Hillsborough County Teacher Named 2012 PBS LearningMedia Innovator Award Winner

TAMPA, Fla. - April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- “Pre-School children are a curious bunch of kids! They have so many questions and I was actively searching for a way to answer them,” said Kelley Beall, a Hillsborough County District Resource Teacher.

It was during an educator workshop presented by WEDU, West Central Florida’s primary Public Broadcasting Station, that Kelley found the answer she had been looking for.

“When I met Sid the Science Kid, I thought, ‘I have to get Sid in my Pre-K program.’ So, off to work I went.”

Kelley partnered with WEDU and The Jim Henson Group to create a complete science curriculum pilot program that was presented during the 2012 summer VPK program to 40 classrooms and over 800 children.

Due to the success of the program, Kelley Beall has been named a 2012 PBS LearningMedia Innovator Award Winner. The Teacher Innovator Awards recognize 30 PreK-12 educators across the country that are using digital media in new and unique ways to improve students’ learning across key subject areas.

“WEDU is excited about the wonderful partnership with Hillsborough County Schools and the use of quality PBS resources that led to the creation of the Sid the Science Kid program. We are looking forward to future projects with Hillsborough and other area school districts,” said Susan Howarth, WEDU President and CEO.

Kelley attended an educator workshop presented by WEDU in January 2012 that featured free resources available to educators including PBS LearningMedia which WEDU offers online locally at: http://florida.pbslearningmedia.org/.

Kelley was presented with her 2012 PBS LearningMedia Innovator Award during WEDU’s April Board Meeting. As one of ten first place winners, Kelley will participate in an all-expense paid, week-long “Innovation Immerse Experience” at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan in August 2013 and will receive a free online professional development course for PBS Teacherline.

To learn more about Kelley’s winning innovative project, visit: http://video.wedu.org/video/2309978781

(L-R): WEDU Board Chair, Bronson Thayer; WEDU Director of Educational Services Gail Taylor, 1st Place PBS Teacher Innovation Award Winner, Kelley Beall, WEDU President and CEO, Susan Howarth.

About PBS LearningMedia
As America’s largest classroom, teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS LearningMedia, a partnership of PBS and WGBH Educational Foundation, is a free media-on-demand service available to educators nationwide. It brings together the best of public media and delivers research-based, classroom-ready rich media experiences that engage students in exploring curriculum concepts that align with National and Common Core State Standards. Drawing from critically acclaimed PBS programs such as NOVA, Frontline, American Experience and PBS KIDS programs like Sid The Science Kid, as well as content from organizations including The National Archives Smithsonian, NPR, and NASA, the free service offers teachers access to more than 20,000 videos, images and articles to enrich classroom instruction. Nationwide, more than 850,000 teachers have registered access to PBS LearningMedia. More information about PBS LearningMedia is available at www.pbslearningmedia.org, or by following PBS LearningMedia on Twitter (http://twitter.com/PBSLrnMedia) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pbslearningmedia).

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, is the world’s premier history destination and a National Historic Landmark that celebrates American history and innovation. Its mission is to provide unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Its purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future. Five distinct attractions at The Henry Ford captivate more than 1.5 million visitors annually: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates 485 students a year on the institution’s campus and was founded in partnership with The Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company and Wayne County Public Schools. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org (http://www.thehenryford.org/index.aspx).

ABOUT WEDU

WEDU is West Central Florida’s leading PBS station and public media company reaching 16 counties through media platforms including on-air programming and online experiences that broaden horizons, transport and transform and open gateways to new ideas and new worlds. Financially supported by the community, the organization offers a wealth of award-winning inspirational, educational and enlightening content over a variety of multi-media platforms including: television programming, station’s website, wedu.org (http://www.wedu.org/) and various social media platforms, monthly member magazine Premiere, educational outreach activities and a myriad of special events.  WEDU’s focus on the local community has resulted in the station being regarded as a beacon of trust for men, women and children of every walk of life no matter their age, ethnicity or socio-economic status. WEDU is a treasured community resource; a window to the world for the homebound and a vital educational source for the youngest members of society.  WEDU prides itself on its position in the Tampa Bay community as a leader, partner, informed citizen and a member of PBS, the most trusted institution in America (Harris Interactive Trust QuickQuery, February 2012).

For more information, program schedules or to support WEDU visit wedu.org; WEDU Public Media on Facebook and Twitter or call 813.254.9338.

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