[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E914]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING MR. JACOB TANENBAUM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jacob Tanenbaum, 
an outstanding constituent and educator from the 17th Congressional 
District of New York, for his exemplary efforts in bringing real 
scientific research to the classroom.
  Jacob Tanenbaum, an elementary school teacher at the South Orangetown 
schools in Rockland County, New York, was chosen by the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Teacher at Sea Program 
to participate in a two-week research cruise in the North Atlantic this 
past fall to study Atlantic fisheries while aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. 
Bigelow.
  Embarking from Newport, Rhode Island, Mr. Tanenbaum's research cruise 
followed a track off the United States' northeastern coast. Mr. 
Tanenbaum not only researched fisheries, but also wrote a daily blog, 
took photographs, interviewed scientists, and engaged in dialogue with 
his students, fellow teachers, and the general public. Mr. Tanenbaum 
became an integral part of the research team and ship's crew and 
established relationships that will give him and his colleagues access 
to scientific resources for many years to come. With his at-sea 
experience, Mr. Tanenbaum has been able to enrich his curriculum and 
excite his students about science.
  In one of his blogs, Mr. Tanenbaum wrote, ``Through NOAA's Teacher at 
Sea Program, students are not just learning about exciting research 
projects at sea, they are witnesses to them, and on some level, 
participants in them. The Teacher at Sea program is about something far 
more important than test scores and text books. It is about inspiration 
and excitement. Inspiring learning and creating excitement about 
learning are not just simple hoped-for extras in an educational 
setting--they are the most essential parts of a culture of learning.''
  I congratulate Mr. Tanenbaum on his spirit of adventure in the name 
of education, his willingness to try new things, and his ability to 
bring this experience back into the classroom. NOAA's Teacher at Sea 
program has afforded Mr. Tanenbaum an unparalleled opportunity to 
provide his students with hands-on scientific education, grounded in 
his unique experience. The lessons he learned on the Bigelow will stay 
with Mr. Tanenbaum for the rest of his teaching career, acting as a 
source from which he will always be able to draw inspiration and 
creativity.

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