One teacher each from North Gwinnett Middle School and East Jackson Elementary School are 2016-2017 Innovation in Teaching Competition winners.
Cheri Nations of North Gwinnett is an 8th grade science teacher. Kaycie Rogers is a 3rd grade, science and social studies teacher at East Jackson Elementary.
They're among three total winners of the Georgia Department of Education honor.
This year's competition rewarded teachers focused on one of the following priority areas: applied learning with a focus on STEAM education, language and literacy skills, blended learning and innovative practices to close the achievement gap. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
Nations was selected for her work in applied learning with a focus on STEAM education. Rogers was honored for innovative practices to close the achievement gap.
Each winner will receive a $3,000 stipend and a $4,000 school grant to support innovative instructional strategies.
The winners will be filmed teaching a unit and interviewed about preparation for the unit. The videos, along with unit plans and supplementary materials, will be made available to other educators, parents, institutions of higher education and other educational stakeholders.
Claudia Fitzwater, a Spanish teacher at Drew Charter School in Atlanta was the third winner.
