Amanda Tulli DKG STEAM Award The Pearson News

'A' in STEAM: Amanda Tulli Wins DKG Scholarship Award

by Darren Becker

The Lester B. Pearson School Board Administration is pleased to offer its congratulations to Amanda Tulli, who works as an Art/Tech teacher at Riverview Elementary School, for winning the first ever DKG Quebec STEAM Scholarship Award.

The award of $200 will be given annually to an elementary educator in Quebec who creates engaging lessons and creative learning opportunities in the classroom through cross-cultural approaches. This is demonstrated by fostering STEAM skills: problem solving, collaboration, creativity, ingenuity, critical thinking, and communication.

Amanda’s candidacy was the result of a recommendation made by DKG Quebec.

“It is entirely fitting that Amanda was honoured with this award. She is such a motivated and inspirational educator who has at heart her commitment to preparing students for life-long learning by developing their confidence and abilities using innovation while embracing creativity as expressed through multiple intelligences,” said Ms. Allison Brown, Principal of Riverview.

To qualify, Ms. Tulli was asked to describe how her school implements STEAM-oriented lesson plans, cross-curricular STEAM approaches, and participation in STEAM events or professional development activities.

She officially received the award at a ceremony that took place at the school in mid-April to mark the beginning of Literacy Week.
Ms. Dianea Carroll Phillips, president of DKG Quebec, was on hand to deliver the award. She referred to a project in which Ms. Tulli’s students made books over a four-month period.
“This is incredible,” said Ms. Phillips. “Again, you’re bringing in all aspects of content, and that’s where STEAM is at its finest. It’s cross-curricular, connected.”

In the books, photos the students had taken in the Verdun area around Riverview were accompanied by poems they had written. They learned about photography, explored the neighbourhood, scouted locations and took the photos. They also formatted the photos to suit the application used to then layout and print the books. Students knew that the books would be available in the library for others to read. Copies of the book would be printed by a company specializing in self-publishing.

“We also asked the board to print miniature versions of the book,” explained Ms. Tully, “so that each student could get a copy, because I really wanted the students to take one home and read it with their families, and have a moment, like a memory, where they said, ‘I was part of something greater than myself. I was part of something that the whole school took part in, and I will be remembered for my contribution.’”
“What’s more meaningful than the community that you live in, right?”