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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Monta Vista teacher Tim Krieger has been teaching AP biology and leadership classes at the school for the past four years. Krieger's students spend approximately two months working on the development of products like those seen behind him.
Teacher gets 'Innovator Award'
Monta Vista teacher is recognized as an 'Internet Innovator'
By George Moore
Tim Krieger was teaching his third period Advanced Placement biology class at Monta Vista High School on the morning of Oct. 18 when there was a knock on his classroom door. Outside the door was a "Prize Patrol" made up of representatives from National Semiconductor who were joined by Cupertino Mayor Sandra James and a local television crew.
"It was quite a surprise," Krieger said.
The group was there to announce to Krieger that he had won the "Internet Innovator Award" handed out by National Semiconductor for the past four years. The award is in recognition of effective ways teachers involve their students with the Internet in the classroom, and the first for a teacher from a Cupertino school.
Krieger's award had a $30,000 check attached to it--$10,000 for his own use and $20,000 for the school. Jenkins said the money for the school was to be used for staff development to further the use of the Internet on campus, and some could be spent for purchasing computer hardware and software.
Krieger, 26, said one of the students projects in the AP biology class is to design and produce a biological product that is original and must have a practical use to society. This has been part of the AP biology curriculum for quite some time, but Krieger added the Internet aspect to it.
Krieger, who has taught at Monta Vista for four years, said he applied for the award online at the National Semiconductor website, and the main criterion was demonstrating how the Internet was used in the classroom.
LuAnn Jenkins, a public relations representative at National Semiconductor, said a panel of experts on educational technology chooses the winner after reviewing the applications.
"Tim got his students involved with a collaboration of different ideas on the Internet, and we were impressed with how it was used with the project," Jenkins said.
Krieger said students created two websites--one as a means of communication and to have the ability to work on the project, and the other to actually promote and sell their finished product. He said students were able to log onto the group site to exchange email messages and work on product design applications. He said they also used the Internet for research and development of their product. Some of the "products" include ant and snail repellants, sticker removers, shoe cleaners, grass stain removers and glow-in-the-dark hair gels (just in time for Halloween).
For more detailed product descriptions and a look at the website, go to www.mvhs.fuhsd.org/tkrieger/apbio/biotech/description.htm.
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