Frances Davis Award for Undergraduate Teaching 2002-2006 Award Recipients
Davis Award Winner
Drue Narkon
Manoa
Drue Narkon has been an instructor in the Department of Special Education in 51²è¹Ý Manoa’s College of Education since 1993. The college’s heavy emphasis on fieldwork necessitates strong clinical faculty members. Narkon draws on 28 years of experience in special education to supervise student field experience and training. She has coordinated cohorts of undergraduate students in joint elementary and special education certificate programs. She has helped students complete programs and acquire teaching positions with the state Department of Education.
A knowledgeable, caring and reflective teacher, Narkon relies on a variety of instructional strategies, such as cooperative learning activities and guided study sessions. A special education teacher of 25 years wrote, "Drue’s familiarity with and assessment of each of her students’ strengths, weaknesses, interests and preferences enables her to establish a classroom setting conducive to positive experiences for students and myself, as mentor teacher."
In addition to teaching, Narkon serves as faculty advisor for the Student Council for Exceptional Children. She facilitates student service activities with the Special Olympics for children and prepares Thanksgiving dinner for families at the Ronald McDonald House. She has also presented papers at national conferences, addressing topics such as early identification and diagnosis of preschool children at risk of learning disabilities, reading gains for children with disabilities and pervasive developmental disorders of childhood.
The Frances Davis Award for Undergraduate Teaching recognizes dedication and demonstrated excellence as teachers of undergraduate students. It was established as a memorial to the late Frances Davis, who taught mathematics at Leeward Community College and 51²è¹Ý Manoa for 19 years.
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