Library/Multi-Media
technology,
journalism, and
English teacher

Hanover
Community
School Corporation
Cedar Lake, IN

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES AND AWARDS: Began teaching in 1979 at Hanover Central. Inducted into the National Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame, 1997. Inland Steel Corporation's Ryerson Foundation Teacher of the Year, 1997. NSPA all-American yearbook, 12 consecutive years; NSPA Convention Best of Show, two years (among small schools); Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star Award for best yearbook at schools under 1,100 enrollment; Walsworth Publishing Company "President's Collection," three years; Taylor Publishing Company "Yearbook Yearbook," ten years; presenter at the convention of Indiana Computer Educators (ICE), speaker and panelist at Ball State University J-Day, and author on ethical issues, ideas, and journalism education. Created library research and multi-media courses. Established the school corporation's World Wide Web site. Developed "CyberCat," the online newspaper begun last May 3 and the only one published exclusively on the Internet.

EXCERPTS from comments by colleagues: Working in a district with limited funding, Frazier is described as a "guide on the side," a teacher who "scrounged resources" for innovation and creativity and led his students in developing a yearbook totally on computers for camera-ready publication. As an "early adopter" of new ideas, he is dedicated to work with kids and to teaching the skills involved with journalism and computer technology. Michael's strength is his ability to motivate students. One motivational innovation is the series of electronic portfolios that students develop in a real-world environment in which standards and goals are set, peer reviews are conducted as well as teacher (employer) reviews, and work in progress is tracked as it would be in a real-world job. "He communicates, he motivates, he inspires his students," said one colleague. As a writer, he influences others and helps them through his press association articles and speeches. He coaches track and volleyball in addition to teaching students, and he helps coach his professional peers in technology at regular "just in time" sessions that he conducts most mornings for fellow teachers a half-hour before classes start. Frazier is described as the "architect" of the Hanover Central staff development program. He developed an advanced multi-media class for teachers and ruffles few feathers by leading through examples. "He doesn't say, 'Thou shalt do this,' he says, 'This is how I have been successful in doing this with students.'" As teachers succeed, he directs attention to those colleagues so that others become teachers of teachers. He shares rewards, taking students with him to conferences and conventions to receive awards that their efforts generated.