2011 Mathematics Awardee

This award is recognition of my commitment to helping students succeed. This honor is a testament to my great teachers, mentors, colleagues, and administrators, who have modeled, encouraged, and supported great teaching for me. The Presidential Award is motivating and inspires me to promote excellence in education through quality mathematics instruction. It is exhilarating to know that my efforts have such an incredible impact on students.

Karla Digmann has been an educator for 13 years and has been teaching mathematics at George Washington Middle School for the past 10 years. She has also taught middle school and high school mathematics in both Preston and Dyersville, IA.

Karla currently teaches Geometry, Algebra, and Pre-algebra to eighth graders. In addition, she coaches the school's MathCounts team and facilitates a mathematics club. Karla shares her love and enthusiasm for mathematics using activities that engage students. She continuously searches for new strategies to reach students.

As a leader in her school and district, Karla has led teacher in-service trainings and provided mentoring opportunities. She has helped implement the middle school mathematics curriculum, develop common assessments, and incorporate technology into classrooms. Karla is a member of her school's Site Council, Renaissance Committee, and School In Need of Assistance Team. She is also a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Karla has a B.S. in mathematics and teacher education, magna cum laude, from Loras College and an M.A. in teaching middle school mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa. She is certified in secondary mathematics with a middle school endorsement.

Mathematics Past Awardees

2011 Science Awardee

I am honored and humbled by being selected to receive this award. I have been blessed to be part of the best teaching and learning environment in Iowa, possibly in the Nation. Price Laboratory School is a place where teachers are encouraged to think outside the box and we, in turn, seek to inspire our students to do the same. Our talented team of teachers stimulate each other to creatively develop and implement ways to get kids to think more deeply, be more creative, and want to try harder.

Jody Stone has taught high school chemistry at Malcolm Price Laboratory School/Northern University High School on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa for the past 34 years. She has also taught middle school science and fifth grade science, in addition to teaching graduate courses in science education.

Jody’s unique position at her school has allowed her to work extensively on curriculum development, using her science classroom as a laboratory for the creation and testing of new ideas. This has benefited teachers both in Iowa and across the Nation. Her work includes programs such as CRISTAL and BIOMES. Through extensive grant work, she has presented workshops for Iowa teachers aimed at helping them move to a more inquiry-based, student-centered teaching model. Frequent presentations at National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) conferences, as well as publications in NSTA journals, have helped ensure that her creative teaching ideas are shared with teachers throughout the country.

Jody has a B.S. in science and an M.A.T. in science education from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. in science education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is National Board Certified in adolescent science and is certified to teach high school physical science/chemistry.

Science Past Awardees