For the students in Holly Doe’s class, science and technology are all about what they can make and do. They’re never sitting still. She engages young learners in hands-on activities, such as building robots with Legos, which encourage them to develop science and technology skills with real-world applications. And she makes it fun.
Holly’s innovative lessons have earned her the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the nation’s highest honor for math and science teachers. Holly, who earned her M.Ed. in Educational Technology from Lesley in 1999, teaches robotics at Pelham Elementary School and advises the Pelham, NH, school district on the integration of technology into the classroom.
She points out that students enjoy building, testing, and improving their constructions. “Instead of teaching them a skill in isolation, they see how relevant these skills are to real life,” she says.