Biography:

Venise Grossmann is an English teacher at West Deptford High School in South Jersey. In addition to teaching English classes, she also developed a literacy and technology course--Modern Media Communications.

Not only does she assist with the production of the morning announcement broadcast, but she also helps produce the district's cable TV show, Focus on West Deptford. Temple University named her School Newspaper Advisor of the Year in 2002, and her district named her Teacher of the Year in 2003. She was also the advisor of the high school newspaper, The Talon, which won numerous awards at the GSSPA and Temple University Press Tournaments.

After taking part in an internship that New Jersey Press Foundation awarded her in 2003, she became an education columnist for the Courier Post, a South Jersey newspaper. Two of her articles have also appeared in Teacher Magazine. She currently serves on the Community Advisory Panel for the Inquirer's Newspapers in Education Program and speaks to promote their online version of the paper.

She has also taught literacy and technology courses at the county college and university level. In addition, she has designed and continues to maintain a web site for Gareth Patterson, an African environmentalist. The latest promotional video that she filmed and produced for him, can be viewed on his web site Knysna Elephants.

Most recently, she has produced a promotional travel video with Ray Kirschner, which can be viewed online: http://drifters.raykirschnervisualproductions.com/southerncircle.html

She was also interviewed on All Africa Radio on October 26, 2007 in a segment entitled "Affordable African Travel" and has a column for the The African Sun Times. The radio segment is available to download at http://www.allafricaradio.com. Her new Web site, African Safari Lady, also highlights her trips to Africa.

Education:

Venise graduated with a bachelor's degree from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and has a Masters of English from Rutgers University in Camden. She has also taken 10 courses at Camden County College in computer graphic design, Web page design, photography, and video technology. Over the past three years, she has also taken two graduate writing courses at Rowan University and two graduate writing courses at Temple University.

Background:

Venise taught English for one year at Lenape Regional High School, and has been a teacher at West Deptford High School for the past twenty-one years. She has taught a wide variety of courses: Advanced Placement English III, Honors English III, Honors English I, C.P. English I, C.P. English III, CP English IV, English I, English III, English IV, Freshman Seminar (technology), Journalism I and II, Expressive Writing, Public Speaking, S.A.T. Prep, Drama, Broadcast News, Modern Media Communications and H.S.P.A. Prep.

Professional activities:

• West Deptford's District Teacher of the Year 2003
• Voted "Most Distinguished Newspaper Advisor" at Temple Press Tournament 2002
• Featured in Who's Who Among America's Teachers
• Staff Development Technology Facilitator
• Assistant in Morning Announcement Broadcast
• Assistant Producer: Focus on West Deptford (District Cable News Features Broadcast)
• Photographer for district newsletter

Previous professional activities:

• School Newspaper Advisor (The paper won ten awards at the Temple Press Conference in 2002, as well as awards at the GSSPA Conference at Rutgers University in New Brunswick: three awards in 2003, five awards in 2004, five awards in 2005, five awards in 2006, and eight awards in 2007.)
• English Department Chairperson (2004-2008)
• Basic Skills (LCE) Coordinator
• Women's Studies Advisor
• Women's Voice Newsletter Advisor
• Mentor Teacher (State Department of Education)
• Member of the K-12 Language Arts Articulation Committee
• Delegate at County Multiethnic Council
• Member of School Improvement Team (Addresses bullying, diversity, etc.)
• Assistant Girls' Track Coach

Professional memberships:

• NEA (National Education Association)
• NJEA (New Jersey Education Association)
• WDEA (West Depford Education Association)
• NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English)

The courses she is teaching this year are the following:

• Honors English I
• English I
• Modern Media Communciations
• HSPA Prep

Other teaching experience:

Venise has also taught English at Camden County College and has worked as a facilitator for the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. The course she co-taught is entitled "Penn Literacy and Technology."

Other interests:

Some of her interests include reading, extensive travel, and working as a waitress at Cap'n Cats Clam Bar in Verga. She also assists Ray Kirschner, a videographer. In addition to assisting with the filming, she takes photographs and writes voiceovers for the projects (www.raykirschner.com). She also designed and manages a Web site for Gareth Patterson, an African environmentalist: http://www.garethpatterson.com.