Virginia Teacher September/October issue

A MAGAZINE FOR EDUCATORS ACROSS VIRGINIA

ED-LECTION2012

INSIDEBRING YOUR OWN DEVICEACWCAT HISTORICTREDEGAR

THE AFFORDABLECARE ACT

September - October 2012

www.VirginiaTeacherOnline.com

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 1 9/10/2012 1:52:41 PM

Cinema Cafe, Virginia Beach

Count On Optima Health Optima Health is the progressive choice for business health coverage. We offer innovative plans

you can adjust to fit your budget. You get a large network of physicians and hospitals to choose

from. And you get reliable service that can’t be beat. For more information, contact your

broker or visit OptimaHealth.com/business.

�� and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of coverage please call your broker or go to optimahealth.com.

Actual Members

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 2 9/10/2012 1:52:52 PM

VIRGINIAZOO.ORG

Journey into a mysterious place inhabited by Malayan tigers, orangutans, sun bears, chameleons, giraffes and much more!

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 3 9/10/2012 1:53:00 PM

Letter From the Editor

2

Remember the first time you voted?Mine was the 1984 Presidential Election. President Ronald Reaganwas the incumbent for the Republican Party and former VicePresident Walter Mondale was theDemocratic candidate.

I don’t recall the issues of the 1984Campaign. As a high school senior, Ihad more pressing problems on mymind – like what I was going to wearto school that day. But that didn’tstop me from voting. Turning 18 wasa rite of passage, and I was determined to exercise my voting

privileges. Back in 1984 I relied onmy dad for wisdom and advice onwho would make the best President.But today, as a mother, teacher andsmall business owner, I am muchmore aware of the issues that affectme, my family, my career and mybusiness. I make a concerted effortto become informed so I can make aknowledgeable choice when I go tothe polls.

Naturally, education is one issuevery near and dear to my heart. Andwhile America has the potential tobe a world leader in education, thesimple truth is that this country lagsbehind other industrialized nations.A quick visit to the website www.StudentsFirst.org reveals that:

1) Our children are not reading atgrade level.

2) Compared to other countries,we fail in math and science, and

3) Despite decades of efforts, ourtest scores are not improving.

Unfortunately, the subject of education has not been mentionedmuch during the 2012 PresidentialCampaign. I hope this issue of Virginia Teacher will help you tosort out the facts so that you canmake informed decisions about your career and, more importantly, aboutwhat is best for our students comeNovember 6th. I think you will findthat Virginia is on the right path toimproving education for our students. But much more work still needs to be done.

I wish all my colleagues a successfuland joyful new school year. Despitethe plight of education in this country, I know you work very hard togive your students the best possiblefuture. Evidence of this fact is foundin every issue of Virginia Teacher.

Yours in Education,

Editor & Publisher

RAISE MORE MONEY WITH QUALITY BRAND NAME PRODUCTS

CALL (757) 467-8874

Email: [email protected]

Visit us online at winningedge4you.com

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 4 9/10/2012 1:53:14 PM

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 5 9/10/2012 1:53:16 PM

4

ContributorsPublisher and Editor-in-ChiefDory Suttmiller

Production, Design and DistributionBreeger Media Group

WritersCorinna HannSean KaneBud Livers, PH.D.Penelope Carrington WallaceErin Zabel

Mission StatementThe mission of Virginia Teacher Magazine is to inform and inspire educators in Virginia by providing current and relevant information on career development, educational enrichment and personal growth.

DisclaimerThe views and opinions of writers andcontributors that appear in VirginiaTeacher Magazine do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of VirginiaTeacher Magazine’s publisher, editor, staff and affiliates. The information inVirginia Teacher Magazine is provided as a service to the readers of VirginiaTeacher Magazine for information purposesonly. Virginia Teacher Magazine is notresponsible for problems arising out ofreference to the included material.Information on a commercial product orservice does not imply an endorsement byVirginia Teacher Magazine. Reproductionwithout permission is prohibited. Allphotographs are property of and credited to Virginia Teacher Magazine, unlessotherwise noted.

AdvertiseTo advertise or to obtain a current rate card call 757-620-2631 or email at [email protected]

Editorial SubmissionsVirginia Teacher Magazine accepts news releases from credited organization. Submit material for editorial considerationto [email protected]

Extra CopiesFor extra copies call 757-620-2631

Virginia Teacher Magazine325 Flax Mill WayChesapeake, VA 23322Phone 757-620-2631Fax 757-410-0783Web www.VirginiaTeacherOnline.com

SEAN KANE

Sean Kane is the Museum Educator for The American CivilWar Center at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, VA. Beforeassuming this position in March, 2010, he worked at theMuseum of the Confederacy for 10 years in a variety of positions, including Museum Education Specialist. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with aBachelor of Fine Arts, Sean combines his enthusiasm forhistory with his passion for art to develop new and uniqueprograms for the ACWC.

PENELOPE CARRINGTON WALLACE (not pictured)

Penelope Carrington Wallace is the Public Relations Coordinator for the AmericanCivil War Center at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, VA. An award-winning journalist,she worked for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for 15 years as a writer, editor, producer and videographer. She holds a B.A. in communications from Temple University and is an alumna/former lecturer at the Knight Digital Media Center’s Multimedia Reporting and Convergence Workshop at the U.C. Berkeley GraduateSchool of Journalism.

CORINNA HANNCorinna Hann earned her Bachelor of Arts in ReligiousStudies from the College of William and Mary in 2008. She then continued her education at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and completed her Master of Arts in Religious Studies with concentrations in Hebrew language, Coptology, and linguistics in Summer 2011. She currently teaches Spanish and Language Arts/History at Williamsburg Montessori School and is pursuing AMSSecondary Certification.

BUD LIVERS, PH.D.

Bud is the Learning Standards Officer at the Center forNaval Intelligence in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is senioradjunct faculty for Cambridge College, Chesapeake VirginiaCampus, in the M.Ed., Special Education program. Hetaught students with an emotional disturbance at a regional public day school, and was an Assistant Professorin the department of Teacher Education at Chowan University in North Carolina. He headed the Jails Education Program in Virginia Beach, Virginia, tasked with providingspecial education services for incarcerated youth andyoung adults. Bud received his BA from University of California, Berkeley, and hisM.S.Ed. in elementary education with endorsement in special education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. He received his Ph.D. in Educational Planning, Policy, and Leadership, with emphasis in Special Education Administrationfrom The College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 6 9/10/2012 1:53:17 PM

Table of ContentsED-LECTION 2012 6Get the facts about what is happening in education throughout Virginia and across the Nation during this election cycle.

Beyond the Classroom 12American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar: students explore history firsthand at this Richmond based museum.

Lunch Room Topics 16The Affordable Care Act: A giant step forward to health care access in the United States.

Old School vs. New School 18BYOD: Coming to a school near you!

Class Reunion 20William D. Sessoms, Jr., Mayor of Virginia Beach

Join the conversation! "Like" Virginia Teacher

on and follow us on

VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 5

MAGAZINE

Find Us Online...At the click of a mouse, you will haveaccess to one of Virginia’s most powerful resource for educators...

www.VirginiaTeacherOnline.com

If Your Students Love Sports, They Love Math (& More)!

From scores to stats and jumps to goals � we make it fun to learn math, science, health and more!

�� Programs for pre-K-12th grades

�� Reinforce SOLs

�� Available at Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum or in your classroom

�� For details, call our Education Department at (757) 393-8031, ext. 14 or visit www.vshfm.com.

206 High Street Portsmouth, VA 23704 (757) 393-8031 www.vshfm.com

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 7 9/10/2012 1:53:18 PM

6

Amid the rallying cries of “Fourmore years!” and “Believe in America,” one fundamental issueconcerning America’s future is conspicuously absent in the majorityof stump speeches and debates. InVirginia, Senate hopefuls GeorgeAllen and Tim Kaine fill their Twitteraccounts and Facebook feeds withtalk of the economy, budgets andthe nation’s defense spending. Thelatest Rasmussen Report poll, conducted on August 7th, includedquestions about each candidates’perceived ethicality, the work ethicsand success of small business owners, the government’s responsi-bility for economic growth and fairness and the respondent’s ownpersonal finances and definition of recession. Irrefutably, the nation’s economic situation is theprimary concern of most voters;with a national unemployment rateof 8.2%, the state unemploymentrate at 5.6%, and a stagnant job market with less than 80,000 jobscreated in the month of June, theeconomy naturally dominates thenational spotlight.

If the state of the economy is theoubliette from which candidatespromise to rescue the nation, thestate of education is the dismal and dated abyss of which no onespeaks for fear of escalating ourprecipitous fall. The silence

ED-LECTION2012By: Corinna Hann

The silence shrouding education in this electioncomes in the wake of the latest slew of No Child LeftBehind (NCLB) waivers issued by the Department ofEducation. This silence on the part of presidentialand congressional candidates on the future of education is neither eloquent nor tranquil.

between abysmally failing schoolsand schools that just missed themark, it ensures teachers are credentialed by does not providestudents with effective instruction,and it enforces a “one-size-fits-all”solution for schools in need of improvement. Nearly a year afterthis opportunity was introduced bythe current administration, 33 stateshave been awarded waivers releasing them from the onerousbenchmarks put into place by the2002 Act. Receiving its waiver onJune 29th of this year, Virginia

shrouding education in this election comes in the wake of the latest slew of No Child LeftBehind (NCLB) waivers issued by the Department of Education. This silence on the part of presidential and congressional candidates on the future of education is neither eloquent nor tranquil. President Obama and Arne Duncan,the Secretary of Education, introduced the opportunity to applyfor an NCLB waiver as a way to amendan act that a gridlocked Congress hasproven unable to resolve.

As many educators, administratorsand students know, the latest manifestation of the Elementaryand Secondary Education Act of1965 (ESEA), the No Child Left Behind Act, is broken—it lacksfocus on college and career-readiness, it does not distinguish

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 8 9/10/2012 1:53:20 PM

Some of the new “rigorous new content standards and assessments” Wright speaks of inthe latest press release have alreadyenjoyed their debut during this pastschool year. The new Algebra I SOLassessment saw 75% students pass,versus the 94% pass rate under theold standards in the 2010-2011school year. Similar drops occurredin the Algebra II and Geometry assessments, and Virginia officialsalso saw declines in pass rates inSOL math assessments for grades 3-8. McDonnell gave a statement regarding the drastic decline in pass rates, saying higher standards are the “right thing to do and in thelong-term interest of Virginia students. This is a necessary step inensuring that Virginia students areready to excel in our globally competitive economy.” His statement came days before he convened the Governor’s K-12 Education Reform Summit in Richmond, an event at which educators, legislators, bureaucrats,and academics will meet.

Virginia’s Standards of Accreditation (SOA), in place sincethe advent of the SOLs and revampedby the Board of Education in June,coupled with the new methods ofdefining and accounting for theachievement of minority groups willcontinue to report annual accreditation ratings to the federalDepartment of Education each September. Although Virginia nolonger has to contend with the AYP,the commonwealth must establishannual measurable objectives (AMO)under the ESEA flexibility waiver.According to the commonwealth’sBoard of Education President DavidM. Foster, “This new federal accountability model is more complicated than the Board of Education believes is necessary, butit is definitely a step in the right


In a state that professes to revere the developmentof a transparent, superior educational system,teachers are not being given things they would appreciate most—one of the most important beingmore instructional time and less time spent in testsor wasted after tests are completed in the spring.

counts among some of the most recently released. Like the other 32parolees, Virginia will not be required to reach 100% proficiencyin reading and math by 2014 (a standard associated with thedreaded AYP—adequate yearlyprogress reports that determine if astate has reached the mandated targets). Within two years, Virginiawill need to decide whether a second waiver is necessary.

WHAT DOES THE WAIVERMEAN FOR VIRGINIASCHOOLS?In a press release outlining Virginia’snewfound flexibility, Patricia I.Wright, the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Virginia Department of Education, says,

“Virginia schools and school divisions can now focus theirenergy and resources onimplementing the state Boardof Education’s rigorous newcontent standards and assessments without contending with outdatedand often counterproductive federal requirements andrules. The commonwealth willcontinue to hold schools accountable for closingachievement gaps but schoolswon’t be subject to a system ofincreasingly unrealistic annual objectives.”

In exchange for the increased

flexibility granted by the waiver, theadministration requires the state toprove the development of plans toaddress three critical areas: collegeand career readiness, accountability,and improvement in teacher andprincipal effectiveness.

COLLEGE AND CAREERREADINESSVirginia is one of two of the 33states to receive a NCLB waiver thathas not adopted the Common CoreStandards developed by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of ChiefState School Officers (CCSSO). Thecommonwealth opted out of whatsome are calling a “national curriculum” because it felt the

Standards of Learning developed in1995 and revised in 2001-2003 and2008-2010 are superior to the onespresented by the CCSSO and NGACenter. The choice was simple, according to Governor Bob McDonnell in May 2011, “We can’t go back,” he said. “We’ve been working on this for 15 years. Our standards are much superior. They’re well accepted.They’re validated.”

In defense of this decision, laudedby some and derided by others, theVDOE has issued a document comparing the SOLs and the Common Core Anchor Standards(available on the VDOE website).

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 9 9/10/2012 1:53:21 PM

direction. Looking ahead, it is myhope that Congress will reviseNCLB and allow Virginia to attackachievement gaps within the context of the SOL program, freefrom unwarranted and intrusive federal rules.” Accreditation is determined by the VDOE as follows (more details available onthe VDOE website):

Elementary schools are Fully Accredited if students achieve all ofthe following pass rates:

• English – 75 percent or higher,grades 3-5

• Mathematics – 70 percent orhigher, grades 3-5

• Science – 70 percent or higher ingrade 5 and 50 percent or higherin grade 3

• History – 70 percent or higher inVirginia Studies (grade 4 or 5)and 50 percent or higher in grade 3

Middle schools are Fully Accreditedif students achieve pass rates of 70 percent or higher in all four content areas.

High schools are Fully Accredited ifstudents achieve pass rates of 70 percent or more in all four contentareas and attain a point value of 85or greater based on the Graduationand Completion Index (GCI).

As with the Common Core Standards and Virginia’s hasty 2010withdrawal from the Obama administration’s Race to the Top incentive program, the educationalleaders and statewide bureaucratsare intent on defending the integrity and validity of Virginia-born standards.

8

The VDOE will be required to report on low-performing schoolsidentified as “priority” and “focus”schools as well as high-performingTitle I “reward” schools. All schoolswill be able to obtain “reward” status, but only Title I schools canbe identified as “priority” or“focus.” In the press release extolling the recent waiver approval, the VDOE categorizedthose students who historicallyhave had difficulty meeting thecommonwealth’s achievementstandards into three focus sub-groups:

• Proficiency Gap Group 1—Students with disabilities, English language learners andeconomically disadvantaged students, regardless of race and ethnicity.

• Proficiency Gap Group 2—African- American students, notof Hispanic origin, includingthose also counted in ProficiencyGap Group 1

• Proficiency Gap Group 3—Hispanic students, or one ormore races, including those alsocounted in Proficiency GapGroup 1.

Priority and focus schools, respectively 5% and 10% of Title Ischools, will be regulated by state-

approved and monitored school-improvement interventions; manyof the underperforming schools in the commonwealth are already accountable to similar interventions due to the requirements and provisions forschools receiving federal SchoolImprovement Gap funds. Schoolswith “priority” or “focus” status willno longer be required to offerschool choice or Supplemental Education Services. With schoolchoice and SES no longer required,the school divisions will be able toshift 20% of the funds previously allocated by NCLB for these services in schools “ to focus theirTitle I funds on measures andstrategies that have been shownover time to be effective in raisingstudent achievement,” Wright says.

In regards to improving teacherand principal effectiveness, Virginiahad already had regulations passedwith a plan to put them into placestarting July 1, 2012. These regulations, entitled Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, require 40percent of a teacher’s evaluation be based on student academicprogress (as evidenced by assessments). Student academicprogress is only one of seven standards by which Virginia teachers will be evaluated; the

The No Child Left Behind Act, is broken—it lacksfocus on college and career-readiness, it does not distinguish between abysmally failing schoolsand schools that just missed the mark, it ensuresteachers are credentialed but does not provide students with effective instruction, and it enforces a “one-size-fits-all” solution for schools in need of improvement.

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 10 9/10/2012 1:53:22 PM

AWhole NewWorldof Imagination

Opens BeforeTheirEyes.

221 High Street, Olde Towne

Group Rates Available | Teachers Admitted Free | Phone: 757-393-5258 Group & Education Program details: ChildrensMuseumVa.com

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 11 9/10/2012 1:53:22 PM

others include professional knowl-edge, instructional planning, and instructional delivery, assessmentof and for student learning, learning environment, and professionalism. Evaluation will notonly include the raw scores of student assessment performance,but also formal and informal observation, student surveys, self-evaluations, and portfolios.Apart from mentioning that Virginia law also requires principalsand other school administrators tobe evaluated based on student academic progress, nothing else inthe document refers to the onus incumbent upon school and district administrations.

While the VDOE breathes a collective, if brief, sigh of relief,some teachers across the commonwealth realize their embattled and crowded classrooms are far from becomingthe ideal learning environment.There are still the SOLs to teach toand a lack of readiness to accept or

10

implement daily differentiated instruction in the classroom. Ideally, the waiver would allow formore project-based, experientiallearning—but this requires remediation for teachers who areshell-shocked by the decade-longreign of NCLB benchmarks and offers of professional developmentthat enables teachers to see beyond the test and to learn howto reincorporate creativity in theirinstructional planning and delivery.In a state that professes to reverethe development of a transparent,superior educational system, teachers are not being given thingsthey would appreciate most—oneof the most important being more instructional time and less timespent in tests or wasted after testsare completed in the spring. As recently as January of this year, the Virginia Senate rejected billsthat would have repealed the“Kings Dominion Law.” The commonwealth appears to be working at odds with itself—it cannot give up a few extra days of

tourism in the late summer to benefit education. When comparedwith the economic benefits thestate could reap with an educated workforce by investing in earlychildhood and K-12 education reform, and the savings of $50 million tax dollars a day for the tenwasted days after testing is complete, the tourism industryfighting for the last two or threeweeks of August appears a foolishexercise in instant gratification.

HOW DO THE CANDIDATESMEASURE UP?The state of Virginia’s education culture has been shaped by bothSenate candidates during their respective gubernatorial administrations. George Allen, thecommonwealth’s 67th governor, introduced the SOLs to the stateafter the VBOE adopted his Commission on Champion Schoolsrecommendation that statewidestandardized testing be implemented in order to establisheffective accountability measures.Throughout his term as governor,he strove to keep the state’s educational reform free of federalinterference and financial aid. During his term in the Senate,Allen introduced the “Flexibility forChampion Schools Act” which resembles certain aspects ofObama’s NCLB waiver allowances,but was not enacted Allen’s currentcampaign indicates that he plans to keep public education safe from the hindrance of federal involvement. He “believes that education policy should be decided and implemented at theState and local level, where it can bemost responsive and accountableto parents and schoolchildren,” according to his campaign website.Allen also supports school choice

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 12 9/10/2012 1:53:26 PM

benchmarks of the system. Whileboth candidates acknowledge thatimproved K-12 education with anemphasis on college and career-readiness promises a better economic future, education deserves attention for learning’ssake. In the current economic climate, we as teachers cannot expect much more—education forthe time being is another abstract,labyrinthine term to be added tothe relentless election mantra ofeconomy first. VT


initiatives and tax credits for home-school families.

Tim Kaine’s contribution to education reform during his term atgovernor from 2006-2010 focused on pre-K education,namely the 40% increase in pre-Kenrollment initiated by the VirginiaPreschool Initiative. As Senator,Kaine promises to, “support individualized learning plans andother methods that encourage a personalized learning experience for every student so that we can

best teach and prepare future generations.”

The campaign promises from bothcandidates are quite fitting andshow they know the culture of the Virginian educational system well,as they should as former governors. The vagueness and idealism in both Allen and Kaine’sstatements speaks to their understanding that Virginia bureaucrats and institutions arefiercely protective of their state’sright to determine the future and

*Offer valid for groups of 15 or more students. Must book 30 days prior to arrival. Prices, products and operating schedule are subject to change. Offer valid through Oct. 28, 2012.Reservations for Launch into Physics must be booked in advance. Restrictions apply. © 2012 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

To book your group, call (800) 343-7946or visit buschgardens.com/group

One wrong turn can transform ajoyride into a thrill ride.

Give your group a fun mix of world-class coasters, up-close animal encounters, shows and more. They’ll braveVerbolten TM on a daring, twisting and turning ride through the Black Forest.

Explore the science of roller coasters with Launch into Physics. They’ll have so

much fun, they’ll forget they’re learning.

per person38 *50

3 person85g

$

nioissidmAyaayDe-lgglinS

.dteiitmmiLiis ecSpa

y,aaydoTkookBo

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 13 9/10/2012 1:53:27 PM

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR CENTERAT HISTORIC TREDEGAR:Exploring History FirsthandEvery September, Candice Royallstarts the school year with classeseager to learn about the Civil War.It’s an excitement the sixth-gradeteacher shares with her new students.

“When I was a student, what Iloved about the Civil War was notjust the battles and statistics. I really liked learning the storiesabout the people who lived duringthe Civil War. There were also a lotmore advancements...like the development of photography,” saidRoyall, who heads the Social StudiesDepartment at Pocahontas MiddleSchool in Henrico County, VA.

For her students, Royall said theCivil War is the earliest war inwhich they can relate to the peopleand what happened to them. Thatsaid, a visit to the nearby AmericanCivil War Center at Historic Tredegar is first on her field trip list.“With the site being local, the kidssee history first hand,” she said.

The Richmond, Virginia based museum is set within the 8.9-acreruins of the famous Tredegar IronWorks, the most important industrial complex serving the Confederacy during the AmericanCivil War. Inside, the acclaimed, interactive exhibit, In the Cause ofLiberty, examines the causes,course and legacy of the war fromUnion, Confederate and AfricanAmerican perspectives.

12

Beyond the Classroom

John Wilkes, who has taught history for 22 years, said such diversity of viewpoint is key. “Idon’t think you can tell the historyof any event or any place if youdon’t have multiple perspectives on it,” said Wilkes, chairman of theSocial Studies Department at theMaggie L. Walker Governor’sSchool in Richmond, VA. “History isnot just a one-take discipline. Youhave to have multiple views onevery circumstance and event and Ithink that is done well at Tredegar.”

But, Wilkes added, few Richmondersmay understand the importance ofTredegar Iron Works. “This is obviously something that is taughtbefore (students) arrive, but it hitshome more powerfully when weare walking through the buildingsand the courtyard there and theyrecognize why that facility is thereason Richmond is such an important part of the war,” Wilkessaid. “That facility is the reason the

90 miles between Richmond andWashington, D.C., are known as the bloodiest soil in all of NorthAmerica. Capitals can and did move(during the war), but there was nomoving the Tredegar Iron Works.”

The significance was not lost on the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau.Last year, the American Civil WarCenter, in partnership with theRichmond Battlefield Park of theNational Park Service, was selectedby the RMCVB to serve as the Richmond Region’s Gateway to the Civil War.

Together the Center and the National Park Service offers 18, free interactive programs developed with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) testsin mind. From costumed inter-preters demonstrating how to loadand fire a rifle musket to programscovering the causes of secession

By: Penelope Carrington Wallace and Sean Kane

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 14 9/10/2012 1:53:34 PM

VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE |SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 13

and the trials of Reconstruction,Historic Tredegar provides an exciting educational experience for students and teachers of theAmerican Civil War.

A favorite among Royall’s studentswas Fire!, the rifle musket program.“The kids were really excited to seehow many steps it took to fire arifle and the fact that the museumhas staff people in costume helpsto engage the students even more,”she said. “Students like to see people in costume because theyfeel like they’re talking to someonefrom the past and they’re less intimidated about asking questions.”

Curious minds are welcome duringthe various programs in which students examine, explore and analyze life amid this country’sturning point - in the place where it happened.

“Sometimes my kids will say, ‘California is such a cool place!’ or‘New York is such a cool place!’ Butwhen they see places right in theirbackyard, they start to say, ‘We livein a cool place, too.’ And oncethey’ve been, they tell their familiesabout it and they visit on the weekends and bring history intotheir extra-curricular lives so it’snot just at school,” Royall said.

Great things happen whenteachers become students.

Research on student achievement continuesto demonstrate that the most effectiveclassroom teachers are those that continuetheir education.

The School of Professional and ContinuingStudies supports beginning and career teach-ers and administrators by providing high qual-ity professional education courses to:• Address initial licensure requirements• Satisfy license renewal regulations• Enhance your professional skills • Collaborate with your colleagues

Choose from a variety of course offerings andclass formats to best meet you professionaldevelopment needs.

• In-class and OnlineCoursework

• Week-long SummerInstitutes

• Graduate Degrees

• Endorsements

• Reduced RateTuition

• Innovative Topicsand Programs

spcs.richmond.edu/teachers

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 15 9/10/2012 1:53:35 PM

There will be even more to see anddo at Historic Tredegar in the yearsto come as planned improvementsmove forward thanks to the $8 million, Forging Our Future capital campaign. More than $7.6million has been raised to date.Newmarket Corp. and Bruce C.Gottwald, Sr., launched the campaign with a $4 million seeddonation; $2 million of which will be placed in a reserve fund to ensure the Center’s future financial security.

Among the improvements are aninteractive theater experience thatwill be housed in an a new 8,000-square-foot exhibition hall; interactive battle maps and enhanced audiovisual equipmentin the flagship exhibit, In the Cause of Liberty; and a 400-square-foot interactive model of TredegarIron Works.

14

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 16 9/10/2012 1:53:37 PM

VIRGINIA TEACHER MAGAZINE |SEPTEMBER • OCTOBER 2012 15

With the latter, visitors will be ableto control canal boats transportingmaterials to the factory as well aswater flow to the turbines. “Whatwe are proposing building here is afull scale, topographical model ofthe site circa 1880,” said ChristyColeman, President of the American Civil War Center. Choosing a period decades afterthe war was intentional, she said,“because everything was going on here by then. We had rail production and we were still producing armaments.”

It’s this mix of history that hasmade Wilkes and his students regular visitors. “What better location is so infused with Richmond history, not just CivilWar history?” he said.

WANT TO VISIT?

The American Civil War Center atHistoric Tredegar is located at 500Tredegar St., Richmond, VA 23219.All onsite programs are FREE forstudent groups of ten or more;reservations must be made prior toyour visit.

For information and reservationsfor all Historic Tredegar educationprograms, contact Sean Kane:804.780.1865 x 23 or [email protected].

For a full list of programs, visithttp://www.tredegar.org/richmond-sols.aspx VT

�Going to Nauticus was

��

I went on a HUMONGOUS, real -life Battleship!

I built an underwater robot!

I piloted a tugboat down the river!

I TOUCHED a living fossil!

I saw an awesome movie on a HUGE screen!

�� !��"��"��

On the Downtown Norfolk Waterfront

One Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510 | Nauticus.org (800) 664-1080 | [email protected]

��

��

� � � � � � �

��!��

��

� � � � � � �

��"��"�

��

� � � � � � �

��

� � � � � � �

��

� � � � � � �

��

� � � � � � �

e, Norfaterside DrivWOne v080 | reser0) 664-1(80

��

� � � � � � �

0 | Nauticus.org A 2351VVAolk, e, [email protected]

��

� � � � � � �

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 17 9/10/2012 1:53:40 PM

BYOD-BYOD used to be a phrase that wasfairly popular with the college crowd,often heard in reference to Frat par-ties (Bring Your Own Drink). A variation of that acronym is now enjoying resurgence in K-12 classrooms in Virginia and elsewhere,but in this case, BYOD means BringYour Own Device. Some school divisions call it BYOT (Bring YourOwn Technology).

Today’s ubiquitous “mobile device”was once the purview of only thegeekiest of individuals. Tablets havechanged significantly sinceCharleston Heston brought two ofthe early models down from Mt Sinai,and Blackberries, Ipods, Ipads, Cell-phones, and Palms will all find theirway into K-12 classrooms. Most students now have access to one ormore of these devices, and smartschool leaders are allowing these devices to be used to enhance classroom instruction.

Several Virginia School divisions havealready incorporated BYOD/BYOTinto their classrooms. York CountySchools (YCS) has implementedBYOT programs at the high schooland middle school level, and has runa pilot program at the elementarylevel as well. YCS was awarded theNational School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Excellenceaward for their BYOT program. Beginning SY 2012-2013, students inVirginia Beach will be allowed to usetheir own electronic devices in an academic setting to access the VBCPSfiltered WiFi network. Other schooldivisions throughout the state eitherhave, or soon will, follow suit. Virtual

16

Virginia, the Virginia Department ofEducation’s official online courseprovider, operates a pilot in which anAdvanced Placement (AP) biologytextbook is delivered entirelythrough student-owned iPads.

Myths about BYODIn her article, 7 Myths About BYODDebunked, blogger Lisa Nielsennotes how, over a decade into the21st century, we are still keepinglearners and teachers prisoners ofthe analog past by enforcing outdated mandates that ban andblock them from using the digital resources of their world.

Some of the more prevalent myths include:1) BYOD deepens the digital divide.

This divide exists, whether weallow kids to bring devices toschool or not. Provide devices forthose who need them and let’smove forward. Allowing studentsto bring their own technology canfree up school resources for useby those of lesser means.

2) BYOD will result in lessons gearedtoward the weakest device. This isjust wrong. Cell phones can beused to read books, write articles,and create digital books or podcasts. It’s time we let teachersdiscover, along with their students, the many possibilities in a tech-rich environment, then work together to achievethese goals.

3) BYOD will cause students to bedistracted. Teachers know thatwith the right tools and structurein place, learners are more engaged and connected to thematerial. As a result, disciplineand behavior issues decrease.

4) Teachers need to become expertsin all the technology studentsown. By allowing the students touse their own technology, theybecome the technical masters, and can help each other find solutions as needed. The teachers can focus on providingoutstanding instruction.

5) BYOD will result in students engaging in dangerous activities.Students today are going homefrom school and jumping on theirdevices, exploring the Web, oftenin totally unsupervised environ-ments. By allowing use of thesedevices in school, students can be taught how to become responsible digital citizens in acontrolled environment.

6) Cell phones are not that powerful,so we should not waste our timewith them. According to a recentsurvey, 93 percent of Americanteens say they go online. Thosefrom low-income families typicallydo so using their phones.

7) BYOD will require standardizedapps and software across all devices. Students are not all thesame, and they don’t need all thesame tools or to do the samethings. Students like to choose

By: Bud Livers

Most students now have access to one or more of these devices, and smart school leaders are allowing these devices to be used to enhance classroom instruction.

Bring Your Own Device:Coming to a School Near You!

Old School vs. New School

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 18 9/10/2012 1:53:47 PM


their own apps, and they havepersonalized them to their unique interests.

AdvantagesThere are many obvious advantagesto letting students employ the latest technology in their schoolwork. TomVander Ark, writer for gettingsmart.com notes several reasons we should encourage such uses.

• School districts can free up resources as students bring theirown technology devices. Insteadof text books, schools would payfor e-texts, apps and other online learning programs.

• Teachers who allow kids accessthroughout the day can let them use e-textbooks, watchvideos, use educational apps, research online, and completedigital learning projects, all to reinforce ideas that are beingtaught in class.

• Teachers can use the many toolsavailable online for student assessment in BYOD classrooms.

• Students with tablet-enabled textbooks will no longer have tolug around 50 lb backpacks. By using the same computing device at home and in school, they will have access to all the same digital resourcesboth places.

Challenges• Schools will need

special software to filter out inappropriate content on devices that are brought into school. Acceptable use policies will need to address these and other concerns.

• What about younger studentswho may forget the device on a bus, or have it taken by another student? What can bedone, if anything, to help

Market

ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT

HAMPTON 1139 W Pembroke Ave

722.7463

VA BEACH1144 Independence Blvd

464.5564

CHESAPEAKE3925 Portsmouth Blvd

465.1110

younger students keep track oftheir devices?

• While costs may be prohibitivefor some students, Partners inEducation, or the PTA, may help fill the shortfall for familiesin need.

Gayle Wuesthoff, the Computer Resource Specialist at King’s Grant Elementary in Virginia Beach notesthat, “A challenge will be to help teachers see how they can incorporate the Nintendo DSI and 3DS, which many of ourstudents have, into their classroom instruction.”

“Students today are digital natives.Many have the technology readilyavailable, and often sneak it intoschools. We should leverage thatpower in a healthy and appropriateBYOD environment really helps our program.” VT

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 19 9/10/2012 1:53:48 PM

THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT; a Giant Step Forward for Health Care Access in the United States

As most people know, the AffordableCare Act (ACA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. This new law provides themechanisms for increasing insurancecoverage to more than 50 millionAmericans who currently have no access to health care. It also includesnew requirements of insurance plansto make coverage and costs more equitable. Some key components ofthe law include:

PREVENTIVE SERVICES WITHOUT CO-PAYS.Starting in August 2012, new healthplans are required to cover preventiveservices without any co-pay for enrollees. For women, this also includes birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings and annualwell-woman exams. For children, thisincludes their regular well-visits. Formen, this includes their annual check-up, blood work and anythingassociated with routine preventivecare. Encouraging all people to accesspreventive care should greatly decrease health care costs associatedwith illness when people wait toolong for treatment because of lack ofaccess to health insurance.

YOUNG ADULTS CAN NOW STAY ON THEIR PARENTS’ HEALTH INSURANCE UNTIL AGE 26Many insurance companies used todiscontinue coverage of young adultsonce they graduated from either highschool or college. Now, all insurancecompanies are required to allowyoung adults to remain on their parents’ plans until they reach the ageof 26. This is particularly crucial in difficult economic times, when it’s

18

Lunch Room Topics

harder for new grads to find jobs, orjobs that offer health care coverage.

WOMEN WILL NO LONGER BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST INHEALTH INSURANCEToday, women are often chargedmuch higher rates for health insurance coverage, simply becausethey are women. For example, ahealthy 22 year-old woman can becharged premiums 150 percenthigher than a 22 year-old man. Starting in 2014, insurance companieswill no longer be allowed to discriminate against women in this manner.

PEOPLE WILL NO LONGER BE DENIED HEALTH CARE COVERAGEFOR A PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONStarting in 2014, the ACA stopshealth insurers from denying peoplecoverage due to pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, highblood pressure, or diabetes. In thepast, some insurance companieshave denied coverage to women dueto being pregnant or even being asurvivor of domestic violence, categorizing both situations as pre-existing conditions. Thanks to thehealth care law, these types of unjustpractices will no longer be allowed.

And most importantly…THE ACA CREATES AFFORDABLEHEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS FOR EVERYONECurrently, close to 50 million peopledo not have health insurance coverage

and in turn have limited or no accessto health care. Thanks to the ACA, millions of people will no longer have to worry about what will happen if they get sick, get into an accident, or break a limb. There aretwo ways people will become eligiblefor new health insurance coverageunder the law:

■ Medicaid: some people will gettheir new insurance coveragethrough the Medicaid program.Medicaid is actually one of thelargest public health insuranceprograms in the world, and will be covering additional people who cannot afford private insurance.

■ Exchanges: some people will buyprivate health insurance throughand Exchange, which will be anew marketplace for people topick the plan that works best for them. Many people will qualify for credits that will reduce the cost of their healthinsurance plan.

ACA TIMELINEAs of September 23, 2010:• Affordable health insurance

coverage for dependents under age26. 3.1 million people have already benefited!

• Children and teenagers 0-18 withpre-existing conditions cannot bedenied health insurance coverage

• Women have direct access to OB/GYN providers, without referrals

• Caps on coverage and restrictionsare placed on insurers’ limits

This new law provides the mechanisms for increasing insurance coverage to more than 50 million Americans who currently have no access to health care.

By: Erin Zabel, Education Director PPSEV

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 20 9/10/2012 1:53:49 PM


• Prevention coverage without co-pays for those with private healthinsurance and those on Medicare

As of August 1, 2012:• No co-pay for wellness check-ups• No co-pay for prenatal screening or

breastfeeding support, suppliesand counseling

• No co-pay for birth control andcontraceptive counseling

• No co-pay for screening and counseling for interpersonal anddomestic violence

• No co-pay for STI testing and counseling

As of January 1, 2014:• Approximately 12.8 million women

of reproductive age will gain newaccess to insurance coverage under Medicaid and state insurance exchanges

• New insurance companies will berequired to offer maternity coverage

• Insurers will be prohibited fromdenying people insurance coverageor limiting their benefits because ofpre-existing conditions

• Insurers will be prohibited fromcharging women more for healthinsurance coverage than theycharge men

• New insurance plans will have to include a standard minimum packageof benefits, knows as EssentialHealth Benefits (EHB), including:

■ Ambulatory patient services■ Emergency services■ Hospitalization■ Maternity and newborn care■ Mental health and substance

use disorder services■ Prescription drugs■ Rehabilitative services and

devices■ Laboratory services■ Preventive and wellness

services and chronic diseasemanagement

■ Pediatric services including oraland vision care VT

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 21 9/10/2012 1:53:49 PM

Who is the teacher you remember most, and why is she or he so memorable?

That would have to be Mrs. Maddux.She was a tough-as-nails Englishteacher who made sure grammar,punctuation and spelling was right. Tothis day, that has been a tremendousbenefit to me; I can’t STAND to seetypos, misspellings and incorrectgrammar. She showed me how tocommunicate well and in a responsible manner.

Can you share with our readersyour most embarrassing moment at school?

I remember an incident where I wasleaning over in my desk, (the kindwhere the desk and the chair areconnected) and I was trying to be“cool”. The desk tipped over withme in it and I fell head-first onto theground. I had a big bruise and a knoton my face for weeks, but there wasa lot of laughter after it happened.

Class ReunionFIRST COLONIALHIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF ‘72

20

If we opened your locker in highschool, what would we find?

It was disgustingly filthy. You haveyour gym clothes in there, and theystink. I never took anything out except at the end of the year. It wasa collection of everything.

If you could do high school over again, what would you do differently?

I would really try to be a better student. I was more interested in“being cool”. I should have studiedmore. I mean that honestly.

What one thing did you learn inschool that has served you well inyour post-school years?

It goes back to Mrs. Maddux, myEnglish teacher, for helping me tobecome an articulate communicator.Also I would have to say I learned alot in my Government class. We werejust becoming the age to vote. Theywere just changing the legal voting

By: Bud Livers

William D. “Will”Sessoms, Jr.MAYOR OF VIRGINIA BEACH

age to 18, and the teacher reallystressed the importance of participating in the democraticprocess and getting active in the upcoming elections.

What motivated you to chooseyour career field?

I did pretty well in math and I alwayshad an interest in numbers. This ledme into the banking industry. My interest in government and theprocesses involved led to me running for office. VTBIOGRAPHY:Will Sessoms grew up in Virginia Beach,Virginia. He graduated from First ColonialHigh School (1972) in Virginia Beach andwent on to attend Virginia CommonwealthUniversity where he earned a degree inBusiness Administration in 1976. He then returned to Virginia Beach to pursue a career in banking. He currently isPresident and Chief Executive Officer ofTowne Financial Services Group.His father-in-law, Roy B. Martin, Jr., wasMayor of Norfolk for 12 years, and in 1988Sessoms began his political career as an at-large member of the City Council. In 1992,his fellow council members selected himto be Vice Mayor, a position he held for 10years. In 2008, he was elected Mayor of Virginia Beach.For more than 20 years, Sessoms has beenactively involved in community service andhas worked with numerous local and regional organizations including the LifeSaving Museum of Virginia, the AmericanHeart Association, the Boys & Girls Club,the Norfolk State University Foundation,the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue SquadFoundation, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, and several otherbusiness and community service groups.He and his wife, Beverly, have three daugh-ters: Mollie Sessoms Korte, Kate SessomsNapolitano, and Anne Douglas Sessoms.

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 22 9/10/2012 1:53:52 PM

Become an Exceptional Special Educator

U.S. News & World Report

Online Special Education Programs:

On Campus | Online

Information Session

RSVP Today

Catherine Webb Virginia Teacher of the Year, 2010Regent University Alumna

EDU1

2065

4

Christian Leadership to Change the World

*Source: www.usnews.com/education/online-education.

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 23 9/10/2012 1:53:53 PM

Three Graduate Degrees and One Post-Master’s Certificate

Educational AdministrationEnvision your path to effective school leadership. Prepare for licensure eligibility in K-12 administration

and supervision through the master’s degree, post-

master’s certificate, or education specialist degree.

Pursue your Ed.D. in Educational Administration and Policy Studies. Learn research methodology and

produce an original scholarly dissertation. Doctoral

cohorts meet one weekend a month in Newport News,

beginning each spring.

Learn more at www.nearyou.gwu.edu/edadmin

or call 757-249-3522.

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/ AFFIRMATIVE ACTION INSTITUTION CERTIFIED TO OPERATE IN VA BY SCHEV.

GW GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT NEWPORT NEWS RICHMOND VIRGINIA BEACH

y

a month in Newport News,

ou.gwu.edu/edadmin

QQUAL OPPORPO TUUNIN TTY/Y/OPPERATAA E INN VA BYA BY VVV SCHESCHEVV.VV

VT-Sept-Oct.pdf 24 9/10/2012 1:54:03 PM

Virginia Teacher September/October issue

Documents

Transcript of Virginia Teacher September/October issue