VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Patrick Hausammann

Common Sense Education Resource Share – October 2024

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An image of students working on laptops in a classroom. A Common Sense Education text overlay appears in the top right of the graphic."Common Sense is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They support pre-K–12 schools with lesson plans, edtech reviews, family resources, and everything else students need to thrive in a connected world." Below is a custom set of resources pulled from this month's newest updates! Check them out via the links and explore even more at www.commonsense.org/education. VSTE is proud to partner with Common Sense Education.

For Teachers:

For Parents & Caregivers:

 

All Resources via Common Sense Education

All VSTE Posts of Common Sense Education Resources

Maker Mindset Conference 2025: Let’s Make it Work in K-12!

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Conference website: https://sites.google.com/view/maker-mindset-conference/home

 

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Anyone can be a maker. A maker mindset requires creative and critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and perseverance. These are all skills that not only help students to succeed in the classroom, but also in the world around them. 

The conference planning committee invites you to submit a proposal for this year’s fall conference in the following formats:

  1. Panel Discussion - These are discussion sessions that aim to bring together experts on a topic, which they will discuss during the session and will have a longer and more interactive discussion with the audience. 
  2. Workshop - Workshops are subject focused sessions that provide participants the opportunity to gain knowledge and learn skills together. This can range from professional development topics, such as teaching strategies, to timely theoretical topics. 
  3. Traditional Presentation - A formal, speaker-led session where an expert or group of experts present on a specific topic related to the maker mindset. This session is designed for attendees to gain new information, insights, or perspectives on a focused area, typically including slides, data, or case studies. Audience interaction is limited to Q&A at the end, allowing for in-depth exploration of the presented material.
  4. Campfire - Campfire sessions are a more informal take on the traditional presentation. Its aim is to break down the barriers of the lectern.  While the session starts with a 15-20 minute presentation from a speaker, it then shifts to focusing on gaining key participation from the audience. The presenter turns facilitator allowing attendees to answer questions and provide comments. It allows attendees to drive their own learning, listen to different perspectives and share experiences.

Note – All sessions are 50 minutes long

Interested presenters should submit a proposal by 11:59 pm October 31, 2024. The conference committee will review the proposals and electronic acceptance communications will be sent to the lead presenters by no later than November 15. 

Please submit your proposal online: https://forms.gle/HiCwKRwryei7qJqP6 

 

Kindly,

Conference Planning Committee

 

 

VSTE Professional Services

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For many in education, there is no greater feeling than the one that fills your heart when your guidance facilitates a breakthrough with a student. It could be a 7th grader or a teaching veteran of 30 years.  Either way, teaching and learning alongside another, reaching levels of achievement they had not envisioned for themselves, is a reward far greater than any paycheck.

This fulfillment drives many of the best professional development (PD) facilitators, just as it does those amazing educators in the classroom every day (some are even in both roles!). The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) Professional Services Team (PST) is made up of such educators, all with impactful PD leading experience. They’re all driven by the passion to assist all educators to reach their goals, and, in turn, provide more technology enhanced opportunities for students within their classrooms.

This group of dedicated professionals is the embodiment of VSTE mission “to promote excellence in education through professional development endeavors supporting the integration of existing and emerging technologies.” This team is able to offer PD opportunities through consulting/coaching, events, online courses, technology integration planning, and fully customizable PD packages including, but not limited to, the following areas/topics:

  • Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI)VSTE professional services who, what, & how
  • Meaningful Technology Integration
  • Computer Science Integration
  • Creation technology to demonstrate mastery
  • Google Workspace for Education
  • Microsoft for Education
  • Learning Management Systems (Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, etc.)
  • Best Practice/Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies
  • Robotics
  • STEM/STEAM
  • Project-Based Learning
  • Digital Citizenship
  • Productivity
  • Mastering Specific Devices, Technology Tools, and Systems
  • Coaching
  • Leadership

The team will work with you step-by-step from the time the contact form is submitted to when the team connects back with you to know how implementation is going and receive feedback to continue honing our craft. Our goal is to engage, inspire, and transform education through meaningful technology integration PD to elevate success in education and beyond for all students.

 

For more information on the VSTE Professional Services please visit https://www.vste.org/professionalservices 

2024 Outstanding Technology Teacher, Coach, and Leader of the Year Award

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VSTE will recognize and honor Virginia Educators, Technology Coaches and Leaders who are VSTE members (nominee not a member have them join here) and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership in implementing technology to improve education. Award recipients will be selected from a pool of nominations submitted by VSTE members from around Virginia.

Nominations will be accepted from September 28, 2024 - November 1, 2024. Nominations will be reviewed by the VSTE Board of Directors and past winners. Select nominators and nominees will be contacted by November 4, 20234 to provide additional evidence and documentation.  Documentation will be due on November 11, 2024.

Winners will be notified no later than November 13, 2024.  Award winners will be recognized during the opening general session at the annual conference. 

The Awards Committee uses the ISTE standards as the basis for judging the Outstanding Technology Coach awards. Please review the appropriate standards when preparing nomination materials. Nominees are rated solely using criteria identified in the rubric.

Please use this form to nominate a teacher, technology coach, or leader for this award.

More information about the ISTE Standards for Coaches, ISTE Standards for Educators, ISTE Standards for Education Leaders.

Questions should be addressed to awards@vste.org.

 

 

2023 Winners

  • Outstanding Teacher: Heather Russel - 4th Grade Teacher, Chesterfield County Public Schools
  • Outstanding Coach: Nicole Holdcraft - Instructional Technology Coordinator, Virginia Beach Public Schools

 

2022 Winners

  • Outstanding Coach: Logan Childress - Emerging Technology Specialist, Bristol Virginia Public Schools
  • Outstanding Coach: Catherine Richards  - Lead Instructional Technology Coach Goochland County Public Schools
  • Outstanding Leader: Dr. Anthony Brads  - Superintendent Culpeper County Public Schools 

 

2021 Winner for Outstanding Coach

  • Fara Faust, Virginia Beach Public Schools

 

2018 Winners for Outstanding Coach

  • Patrick Hausammann, Clarke County Public Schools
  • Krystle Demas, Goochland County Public Schools
  • Timothy Signorelli, Fairfax County Public Schools

 

2017 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Tim Taylor, Instructional Technology Supervisor, Shenandoah County Public Schools
  • Outstanding Teacher: Nichole Thomas, Instructional Facilitator for Technology, Liberty Elementary School, Loudoun County Public Schools

 

2016 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Dr. Amy Cashwell, Chief Academic Officer, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
  • Outstanding Teacher: Dr. Ann Nash, ITRT, Henrico County Public Schools

 

2015 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Dr. Helen Crompton, Assistant Professor, Old Dominion University
  • Outstanding Teacher: Doug Saunders, ITRT, Henrico County Public Schools

 

2014 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Janet Copenhaver, Director of Technology, Henry County Schools
  • Outstanding Teacher: Daniel Nemerow, Math and Special Education, Prince William County Schools

 

2013 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Richard Pierce, Associate Professor, Shenandoah University
  • Outstanding Teacher: Wendy Phillips, literacy specialist at Belview Elementary School, Montgomery County Schools

 

2012 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Mark Nichols, Special Education Supervisor for Assistive Technology and Individual Education Programs, Loudoun County Public Schools
  • Outstanding Teacher: Norene Skiles, library media specialist at Windsor Oaks Elementary School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

 

2011 Winners

  • Outstanding Leader: Thomas Woodward, Assistant Director of Instructional Technology, Henrico County Public Schools
  • Outstanding Teacher: Kristina Peck, Riverbend High School Math Teacher, Spotsylvania County Public Schools

Be An Accessibility “a11y” This School Year

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Possible and accessible symbol. Businessman turns wooden cubes and changes the word possible to accessible. Business and possible or accessible concept. Beautiful white background, copy space.

As you return to the classroom this new school year, it’s a great time to think about how technology can not only make your instruction more engaging and dynamic, but how it can make learning more accessible for the students that you serve who have disabilities.  Being an accessibility “a11y” (the shorthand, “cool” way to abbreviate “accessibility” also aligned with ISTE standard 2.2b, being an advocate for equitable access) can be a positive impact both on student outcomes, but also teacher productivity and efficiency.

It is common in classrooms today for there to be two types of technology present that can support students with disabilities.  The first is embedded in the laptops, chromebooks, and tablet devices used by all students.  The operating systems of each of these devices have accessibility settings that can make content displayed on them more accessible to students with disabilities through features such as visual magnification, hearing aid integration, touch/typing accommodations, text-to-speech/speech-to-text, and more!  No additional software download required.  In fact, accessibility features have become so common in educational technology, that both the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (see below), as well as Virginia’s 2024-2029 Educational Technology Plan (also see below), explicitly incorporate the use of these features into the expectations for how schools will use instructional technology to support students with disabilities.

The second type of technology present in many classrooms for supporting students with disabilities is assistive technology (commonly referred to as “AT”).  Assistive technologies can range from simple light-tech devices to high-tech computer programs, alternative communication devices, and physical supports.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines assistive technology as “is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities”.  Meaning, what makes something assistive technology is less about “what it is” and is more about “what it does”.  Assistive technology also differs from instructional technology in that a student’s IEP team has specifically identified this tool as a support them in an area impacted by their disability.  Teachers learning to adapt there instruction in ways that can incorporate a student’s use of assistive technology aligns nicely with ISTE’s standard 2.5a as well, focusing on accommodation learner differences.   The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs has recently released new guidance around the provision of assistive technology in schools (linked below) that can be supportive of new and experienced teacher providing AT support.

For support in considering, assessing for, and/or trialing assistive technology with your students or incorporating accessible instructional technology into your classrooms, please contact your regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) or visit atnetwork.ttaconline.org.  We’d also invite you to save the date for Virginia’s assistive and accessible educational technology conference “TechKnowledgy” coming to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia for November 18-20, 2024.

 

Explore

Title:  Virginia’s Assistive Technology Network Website and Resources

Check out the Virtual AT Lab and the “How Do I?” pages to find quick ways to explore AT.

Title: Asynchronous Virtual Virginia Course - Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS): Consideration Guide and Resources 2023-2024

This course will guide you through the steps to completing the Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies Consideration Guide. Upon successful completion, a certificate worth 1 hour of professional learning will be awarded.  

 

Read

Title: National Ed Tech Plan

Title: Virginia Ed Tech Plan 2024-29

Title: OSEP AT Guidance

Title: AT Tools in Schools Booklet

Listen

Title:  Accessible Learning Experience Podcast (From CAST)

Title: Think Inclusive Podcast

Title: Inclusion Stories

 

Watch

Title:  Sharon Jones from the Virginia AT Network Introduces the new OSEP AT Guidance

Title: Quick Live Captioning

Live captioning is not just for students with hearing impairments! Enhance reading comprehension and support literacy development with multisensory learning for hearing and seeing the words paired together. 

 

Library Recommendation

*Check out your TTAC Lending Library for these! 

Title: Inclusive Learning 365

Title: The New Assistive Tech, Making Learning Awesome for All!