Belle Harbor’s Teacher of the Year

Three years ago, Barbara King had no Internet or Web knowledge and was teaching students about technology on a chalkboard. This year, she coached two winning teams in the ThinkQuest N.Y.C. Internet Challenge and the NBC Universal Digital Media Visions for Tomorrow competitions, and ThinkQuest N.Y.C. named her the “2007 Veteran Teacher of the Year.”

As an educator and mother of three, King began to realize a few years ago how vital computer knowledge is for any young person joining the 21st-century workforce.

Before she could help students, she had to increase her own knowledge of the Web. So she enrolled in professional development classes about the Internet and Web site design, offered through the diocesan Education Office, the N.Y.C. Board of Education and ThinkQuest.

Since September, 2005, she’s been integrating her skills into lessons and passing them onto students at both St. Francis de Sales, Belle Harbor, and Good Shepherd School, Marine Park, where she teaches conversational Spanish part-time.

“Technology is so very important to help these children to advance and prepare for the future. She (King) really has taken this and gone forward,” said Sister Patricia Ann Chelius, C.S.J., St. Francis principal.

King plans to continue going forward with technology and has a SMART Board on her wish list for next year so classroom lessons can become more interactive and enjoyable.

back to top