School of Education Faculty Named Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year

From UC News:

School of Education Faculty named Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year

University of Cincinnati associate professor of science and STEM education, Carla C. Johnson, EdD, has been selected Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year 2013 by the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE), a worldwide organization—with more than 800 members—that promotes excellence in science teacher education.

The sole award recipient, Johnson was recognized for the significant impact she’s made to the field of science education in the first 10 years of her career.

Known for her teaching innovation, Johnson has worked to provide the Cincinnati region with high-quality, effective science learning experiences. She redesigned middle school science methods coursework to infuse the use of iPad technology, allowing students to engage with blogs, wikis, and other strategies in their learning of science pedagogy. She also received funding from Time Warner Cable to implement her conceptualized program STEM Explorers in 2010-11. This regional TV series included students from Hughes STEM High School who hosted a live television audience at the Cincinnati Museum Center and were the cast of the “Bill Nye-ish” local science education program. Johnson not only wrote the content for the show, but also coached students through the production process and worked with them to teach concepts and strategies.

Students and teachers benefit from Johnson’s demonstrated success procuring funding for and developing science teacher education programs focused on the integration of culturally relevant science pedagogy and enhanced student learning of science. She enables teachers to become more effective at teaching science, by providing them with professional development opportunities that include sustained experiences with content knowledge coursework, support for learning and implementing new teaching strategies, and for building collaboration at the school level in order to sustain reform efforts.

Johnson has an extensive research record, with over 30 peer-reviewed publications, 9 book chapters, and 1 edited book. Her research has been published in Journal of Science Teacher Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, Urban Education, School Science and Mathematics Journal, and other research journals. Her research has been used by the Office of Science and Technology in the White House and has been the focus of best practice in STEM profiled in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Bulletin. She also serves as the Editor of the School Science and Mathematics journal and on the editorial board of the Journal of Science Teacher Education (for ASTE).  She has also received many accolades during her short career, including:

• Golden Apple Award, 2011 and 2012
• Excellence in Integrating Science and Mathematics Award, School Science and Mathematics Association, 2012
• Outstanding Early Career Scholar Award, School Science and Mathematics Association, 2006
• Outstanding Doctoral Student of the Year Award, College of Education, University of Cincinnati, 2003
• Upward Bound Award of Distinction, Upward Bound Program, 2002
• Franklin B. Walter Award for Outstanding Teaching, Ohio Department of Education, 2001
• Teacher of the Year Award, Winton Woods City School District, 1999