News and Events
July 21, 2010
Finalists and Select Winners Announced for 2010 Distinguished Leadership Awards
Leadership Tallahassee and the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce have announced the 2010 finalists of the Distinguished Leadership Awards, as well as the winners of this year’s Lifetime Leadership Award and Godfrey Smith Past Chairmen’s Award.
The awards ceremony, now in its 16th year, will take place on September 16 at 6 p.m., at the University Center Club, and will honor deserving leaders in five categories. Nominations were solicited from the community at large in the spring and a selection committee reviewed the nominations. The following winners and finalists have been chosen in each of the categories:
Lifetime Leadership Award: Recognizes an individual who has made significant, tangible leadership contributions to the Tallahassee community for more than 25 years.
Honoree: John M. Hogan, Capital Health Plan
Godfrey Smith Past Chairmen’s Award: Honors an individual who has provided significant contributions to the business community before, during, and after their tenure as Chairman of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. The award was named after William Godfrey Smith, the first recipient; an individual who epitomized the ideals of honor, dedication and commitment in our community.
Honoree: John Perry Thomas, Thomas Howell Ferguson
Leadership Pacesetter: Given to an individual who is blazing a trail for others to follow by quickly engaging in community leadership activities – and achieving tangible results – as a relative newcomer to Tallahassee or at a relatively young age.
Finalists:
R. Jai Gillum, Florida Department of Financial Services
Dean Inserra, The Well
Theresa “Cissy” Proctor, Bryant Miller and Olive
Julius J. Wiggins, Bethel Community Development Corporation
Opal McKinney-Williams, Ausley Law Firm
Leader of the Year: Awarded to an individual whose ideas, vision and hard work have achieved significant, tangible benefits to the community within the past year.
Finalists:
William G. “Geri” Eaton, The Land Group Real Estate Services
Jane Barron, Terrie Brooks and Marvin Mayer, Red Hills International Horse Trials
Chris L. Jensen, Jr., Prime Meridian Bank
Liz Joyner, The Village Square
Kelly T. Otte, Oasis Center for Women and Girls
Servant Leadership: This individual has demonstrated consistent community leadership and begun to achieve results beyond a single field of endeavor, combining efforts in business and non-profit organizations.
Finalists:
Kristine E. Knab, Legal Services of North Florida
Sean A. Pittman, Pittman Law Group, P.L.
Dr. Carolyn Ryals, KopyKat Copy Center
Mark Schlackman, FSU Center for the Advancement of Human Rights
Dr. Joseph l. Webster, Sr. Institute for African American Health, Inc.
The event is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and acts as Leadership Tallahassee’s major community fundraiser, with proceeds benefitting the Youth Leadership Tallahassee program.
Sponsored tables are available for $1,000 and individual reservations for $100. To secure your spot at this year’s event, please contact Barbara Boone at (850) 521-3112 or bboone@talchamber.com.
July 21, 2010
FSU Researchers Awarded $1 Million Grant To Help Teens Become More Proficient In Science
When it comes to teaching science, American middle and high schools tend to follow a less-than-effective, “cookbook-based” model, according to a Florida State University researcher.
“Students are simply given a set of instructions, or a ‘recipe,’ to follow during a science lab, but they usually don’t understand the data they gather or how to make sense of it,” said Victor Sampson, an assistant professor in the Florida State University College of Education and an expert on science education.
To help develop a more effective model for teaching science, Sampson and two Florida State colleagues have received a $1 million grant to refine a new instructional approach known as argument-driven inquiry (ADI), which aims to help students think more critically about science.
The funding was awarded to FSU’s Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (FCR-STEM) as part of a nationwide, five-year initiative by the Institute of Educational Sciences, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.
According to Sampson, the FSU project’s principal investigator, the cookbook-based model for designing science lab activities is not an effective way to help students understand the content or practices of science. The ADI model, on the other hand, requires students to develop their own method in order to answer a research question during a lab activity. To do this, they must generate evidence, explanations and arguments, then present “claims” to classmates, who will critique their validity.
“This process teaches students how to be critical consumers of information and helps them learn how to generate and evaluate scientific arguments,” Sampson said.
The ADI model was developed using research examining how students learn and retain information and consists of eight defined steps. The research team — including co-principal investigators Ellen Granger, director of Florida State’s Office of Science Teaching Activities and co-director of the innovative FSU-Teach program, and Sherry Southerland, a professor in the College of Education and the other FSU-Teach co-director — will be tweaking the model over the next three years so it can be used in a wide variety of educational contexts.
As part of this project, the team will develop 64 different lab experiences using the ADI model. These labs will then be used in ethnically diverse classrooms over the course of the academic year. Pre- and post- assessments of students’ understanding and abilities, along with student work samples such as investigation reports, peer reviews and diagnostic assessments, will be collected to determine how students are developing science proficiency over time.
For the first two years of the project, the lab experiences will be implemented in biology, chemistry, physical-science and life-science courses at the Florida State University Schools, one of the College of Education’s secondary charter schools. The third and final year, they will branch out to other schools within the Leon and Gadsden County school districts.
The project is part of $42 million received by Florida State researchers to support improved student outcomes through innovative techniques. The Institute of Educational Services awarded a total of $96 million in research funding for nationwide projects ranging from preschool to postsecondary topics.
“By making lab experiences more authentic and educative, the ADI instructional model could greatly increase the number of high school graduates proficient in science,” Sampson said.
July 21, 2010
Take Advantage of Beneficial Workshops at Conference
The Annual Chamber Community Conference is just around the corner, and the August 13 - 15 agenda is packed full of business tools, resources and networking opportunities. Click HERE to view the full agenda including this year's breakout sessions covering topics important to business owners:
I Need Marketing Advice Now: Low Cost Strategies For Your Business
Riding the Wave of Employment Law Changes
Business Owner's Guide for the 2010 Ballot
30 Cost Saving Ideas in 60 Minutes
From IP to Jobs, Commercializing University Research
Where Are We Now: Projects Sparking Job Growth
Regional Economic Engines
REGISTER HERE for the conference and to book your room at the beautiful Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa.
