Warwick's Hal Levefer Awarded HS Top Tech Ed Teacher in PA 11-7-12

Warwick Technology Education Teacher, Lefever
Named Top PA High School Teacher in His Field
Congratulations to Warwick High School Technology Education Teacher Hal Lefever who is this year's recipient of the Technology and Engineering Education Association of Pennsylvania (TEEAP) Teacher Excellence Award! This is the highest honor given to a Technology and Engineering Education high school classroom teacher across the state. The award will be presented to Lefever in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the profession and his students. There is only one high school technology education teacher chosen per year.
The Teacher Excellence Award will be presented to Lefever at the Annual TEEAP Conference to be held November 8-9, 2012, in Camp Hill, PA. His name will also be forwarded to the national chapter (ITEEA) for recognition.
Lefever, who has been teaching Technology Education for Warwick for twenty-nine years, says he feels honored to have been considered for the award.
"It is humbling to receive this award, and I am especially honored to have the people who nominated me think enough of me to be worthy of a nomination," said Lefever.
"I am also glad to see our technology education program get some recognition through this. I am a real believer in the value of technology education in our schools. We have so much to offer general education. Technology education is a natural integrator of other subjects, especially in the areas of math and science. We've always been doing that. We deal with project-based learning, backwards-design models (looking at where we want to go and working backwards to design a way to get there), and we also incorporate differentiated learning -- my kids give oral and written reports as well as create projects and solve problems. I feel fortunate to teach in that kind of discipline."
Lefever has taught many different courses at Warwick, including Fundamentals of Drafting/Design, Architectural Design, Architectural Structures, Engineering Drawing, Design Engineering, Electronics I & II, Metals I & II, Wood II. His first year of teaching, he also taught Leather Making I & II.
Lefever has been an innovative force in his department. About 20 years ago his vision, persistence, and help from PPL allowed him to acquire used computers for his drafting students to start CAD (computer aided-design) technology. His pet project was developing an engineering course with retired physics teacher, Ms. Polly Gainer. "It was one the best experiences of my teaching career. We collaborated on everything and team taught the course. She was incredible inspiration in my own teachings," Lefever said.
Outside the classroom his creative vision saw a need for a video curriculum guide for the high school course selection process. With help from Brenda Crosetto, a business education teacher, and one of her business classes, this idea came to fruition. This project is still in its infancy, but Lefever hopes that through its implementation students will be able to make more informed choices when scheduling classes.
Lefever's classroom goals include:
Having students actively participate in real-world technological problem solving,
Having students understand that solving problems is an integrated approach,
Promoting individual and group decision-making skills, as well as critical and group decision-making skills,
Having students understand that the technological design process is critical in the efficiency of developing solutions to problems.
When asked "What makes a good teacher?" Lefever said, "I think it's having a good rapport with students; it's getting them engaged. And, I think you really need to teach something you like -- something you're passionate about. That's what technology education continues to be and has been for me all these years."
The Technology Education Department at Warwick High School will be well represented at the TEEAP Conference in November where Lefever will receive his award because fellow teacher, Jeff DuBosq, is one of the general session presenters.
Congratulations Mr. Lefever! And congratulations Warwick Technology Education Department!