teacher. It's where this outstanding educator has spent most of his school years, both as a student and teacher. This week's winner is Walter Chevalier, a middle school English language arts teacher. It's a career just four years old, but already he's learned the importance of making personal connections with his students. 'The students all have their own stories. They all have their own personalities. And just getting to know them and work with them is special and is incredibly rewarding,' Chevalier said. Chevalier is a product of the Fairview School District. Teaching here is like coming home. 'It's just a wonderful experience and it's an honor and privilege truly to give back to a community that's given me so much and to stay invested in such a tight-knit incredible community.' Mr. Chevalier's Golden Apple award comes as the result of a nomination from student Alivia Langer. 'He's very kind and he's caring, and he gave me the encouragement and confidence that I need to improve my grades, and he makes me want to be a better person and love to learn at school,' she said. 'He's everything a teacher should be and more, and he's encouraging her to be the best, and that's pretty special,' PennWest University education professor Mary Jo Melvin, PhD, said. 'His mentoring is really going to make an impact on these students that will really go beyond the walls of this classroom.' Big Ideas Learning, a national math textbook company headquartered in Erie, presented Chevalier with a financial gift of $250 to use in his classroom. 'He's obviously inspired them in so many ways, and so it's just a real honor to let him know how thankful we are for his commitment,' said Courtney Nagle of Big Ideas Learning. Wednesday, April 30, will be our final Golden Apple Award presentation of this school year. Then on Wednesday, May 14, we will announce the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year, as selected by a panel of educators from PennWest University. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Golden Apple Award: Paul Baltzer, Cathedral Prep
It could be history that taught this week's Golden Apple Award winner what it takes to be a great leader in the classroom. Erie's Cathedral Prep is where we found this week's Golden Apple teacher. Paul Baltzer is a graduate of Albion's Northwestern High School, Edinboro University, and has been teaching for 12 years, the last decade at Prep. The Golden Apple Award is in its 34th year of honoring teachers. So someday receiving it was sort of on Mr. Baltzer's professional bucket list. 'It's one of those things where in the back of my mind I've always wanted to have the recognition and today's the day,' Mr Baltzer said with excitement. His students said Mr. Baltzer has an immense passion and dedication to teaching history in ways that make it compelling and enjoyable. To do that, the Golden Apple winner said school is never out, even for the teacher. 'You should keep trying, never give up, you're always improving. It's one of those things, even 10 years here, I'm always improving and trying to build up my knowledge base, how I'm delivering my material and just kind of like never giving up. Always working trying to reach the students,' he said. This week's student nominator said Mr. Baltzer has changed his perspective on school, creating an environment where he can truly learn and grow. 'Mr. Baltzer has always been like really engaging with us. He's taught us in ways I've never been taught before. He's been able to help me understand the material which hasn't happened in a lot of my classes,' said Jacob Miles, a Prep junior. A university professor who teaches teachers to teach gave Mr. Baltzer high marks. 'He's creating not only a positive learning environment but a sense of community. That's important all through the grades but especially when you get into like 11th and 12th grade because he's preparing these students to become better citizens,' said Mary Jo Melvin PhD, PennWest University. National math textbook company Big Ideas Learning of Erie once again rewarded this week's Golden Apple winner. 'It's Mr. Baltzer's relationship with the students that give them the comfort to learn more. And that's really what's opening up their world to all the thing the school offers,' Damon Finazzo, a spokesman for Big Ideas Learning said. Big Ideas Learning presented Mr. Baltzer with a check for $250. The school year is quickly coming to a close, but if you'd like to see your favorite teacher be recognized with a Golden Apple award, you can Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
