2017 Medal Winners | francais

The 2017 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Prairies and Northwest Territories)

is awarded to

Karen Kennedy-Allin

"I am very honoured and excited to receive this award of teaching excellence in Physics. It has always been my goal to make Physics more interesting, more inquiry-based and more fun for my students. I have had amazing professional development opportunities at the Perimeter Institute and through developing curriculum in Saskatchewan. These experiences with other teachers and Physics experts have contributed greatly to the way that I teach today. I wish to thank the Canadian Association of Physicists as well as my colleagues who nominated me for this award. This is even more motivation to keep growing and innovating. Thank you!!" winner citation

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) is pleased to announce that the 2017 CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching High School/CEGEP Physics (Prairies and Northwest Territories) is awarded to Karen Kennedy-Allin, Weyburn Comprehensive School, in recognition of her multiple leadership roles with students, other physics teachers, with First Nations, and in the community that have communicated a passion for physics in all that she does, from classroom teaching to curriculum development.. announcement

Karen Kennedy-Allin is a dynamic, student-centered teacher, who always tries to inspire her students with her enthusiasm and passion for Physics. Whether it is with hands on marshmallow launchers and rollercoaster projects, or mind-blowing modern Physics, her students remain engaged and active in their learning process.

Karen believes very strongly in sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with other teachers, as others have done for her. Since she first attended the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in 2008 she has facilitated workshops in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba showcasing the modern physics resources she learned about. She has also mentored teachers within her school division by providing outlines, unit and lesson plans for Physics 30, as well as working in groups to develop resources.

As one of four teachers chosen to write the new Physics 30 curriculum for the province of Saskatchewan, Karen has worked with the Ministry of Learning for the past three years. Over the course of this time, Physics 30 has transformed from mostly classical physics to a more balanced approach between modern and classical. She went into the curriculum process with a strong belief that students needed to be made aware of the cutting edge of Physics and that since there is so much left to be studied, it is a worthwhile career consideration for high school students. Karen will be a part of the new curriculum implementation this fall and will continue to work with as many teachers as possible. nominator citation

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