Meeting Mr. Rodgers - A Morning with the Super Bowl MVP

The events of last Tuesday certainly provided for one of the more interesting days I have had as a writer. It was a bit different from a day in 1986, when I traveled with my friend and Wagnerian newspaper colleague Mystica Alexander and four business students from Wagner College to a business symposium sponsored by some hotshot NYC lawyer. That day was interesting because I got to shake hands with former President Ford. Unfortunately, because of a bathroom break during his speech, I also drew a three-man Secret Service escort to the men's room. Later that day, I had the opportunity to ask Mike Wallace of CBS News a question (against the wishes of my group). Being a business symposium, of course I asked Wallace a journalism question, specifically about Janet Cooke, the woman who won a Pulitzer Prize with the Washington Post for her expose of a 10-year old drug addict, only to be fired when the story turned out to be a hoax. He was interested in the question, but the moderator lawyer was not inspired by Wallace's zest for talking about his own craft, and an argument ensued over Wallace's purpose for the visit. Oops!!

Sorry for the trip down Memory Lane. Tuesday was unique because it was an opportunity to examine what does work with sports. Aaron Rodgers was in town visiting the William and Mary All-Pro camp as the guest speaker. Fortunately, I was asked to cover the visit, and my article for WYDaily and Tide Radio (92.3 - http://www.tideradio.com/)  can be found here.

Over the course of my 60 minutes on the field at Zable Stadium, and later inside of the Jimmye Laycock Football Center (named for the current W&M coach of 31 years), I rediscovered that feeling once experienced as a youth - the sheer excitement of watching sports and seeing the players in person. At 45 years old, I was transformed back to 10 - the kid who got an autograph from Sonny Jurgensen at Luckett Field in Alexandria, chased Brooks Robinson's car (he stopped and signed) after an Orioles game, held a neighborhood parade with my brother and sisters, the Hopewells and other kids from my neighborhood, for Hank Aaron, then later reveled with delight after meeting Hammerin' Hank at a public appearance he was doing for Magnavox in Tysons Corner and handing him a copy of the newspaper clipping while getting my "Aaron" book signed. It didn't matter that half of his head was cut out of our picture together!

On Tuesday, the reigning Super Bowl MVP was in town and there were 400 kids waiting for him.

The morning started out slow. I entered Zable Stadium at the main entrance on the 50-yard line and immediately began walking around the perimeter of the field - first, to meet my contact from the sports information office, but second, to see where Rodgers was. Couldn't find him, and later discovered he was practicing on the adjacent field with another group of campers.

I began the slow process of melting in the 93-degree heat as I didn't have a chance to change out of work clothes beforehand. But the wait was worthwhile as I continued walking around and witnessing the sheer joy in these kids eyes as they worked their way around to different stations, showing their expertise (or lack thereof) in catching, blocking and running pass patterns. The W&M coaches had captured the "spirit of the thing" and offered their encouragement to the campers.. "Good catch! Way to block! C'mon, put your weight into it!"

Not many Packers jerseys..hmmm.

Anyhow, at 10:05, the moment everyone was waiting for happened. A golf cart drove through the corner of the northwest stadium entrance carrying none other than the NFL's all-time passer rating leader. Clad in a black T-shirt and shorts, Rodgers looked genuinely happy to be there. As the cart reached the field, I heard a cry.

"Show us your ring!!!!"

The first thing I noticed was that Rodgers was not wearing his Super Bowl ring. Anyhow, the cart stopped briefly at midfield, then proceeded to the 10-yard line at the south end of the stadium where the quarterback got into position for drills. For today, the drill was simple. Rodgers will toss you a pass --- and you have one chance to catch it.

I couldn't help but think. Wow, the pressure!! Years ago, one of my buddies at our open mike night at the country bar had told a story of having John Riggins pull up next to his truck while he was in the parking lot at the firing range. Noting the stranger in the neighboring car, Riggins reached into his cooler and yelled out his window, "Wanna beer?" I remember Scotty describing the pressure in that situation.

"You know, a football Hall-of-Famer throws you something, you better damn well catch it!"

I couldn't help but think about Scotty while watching these kids catch pass after pass. For those who believe that kids lack concentration, I'm going to beg to differ for a second. But, I also had to look at the kids who dropped their ball. It was kind of sad because there was not going to be a second chance, not today, not ever.

And as will happen when one is wearing a press pass and writing in a notebook, people will come up and talk. I generally don't mind a bit, unless it's at a game and I'm trying to keep stats, especially basketball. One gentleman sauntered in my direction and pointed out a fact I thought was unknown, but had certainly noticed while searching for the Super Bowl ring.

"Look at his hands!!! Wow, they're like... catcher's mitts!"

Indeed, Rodgers has large hands, as he demonstrated while moving the football between his legs in an impressive show of dexterity. I have to thank that man for giving me the angle for the WYDaily story. Right!!! The hands!! Same ones that were on the Lombardi trophy. And look, he's just lobbing these softballs for little kids to catch and smiling right through the whole drill, even as another two dozen youngsters arrive for their turn.

I would find it hard to describe the moments for the kids at William and Mary, but this picture, kindly sent by Pete Clayton from the SID office really sums it up. The kids were loving it.

After the drills, all of the campers, including the ones from the other field, met at the 50-yard line and were recipients of a short talk from the Green Bay QB. I didn't get to hear any of it because we were relocating to the Laycock Center so that the local TV cameras from Richmond and Norfolk could get situated and we could all find our foldout chair and claim our "spot" for the interview session.

Parked inside the Laycock Center and armed with my recorder, about 15 TV and print reporters and I sat waiting the arrival of Mr. Rodgers. Safe to say, the kids got their money's worth and he didn't keep us waiting long. Over the course of his ten minutes in the spotlight, what I saw was an example of how all professional athletes should act. No bling, no foul language, no bravado, no plugging his side gigs. I actually may have made a faux pas by asking him about his newly acquired recording studio. "Actually, it's a recording label," corrected Rodgers. But no mention of the label name (Suspended Sunrise Recordings) or the name of the first group he'll be promoting (The Make). The guy from the Pilot in Virginia Beach made sure to add these to his article, then add a post comment (To Aaron -- you're welcome for the plug).

Rodgers is not a pushover by any means, but he does possess a degree of humility which is rare for a millionaire superstar athlete. Perhaps having Butte Community College on his college resume helps, or even having to spend three years backing up future Hall of Famer Brett Favre while sitting through Favre's public displays of misplaced attention seeking and on-again, off-again bouts with retirement.

"It made me better as a person, on and off the field."

Rodgers talked of being the wide eyed youngster, of not having the opportunity to go to such a camp, of having this experience remind him of what is really important. "Hopefully, the kids will get something out of this."

Looking at the comments at the end of the WYDaily article, it appears that there are a few Packers fans here on the Peninsula. Looks like someone wrote in from Chico, CA, Rodgers' hometown. They all write of Rodgers and other Packers in glowing terms.

I hope to see more of this. In spite of the lockout which cause Rodgers "zero frustration," yesterday was a good day for football. At least it was here.

The Pros and Cons of Blogging

The advances in technology have led to many new tools being made available to educators. One of these advances is the Weblog. Known to some simply as a "blog," it is "part web site, part journal, and part free-form writing spaces that have the potential to enhance writing and literacy skills while offering a unique form of expression. So quotes authors Beverly B. Ray and Gail A. Coulter in their research piece, which was first published in Contemporary Issues in Technology and English Language Arts Teacher Education (CITE). The authors have an interesting concept. They see teachers as naturally reflective people and question whether the reflective medium of blogging can be of benefit to the teachers themselves, and in the classroom.

While judging their findings to be somewhat insufficient, I do see the need to analyze a subject such as this. At face value, it would make sense for a teacher to utilize such a communication medium. The blog author can gather feedback while maintaining control of the discussion. There is no room for sidebars and jagged arguments. The author controls the content and can use the control to gather needed feedback.



There is no current controversy surrounding this subject, but I do hope that more data becomes available to judge the success, or failure of Weblog use for the modern day teacher.


Authors Ray and Coulter enter the discussion with a unique and worthwhile purpose. They view teachers as naturally reflective people, always looking for feedback to enhance their performance in the classroom. Recognizing the changes brought about in the electronic age, they focus on one advance, which was relatively unheard of eight years ago the Weblog. Technologies, including weblogs, provide a unique and authentic opportunity to glimpse the written reflective processes employed by practicing teachers. If this is true, then how could such a tool help the practicing teacher?



The authors put on their researching caps and attempted to answer this question with data driven evidence. They chose the language arts teachers, because they would seem to be the most likely to embrace a technology that required frequent writing. Their purpose was to understand the role and function of blogs as used by language arts teachers. They were not necessarily trying to prove or disprove the effectiveness of the blog. However, they were trying to get a better indication as to the depth and scope of the blog reflections. The authors/researchers used the following two questions to guide their study:
1. Do individual blog entries related to educational practice demonstrate written reflection?
2. If so, what depth of reflection is demonstrated by the entries?

Finding The Participants and Quantifying Results

                                 
It would seem easy to locate a large number of language arts teachers blogs from the Internet. We don't know how many bloggers exist, but the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2006) indicated that the number exceeded 12 million. From this rich pool, the authors decided to identify and collect data only from blogs created by K-12 in-service teachers in the United States. Of the 142 reported during the past year (2005), 33 were known to be language arts teachers blogs. One might assume that the number would increase in a year's time; however, in the fall of 2006, the number located was a mere 11. As a reviewer, my first questions were "How did the number decrease by roughly 67% in a year?" and "Did teachers lose interest in the medium?"


Undaunted, the researchers used the links of the 11 bloggers, as well as Google and Yahoo searches, to locate ten more blogs, raising their total to 21. Hoping to find power in numbers, five entries from each blog were chosen for scoring purposes, making for a total of 105 entries for reflective review. Each entry was reviewed by two experts from the teacher education and instructional technology fields, for a grand total of 210 blog reviews.


The scoring system was broken down into five categories, with each of the five reviews being rated on a 0.0 to 0.2 scale with .005 increments. The highest possible reflective score any set of data could receive was a 1.
Here are the descriptions of each level of blog reflection, followed by the number and percentage of subject scores:
0.0 - There is no evidence of reflective practice within the entry (14 13%)
0.05- The educational blogger reflects on his or her work and improvement, but does not provide examples in the entry (21 23%).
0.1 - The educational blogger demonstrates an ability to reflect on his or her work, but examples provided are of a minimal quality (32 35%)
0.15 The educational blogger demonstrates an ability to reflect on his or her work. A concrete example(s) is provided (14 15%)
0.2 The educational blogger demonstrates exemplary evidence of a range of metareflective practices and provides an example(s) within the entry (24 26%).

 
The examples for each show the difference in entry quality, subject depth, and length of thought. Because of my opinion regarding the findings, the results are not relevant. However, the group mean score is 0.106, which indicates a minimal quality of blog author reflection, on average.I agreewith Ray and Coulter's rationale for attempting to disseminate data on this subject. I do believe that this topic will become more useful in the near future. If language arts teachers know that opening a blog can be a proven method of improving teaching performance, there would be a reason for curriculum leaders to recommend the practice to their teachers. It can be a valuable study. I believe it will become a valuable study in the future.


However, it is hard to justify any findings based on the mere 21 subjects. By comparison, I try to imagine anybody determining the next President of the United States based on a poll of 21 registered voters. I won't see the data as valuable until at least 100 subjects have been rated by at least three experts.


I believe that weblogs can be valuable for the personal growth of a language arts teacher. It may be effective for helping in the classroom. My conclusion is that some day a study will prove this. Ray and Coulter's study is not the one to prove it.

Conclusion

 
Given the amount of material that the authors were able to find on this subject, there is no doubt that the use of Weblogs for teachers is a worthwhile topic of research and discussion. While I find the topic to be valid, I believe that the authors may have diluted their argument by focusing solely on language arts teachers. It is very difficult to prove any meaningful points with only 21 subjects to observe. The authors even admit this themselves in the limitations section. A longer study with more subjects may have shown more pertinent results. I think another, more comprehensive study will eventually prove that a weblog can be an effective tool for language arts teachers, and should be used as a tool for improving ones performance in the classroom.

What teachers do during the summer

To the non-teacher, the world of an educator looks idyllic. The main reason for this view is the perceived teaching schedule. Most school systems operate between 180-200 days a year with each school day lasting between seven and eight hours. In the past, the ideal benefit to any aspiring teacher was the promise of “summers off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
”If even after reading all this, you still want to change lives by becoming
a teacher, you can find information about the courses you need at <a
href="http://www.onlinemastersdegrees.net>.
It is possible to pursue advanced studies while simultaneously earning the
teaching certification you need.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But do teachers really have their summers free?

In reality, very few teachers enjoy a full summer of vacation. There are several reasons for this.

Summer School

For a few teachers, the economic reality of their position prevents them from having the summer free. Most school systems offer teachers the choice of being paid on a ten or twelve-month plan. Regardless of the pay plan choice a teacher makes, several opt for the opportunity to teach summer school. Generally, the session lasts 4-5 weeks with four 5-hour days, paying between $22 and $30 per hour.

Professional Development

Teachers are required to obtain licenses in order to be certified. Teaching licenses are renewable and require a set amount of professional development hours to be completed for renewal. School systems, as well as individual buildings conduct professional development training for their teachers during the academic year. However, the sessions are periodic and usually can’t sustain the load required for re-certification.

For this reason, many teachers use the summer months to build their points for re-licensure. This can be completed through coursework or by attending extra training. In most states, 180-300 classroom hours are required and there is a three to five year license period in which the hours must be earned. Teachers who are working toward an advance degree can usually satisfy the coursework simply by counting their post-graduate credits, but this requiring taking one or two classes each summer.

National Board Certification

A few teachers have used their summers to earn National Board Certification status.  The process is grueling and requires 150-300 hours of work developing lesson units worthy of advanced achievement. Because of the time and effort involved with earning National Board certification, the seminars are usually held on a statewide basis during the summer months.

Standardized Test Committees

Because of the availability of teachers during the summer months, states and school systems use this time to hold professional conferences. One example of this is the opportunity to work on a statewide standardized test committee. Individuals selected by their principal and school superintendent enjoy the experience of studying future tests to be used in the standardized test process. One committee may review the test content for validity, while another committee may observe the sensitivity and bias of the content being used for a standardized test, particularly on the English exams.

Department Chair Duties

Finally, some teachers take on the added responsibility of serving as the department chair for their group. While the position is financially supplemented, it does require one or two extra weeks of in-school duties, conducting such duties as book inventory, curriculum development, and school leadership activities, such as interviewing new teacher candidates. Additional training within the school system may also be required.

Spurrier Has Great Solution for College Athlete Payment. Too Bad It Will Never Work.

As a lifelong Washington Redskin fan, the past twelve years have been hard to accept. This could be another article for the near future by itself. The only reason I bring it up is that Steve Spurrier has his own chapter in the horrific saga which makes up the Dan Snyder ownership era.

Spurrier came to the Skins as a glorified national championship winning coach from the University of Florida. His college credentials were indeed impressive (122-27-1 with seven SEC titles and a national championship at the U of F). His tenure with the Burgundy and Gold was much less illustrious as a 12-20 career record with ten losses in his last 12 games would indicate. He was immediately fired after his second season.

But there was something likable about Spurrier. In spite of being a Heisman Trophy winner (1966) and professional quarterback for ten seasons, he was humble to a fault. He told reporters that he really wasn’t important, just the “Ol’ Ball Coach,” a moniker which has stuck for years. Unlike Redskin legend Joe Gibbs, who slept in his office while winning three Super Bowls for the fans of D.C., Spurrier would sneak out on Friday nights during the season to watch his son Steve Jr. play quarterback for Loudoun Valley High School. The Loudoun faithful knew who the figure at the end of the back row of the bleachers was.

Even in his post-Redskin life, the Ol’ Ball Coach endeared himself to many college football fans by spurning offers to coach at elite programs and taking a job as the head whistle at the University of South Carolina, a far cry from the lights and glamour of Gainesville. Spurrier is finding gradual success (44-33) with the Garnet and Black, having won the SEC championship last season for the first time.

Like many top tier collegiate coaches, Spurrier commands a multi-million dollar yearly income. Unlike most of his wealthy but quiet colleagues, he has now spoken out on the topic of paying college athletes. A couple of weeks ago, the Gamecock coach made a proposal at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, FL which sounded preposterous at first, but upon further review provided for many second thoughts leading to national headlines.

“Yes,” said Spurrier, “we should pay college athletes. In fact, each coach in my conference should give each of his top 70 players $300 per game.” This line was not earth shattering, but the next was. “Out of his OWN pocket.”

Putting my math skills to work, this comes out to $21,000 per game. Multiply by 13-14 and were pushing $300 K.

This seems like an obscene amount, but maybe not so when one considers that Auburn coach Gene Chizik just won a national title and received a bump from $2.1 to $3.5 million dollars (not including another potential $1.3 million in incentives!) This makes Chizik the FOURTH highest paid coach in his own conference. Not nationally -- just in the SEC.

What a novel concept. A coach rewards the players who maintain his livelihood. At face value it seems so simple and affordable. Further reflection suggests that it could subdue some of the illegal activities (corruption will still exist, but a paying coach might pay more attention) which permeate through towns like Columbus, OH, Storrs, CT and Auburn, AL.

Too bad it will never happen.

In an earlier post on the subject of paying college athletes, I proposed that Title IX would never allow for payment. Of the three dozen or so posts on the “Wall” thus far, this one comment generated the most feedback and the viewpoints split evenly to both sides. On the one hand, I read “Ridiculous...Title IX has nothing to do with it” while on the other, “it (Title IX) could be a real problem.”

Here’s the answer. Title IX is THE main reason why college athletes will never be paid. This is why Spurrier’s idea hit a brick wall and fizzled.

The legislature was generated in 1972 to cover gender equity in all educational activities, but most of the social commentary has focused on athletics. Reasonable attempts have been made to amend Title IX, usually with the intention of adjusting the focus (i.e. athletic vs. non-athletic activities, college vs. secondary school). But, the 800-pound elephant in the room has always been money. A university might have 400 male and 400 female athletes on its rosters and this may be considered equal. But, if the men’s programs are costing $11 million while the women’s programs cost $8 million, there becomes a discrepancy. In our litigious society, many ambitious athletes, parents and their attorneys have poked and prodded to find any example of inequity and taken their real or perceived case to court.

To open a can of worms and start paying college football players $300 each per game would mean paying a group of female athletes $300 a game. But, what female team has 70 members? Certainly not basketball, the largest women’s sports moneymaker. Softball? Nope. Not even soccer. All three combined rosters at a university probably don’t top 70 players.

There’s more. Very few coaches or athletic departments outside of the major conferences could make this kind of financial sacrifice, which would add into the millions of dollars because every athlete would require (by somebody’s law) the same amount in order for the shoe to fit on Title IX.

I have come to agree that in this day in age, a college scholarship, worth $20,000 to $50,000 per year, is suitable compensation for a typical student-athlete. Perhaps there should be a bump for the athletes who get air time on national TV around the end of March and just after January 1^st while helping their schools earn $20 million appearance fees. Coach Spurrier had an interesting and modest proposal. Too bad it will never happen.

How administrators can stay connected to the classroom

As part of their job description, school administrators are expected to be teacher leaders. Since most leaders are former teachers, it is reasonable to believe that many enjoyed a degree of success in the classroom before moving to their new positions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information about an online PhD is available for people who are interested in becoming administrators. Most school administrators have advanced degrees.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yet the complaint heard from many administrators is how their other responsibilities prevent them from spending as much time as they would like in the classroom. Aside from the semi-annual rounds of teacher observations, many school leaders find themselves tending to the problems which emerge within a building on a daily basis. Here are some recommendations for the school leader who wants to stay connected to the classroom.

Be Visible

The first way to stay connected to the classroom is to be visible among the students. Administrators are responsible for setting the academic and cultural tone within the school. The best way to know the classrooms is to be familiar with the students inside of them. Having a presence in the morning and afternoon, greeting students as they walk in the front door, and having informal conversations with students are helpful toward understanding what is happening inside the classrooms and assist the administrator with staying aware of what is being taught. Another method is to set aside 10-15 minutes a day to simply walk around the school, being sure to look in classrooms while interfering as little as possible. The least effective school leader is the invisible one.

Stay Updated with the Latest Technology

As an instructional leader, the school administrator needs to keep up with the technological advances available in the classroom. They can best promote technology use in the classrooms by being proficient themselves. Realizing that some teachers are hesitant about using the latest technology, a competent school leader will lead the way by modeling, whether it’s in the form of delivering PowerPoint presentations to teachers at faculty meetings or utilizing the school website as a mode of communication.

Conduct Professional Development

One way to show knowledge of technology is to take a leading role in teacher training, mainly through professional development sessions. As a proficient administrator is also considered to be a master teacher, by virtue of the instructional leader piece of the job description, leading professional development sessions shows an active interest in what the teachers are doing and helps to advance new techniques and technology for the benefit of the classroom. In short, having the ability to use the software expected of teachers is an expectation of a competent school leader. Modeling effective teaching techniques for other instructors also demonstrates leadership at the classroom level.

Attend Teacher Meetings

The best way to stay abreast of classroom activities is to stay connected to the teachers. One way to accomplish this is to visit grade level, team and department meetings. While it is not necessary to provide input, maintaining a presence and being available as a resource during these meetings can be beneficial for both teacher and administrator. Smaller than the school faculty meetings, these settings also provide an informal forum to share classroom strategies, lesson plans and objectives.

Be Diligent With Observations

Maintaining a rigid and disciplined schedule for formal observations and “drop-ins” will also help the school leader stay attached to the classroom. The tendency to avoid is falling behind on the observation schedule and being forced to cram a large number into a short period of time. This takes away from post-observation communication with teachers as well as reflection time after each meeting. Keeping observation appointments well spaced and adhering to the scheduled times allows for a better experience with each teacher and classroom.

Should Students Be Required to Learn Sign Language?

American Sign Language, also known as ASL, is considered to be a beautiful language because of its hand gestures and fluency, as well as the fact that it opens up the student’s awareness to the non-hearing world. Some school systems have started offering the course as an elective and many students have taken advantage of this opportunity.

However, in the new era of standardized testing at the K-12 level, many elective classes, particularly in fine arts and physical education, have been reduced or cut altogether, to allow schools to reinforce teaching the core curriculum. Because of this paradigm change, it is unlikely that an elective course offering in ASL will ever gain enough momentum among administrators, school board members and legislators to become a graduation requirement.

Yet there is a movement which is gaining popularity in several school systems. The concept involves adding ASL as a foreign language course, thus satisfying an existing graduation requirement. Recently, in Loudoun County, Virginia, a group of students wrote up a bill proposal and sent it to numerous state and national legislators in the hopes of finding a legislative backer. Many responses were negative, but State Senator Patsy Ticer (D-Alexandria) and Del. Richard “Dickie” Bell (R-Staunton) agreed to support legislation. The bill cleared its first subcommittee and eventually passed the House and Senate with overwhelming margins. The bill awaits Gov. Bob McDonnell’s signature and could become law on July 1, 2011.

There are two strong arguments presented as reasons to learn ASL. The first is that it is a true language, with the features of other languages such as English or Spanish. The second is that learning sign language can help improve behavioral functioning in developmentally delayed children with communication disorders.

ASL is a Real Language

One of the purposes of formally studying a foreign language is to gain an understanding of another culture that is unlike one’s own. From this perspective, ASL fits perfectly under the definition of foreign language. Although it does not use words per se, the hand gestures, structures and processes used in ASL are much like those of any language taught in a secondary school curriculum. In fact, ASL is equipped with its own unique grammar which makes the user capable of explaining even abstract concepts. It is a completely functional language.

Developmentally Delayed Students Can Improve Behavior

In 2000, Deborah Weinstock, a psychologist, investigated the effects of teaching ASL to developmentally disabled children between the ages of 8-13. Specifically, she was focused on the change in negative behaviors after learning ASL signs. Although her quantitative data did not mark a significant change in the behavior of the seven students, qualitative observations showed support for the use of the signing intervention. Since the process has minimal risks, Weinstock concluded that the practice can be implemented properly to improve behavior in developmentally disabled children.

Other Benefits

According to signingtime.com, a website dedicated to the development of ASL ability with children, there may be other benefits for children who learn sign language, including improved motor skills, enhanced use of senses, a higher IQ, better self-expression and increased confidence when interacting with non-hearing children.

Freedom of Choice

While there are benefits to be gained by students who learn sign language, it is unlikely that the skill will become required within any school system because of budgetary concerns, a desire to focus on the core subjects and the political risk of forcing students to study a changed curriculum. However, with the current popularity of ASL courses in high schools and pending legislation which will include it as a foreign language in the school curriculum, the trend aims toward more students choosing to learn American Sign Language.

Understanding the Decisions of Bernie Madoff

I have to confess. For about a month, I have been thinking of an angle to attack the topic of how George W. Bush will be viewed by history. In my mind, I feel he will eventually be viewed as a better president than right now. After all, that's what usually happens. Truman's positive rating went up from the 28% he faced as an outgoing president; Carter gained favorable reviews because of his work as writer and negotiator, and even Nixon, the disgraced crook, was seen later as a more popular elder statesman.

Here's the thing. I know that at least Carter and Nixon worked hard in their post-presidency years, Carter following his heart and Nixon his legacy. Bill Clinton is also doing a lot of work through his library and in person to build up his post-presidency resume. I have no problem with this.

How about G.W. Bush? Well, I saw him almost get hit by a foul ball two weeks ago. Actually, he seems to be at a lot of baseball games. Obama invited him to Ground Zero after the bin Laden killing, but he said 'No."

I have no problem with this either. It is the right of an ex-president to enjoy some time off. There will be time to work on the legacy.

However, this did not help me as I thought about the Bush that will be viewed in the history books. My point is, I have decided that this probably is not a topic that merits value at this time, mainly because the subject isn't too concerned about it, so why should anybody else be? Perhaps this should be filed under "2016 Topics." I'm shelving it for the time being.

For now, I want to look at another figure viewed with great disdain by many right now -- Bernie Madoff. I'm certainly not trying to distinguish a connection between the swindler and ex-president. But, as many families continue to suffer with financial woes, the Madoff story becomes more unbelievable and indicative of the kinds of lowlifes who helped to screw many other hard working Americans. I was interested with the fact that Madoff really wasn't born with a silver spoon and more fascinated to see the high regard his capabilities were held early in his career, perhaps a main reason why so many people were coerced into investing with him later.

The Madoff Story 

It is hard to fathom that one person could swindle thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars over a period believed to be in excess of twenty years. Presumably, in the regulated world of finance, conducting in illegal activities, such as Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, this would not be allowed to happen. But to understand how such a monetary tragedy took place, one must understand the thinking behind its mastermind, Madoff.

 Madoff’s Upbringing

Suffice it to say, Madoff was not the typically groomed, Ivy League, MBA-type. He was raised in Queens and attended college at Hofstra on Long Island. In an interview, the financier revealed to the Financial Times that he “started with $500 in capital, watched his father go bankrupt and felt very driven... he was always outside the club, the club being the New York Stock Exchange and white shoe firms."

Deep down, Madoff longed to be a major player on Wall Street. His drive to succeed was legendary. As explained by psychologist Alden Cass, “There’s a need to prove to the world that I am somebody powerful – I am so intelligent. Cass is the president of Competitive Streak Consulting and has studied and counseled many Wall Street personalities.

Early Wall Street Career

Starting in the early 1960’s, the firm of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities steadily grew into the major force that Madoff had longed for. Most of the credit went to its owner’s knowledge of how the market worked. Because of his knowledge of stocks, coupled with his ability to see the future of trading, Madoff was able to steal volume from the New York Stock Exchange by trading many of its listed stocks. Figuring that trading would soon be done online, he was able to offer competitive prices to clients and his network grew to include larger retail brokers such as Charles Schwab and Fidelity.

Playing the Part

During this robust period, Madoff also honed the persona which allowed him to swindle thousands of investors. Part of this character was developed by Madoff’s relationships with regulators. Although Madoff claims to have been legitimate until the stock market crash of 1987, his work with the SEC goes back before the crash, leading many to believe that he was working with one side to hide the other. Said one individual who remained anonymous because of pending litigation, “He was smart in understanding very early on that the more involved you were with regulators, you could shape regulation. But, if we find out that the Ponzi scheme goes back that far, then he was doing something much smarter. If you’re very close with regulators, they’re not going be looking over your shoulders that much.”

Madoff also became a philanthropist, joining the board of New York’s Yeshiva University, then becoming chairman of its business school. By crafting a public persona which overshadowed his illegal private dealings, Madoff was able to continue cultivating potential new clients in spite of SEC concerns.

Victim of His Greed

Like the Greek tragic figures he has been compared to, Madoff eventually wanted too much. His ego became too great and he began to act more as if he was above the law. Sam Antar, the former chief financial officer of Crazy Eddie in the 1980s, was later convicted of similar offenses and offered his opinion. Says Antar, “he just started the scam and then it built on itself and he couldn’t get out.”

In the end result, it is difficult to know exactly what made Bernie Madoff capable of performing his criminal Ponzi scheme. It could have been his need to accumulate an immense amount of wealth, while others feel it was a need to dominate people and overcome the inferiority complex Madoff felt by the lack of a “blue blood” upbringing.

The role of the classroom teacher when students are working online

Although many school systems are enhancing the use of online learning in the classroom, there is still an important role for the teacher. Even without the daily responsibility of directly instructing the group, there are other obligations which become more important when working with a group of online learners. In fact, the skill set required to be successful is somewhat different than that of the regular classroom teacher. With online learners, it is a necessity for the teacher to be able to communicate clearly, because inflections and non-verbal signs are not seen and heard, so all communication is done through the power of words.

Some of the responsibilities for the classroom teacher include, but are not limited to:

Course Developer

The classroom teacher in an online setting is not oblivious to what the students are trying to learn. Because many school online programs are in their infancy stage, the teacher may be required to assist with writing the syllabus, assignments and pacing guide. Course development can be an expected task for the online classroom teacher.

Moderator

One of the core learning elements for the online community comes through the work done through discussion boards. In a typical course, each student will regularly be required to read an article or view a visual presentation and be expected to post one thought on some part of the material. Also, a student will be expected to respond to two or more postings from classmates.

The online teacher is responsible for leading course discussions. This entails clearly communicating expectations to the students so that the assignment is performed correctly from the beginning. The teacher also acts as the online moderator, which means guiding course discussions, keeping the postings on the necessary track and acting as the voice of reason if there is a strong disagreement.

Teacher

Although many assignments are self-paced and hands-on, the online teacher is still the instructional leader and most knowledgeable of the group. The teacher still needs to be available to answer student questions and address concerns. One expectation for the classroom teacher is to be available to promptly answer questions that cannot be solved through an online option.

Pacesetter

The online classroom teacher is responsible for keeping the coursework moving at an acceptable pace. Part of this role is performed during the writing of the syllabus, as the teacher makes sure to properly space assignments to meet the needs of the group. This is also accomplished with prompt feedback and quick resolution to any disagreements, with the objective being to keep the group moving. If the course is not offered in a traditional quarter or semester system, one role of the teacher may be to modify the course around various school vacation breaks.

Grader

The classroom teacher of an online group is also responsible for grading student work. This includes setting up the grading rubric, assignment rubric, as well as developing and implementing class policies for missed assignments and work which is turned in late.

In short, the role of the teacher working with online students is still relevant. Given that the skill set is different, it is possible for a proficient classroom teacher to have difficulty working with online learners unless one has learned how to clearly communicate without the assistance of non-verbal cues.

Welcome to Jim McGrath's Writing on the Wall: Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track

Welcome to Jim McGrath's Writing on the Wall: Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track: "The Tabb girls combined their natural speed with reinforcement from the field events to claim the Bay Rivers district championship yesterday..."

Tabb Girls, New Kent Boys Win Bay Rivers Track

The Tabb girls combined their natural speed with reinforcement from the field events to claim the Bay Rivers district championship yesterday at Bailey Field in Yorktown.

Known as a team loaded with sprinters, but lacking in the field events, the Lady Tigers were bolstered by strong performances in the jumps and throws while outpacing second place Jamestown 125-113.

Longtime coach George Coulter was pleased with his team’s all-around effort as his squad heads into the Region I and state meet with a team trophy on their mind.

“We rarely win the district meet,” said Coulter, now in his 38^th year at the helm. “It’s usually somebody like Lafayette or Jamestown. We do well, but never quite put it together.” Looking ahead, Coulter looks forward to more help from the field. Upon being reminded that his girls were fourth in the indoor state meet he added, “Sometimes it doesn’t take a lot of points to win.”

Looking to carry the torch for her team is senior Kiara Porter. Porter, who will be competing for VCU next year, won the open 400 and 200, is one of the few seniors on the Tabb squad. After anchoring the winning 1600-meter relay, Porter sat in the middle of the football field with relay mates Leigh Ann Soistmann (junior), Taylor Omweg (freshman) and Julia Aymonin (junior) and considered the possibilities for the rest of this season.

“We’re really competitive with John Handley (Winchester). They’re kind of our rival. Blacksburg is also really tough.” Reflecting on their previous effort at the Southern Track Classic last weekend, Porter added, “We’re getting used to better competition, we (1600 relay) finally broke four (minutes) and beat our state time from last year. It (Sports Backers Stadium) is going to be my home track next year.” Aymonin added that their 400-meter relay had also recently broken 50 seconds and should be a factor at future meets.

Soistmann and Omweg talked about the bond within their team, which became evident as the quartet was soon surrounded by a dozen teammates. One by one, the Lady Tigers talked of their closeness, proven by the knowledge of each other’s accomplishments, interrupted only by a call to the podium to claim their first place trophy.

A showcase performance by Porter, solid relay placing, continued support from the field events and contributions from younger runners such as Micah Hanks could propel Tabb to the top of the podium in Harrisonburg two weeks from now.

The New Kent boys pulled away to an early team lead, and held on for a comfortable 143-107 win over runner-up Lafayette.

Senior hurdler Matthew Fultz led the way for the Trojans, winning both the 110 high (15.34) and 300 intermediate (39.92) hurdles.

For Fultz, simply breaking 40 seconds in the 300 hurdles isn’t enough. “Individually, I’m going for gold at region and state. Team wise, it’s the same thing. We’ve been working hard since last summer. It’s our last year and we want to end it off right.”

Cody Simmons won the 200 (22.64) and long jump (21-11.75) for New Kent while taking second in the open 100 meters and 110 hurdles. Cory Dunn provided 28 clutch points with second places in both the long and triple jumps and thirds in the 100 and 200.

In the field, Ryan Coles (48-09.75) won the shot put by over three feet while pole-vaulter Jonathan Fowler’s 12-foot leap won the event. The 1600-meter relay also won with a time of 3:27.51.

Not to be overlooked was Grafton’s Kyle King. The U. VA-bound senior cruised to a self-propelled 9:06.72 effort in the 3200-meter run. His time, which bested the next competitor by almost a minute, is the best among Virginia high schoolers this season and sets up King to become only the seventh runner ever in state history to break nine minutes.

York’s Jack Little was a double winner in the 1600 and 800. On the girls side, Tabb’s Brooke Mahan won the 100 hurdles and triple jump, while Bruton’s Sharmaine Baker took first in the shot put and discus.

Team Results

Boys – 1. New Kent 143, 2. Lafayette 107, 3. Grafton 66, 4. Jamestown 63, 5. York 39, 6. Smithfield 37, 7. Tabb 34, 8. Bruton 23, 9. Warhill 13, 10. Poquoson 2.

Girls – 1. Tabb 125, 2. Jamestown 113, 3. Grafton 93, 4. Bruton 48, 5. Lafayette 40, 6. Smithfield 36, 7. New Kent 34, 8. Warhill 21, 9. York 11, 10. Poquoson 6.

Piaget's Views on Middle Childhood

As a rule of thumb, I need to point out that some scholars have argued against many of Piaget's views on childhood development simply because he based many of his results on tests which he conducted with his own children. This certainly opens his findings to questions of bias as well as sampling size. A study of substance should have at least 30 participants and Piaget certainly did not have 30 children. However, his thoughts are worth a look, particularly for those with children between the ages of 6-12, as well as elementary/early middle school teachers

Jean Piaget is a leading theorist in childhood development and his thoughts on the cognitive development stage of middle childhood are worth a closer look.

For Piaget, this stage begins at about the age of seven and lasts for approximately five years, During this third stage of cognitive development, after the preoperational stage, he sees an increase of concrete operations where children begin to solve actual, or concrete, problems.

Piaget lists five examples of tasks that children can do at a higher level during this stage. They involve space, causality, categorization, conservation, as well as number and mathematics.

By space, the meaning is the ability to get from one place to another. The child becomes more familiar of his or her surroundings.

Causality involves cause and effect. The child can better understand how things work, and how an action can affect the end result.

Categorization includes seriation, or the ability to list objects in a series. A second ability is that of transitive inference, which is the ability to recognize a relationship between two objects by being able to tell the difference between the two objects and a third one. Third, the child learns to categorize by class inclusion, also known as the ability to separate the whole from the parts.

These categorical abilities help children to learn to think logically. Inductive and deductive reasoning become realistic capabilities at this stage.

Conservation is the ability to weigh objects in one's head without being deceived by appearances. A child learns that a long slender object can contain the same amount of weight or mass as a smaller, rounder one. Piaget sees an inconsistency with this and reasons it with a term he calls horizontal decalage, stating that children are so focused on their situation that they cannot always transfer what they have learned from one type of conservation to another.

Finally, we come to numbers and mathematics. According to Piaget, children in this stage devise strategies for adding and subtracting, including in story form (i.e. if Joe goes to the market with $10 and spends $4, he has $6 left.) The ability becomes intuitive.

Piaget accounts these changes to neurological growth, as well as culture.

On the topic of moral development, the theorist looks at a two-stage process. The first stage, morality of constraint, has children viewing morality as a one-way street. All issues are seen as totally right or totally wrong, with no in-between. During the second stage, morality of cooperation, the child learns flexibility as they learn new viewpoints. They are able to see other aspects of a situation. Ask a 7th grader if honesty is the best policy and they are capable of telling you it is not always.

Other approaches to cognitive development are introduced in this stage and seem to be based on technology. Piaget introduces the brain as a filing system that encodes, stores, and retrieves. Metamemory and mnemonics, or memory tricks, are introduced (i.e. Every Good Boy Does Fine, headed by words with EGBDF are the same as the keys on the lines of sheet music.)

I see these as relevant points to consider in an educational setting, especially for an elementary school teacher. It is important to understand what a child is capable of doing, and to tailor learning toward these abilities, or lack thereof. My 7th grade question about honesty comes directly from a citywide (Newport News, VA) essay, which I distributed to my own 7th grade English students. To a person, they were able to differentiate telling the truth because it is the right thing to do from not telling the truth because it might harm one's feelings or endanger someone, say in a hostage situation, or as a "snitch."

As a final thought, I do agree with these views of Piaget, but believe that it is also wise to test children by using all of their types of intelligence, using Gardner's learning styles as a base.

Recognizing and relieving test anxiety

Tests are a way of life. Over the course of one’s life, tests determine many future options. We take math tests, driving tests, college aptitude tests, and physical fitness tests. There is no getting around the standardized testing system. Even the opportunity to graduate high school is lined with a number of end-of-course tests to pass.

Acknowledgement

The first key to overcoming test performance anxiety is to acknowledge its existence. Most students experience some level of anxiety before and during an exam, which is elevated based on the importance of the test. However, to dismiss the presence of anxiety is to deny oneself the opportunity to take preventative measures. Denial is not a viable option. Overcoming anxiety requires honesty in noting that it exists.

Prepare for Success

Many of the fears associated with taking tests deal with the unforeseen. One example of this would be the dream where we show up late to our SAT exam – sometimes in our underwear! The fear is not always rational, but exemplifies our need to prepare in advance. Many test taking anxieties can be relieved by doing what is necessary to prepare in advance.

The first step is easiest to figure out. Preparation begins by studying the material at hand. Practicing time management techniques, such as making a schedule and creating a to-do list help a student to plan studying time in advance. Adherence to one’s schedule allows more test preparation opportunities. Creating the time is not enough. Organizing one’s study materials and studying properly will also help. Consider using questions at the end of each chapter section for practice.

Having one’s materials in a separate, well lit area with few distractions will also help with test preparation. If you don’t have such a space, consider making one. Then gather all of your books and materials and keep them in this area. This will save time spent looking for lost materials.

Preparation Includes Staying Healthy

One overlooked aspect of relieving test anxiety is the idea of staying healthy. The brain, like any of our muscles, needs food, liquids and rest. Being well-rested (at least 7 hours for adults), fed and hydrated (6-8 glasses of water per day) is a good preparation strategy. Maintaining an exercise program has been known to keep the mind sharp. Try to avoid fried foods, processed snacks and carbonated drinks to keep the mind ready for peak performance. Also, be sure to eat on the day of the test. The stomach may be nervous, but the body and brain need nourishment.

Be Confident and Visualize Success

A positive attitude goes a long way for test preparation. If one has followed the guidelines mentioned, there should be fewer reasons to worry. Another key is to arrive for the test early with materials in hand. This eliminates the worry manifested in the SAT dream. If you have studied, found the test site, arranged your spot and have time to spare, then you are prepared to succeed. At this point, a positive visualization can also assist in relieving anxiety. Athletes have been well known for visualizing success (hitting a home run, jumping over the bar) before a competition. It does not have to be as advanced as meditation, but can be a simple as closing your eyes and picturing yourself doing well on the exam. You visualize knowing all the answers, writing a well developed essay and combining thoughts to present a strong thesis.

Take Your Time

Finally, the last step to overcoming test performance anxiety is to take one’s time during the exam. This includes reading all of the directions, answering the easier questions first (it’s good to start out on a roll, and the easy answers might help you to remember harder questions later), and mapping out your short answer/essay questions before writing.

Remember, you cannot control all of the variables surrounding an important test. However, by addressing and maintaining the variables which you can control, test anxiety might not be eliminated, but can be fairly well managed.

People Watching – What the Conservatives are Saying Now That Bin Laden is Gone

Last week’s Thursday column looked at the presidential hopefuls to emerge from the GOP.  It was interesting to learn that last Saturday, President Obama and Donald Trump were in the same room for the White House Correspondents Dinner in our nation’s capital. Only this time, the images shown around the world were those of Trump being grilled by the president just the day after holding a news conference to produce his birth certificate from Hawaii.

If only we had known what secret the commander-in-chief was hiding that evening. For a second, my Obama as Andrew Shepherd image faded, only to be replaced by the president sidling up to “The Donald” to say…”um, Mr. Apprentice, you think you’re so important. Guess what I’ll be watching on TV tomorrow?”

LIVE from the Situation Room, it’s KILL OSAMA!!!

In his opinion column today, David Squires of the Daily Press (VA) was right on target for noting the irony of Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” being interrupted for Obama’s announcement of bin Laden’s “termination.” There’s poetic justice somewhere in that message.

Like most Americans, I am proud of our troops for taking out the man responsible for the loss of over 3,000 Americans in September of 2001. It is also inspiring to see that the 25 members of Navy SEAL Team 6 assigned to the heroic task are based out of nearby Virginia Beach. Although the members remain anonymous (for now), it looks like a Lt. Commander fired the two shots that cracked Bin Laden’s coconut.

Perhaps the most unique aspects of this event have been 1) measuring the president’s approval bump and 2) seeing how the 2012 presidential hopefuls and pundits have been acting this week.

First, the approval bump. I am a bit surprised to see that the president’s approval rating only went up from 47 to 56 percent, according to the Washington Post’s latest poll. It was more amazing to see more people giving President Bush credit for the slaying of bin Laden, although later polls showed a mild reversal of that trend. To his credit, Bush turned down the offer to meet with the current president today at Ground Zero. Kudos on both sides – Obama, for making the offer and Bush, for declining.

My reasoning for the minor approval rise is that skepticism reigns supreme among the American populace. While many cheer for the events of late Sunday night, there is a feeling that all will be forgotten if gas prices hit $5 a gallon in August. Lest we forget that Bush the first (George H.W.) enjoyed a 90 percent approval rating after the first Iraq war, but ended up losing the next presidential election because Americans were tired of the poor economy. Will history repeat itself? Time will tell.

What remains true is that the cast of presidential hopefuls and prominent talking heads showed different reactions in their public comments this week. There is no doubt that the subject could not be avoided as approximately 56 million people watched the president’s late night address to the American public. What is undeniably true is that any commentator or future candidate with any sense could not go against the grain and say that the raid on Abbottabad was a poor idea. This made for a rare and entertaining glimpse into the thought processes of some people we know.

First in the batter’s box – Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh has made a living by bashing the Democrats. Knowing full well that he couldn’t say that the president did the wrong thing, the former Round Mound of Radio took a road less traveled. He was gracious, complimentary and civil, or was he? As quoted from his talk show in Yahoo News on Monday, Limbaugh said, “President Obama single-handedly came up with the technique in order to pull this off. You see, the military wanted to go in there and bomb as they always do…But President Obama, perhaps the only qualified member in the room to deal with this, insisted on the Special Forces. No one else thought of that.” There’s more, but many of his “dittoheads” had already picked up on the gag. Surprisingly, a few serious journalists thought that Limbaugh was somewhat serious, but realized that a talk show host can’t keep 15 million listeners happy by changing course and playing nice.

Other conservative hosts seemed more genuine. As also noted in the same article, Glenn Beck offered congratulations and said “Thank You” to the president twice. Fellow Fox host Sean Hannity called the mission “gutsy” and “the right thing to do.”

Even Trump communicated personal congratulations via statement to ABC News while offering a verbal cease-fire to remember the victims of 9/11. Said Trump, “we should spend the next few days not debating party politics, but in remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and those currently fighting for our freedom. God Bless America!”

Jon Stewart opened his “Daily Show” on Monday with a monologue that ended with the question, “Can they still do damage?” Stewart answered his own question with “I’m sure. But we’re back, baby.”

Stewart’s response may have been the most noteworthy because of the host’s connection to New York. He lives in lower Manhattan and watched the events of 9/11 play out from his apartment window. His first public response after the tragedy may have been the most surprising as it was a raw showing of tearful emotion from the usually sarcastic Stewart.

Many of the Republican hopeful candidates were low-key this week, and I’d imagine it was part of an effort not to interfere with the event. It’s bad politics to attempt to steal the spotlight. On the other hand, it’s even worse politically to exploit the spotlight which is why the president and White House staffers chose to not make the pictures of Osama’s mutilated body part of anybody’s “Kodak moment.”

Sarah Palin did offer a public response as part of her speech to a group of military veterans in Colorado. In fairness, this event was already scheduled, so it would have been a disservice to the veterans for Palin to drop out. It would have been a greater disservice for the press to avoid capturing her comments. Palin’s method of congratulations was also unique. She credited “the president” for showing “decisive leadership,” but did not call him by name. However, she did mention George W. Bush by name and thanked him for “making the right calls to set up this victory.”

It has been pleasant to see some civility in politics this week, especially when it comes after such a major capture. As the masses of computer files and data are sent to CIA headquarters in Langley, VA to reach the hands of the other heroes in this mission, one can only wonder. How long will this last?