ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 8, 1997 TAG: 9701080039
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
THE WILLIAM BYRD HIGH SCHOOL teacher uses computers to spur interest about earthquakes, oceans, weather and rock formations.
Carl Sagan changed Dennis Casey's life.
Casey would likely have become a music teacher if he hadn't heard Sagan speak or seen the Public Broadcasting Service's "Cosmos" series.
When the celebrity astronomer died recently, Casey felt it personally.
He remembered the night he heard Sagan speak at the University of Virginia more than 15 years ago. He was fascinated with the astronomer's lecture and television programs.
They inspired him to become an award-winning earth science teacher who has taught hundreds of students at William Byrd High School in Roanoke County.
"Something clicked when I heard him speak and saw `Cosmos,''' said Casey, who recently was named Virginia's Earth science teacher of the year.
Casey, who grew up in Richmond, worked for a phone company, ran a home-improvement business and taught guitar before he heard Sagan.
Then, he attended Virginia Tech, got a degree in earth science and did his student teaching at Northside High before taking a job at William Byrd.
Casey, 40, has spent the past 12 years teaching students about the Earth's composition, processes, atmosphere, oceans, rock formations and earthquakes, as well as dozens of other aspects of the planet.
Casey also has become keenly interested in computers and technology, partly because he said they offer so many instructional opportunities in earth science.
"The Information Age has been wonderful for earth science," he said. "You can access so much information about earthquakes, meteorology and other things instantly with technology such as the Internet, Doppler radar and cable channels."
Casey said technology has helped spur students' interest in Earth science and made the course seem more relevant for them.
"They can get real-time information on weather events and conditions," he said. "When students see it on the Internet, they're drawn to it right away."
Because of his enthusiasm for technology, Casey developed and maintains the World Wide Web site for the Virginia Association of Science Teachers. He is the immediate past president of the group.
The site provides information about the teachers' organization to more than 1,000 members across the state. It has links to other Web sites.
William Byrd Principal Robert Patterson said Casey is an innovative teacher who stays up to date in his field.
"He has a real solid background in earth science, and he is especially good because he uses so many resources," Patterson said. "He does a good job in the classroom, and he's a hard worker."
Patterson said Casey also helps with the school's in-house television system.
Casey helped draft the state's new academic standards for earth science. He was a member of a team of teachers and other educators who prepared the guidelines for the content and skills that students must master in the course.
He is a strong advocate of the standards, but he said he has tried to stay out of the political debate over the consequences and penalties for teachers and schools where students fail to meet a minimum level of competency.
"I think the standards will help improve education," he said. "It's good to make students and teachers accountable."
Virginia has adopted new standards in science, English, mathematics and social studies.
Casey also has worked with teachers from across the state in reviewing the proposed test in earth science that will be given to students to determine if they are meeting the standards.
Casey said he is encouraged that Virginia students score above the national average in science on standardized tests. The latest test results show that the state's students do better in science than any other subject on the tests for fourth-, eighth-and 11th-graders. They do poorest in vocabulary and reading.
Casey said he has sympathy for math teachers because he knows they have a tough job trying to get students interested in abstract concepts.
"I feel sorry for math teachers sometimes," he said. "I know they work just as hard as we do."
Although he became a science teacher, Casey has retained his love for the guitar and has become interested in Appalachian folk and Western cowboy music in recent years. Music is a hobby, he said, but earth science is his passion.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: JANEL RHODA STAFF. Virginia's earth science teacher ofby CNBthe year, Dennis Casey, explains an experiment about weathering's
effects on limestone and granite to Jessika Benson (left) and
Jennifer Taylor. color.