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Virginia Beach City Public Schools explains decision to require video on Zoom calls

On Nov. 4, new guidelines take effect for the division requiring students to turn on their camera during attendance, group instruction and group work.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — It was a strong beginning to the semester, in the eyes of Virginia Beach City Public Schools. 

"We have found for the first few weeks it wasn’t an issue at all. Kids' cameras stayed on the whole time," said Dr. Don Robertson, chief schools officer for the division.

But recent weeks have been a different story, as teachers have noticed a decline in participation and engagement with many students electing to not be on camera for portions of class instruction. 

"We know that there’s a connection through sight," Robertson said Wednesday.

Next Wednesday, Nov. 4, new guidelines take effect for the division requiring students to turn on their camera during attendance, group instruction and group work as a way to increase participation among students. 

Beforehand, camera usage was up to the discretion of individual teachers and classrooms. 

Families who still have students that may want to maintain their privacy, can choose to “hide” themselves from the rest of the class (an option where teachers can still see students), which Hampton Roads therapist Shakiya Steward said is an important option to maintain.

"Every family still deserves the right to privacy. And if there are things in their home they don’t want to expose or the whole world to view, that’s their right," Steward said.

She herself knows the struggles of virtual learning, with teenager of her own going through the process. 

From what she's seen, Steward maintains that turning on cameras is not the magic fix it may seem for participation, and that the teachers' greatest tools are creativity and understanding their students' needs.

"Being creative and engaging, that doesn’t necessarily mean turning your camera on," she explained. "If we’re seeing that certain students aren’t participating, draw them in by asking, 'What do you think about this?'"

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