The Virginia Transition Forum 2012

The Beautiful Hotel Roanoke

On March 12 - 14, 2012 I attended the Virginia Transition Forum, held at The Hotel Roanoke in beautiful Roanoke, VA. I could not have asked for better driving weather, and when I arrived, the crepe myrtles were in full bloom (and peak aromatic funkiness). The theme for this year's Forum was Technology for Transition: Making the Connection. It had been several years since I last attended a Forum, but I was excited to be back in that environment. Surrounded by like-minded people, all with an interest in improving and maximizing the transition to life beyond high school for students with disabilities, I was looking forward to attending some of the many sessions offered.

Eric McGehearty and his art

The opening general session was kicked off with a stirring rendition of The National Anthem, sung by Farris Hallaj, a senior at the Virginia School for the Blind. The Keynote Address was given by Eric McGehearty, CEO of Globe Runner SEO. Eric spoke about the impact dyslexia had on his journey through the educational system. During his presentation he showed examples of his artwork, primarily sculptures, describing how having dyslexia motivated his artistic choices. One example was a grid of books that had been entombed in concrete blocks, expressing his feelings regarding the inaccessibility of knowledge through traditional print forms. Eric has since gone on to start a company that specializes in Search Marketing, a field that is focused on understanding the words people use in on-line searches. The example he used from his own life concerned Curious George, the mischievous monkey of children's literature. For someone with dyslexia the words curious and George can both be troublesome. When having to write these words he would have to search to find how to spell them, but because neither word is spelled the way they sound, the old 'sound it out' trick did nothing to further his efforts. So, he searched for words that he knew he could spell, that when entered in a search engine, would lead him to the information he was seeking. The words he used? "The man in the yellow hat." Using this premise, his company is interest in the words people use to get to what they are looking for, either directly or indirectly.

Over the course of the three days I attended a total of nine sessions. Although I feel like I got something out of each session, there were three items that really stood out for me. First is the I'm Determined Project. This project of the Virginia Department of Education focuses on self-determination for students, which is shop talk for students taking control of their educational programs, advocating for what they want, and expressing their strengths, needs, and desires. The second session to really raise my interest centered around an individualized, inclusive model being implemented at Virginia Commonwealth University for students with intellectual disabilities. I am really excited about the possibility of there being a local college-based program that some of my students may be able to access in the future. The more opportunities available for my students, the better, and I am looking forward to this being a viable option for some students. Finally, I attended a session centered around the 'I Want to Work' workbook and partner guide. Although these items are not in their final format, when completed I foresee them having a great impact on my classroom. I think they are going to be great tools in helping students identifying the type of job the want, create a support page that tells others how to best support them, and build a resume to use when looking for a job.

The Roanoke Star

While there, I was excited to see that my good friend Katie Jo, who is a first year teacher in another county, was in attendance. I find it promising to see teachers that are new to the profession taking every opportunity to increase their breadth of knowledge. On Tuesday evening we took advantage of the amazing weather. We found a nice little Irish pub where we enjoyed some potato soup, fried cheese curds, and fish & chips. Finally, we drove up to see the famous Roanoke Star. My trip to Roanoke and the Virginia Transition Forum was a great experience, and I am looking forward to attending again next spring.