Fellow Profiles

Biography

Kent Franklin is a middle and high school science teacher from St. James Public High School in St. James, Minnesota. Mr. Franklin - a city councilman for the City of Lake Crystal, MN - has been teaching science in Minnesota for 25 years. He is a leader in adapting innovative technology for classroom use in rural school districts. He posts class notes to course websites, provides links to reading material and related websites, and even administers computer-based examinations. Mr. Franklin's system even allows English Language Learner-students to hear recordings of exam questions through headphones connected to their computer. His websites have been recognized and honored with four awards for educational excellence.

At the administrative level, Mr. Franklin has worked with the Minnesota Department of Education in reviewing new computerized statewide Earth science assessments, and he has assisted in developing an electronic curriculum repository for his district. And when Mr. Franklin couldn't find a textbook that adequately met Minnesota curriculum standards for Earth and space science, he wrote his own. It was published with a companion workbook in 2005.

Kent Franklin is a Teacher Liaison to the Space Foundation and was honored as the St. James Public Schools Teacher of the Year Award in 2005. He holds four Bachelor's degrees in subject-based teaching from Minnesota State University and a Master's degree in education from College of St. Scholastica.