VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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VSTE Keynote and Spotlight Speakers

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For the annual conference, we try to bring our members some of the most significant and influential voices in educational change. During the Sunday spotlight at VSTE 2016, we heard from Jaimie Casap, Google's Global Education Evangelist.

In his engaging and challenging talk, Jaimie discusses how our students will need to address global problems that we haven't even defined yet, and what we can do to help them learn the necessary skills to solve them.

Here is the video if you missed his talk, or if you would like to watch it again.

For VSTE 2017, our spotlight speaker will be Eric Sheninger, a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward. Sheninger is the author of the best selling book Digital Leadership.

At our Sunday spotlight we will hear from VSTE member Kim Wilkens, the founder of Tech-Girls, an organization with the mission of empowering girls to imagine and achieve their future in our tech-savvy world. Kim is the K-8 Computer Science Initiative Coordinator at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in Charlottesville.

Registration for VSTE 2017 is now open. Super Early Bird rates end soon, so make plans now to join us at the Hotel Roanoke, December 3-5.

One more reminder: the call for conference proposals closes in a little over a week, on September 15. Consider applying to be part of the conference.

We Need Your Session for VSTE 2017!

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Our annual conference is just a little over three months away, and anyone who has attended this event in past years can tell you to expect three packed days of learning, interaction, and fun. But that experience doesn’t happen by itself and the conference committee is now gearing up to put all the arrangements in place.

Makey Makey MusicHowever, what really makes a great conference is not noted keynote speakers (although we do have them) or a big vendor floor (also part of VSTE) or parties (are you ready for some karaoke?). No, a great conference is due to educators like you.

Teachers, librarians, TRTs, and other talented people who are willing to share their experience and knowledge with the larger VSTE community. The vast majority of VSTE sessions feature educators from all over Virginia who are working to improve the use of technology in our classrooms. They are largely responsible for making sure everyone leaves the conference with heads full of great ideas and renewed energy to help students become superpowered learners.

All which means we need you to submit a proposal to present at the conference. Yes, you!

No matter how long you’ve been an educator, you have experiences that can benefit your colleagues. Maybe it's a project or activity that makes great use of tablets. Or a new approach to using Google Drive. Or a new approach to creating a maker space that students flock to.

Don’t assume what you’re doing is old news, that everyone already knows about it. Your special expertise could help other VSTE members become better educators, and in turn, benefit their students. And don’t be afraid to consider creating a presentation out of that far-out idea you have in the back of your head. You may just find a like-minded community to help you expand even farther out!

So, how do you submit a session proposal for the VSTE conference? It’s easy.

First, decide whether your presentation will be a traditional one-hour lecture/demonstration or a two-hour fifteen minute BYOD hands-on session.

Then sit down and write an outline, maybe working with a colleague who will be your co-presenter.

Define the important parts of your presentation. Just as you would for a student lesson or activity, be clear about what you want your audience to know and be able to do when you finish.

Finally, write a good title and description for the program. One that will both tell readers what they will learn and also sell the session to your potential audience. The description should include both the tools and ideas you will share, and the technology standards you will be addressing.

Be specific about your audience. There are presentations that apply to general audiences, but many sessions work better when you plan with a specific subject area and grade level in mind. VSTE serves many different constituent groups and we want to make sure we have sessions that target specific needs, as well as sessions that apply to all.

And try to find ways to weave our theme, “SuperEmpowering Kids & Learning”, into your session description and title. Think of fun ways to incorporate the theme into your session! Spandex, capes, and superhero masks are optional.

Now that you have your great idea and session proposal, submit it here. (You’ll also be asked for some basic information about yourself.)

But get it done by September 15. Because December 3rd is coming fast. The planning committee is looking forward to reading your great idea for a session and adding it to the 2017 VSTE Conference program.

Proposed TSIP Revision

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A committee of The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE), with the support of the Virginia Department of Education's Office of Technology and Virtual Learning, is drafting new Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP).

If approved, these standards will update the original 1998 standards and represent the base level skills that every educator must meet in order to be considered proficient in the use of technology for teaching and learning.

Below you can read the most current draft of the proposed revision to the Standards. We invite feedback on this proposal from every Virginia educator and you can provide your comments using this form.

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Proposed TSIP Standards (DRAFT) 2/13/2017

1. Lifelong Learner: Teachers engage in ongoing professional learning related to content, pedagogy and technology.

a. Engages in ongoing professional growth related to the use of innovative instructional strategies that integrate digital technologies.
b. Use technology to obtain feedback that allows for reflection and improvement in the learning process.
c. Employs digital tools to collaborate with the learning community on educational topics and learning opportunities.

2. Digital Leadership: Teachers model safe and ethical practices for their students.

a. Cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.
b. Promote safe and ethical behavior with students through collaborative online experiences
c. Embed digital citizenship skills in all lessons involving online experiences
d. Model the use of technology to communicate, create, collaborate and solve problems
e. Select appropriate digital content, tools and resources that meet local, state and/or federal policies.
f. Demonstrate an understanding of the rights and obligations of student privacy and security when collecting and using student data and selecting digital content, tools, and resources.

3. Learning Facilitator: Teachers support student learning by harnessing the power of technology.

a. Incorporate learning strategies that use technology to accommodate learner variability, personalize learning, and engender student choice, self-direction and goal-setting. (Possible Indicators: coursework in personalizing learning; recognizes and can articulate examples of personalizing learning using technology; articulates how to determine learner variability and potential technology solutions.)
b. Assist students in selecting and using appropriate and available digital tools for learning, creating, problem-solving and communicating. (Possible Indicators: Coursework in using digital tools in the classroom; recognizes a variety of digital tools and can articulate how they might be used with students; lesson plan that involves using digital tools to develop these skills.)
c. Use a variety of formative and summative assessments that leverage the power of technology to provide immediate and specific feedback, and offer alternative learning paths to students including competency-based approaches. (Possible Indicators: coursework in assessments; experience with using technology-based formative and summative assessments; ability to develop such assessments regarding a specific SOL.)
d. Acquire, access, and analyze quantitative and qualitative data to effectively respond to students’ needs and communicate findings to various stakeholders. (Possible indicators: coursework in assessment and understanding data; experience with using technology-based assessment tools; communication skills for interpreting data for student/parent/administrators.)

4. Skilled Technology User: Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations and troubleshooting as well as basic uses of technology in instruction

a. Demonstrate the ability to choose and use digital technologies including both hardware, software and web-based resources to support classroom instruction
b. Demonstrate the ability to troubleshoot typical classroom technologies using a variety of resources
c. Perform basic computing operations such as accessing accounts, select appropriate applications to perform tasks, file management and web navigation.

Agenda and Resources for Integrating iPads

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June 6, 2016, 9 AM - 2:15 PM

ODU Tri-cities Center
1070 University Blvd
Portsmouth, VA

A Mobile Feast for the iPad

9:00 - 9:15
Introductions
Survey Says

9:15 - 10:45  iPad “app” etizer
Jennifer Lockett, Sherry Sanders, Ed Rhett
Hampton City Public Schools

Stimulate your tastebuds with a brief overview of management techniques and iPad tips and tricks that will arouse your iPad app-etite!

11:00-12:00 Main “Course”
Jennifer Lockett, Sherry Sanders, Ed Rhett

This course will fill your plate with ideas on student assessment and presentation strategies.

12:00 - 12: 45 Lunch

12:45 - 1:30 "Dessert" Buffet: Having Fun with Educreations
Karen Richardson
VSTE

Choose from a menu of options to create your own  content-based lessons or student project prototypes.

1:30 - 2:15 Taking Time to Digest
The Team

Sit back, relax a bit, and choose one area from today's workshop that you want to pursue further.What one or two items from today will you take with you into your classroom? You can use this time to continue experimenting with the apps presented, explore the list of resources and apps, or strike out on your own. We are here to support your exploration.

Links to Hampton Apps List

Hampton Information Literacy YouTube Site

Educreations Lessons

Learning Events 2016

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Digital Learning Day 2016
February 17, 2016
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Brainstorm 2016: What Inspires Us!
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
April 8, 2016
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Googlepalooza III
Lord Fairfax Community College
Middletown, VA
June 21, 2016
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Googlepalooza Tidewater
Jones Magnet Middle School
Hampton, VA
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