VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Board Candidate – Margaret Sisler

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photo of Margaret SislerMargaret Sisler

School Based Technology Specialist
Westfield High School/Fairfax County Public Schools

Educational Leadership

I’ve served as a school based technology specialist (SBTS) for the last 10 years where I have led professional learning, collaborative teams and equity work. I have been part of a number of pilot programs including FCPSOn, a division initiative to ensure all equitable access for all students to meaningful learning experiences and technology. I moved into a division leadership position supporting professional learning and expansion of this initiative to all middle land high schools, leading a cross departmental project team before returning to a high school SBTS in October of 2019. My experiences at school and division levels bring a unique perspective and understanding of the big picture and specific details needed to make change.

Vision for VSTE

VSTE’s commitment to pedagogy and relationships, professional learning and building connections between educators around the state is critical to ensure all students have equitable access to meaningful learning opportunities. VSTE is uniquely positioned to partner with and connect districts and individuals for learning experiences focused on strong pedagogical practices. These ongoing connections are what truly makes a difference in our schools and classrooms.

Biographical Sketch

Margaret Sisler is a former elementary teacher, elementary tech coach and division level educational specialist who currently holds her dream job - high school tech coach, where she spends her days supporting teachers and students, coplanning meaningful learning for all students and supporting school wide professional learning and the work of the school’s Equity Team. She is a cofounder of #NoVAedchat (a weekly Twitter chat) and edcampNoVA (a bi-annual day of learning for teachers) and a member of the VSTE Conference Committee. Outside of school, Margaret enjoys being outdoors, gardening, reading, aerial yoga and she is a huge WVU sports fan!

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Brainstorm 2021: Innovate, Integrate, Motivate

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VSTE partner, SVETC, is excited to present the 10th Annual Brainstorm Conference, coming April 13-17, 2021.

Brainstorm 2021 will be a fully-virtual Ed Tech Conference designed to motivate educators to innovate their classrooms and integrate ed-tech tools. Presenters and keynote speakers will focus on the future of Ed Tech in education and strategies, tools, and resources to transform classrooms to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner.

Graphic with information for Brainstorm conference

The conference will be powered by the Canvas Platform from Virtual Virginia and will feature:

  • 25 LIVE and interactive Keynote & Sessions (All live sessions will be recorded)
  • 30 on-demand sessions at your own pace
  • Blending Learning with Google by Kasey Bell Book Study
  • professional development points
  • learn in different ways, including book study, live sessions, and on-demand sessions
  • discussion and follow up with presenters and keynotes after sessions
  • collaboration with peers throughout the Shenandoah Valley and beyond
  • LOTS OF LEARNING & FUN with a Social Hour and PRIZES

Learn more on the SVETC website and view the Brainstorm 2021 Schedule.

And follow the conference and our participants on social media using the hashtag #vabrainstorm21

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

There are two registration options for this conference:

  • Option 1: Individual- $20.00 for one individual will receive access to the Canvas Course
  • Option 2: District- $100.00 for access for 100 participants from your school district in our Canvas Course. (If your district selects this option, a separate google form will be sent directly to the participant contact on the registration.)

Register NOW for Brainstorm 2021. Registration will close on Friday, April 9th, 2021.

Don’t forget to invite your friends, colleagues, and/or team members to join you for this wonderful learning experience!

VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: How a vision became a reality

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In 2019, Karen Richardson, VSTE’s Executive Director, asked the Board to investigate ways that the organization help our members educate and advocate for diversity in education.  Through her leadership, Dr. Richardson pulled together a team of individuals who shared that same passion and formed the Inclusion Taskforce, which eventually became VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Through the work of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, VSTE is building a collection of resources here on our website, as well as developing a mentoring program, which is now in its 3rd year.

This program connects educators with Instructional Technology leaders from various parts of the Commonwealth to help them develop their own leadership skills.

We are also building a library of targeted professional development activities which currently includes a series of monthly webinars and professional development coaching activities from UnisonEdu

So, how does a vision become a reality?  It takes leadership and dedicated individuals committed to being agents of change rather than defenders of the status quo!

Written by Nicci Dowd. Nicci is a special education teacher for Prince William County Schools. She is also a member of the VSTE Board of Directors and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Webinar: Share Your Story, Get that Job

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In the second of two March 2021 editions of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Katie Fielding asks some relevant questions: has the past year made you think about changing schools, changing roles, or moving into educational leadership? Do you remember making a portfolio in your education program that involved a lot of page protectors and slipping in pieces of evidence? Or maybe you haven’t given your digital portfolio an update in a while.

Watch as Katie offers guidance on creating a portfolio strong both visually and content wise that will allow you to “Share Your Story, Get that Job”.

The webinar is hosted by Charles Randolph.

Elementary Students are Too Young for Virtual Learning! Or Are They?

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During our TSIP (Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel) evaluations, I make it a habit to ask all of my teachers, “How's it going?” “Do you need help or assistance with anything?” Mrs. Candice Nurney, a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School, answered “No, I’m fine and my students are doing well!” Given that her portfolio evidence is always exemplary, her evaluation was short so we had a few minutes to chat before my next evaluation. I was intrigued by her answers and wanted to know more as I have read the horror stories about virtual learning and elementary students.

Reflecting back to the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney said and continued to reiterate that ATTITUDE was very important and instrumental in the success of her second-graders in the virtual learning environment. Just like every other teacher, she went into virtual learning with the fear of the unknown, but her positive ATTITUDE made the difference. It would have been easy to succumb to the negative stigma that elementary students are too young for virtual learning, but not Mrs. Nurney. She stated that how you approach the situation and your ATTITUDE will dictate success or failure.

screenshot of website by 2nd grade teacherAt the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney took the time to​ explain and practice ​with her students, just as she would in the face-to-face environment. She mentioned that she kept her instructions simple and clear, as well as allowing ample practice time for her students while making sure she did not overwhelm them with too many tasks. Although the focus was given to the usage and features of the Canvas, Clever, and Zoom platforms for the first few weeks of school, the subject matter was still being taught.

Mrs. Nurney recognized the importance of these platforms and the role they would play in her success as a teacher in the virtual environment so she took the time to model screen sharing, muting/unmuting, reactions, and how to access documents and resources in Clever and Canvas with her students. She made it fun by using the popular Bitmoji classroom, which also made her Canvas page easy to navigate. In addition to her normal working hours, Mrs. Nurney made herself available after hours to assist parents and students so they could be successful. With persistence and patience, her second graders continue to thrive in this virtual environment. Despite this horrible pandemic and the normal challenges of virtual learning, she kept a positive ATTITUDE. Mrs. Nurney is a true testament to the saying, “a positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes.”

Written by Tim Mays (@tmays921). Tim is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Student Information Systems for Sussex County Public Schools. He is a VSTE Board Member and a member of VSTE’s Education Committee and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mentor. Mrs. Candice Nurney is a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School and is currently a doctoral student at Liberty University.