Kevin Cheung, Richard Taylor, Claudia Buttera and Alexis Luko at the 2014 EduGala ceremony.
Carleton University is proud to announce that three of its outstanding educators have been honoured with 2014 Capital Educators’ Awards.
Claudia Buttera (Biology), Dan Patterson (Geography and Environmental Studies) and Kevin Cheung (Mathematics and Statistics) were among 18 winners who were celebrated at the 2014 EduGala ceremony on Thursday, May 22 at Algonquin College.
The awards recognize outstanding educators’ achievements and celebrate public education in the community across the entire spectrum, from elementary to post-secondary.
The winners were selected from a pool of 65 finalists, six of which were from Carleton, including Alexis Luko (Studies in Art and Culture), Richard Taylor (English Language and Literature) and Shelagh McCartney (Architecture and Urbanism).
A common theme across the Carleton nominations was each educator’s passion for teaching.
Claudia Buttera
One student who nominated Buttera noted her ability to motivate students to keep learning even after they leave the classroom.
“To Claudia, education is not about subject matter; rather it is about the empowerment of students. She creates a passion and excitement in students and can light a spark in an individual that can be harnessed for years to come.”
Dan Patterson
Patterson was also recognized for his student-centred teaching. One of his nominators emphasized how his expertise, passion and drive “combine in an infectious manner to inspire students to become completely engaged in the subject matter, to reach beyond their comfort zones, to embrace a strong and focused work ethic and to achieve significant learning outcomes that have a very practical relevance in their career development.”
Kevin Cheung
Cheung’s caring and supportive personality, along with his use of technology in the classroom, earned him the award. One innovative way that he has incorporated technology in his teaching is through his YouTube channel “MathApptician,” where he creates videos that explain concepts and walk students through examples of some of the math behind apps.
For more information on the awards and this year’s winners, visit www.edugala.ca.