CEA TEACHERS OF THE YEAR 2009

Journal of Correctional Education, Sep 2009

The Correctional Education Association and the Journal of Correctional Education would like to extend sincere congratulations to each of the nine Teachers of the Year recipients. Each has earned this honor through exceptional work and contributions to their respective facilities.

Teaching in the correctional setting offers challenges well beyond the traditional classroom. In addition to the flexibility, adaptability, and persistence needed by any teacher, a correctional educator must also be willing to fulfill job duties well beyond the scope of the traditional classroom. Through all of this, the correctional educator must maintain a rapport with his or her students that allows students to learn and grow as individuals and to return to society with hope for the future.

Region I- Colleen Curfman

Region II - Steven Logan

Region III - DeNeal Ericksen

Region IV - Jennifer Boe Mesojedec

Region V - Pamela K. Patterson

Region VI - Dawn K. Kennedy-Haeder

Region VII - Margaret Puffer

Region VIII - De bra Page Branson

Region IX - Karen Leffler

Region I

Teacher of the Year

Colleen Curfman

Colleen Curfman is the English instructor and head teacher at Youth Forestry Camp #3, in Pennsylvania. She has been teaching at YFC #3 since 1983. She has taught life skills, developmental reading, developmental math and English during the course of her 25 year stay. Colleen has been a CEA member since 1993. Colleen has been on various CEA Conference committees and is currently the secretary for Region 1 CEA. She also plays an active role on Youth Forestry Camp#3's CEA Standards committee.

Colleen is very active outside the classroom. For years she was an Odyssey of the Mind coach for a local elementary school and a Cub Scout leader. Recently, she has been involved in the Trough Creek Valley Fire Company, the Trough Creek United Methodist Church and both the football and track booster clubs at Southern Huntingdon County High School. She enjoys watching high school sports, directing her church youth Christmas musical, reading, cooking and family activities and vacations. She and her husband Wayne have two sons, Austin and Collin.

Region II

Teacher of the Year

Steven Logan

Steve Logan is the Business/Computer Teacher at the Mount Olive Correctional Center, a Maximum Security Prison in Fayette County, West Virginia. He has been offering classes for male, adult inmates since October 2003.

Steve teaches on a rotating basis, 16 courses in the business/computer curriculum that articulate for college credit, including: Business Math, Business Law, Business Principles 8- Management, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Discovering Computers, Spreadsheet Applications, Database Applications, Presentation Graphics, Word Processing Applications, Computer Programming using Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Office, Keyboarding I, II, III, and IV A few other course offerings serve interested student: Introduction to Computers, Hit the Ground Running Computer Component, with upcoming plans for Microsoft Office Advanced instruction to be available for Certiport Examinations offered for students wishing to earn Miaosoft Office Specialists Certification.

All courses taught by Steve Logan utilize to some degree his specially designed and created browser-based course delivery system patterned after university distance learning systems. In lieu of having true Internet access, Steve has utilized his classroom file server to allow desktop access to his browser pages and hyperlinks to his course materials, simulating actual web-based learning. The automated system not only incorporates LFS (Learning Focused Strategies), but also will accommodate "Open Entry/Open Exit" course instruction. When used for "Open Entry/Open Exit" classes, his system is self-paced and allows students to enroll at any phase throughout the instructional term.

Prior to teaching at the prison, Steve was a fulKime university instructor from 1999 to 2003 in Ogden, Utah, having taught in the Department of Information Systems & Technologies, Goddard School of Business 8- Economics, Weber State University. He was a professor for 15 years in California at Saddleback College, having taught in the Computer Management 8 lnpnmation Department, School of Business Science.

Steve has more than ten years of high school teaching experience (business a speech), as well as a number of years of hands-on technical experience when he was employed in public utility and aerospace industries.

Region III

Teacher of the Year

DeNeal Ericlcsen

Since 2002, DeNeal has taught the Office Assistant Technical Degree program at R. E. Ellsworth Correctional Center (REECC). This program includes learning word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, publishing software and professional development skills. Prior to her employment at REECC, DeNeal taught Microcomputer Applications at the Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility from 1999 to 2002 and was a WI-DOC Badger State Industries Supervisor from 1992 to 1999.

Drawing upon her computer skills, DeNeal is responsible for maintaining the Wisconsin Department of Corrections' (WI-DOC) education wide-area network (EdNet). She is one of only three EdNet Domain Coordinators. She has written and maintains the EdNet Administrator Manual. Additionally, DeNeal provides computer training for WI-DOC staff at REECC and Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center.