MERCER Teacher nominated for award

The teacher is one of seven Pennsylvania finalists for a presidential award.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
MERCER, Pa. -- Students in Michael Dreves' high school math class at Mercer High School have been known to attach Barbie dolls to bungee cords and drop them down a school stairwell.
The goal isn't to bounce the dolls off the floor, but to see how close the students can get the dolls to the floor without actually touching it.
To do that, they must use mathematical equations worked out ahead of time in the classroom and then apply what they've learned to the ensure that Barbie survives her jump.
It was that type of innovative teaching technique that earned Dreves a position as one of only seven Pennsylvania finalists for the 2005 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation's highest honor for K-12 teaching in those fields.
Recipients of the awards will be announced in March.
"I try to do a lot of activities," Dreves said in explaining his teaching methods. The idea is to get the kids involved and interested, he added.
Rite of spring
The Barbie bungee jump in a school stairwell is an event that occurs in his classroom every spring, he said.
"I have an active teaching style that requires the students to use inquiry or discovery learning. Most of the time, I try to grab the students' attention early and let them discover most of the concepts on their own," he said.
"Finding new ideas and becoming a better teacher have always been goals of mine. It is always possible to be more effective and reach more kids."
Dreves is in his fifth year of teaching at Mercer. He previously taught for four years in the Titusville Area School District.
The goal of the presidential awards is to identify and recognize highly qualified teachers. A maximum of 108 winners representing the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions are announced each year.
Winners participate in a weeklong series of activities in Washington, D.C., and also receive $10,000 from the National Science Foundation.
The honorees are exceptional professional models of what we are looking for in science and mathematics teachers, said Dr. Celeste Pea, program director of Elementary, Secondary Informal Education programs at the National Science Foundation.
"They strive to provide opportunities for their students to reach their potential in their respective schools and communities," she said.
gwin@vindy.com