Austin Educator Wins National Teacher Appreciation Day Honor

Washington, D.C. – ReadingRockets.org, a national multimedia literacy project, has named Jessica Fiedler of the Corner School in Austin, Texas, as a national Teacher We Appreciate. The selection was based on a nomination made by Shaila Abdullah, a parent of one of Fiedler's preschool students. Abdullah cited Fiedler's ability to capture the imagination of her students and draw out their ability to resolve disputes among themselves.

Fiedler will be awarded a $100 gift certificate to ReadingRockets.org's new online store, LearningStore.org, and Abdullah will receive a video iPod loaded with ReadingRockets.org podcasts.

"Teachers are at the heart of our mission," said Noel Gunther, executive director of ReadingRockets.org. "A skilled teacher is a critical component to good literacy instruction, and much of our project is devoted to helping teachers master research-based reading instruction. We wanted to help celebrate some of those outstanding teachers in honor of all the educators who make a difference every day in the lives of children."

"Jessica has the unique talent to spark a young preschooler's imagination and help them develop creative thinking," said Abdullah. "She makes every child feel special and empowered."

ReadingRockets.org is part of an ongoing public broadcasting station WETA Washington, D.C., initiative. The project uses television, the Internet, print, and outreach to disseminate research-based information about teaching young children how to read. WETA is the third-largest producing station of programming for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the flagship public broadcaster in the nation's capital. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO of WETA.

ReadingRockets.org is funded primarily by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.

A new PBS documentary, A Chance to Read, hosted by Molly Ringwald and produced by ReadingRockets.org, is expected to air in fall 2007 on public television stations across the country. The 30-minute program is the ninth episode of the award-winning Reading Rockets: Launching Young Readers series.

ReadingRockets.org sister sites include LDOnLine.org, the world's leading Web site on learning disabilities and ADHD; and ColorinColorado.org, the first major, comprehensive bilingual Web site for Spanish-speaking families and teachers of English language learners.

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