This
has been a year filled with silver linings for
Sister Barbara Reynolds, SDS. She will be
celebrating her 25th Jubilee of religious profession
in June and she has been named the 2008 Educator of
the Year by students at Cardinal Stritch University,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The annual award is given by
students to express appreciation for exemplary
teaching, commitment to excellence and deep concern
for students.
In addition, two articles that she has written have
been published recently. An article on "Mathematics
in the Franciscan Tradition: Integrating Faith and
Values into Mathematics Courses at Cardinal Stritch
University" appeared in The AFCU Journal: A
Franciscan Perspective on Higher Education, A
Publication of the Association of Franciscan
Colleges and Universities, in January 2008. A short
article on the "Abacus" will appear in The
Encyclopaedia of the History of Science, Technology,
and Medicine in Non-Western Cultures, which is due
to be released in June 2008.
Sister Barbara started her teaching career in 1972,
and has been on the faculty at Cardinal Stritch
University since 1979. She is currently a professor
in the Department of Mathematics and Computer
Science. However, Sister Barbara did not always want
to be a teacher. “When I was in 8th grade, I knew
that I wanted to study math in college. I found the
subject exciting and challenging. But I always said,
'Just because I'm a girl who likes math doesn't mean
that I have to be a teacher!' As an undergraduate, I
got a job at the academic computing center on
campus, and I just assumed that I would continue
working with computers in one way or another. Then
after college, I joined the Peace Corps and was sent
to Ghana in West Africa. I was asked to teach
mathematics, and discovered that I loved teaching.
Teaching is not just what I do, but rather flows
from the core of who I am,” Sister Barbara said.
When she returned to the United States, she began
graduate studies in mathematics at St. Louis
University (SLU), in St. Louis, Missouri. During
this time, she also met the Sisters of the Divine
Savior and realized she also had another vocation –
she realized that she was called to be a Sister of
the Divine Savior.
Today
she is studying, writing and teaching. “We are
always running to keep pace with rapid advances in
computer technology. I am particularly known for my
work in cooperative learning, and for integrating
the use of technology into my courses in a
fundamental way. For example, when I teach
hyperbolic geometry, the students work
collaboratively using The Geometer's Sketchpad, a
dynamic geometry tool, to draw hyperbolic triangles,
and measure the angles. Thus, they see the geometric
objects visually, and this makes abstract concepts
easier to understand. This kind of hands-on
exploration enables us explore concepts that we
could not see before,” she pointed out.
Working in groups to do
hands-on investigations using computer software
gives students skills they need for the 21st
century. Working together to solve challenging
problems, they are not only learning mathematics,
they are also developing computer skills as they
learn to work effectively as part of a team, all
skills essential in today's workplace.
Several of her students spoke about Sister Barbara’s
teaching skills and her qualities as a teacher: “She
is very prepared, organized and easy to follow. She
will stay after class and walk us through the lesson
as many times as we need. She is patient and
encourages us to think. And it really helps to have
the person who wrote the book as your teacher.”
