The honor has also put a national spotlight on the N.C. Virtual Public School, the nation’s second-largest online public school. Fetzer helped develop a program there in which online and classroom teachers pair up to teach traditional high school content to students with disabilities.

Here is the abstract for the article:

North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS) recognizes the value of producing quality virtual schoolteachers that know how to develop that very important student-teacher relationship. This is why NCVPS has spent the necessary time establishing a Teacher Assistant Program that not only provides mentors to potential teachers, but also teaches them how to instruct and make connections with the digital natives that they are preparing to be global competitors. NCVPS is not only providing Teacher Assistants with a powerful mentoring experience, but also promoting life long learning and succession throughout their career in education. NCVPS staff knows that this practice-based program will provide insight for other K-12 virtual schools interested in building a teacher mentorship program.

The book is due out in Summer 2012.

Congratulations to Janice on her publication!

Date Released: March 2, 2012

Contact: Beth Day, (404) 879-5544

North Carolina Resident Named Nation’s 2012 Online K-12 Teacher of Year

ATLANTA, March 2, 2012  — Leslie Fetzer of Holly Springs, North Carolina, an online biology teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public School, was named America’s 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year for K-12 education last night. The honor is awarded by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The 2012 SREB/iNACOL National Online Teacher of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding online teacher for exceptional contributions to online K-12 education. The review committee selected Fetzer and two other finalists from online educators in public schools and state virtual schools in 26 states.

“Leveraging the power of the Internet for learning allows students to have access to courses they need regardless of where they’re located or what time of day is most convenient for them,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who congratulated the finalists by video at the award presentation.

Quality online learning “cannot exist without phenomenally effective and committed teachers who understand how to use technology to personalize the learning experience,” Duncan added.

Fetzer has taught online biology to grades 10-12 at North Carolina Virtual Public School for the past three years. A former classroom teacher, Fetzer noted that teaching online is not what most people envision. “When I was given the opportunity to teach online, I jumped at the chance,” she said. “To really teach a student, you need to reach them on a personal level. Teaching online allows me to personalize instruction for every one of my students.”

“I can use images, word analogies, create a cartoon or animation, record a live lesson, or add audio to help them remember.” Almost daily, she said, “I get to witness students having ‘light bulb’ moments. This growth is so exciting.”

Fetzer is “completely student-centered” and “approaches online instruction with innovation and motivation,” said her chief academic officer, who nominated Fetzer for the honor. The nine-year teaching veteran was also 2011 Teacher of the Year at North Carolina Virtual Public School, which serves 45,000 students statewide.

The award winner and finalists were recognized during the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative Teaching and Learning Symposium, held March 1-2 in Atlanta. The announcement was webcast live courtesy of award sponsor Blackboard Collaborate. View the presentation at: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.B0A20BA8D0170441710C57B5D7036A&sid=39.

(Session name: 2012 SREB-iNACOL NOTY). Additional sponsors include AT&T, Connections Learning, Florida Virtual School, Pearson Foundation and SAS.

Fetzer was awarded a custom-created crystal Flame of Excellence and a trip to the Virtual School Symposium sponsored by iNACOL October 21-24 in New Orleans. As the 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year, she will represent online teachers everywhere at speaking appearances throughout the year, will be recognized during the iNACOL Annual Meeting and will be featured on the SREB and iNACOL websites.

Also recognized at the presentation were the other finalists: Tracy Seiler from the South Carolina Virtual School Program and Asherrie Yisrael from Georgia Virtual School.

“These teachers face new challenges in new ways every day.  They connect with and make a real difference in the lives of their students.  They prove that good teaching is simply good teaching — wherever it happens. SREB and iNACOL are proud to honor Leslie Fetzer and the other finalists for their courage to innovate and their commitment to excellence,” said Myk Garn, director of the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative.

“We are thrilled to honor Leslie Fetzer with the 2012 Online Teacher of the Year Award. Leslie is a highly respected teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public School who is an expert in personalizing the learning experience for each of her students, developing critical thinking skills, problem-solving, and navigating them toward college- and career-readiness successes. Her passion and dedication are an inspiration to all of us. Leslie represents the very best in next generation teaching and learning — combining the best teaching with most advanced learning tools and digital resources to individualize instruction that is high-tech and high-touch,” said Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL.

For more information about the award program and the work of the Educational Technology Cooperative, contact SREB Communications or visit www.sreb.org.

iNACOL (www.inacol.org) is the International Association for K-12 Online Learning, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) membership association based in the Washington, D.C., area with more than 3,100 members.  iNACOL is unique in that its members represent a diverse cross-section of K-12 education from school districts, charter schools, state education agencies, nonprofit organizations, colleges, universities and research institutions, corporate entities, and other content and technology providers. iNACOL hosts the annual Virtual School Symposium (VSS): www.virtualschoolsymposium.org/.

The Southern Regional Education Board, or SREB, based in Atlanta, was created in 1948 by Southern governors and legislatures to help leaders in education and government work cooperatively to advance education and improve the social and economic life of the region. SREB has 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

For specific schedule, please visit Spring 2012 Open House.

Leslie has been chosen as one of the 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year finalists! The announcement of the 2012 National Online Teacher of the Year will be made March 1, 2012 at the Excellence Awards Gala during the SREB Symposium on Virtual Teaching and Learning. Thank you Leslie for all that you do for the students of North Carolina!

December 9, 2011

Contact:

Michelle Harrell, (919) 664-6853

mharrell@ncartmuseum.org

NC Museum of Art Partnership Reaches Statewide Teen Audience through Online Courses

Together with the North Carolina Virtual Public School (NCVPS), the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is pioneering new ways of offering creative arts education classes to students in every public high school in the state. This collaboration benefits schools by giving students an opportunity to engage with works of art at the Museum on a daily basis, regardless of geographic location or budgetary constraints.

“Many public schools don’t have the funding to staff and offer specialized art classes like the ones developed by the NCMA/NCVPS project,” explained Cathy Cindrich, NCVPS video editing instructor. “These courses are reaching students where they spend most of their free time—online.”

NCVPS, the second-largest virtual school in the nation, partners with schools throughout North Carolina to give students access to a 21st-century learning environment and help them prepare for college and beyond. As of September 2011, more than 18,000 students were enrolled in NCVPS semester courses and nearly 5,000 enrolled in yearlong courses.

“Through our partnership with NCVPS, we can reach thousands of students throughout the state, many of whom have never visited the Museum,” said Michelle Harrell, coordinator of teen and college programs at the NCMA. She added, “These collaborative courses are unique in that they use works of art at the Museum as catalysts for learning.”

“We work together to combine our best resources,” NCVPS Art Department Chair Deb Pylypiw added. “To ensure we are meeting our course objectives, the curriculum we develop undergoes an extensive evaluation process.”

The NCMA currently offers two NCVPS courses, Video Editing with a Renaissance Twist and Art of Game Design. Both courses incorporate object-based learning and high-tech, project-based online learning. As students make connections to works of art in the Museum’s collection, they develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills, and the projects they create—both individually and in collaboration with other students—allow them to experiment with new technology.

Students are supported in their coursework through NCMA lending libraries that provide them with cameras and other equipment, guest visits from Museum staff in online meetings with classes, and course-related special events at the Museum.

“I borrowed one of the Museum’s cameras over the summer to use in my online class, and it made my work so much easier to complete—and fun!” said Brendaly V., a student in the summer 2011 video editing course. “I appreciate that the NCMA loaned me a camera. I hope to buy one of my own someday, now that I know how cool it is and how great it works.”

Last spring, the NCMA celebrated the success of its first course in the collaboration, Video Editing with a Renaissance Twist, with a Renaissance-themed teen event at the Museum. The evening’s festivities included a blue-screen photo booth and a video competition featuring films created by students in the course.

Harrell said these end-of-course celebrations “recognize the students’ accomplishments and give them validation from their friends and family.” The on-site events also give students an opportunity to meet their classmates and instructors in person.

“Although the collaboration project is still in its early stages, we can already see the impact these courses have made on students who live hours away from the Museum,” Harrell said. One student’s family made a four-hour drive from the Outer Banks to Raleigh to attend the screening of the film she had made in the video editing class.

The most recent course in the NCMA/NCVPS collaboration, Art of Game Design, is now in progress. This multimedia course teaches the basic elements and thought processes of designing games, both digital (video games) and nondigital (board games, card games, etc.). Students explore works of art from the NCMA’s collection as they learn how the concepts of purpose, character and story development, and structure apply to both art and game design.

The Museum will host another teen event in spring 2012 to recognize students for their achievements in the new course and help them explore careers in art, game design, and museum-related fields. Additional courses are in development.

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The North Carolina Museum of Art’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the Southeast. The Museum’s collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The Museum offers changing national touring exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films, and concerts.

The Museum recently opened its new gallery building, home to the permanent collection. The North Carolina Museum of Art, Lawrence J. Wheeler, director, is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. It is the art museum of the State of North Carolina, Beverly Eaves Perdue, governor, and an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, Linda A. Carlisle, secretary. Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free. Museum hours are Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Closed Monday. For more information about the Museum, visit www.ncartmuseum.org.

Congrats again to the Peer Tutoring Center and James!

Additional news from the Center is that editor Amy Bareham has added a news feature. The news feature is entitled,Tutor Talk: A Note from the Editor. Twice a month she is going to share fun facts with her readers. These will range from arbitrary tidbits about current events to helpful hints for success inNCVPS courses.

Check out her new article at:http://ncvpspeertutor.blogspot.com/2011/12/breaking-news.html.