Ooltewah teacher recognized globally

Ooltewah High principal Ed Foster didn’t know one of his teachers had won an international media education award until the story broke in the high school’s newspaper.

Brenda Coe, a gifted teacher at Ooltewah, recently won the John and Marilyn Connelly Award at the International Student Media Festival. The award, which receives nominations from across the world, is given to one teacher every year who demonstrates the power of student-produced media across a variety of disciplines.

“She kind of kept it under her hat,” Mr. Foster said. “It’s a very prestigious award. We’re very proud of her.”

Ms. Coe teaches media journalism at Ooltewah and, for the last 15 years, has taken students to the media festival, held this year in Orlando, Fla. Each year, her students produce film documentaries and photo essays that they enter in the competition.

This year, Ms. Coe’s students produced a film on Darfur, one about eating disorders and one on the history of the Tennessee Aquarium, she said. For their efforts, Ooltewah students won 15 awards — more than any other school present, including one “best in show,” she said.

The skills students learn in class will help them disseminate their opinions once they graduate, she said.

“It’s important for the gifted to be able to communicate through technology. It’s how they’re going to have to communicate in the future,” she said.

For her efforts, Ms. Coe received a $1,000 check and a decorative trophy plate. Although she wasn’t able to attend this year’s festival, she said she appreciated the recognition.

“It was a great honor,” she said. “I think one of my ex-students wrote the nomination letter, but they don’t tell you.”