August 31, 2002

To Whom It May Concern:

I have known Mr. Lallas for four years.  We first met while I was a pre-service teacher assigned to him as a clinical student.  I was so impressed by his use of technology in the classroom and knowledge as an educator that I choose to return as a student teacher.  Soterios has done a great job infusing the Internet as a research tool into his classroom.  Despite budget constrictions, he is constantly updating and improving the technology resources available in his classroom.  Student ability to effectively navigate the Internet for educational purposes has been greatly improved thanks to his work. He is also an excellent motivator, encouraging students to become cognizant of their progress.

Soterios’ website has proven to be a wonderful tool for both students and teachers.  Students are able to work independently at their own pace to complete tasks assigned on the website.  By placing his curriculum on-line, he has made available a wealth of information for other teachers to access.  The site is continuously evolving to provide better resources for all who visit it.  Soterios was instrumental in encouraging me to create my own class website which I used while student teaching and will use on a more expanded basis this year.

I believe Soterios Lallas is an exemplary teacher; he is well deserving of any and all recognition, especially in the field of Internet education.  Feel free to contact me at any time with any questions.  My phone number is (608) 366-1730 and I can be reached via e-mail at mbyom@spartan.org.

Mark R. Byom
Science Educator
Sparta High School