Registration

Virtual Virginia registration for the 2011-2012 school year begins April 15, 2011, for Virginia public schools. Registration for homeschool, private school, and out-of-state students opens July 1, 2011.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Courtney Clemons

Name: Ms. Courtney Clemons

Courses Taught: AP Language and Composition, World Mythology, French II

Years Teaching: 12

Location: Lewisburg, WV

Hidden Talent: I am an avid birder. I participate in bird counts for the National Audubon Society and am helping with a 5-year Breeding Bird Atlas in West Virginia.

Thoughts About Teaching and Learning Online: I love teaching online because it gives me a chance to give students more individualized feedback. I also like that I can communicate with and help students on more of a one-on-one basis than I could in a face-to-face classroom.

Advice For students Taking An Online Course: Students need to be motivated and have a strong work ethic. If they are willing to put forth the effort, I think many students can benefit so much from this experience.

Virtual Virginia Teacher Named Finalist for National Teaching Award Second Year In a Row

The Southern Regional Education Board and the International Council for K12 Online Learning have announced the list of finalists for the second annual National Online Teacher of the Year. Nominations for 65 candidates from 25 states were considered. We are very proud that to announce that Virtual Virginia's Human Geography teacher Tom Landon has been named one of those five finalists.

Read the press release here: http://home.sreb.org/publication/news1.aspx?Code=1282

This is the second year in a row that one of Virtual Virginia's teacher has been named a finalist for this recognition. Virtual Virginia AP Economics teacher Steven Sproles was one of the three finalist for the 2010 award.

One of this year's five finalists will be named the 2011 National Online Teacher of the Year on March 10 in Atlanta, at the Excellence Dinner during the SREB’s Education Technology Cooperative’s Teaching and Learning Symposium.

The 2011 National Online Teacher of the Year will receive a crystal Flame of Excellence and a day with Karen Cator, the director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, plus a trip to the Virtual School Symposium sponsored by iNACOL, November 9-11 in Indianapolis. The winner also will be recognized during the iNACOL Annual Meeting and will be featured on the SREB and iNACOL websites. The other four finalists will receive special recognition at the awards banquet in March and other honors.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Colleen Spinelli

Name: Ms. Colleen Spinelli

Courses Taught: AP Environmental Science

Years Teaching: 10

Location: Bristow, VA

Hidden Talent: I learned to row at age 6.

Thoughts About Teaching and Learning Online: Teaching is a great way to reach out to other people and share an experience. Whether it is academic or athletic, I love to see someone learn and connect. Online learning allows me to interact with wonderful students in any zipcode.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Christina Kauffman

Name: Ms. Christina Kauffman

Courses Taught: Latin I and Latin III

Years Teaching: 9

Hidden Talent: I enjoy photography and travel.

Thoughts About Teaching and Learning Online: Teaching students who would not have had an opportunity to take Latin in a traditional classroom setting has been very rewarding for me. I have enjoyed working with a wide range of students from all over the states and have been privileged to have some students from other countries, too. Each student brings a unique background and set of experiences to the course and makes the online environment a very rich and dynamic place for learning.

Advice for Students Taking Online Courses: Like many things in life, communication is essential. To succeed in an online course, students should frequently communicate with the instructor. VVa courses contain multiple means of communication and students should take advantage of all the opportunities their courses afford.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Cat Latcovich

Ms. Latcovich, with her dog Seger

Name: Ms. Cat Latcovich

Courses Taught: AP United States History and AP European History

Location: Richmond, VA

Years Teaching: 10

Hidden Talent: Shopping - I can find a bargain anywhere.

Thoughts about online teaching and learning: Teachers and students can be intimated by online learning as it is quite different from the face to face classroom. However, online teachers can provide students with just as much, if not more, individualized instruction. I have also found that I can get to know students very well in online classes through our instant messaging, emails, and phone calls.

Advice for students taking online courses: Work on your time management skills. Don't wait until the day of a deadline to complete all of your work. Pacing the work out over how many days you have to complete it will help you better understand the material and leave you feeling less stressed.

Tuesday Teacher Profile: Ms. Rachel Herbst

Name: Ms. Rachel Herbst

Courses Taught: AP Art History

Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Years Teaching: 6

Hidden Talent: I can name the starting lineup for the Chicago Bears.

Thoughts about online teaching and learning: It is a unique way to interact with students. We meet them on their playing field...the computer.

Advice for students taking online courses: Stick to the schedule. Do not fall behind!