News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE FEBRUARY 22, 2005

Sue Wilson, Grant recipient and Associate Professor of Education at ABAC, addresses the participants of the Improving Teacher Quality Showcase.

TEACHER SHOWCASE REACHES COMPLETION

TIFTON - The recent Improving Teacher Quality Showcase at Abraham Baldwin College represented the final segment of a $27,800 U.S. Department of Education grant. Administered by the University of Georgia, ABAC was one of only three community colleges awarded the grant for 2004-2005; all other recipients were four-year institution programs or special projects.

Titled Compare/Prepare/Share, the grant brought together 23 faculty members from ABAC and the Tift County School System. After an initial get-acquainted meeting in August, participants began working in small groups, based on their subject areas.

Their purpose was to exchange resources and share information about requirements, expectations, and effective teaching practices in subjects assessed by the Georgia Department of Education End of Course Tests.

The tests cover Algebra, United States History, Economics, Biology, Physical Science, American Literature, and Ninth Grade Literature and Composition.

“ The interaction was amazing,” said Sue Wilson, ABAC’s coordinator for the grant. “ Teachers used e-mail a lot, many met on weekends or in the evenings for informal discussions, and several made classroom visits. They really seemed to enjoy this collaboration, and came to appreciate the rewards and challenges their partners experience.”

Wilson said the Showcase was the culmination of several months of work between ABAC and Tift County teachers. The presentations showed how teachers, working together, identified strengths and weaknesses in the subject areas they share. They discovered new resources and new ways to approach instruction.

“This was a win-win situation for all of us,” Wilson said.

ABAC participants were Dr. Jeff Gibbs, Dr. Bobbie Robinson, Maria Cahill, Geoff Clement, Joy Shurley, Melanie McDaniel, Dr. Ray Barber, Beth Thornton, Al Kress, Dr. Barry Miburo, Dr. Larry McGruder, and Dr. James Galt-Brown.

Tift County School System participants were Sonya May, Debra Sellars, Coni Holt, MeLisa King, Jane Houston, Kim Seigler, Patti Barber, Amy Heidt, Laurie Diffie, John O’Brien, and Craig Dean.

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