Educator "Up Close"

Bob Foor-Hogue South Carroll High School

Picture an empty Vo-Tech shop. Now add about 9 recirculating aquaculture systems of various sizes containing approximately 3,000 gallons of water used for raising a variety of fish, a workshop, a wind tunnel, a computer lab/classroom and a small office. Now picture yourself teaching students in an environment like this. Distracting? Not if the students are actively involved in the design, construction, maintenance, research, trouble-shooting, grant writing and application of some, or all of these pieces, to enhance critical thinking and problem solving.

For the past 13 years, Bob Foor-Hogue has been motivating students at South Carroll HS, and other educators around Maryland, with his brand of science instruction that can best be described as "organized chaos" in a course partly designed by him entitled Science Research. The focus in his classroom is not biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics or technology, it is students. The students are the ones who will ultimately decide what their focus will be and become responsible for the research, development, and implementation of their ideas. When the bell rings at the start of each class, students go straight to work - completely by-passing the traditional be-in-your-seat-when-the-bell-rings and-we'll-start-with-a-warm-up approach.

Last year Mr. Foor-Hogue was the Maryland Teacher of the Year and has contributed significantly to the development of improved science instruction in Maryland by opening his doors to any educator who may want to drop by his classroom for a visit. This has enabled other counties to adopt the Science Research philosophy and implement courses this Fall for the first time.

While periodicals and newspapers are full of science education reform articles and new approaches for developing critical thinking skills, we should all take some time to recognize the excellence in education in our own community - great things are happening.Oh, by the way, Mr. Foor-Hogue is giving evening seminars for all the Towson University student teachers assigned to Carroll County.

Educator "Up Close Candidates

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn01_1/educator.html