THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504140170
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Can you top this?
Students in Richard Furlough's class can put chocolate, crushed pineapple or candy on their science projects.
Every spring, the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy chemistry teacher turns his classroom into a kitchen so students can better understand the simple chemical reaction involved in making ice cream. Students produce their own concoction in less than 25 minutes by shaking a tennis ball can packed with a basic custard mixture, rock salt and ice cubes.
``This is not your traditional chemistry lab,'' Furlough said. ``Anything kids can put their hands on makes learning easier for them. And they have fun with this because they get to eat their projects. . . .
Innovative techniques like this helped earn Furlough one of 100 awards in the Tandy Technology Scholars Program, a contest that recognizes the country's best math, science and computer science teachers.
One of his former students, Rob Korty, 18, received an honorable mention in the competition's student division. NSA is the only school in Virginia to have winners in both the teacher and student categories.
Applicants were judged on their classroom accomplishments, essay questions about the role of science in society and reference letters from people in the community.
Furlough, selected from more than 2,000 other teachers, received a $2,500 prize. He has taught at NSA for the past eight years and spends a great deal of time teaching instructional techniques to other science teachers at state and national conferences.
One of more than 8,000 student applicants from across the country, Korty received a certificate of recognition. The NSA senior from Portsmouth is planning to become a meteorologist and will be studying physics at the University of Virginia next fall.
``I was surprised when I found out I won honorable mention,'' Korty said.
Furlough said Korty is one of the best students he has ever taught.
``The difference between being a Tandy prize winner and honorable mention winner is a very, very, very thin line,'' Furlough said. ``At that level, judges have a hard time distinguishing between the two.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
NSA chemistry teacher Richard Furlough, left, and Rob Korty,
formerly one of Furlough's students, were Tandy prize winners.
by CNB