Beebe Elementary LRC Director receives Jacobs Educator Award from Indiana University
Beebe Elementary School’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) Director Josh Mika is one of four teachers from three states to receive the Jacobs Educator Award from Indiana University School of Education. The annual award honors Pre-K- 12 teachers from across the country who use technology to support innovative, inquiry-based teaching and learning activities in their classrooms.
Mika has taught in Beebe’s library and media center for nine years and previously taught fourth and fifth grades for eight years, also at Beebe Elementary.
Each of the Jacobs Educators will share their expertise and experiences with teacher education students and faculty at Indiana University. Mika is the first teacher-librarian to be added to the program.
“The opportunity to share my experience as an educator and give back to pre-service teachers is the real honor of the Jacobs Educator program,” noted Mika in a news release. “Helping the next generation of educators by providing them experiences with innovative use of technology in the classroom will help students everywhere.”
In 2011, Mika was named an Apple Distinguished Educator and he now serves on the U.S. Apple Distinguished Educator Advisory Board, responsible for planning and implementing annual summer institutes. Mika holds a doctorate of education from Aurora University, where his research focused on the mobile generation. He speaks regularly at national EdTech and Library Media conferences and also works with the Illinois State Library as an instructor for Illinois ILEAD USA. ILEAD stands for Innovative Librarians Explore, Apply and Discover, an organization that promotes best use of technology by librarians.
The other three 2014-2015 recipients are: Kate Baker from New Jersey, Tricia Fuglestad from Arlington Heights, and Karen Mensing from Arizona. The Jacobs Educator Award is possible though a $1 million gift from the late Barbara B. Jacobs. Her previous philanthropy established the Jacobs Chair in Education and Technology at the IU School of Education in 1998.
Story and photo submitted by Jen Hannon, Media Specialist, Naperville Community Unit School District 203
