VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

timstahmer

VSTE 18: Assistive Technology – My Early Christmas Gift

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With telescopic precision, Matt Newton used his VSTE 2018 session as a platform to spotlight one of many Assistive Technology Resources: Read and Write.  As a matter of fact, it was the only presentation which specifically focused on accommodations and modifications for the special education population.

Matt prefaced that he is not a representative for Google Read & Write.  He is a T/TAC coordinator who has witnessed the powerful benefits of the Read & Write extension.  In a matter of 60 minutes,  Matt expressed how the awesomeness of this tool could have lasting effects for students who struggle with reading comprehension.  This app is designed to help struggling readers grasp the content.  This is not to say that Read & Write is the “That’s It. That’s All Folks” app for struggling students.

As educators, we know we have to find what works best for our students.  I remember one student who was given an iPad as an accommodation.  The thing is…he didn’t like the iPad!  Regardless of its function or the number of apps which were downloaded on his iPad, he just refused to use it.

As Matt alluded to in his session, the best Assistive Technology in the world is the one that the student is comfortable with and enjoys using it.

Success is gained when teaching and learning become enjoyable and not dreadful.  So, if you have not done so already, check out Read & Write.  Your students just might thank you for it.  And if they don’t, it’s all good. There’s a galaxy of Assistive Technology just waiting to be discovered.

Matt Newton is a Technology Coordinator in the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at Virginia Tech. His VSTE presentation is here and more resources are linked from his conference presentation page.

This post was written by Nicci Doud, a Special Education Teacher for Prince William County.

3rd Annual Prince William Schools EdCamp

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Before schools starts, join us for a great learning experience at the 3rd annual Prince William County Schools EdCamp!

It's coming very soon, August 18, 2018, 8:00 to 12:30 at Woodbridge Middle School! (near the infamous Potomac Mills shopping center) and it's free.

If you have never been to an EdCamp, you are in for a treat!  An EdCamp is an unconference without a schedule set in advance.  Educators gather to informally discuss what they want to learn about in small group settings.  If you learned what you needed about one topic, just get up and walk to another session to discuss something different.

Please visit our website for more information and to register for this collaborative, learning event! Did we mention it's free?

4T’s of Technology

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The following post was written by VSTE Board Member Janet Copenhaver.

In our world today we are overwhelmed by acronyms that are used in government and education and especially social media. However, today I am taking the liberty of creating a new one called the 4 T’s of Technology-Training-Thinking-Teacher.

First T: Technology-try-try-try

As technology changes rapidly every few months, we have to investigate ways to keep up the pace. When school divisions are implementing 1:1 mobile technology, many factors should be considered. Among these are relevance to curriculum, adaptability, and sustainability. Letting your curriculum drive technology purchases will result in a successful implementation if the device is relevant to your curriculum in an every day setting.

Devices should be adaptable to a current lesson plan and not be subject to an individual lesson plan created for technology. Teachers should be able to adapt and integrate any new technology into their current curricular lesson plan without having to create new plans.

A four-year sustainability plan should be in place before the first device is adopted. Although a device is so awesome and exciting the first when a student receives a device, does the excitement last the next year and so on? Will these same devices continue to be exciting for students? Plans should be in place to integrate new activities each school year so that technology will continue to be engaging.

Sustainability should be a part of the technology budget each year and a four-year refresh program should be developed into the long-range plan. If technology does not work, enjoyment and engagement begin to fade.

To keep up with the latest in technology try to attend conferences to collaborate and observe best new practices. Remember you do not have to reinvent the wheel-ask for help from someone who has been there.

Second T: Training-train-train-train

“As more and more devices and technological applications are added to our schools, it becomes necessary to provide professional development to keep up with the pace.” Janet Copenhaver

This statement by Sam Carlson and Cheick Gadio probably sums up my thinking of why teachers should be involved in Educational Technology training…

Experience around the world in developing, industrialized, and information-based countries has shown that teacher training in the use and application of technology is the key determining factor for improved student performance (in terms of both knowledge acquisition and skills development enabled by technology). Educational technology is not, and never will be, transformative on its own—it requires teachers who can integrate technology into the curriculum and use it to improve student learning. In other words, computers cannot replace teachers—teachers are the key to whether technology is used appropriately and effectively.

From TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, Carlson and Gadio.

I believe that teachers need a beginning foundation of technology knowledge that is relevant and easily adaptable into their lesson plans. The one-time technology training is certainly not enough as technology changes so rapidly every year. Technology Professional Development should be on going and at a pace to keep up with new technologies. No longer should we just provide a workshop on PowerPoint, Keynote, or other presentation tools without providing the skills for teachers to adapt the applications into a lesson plan that will benefit their students.

I have been an educator for many years and I have observed that most staff members have an expectation of training when their school division adapts new things. Should we not do the same thing for our staff when we add new technologies and mobile devices? Adding these technologies without training will result in the devices and technologies not being used to their full potential. As portable learning becomes our norm and we are not confined by walls but can educate at anytime or anyplace, lets move forward with our students.

I urge all Tech Directors to ensure that your staff has Educational Technology training in your division. I also urge all teachers to request this training when new technology ordevices are added to your classroom.

Third T: Thinking-think-think-think

Perhaps the greatest compliment I received in my years of being a Technology Director was, “Janet you are a radical thinker ”. I realize it takes all kinds of thinkers in this world to succeed but I also believe if you are going to be successful in technology you must take risks and begin to think differently. Years ago as 1:1 mobile devices were beginning to be the buzzword; many technologists were caught up in the device war of which one to choose. My philosophy when I talked to school divisions was just “pick one”. If you wait until the “perfect” device comes along, your division will lag far behind. Take a risk, choose a device, implement with training, and if you have to regroup in another direction it is o.k. Remember, there are no mistakes in technology; they just become challenges to us all.

Collaborative thinking becomes important when new technologies are introduced. What better way to check with your peer about something they implemented than attending a conference? Again, conferences are important to challenge and guide participants to think, communicate and create. A good quote from Mark Twain “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Fourth T: Teachers teacher-teacher-teacher

The greatest champion of any implementation is a teacher. If teachers have a comfort level of knowledge with technology, integration becomes a second nature to them. Be transparent with on-going training and support with your teaching staff. One of my favorite times of training was a technology camp at night. We introduced many new techniques at our Teaching and Learning Conference at the end of the school year. At the beginning of the new school year, we held technology camps beginning at 7 p.m. at night. During these camps we introduced new technological concepts and how they would benefit a classroom. We also covered many new social medias and how to use them in instruction. All classes were filled and we had to close the sessions at a certain time because the teachers wanted to stay longer. Support staff was available to teachers during the school day and after hours to help with projects or integration activities.

So let’s remember the importance of the 4 T’s of Technology working together as a unit. Guidelines that are best practices and research based practices are available to establish a training program that best fits your division. I have listed some of these for you to investigate.

The SAMR model is used to help teachers infuse technology into teaching and learning. I like Kathy Schrock’s guide to SAMR.

ISTE standards for teachers is a guide for Educational Technology Training.

VSTE offers the new enhanced foundational standards for teachers and found on VSTE’s web page.

Whatever training you choose; make it transparent, on going and rewarding.

Janet is an Educational Consultant and is a retired educator from Henry County Public Schools where she served as Director of Technology.

She is a graduate of Radford University with a B. S. in Library Science and  M. S. Degree in Educational Leadership. 

Janet currently serves on the Patrick Henry Community College Board of Directors and on VSTE Board of Directors.

Technology for Non-Verbal Students

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The following post was written by VSTE member Chelsea VanKerkhove, a special education teacher at Alvey Elementary School in Prince William County.

The exceptional students in my classroom are all non-verbal and rely on technology everyday. Technology is not only fundamental for student learning, but necessary for students to communicate. Whether it is an electronic tablet, such as an iPad, or a device which tracks eye-gaze, the students depend on technology to have a voice in our class. We also use technology to engage students in learning content material by presenting information in more dynamic ways.

The students are working on learning “core vocabulary” with their devices. Core vocabulary, including yes, no, more, want, stop, off and help, make up most of our daily vocabulary. By teaching these words it allows my students to use their technology to express themselves. We offer choices for the child involving food, toys, favorite activities and music by asking simple questions such as, “Do you want this?” It is very important to honor their wants, even if it is not the choice we as teachers hoped for. When students can communicate their basic wants, we will see them laugh, smile and sometimes even vocalize happy sounds.

Along with using the devices to communicate, we use various other forms of technology in our classroom as part of our daily routine. We use the Smartboard for our morning meeting, brain breaks, learning activities, experiments, and song choices. We also have a weekly computer lesson in the computer lab with our technology teacher. In addition, we use various switches to practice cause and effect. Using a Power Link switch, we are able to use a hand mixer, blender, food processor, and popcorn popper during cooking lessons. We are also able to use the switches during our scientific experiments, such as using the switch to activate a blow dryer when determining the effect wind has on various items.

While technology is important for all students, my classroom uses technology to enable them to communicate and perform tasks that they would otherwise be unable to do. My students are very accustomed to technology as an everyday part of their lives and their learning experience. This has made technology not just an augmentation, but a necessity.

This short video will give you a view into my classroom.

Two Virginia Education Leaders Receive VSTE ‘Making It Happen’ Award

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Dr. Pam Moran, Superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools, and Dr. Jan Streich, Executive Director of Learning and Organizational Development of Stafford County Public Schools, were honored with the coveted Making IT Happen jacket for their contributions to the successful integration of technology in education in K−12 schools. The Making IT Happen award is provided by the International Society for Technology in Education, of which the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) is an affiliate.

The Making IT Happen program has made a commitment to work with state and national organizations to identify individuals who are truly Making IT Happen within their respective state or region and to recognize them publicly.

photograph of pam moran

Dr. Pam Moran has served as the Superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools since January 2006. Under her leadership, Albemarle has been ranked in the top five of all school divisions in Virginia and among the top two percent of all school divisions in the county. The school division has developed a nationally recognized maker curriculum and opened one of the first CoderDojo Academies where the focus is on teaching computer coding and science skills to students. Albemarle County Public Schools is a member of the League of Innovative Schools, a nonprofit organization authorized by the U.S. Congress to accelerate innovation in education. Dr. Moran has been recognized with numerous awards including Virginia’s 2016 Superintendent of the Year.

Dr. Jan Streich has been a leader in Virginia educational Photograph of Jan Streichtechnology for over twenty years. A former elementary classroom teacher, Jan served as assistive technology coordinator in the Stafford County Public Schools during the early 2000s before becoming the Director of Growth and Innovation for the Spotsylvania County Public Schools, where she oversaw a tremendous expansion and improvement of instructional technology and professional learning practices in a burgeoning system. Returning to Stafford recently, she is combining the roles of directors of instruction and professional learning, she continues to work with teachers and leaders to improve student learning and teaching excellence. A regular public speaker and conference presenter, Dr. Streich shares her insights and significant professional knowledge with colleagues around the state and the region.

Moran and Streich join a prestigious group of Making It Happen honorees, including classroom teachers, school principals, district superintendents, legislators, governors, and even former Secretary of Education, Richard Riley. Founded in 1995, the Making IT Happen program highlights the dramatic role educators are having on the learning process by using technology and rewards those individuals for their commitment and innovation. To date, over 500 individuals have been awarded this recognition through ISTE and its affiliates. The impact of this program has been felt at numerous conferences around the world. The focus of the Making IT Happen program is on current practitioners, highlighting their significant contribution and encouraging them to continue their work. Making IT Happen recipients are in the classroom, making it happen for learners every day.