All sessions begin at 9:00 AM  and 10:00 AM Central Time. See schedule below for exceptions.

Cost is $75 per session.

REGISTER online for videoconferences: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/virtualschool/registration.htm

For students in grades 7 -12

Career Conversations allows students to meet with professionals in the work force and gain information vital to making informed career - related decisions. Presenters discuss career opportunities, the requirements for the job, the daily routine of the job, and career progression within the industry.

Discussion may include: type of education needed for the career, description of a typical work day, job search strategies, and what they consider the best and worst aspects of the profession. Other sessions may include conducting a successful job search, moving up the career ladder, creating attention-getting cover letters, writing resumes, shining in job interviews, dressing for success, negotiating salaries, and more.

Full Schedule Here

For students in grades 5 -12

In honor of Black History Month, Vanderbilt Virtual School focuses on the history, political lives, music, and cultural contributions of African Americans to encourage students to explore the history of African Americans, learn about their struggles, and celebrate their successes.

Established as Negro History Week in the 1920's by Carter G. Woodson, February was chosen for the celebration because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln were both born in this month. Extended to a month-long celebration in 1976, Black History Month is an opportunity to emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans.

Learn exciting stories of Frederick Douglass; Booker T. Washington; George Washington Carver; Sojourner Truth; Harriet Tubman; and Rosa Parks. Hear about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Study what it was like to Break the Color Barrier. Honor the struggles and triumphs of millions of American citizens over the most devastating obstacles - slavery, prejudice, poverty - as well as their numerous contributions to the nation's cultural and political life.

Full Schedule Here

For students in grades 5 -12

As presidential nominees crisscross America in pursuit of votes, this journey to the White House provides "teachable moments" for your students. Vanderbilt Virtual School presents 15 videoconferences with classroom-ready lesson plans in the Race for the Presidency series. These lessons will inform and engage your students in the presidential election process.

Click on the title of each videoconference to find classroom-ready lessons that provide clear educational objectives, vocabulary, straightforward directions, national standards, pre-activities, post-activities, assessment strategies, and opportunities for reaching learners of all styles and abilities.

By participating in the 15 "Race For the Presidency" videoconferences, teachers will have a unique opportunity to teach about presidential elections and the election process, the electoral college, current issues, the importance of making informed decisions, and the importance and privilege of voting. Seize these "teachable moments" and register early for the videoconference sessions as we encourage critical thinking on issues of the day and journey together in this Race For the Presidency.

Complete Race For The Presidency Schedule

For students in grades 5 -12

"WITNESSES AND VOICES of the HOLOCAUST" are powerful videoconferences presented by aging, eye-witness Holocaust survivors; by a concentration camp liberator; by an author of a book on the Holocaust; and by the Director of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.   What was it like to be a Jew in Europe prior to World War II, and how were Jewish lives different from non-Jews? How did the Nazi regime in Germany impact Jewish lives? Eleven million people were killed in the Nazi Holocaust including 6 million Jews.  What was life like in forced labor camps; in concentration camps? What did it mean to be liberated?

Subtle yet powerful, historical and personal, these videoconferences will employ emotional and powerful words and images strung together to weave stories of triumph over adversity. These presenters will challenge students never to forget the lessons from the Holocaust, and they will provide the rare and memorable opportunity for your students to speak directly with those who lived during this time and survived to share their experiences with others.

"Witnesses and Voices of the Holocaust" offers firsthand accounts from survivors of all kinds. . . . those who lived through the war as a child in hiding; in ghettos;  in forced labor camps; in concentration camps; by escaping; or in active resistance to Nazi rule.  This videoconference series illustrates how many Holocaust survivors (and a liberator) found their way through unimaginable hardship and suffering to forge new lives of purpose and dignity.

These videoconferences will celebrate the courage of the survivors and the liberator and spotlight the Holocaust as the pre-eminent modern example of the fruits of hatred, intolerance, ignorance and mass manipulation.  "WITNESSES AND VOICES of the HOLOCAUST" will have a lasting impact on everyone who participates.

Full Schedule Here

Four videoconferences are in the Things We Need To Know series with need-to-know information for students.  Look closely and find how these lessons can make a difference and ignite interest in your classrooms. These videoconferences can share best practices and turn discussions into ongoing actions.   Join us as we explore Things We Need To Know.

Full Schedule Here

The Virtual School offers high quality professional development designed for teachers by teachers to share teaching strategies; to improve teacher quality and learning; and to improve student learning.
Knowing the subject matter, understanding how students learn, and practicing effective teaching methods translate into greater student achievement. Good quality professional development gives teachers at all experience levels the tools they need to approach classroom challenges with confidence and access to a professional community that can support their endeavors.
Professional Development is:
• Continuous learning
• Focused on improving classroom practice and increasing student learning
• Embedded in the daily work of teaching, not relegated to special occasions or separated from the learning needs of students
• Centered on crucial teaching and learning activities—planning lessons, evaluating student work, and developing curriculum
• Cultivated in a culture of collegiality that involves sharing knowledge and experience on the same student improvement objectives
• Supported by modeling and coaching that teaches problem solving techniques
• Based on investigation of practice through case study, analysis, and professional research

Full Schedule Here

Website Questions/Comments
Contact Virtual School Webmaster, Michael Majett
Email: michael.majett@Vanderbilt.edu
Phone: (615) 343-1018         IP:129.59.139.23

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This page is last modified on April 2, 2012