VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Spring 2020 PD From The Source For Learning Begins Tomorrow

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VSTE is pleased to partner with The Source for Learning to provide access to high quality resources created by teachers for teachers. Start here for customized access for VSTE members and conference attendees.

Don't miss the link to OK2Ask, The Source for Learning's LIVE educational technology professional development opportunity. Spring 2020 sessions begin March 3, 2020.

These quality virtual webinars are:

  • Interactive and practical – usually 90 minutes of hands on learning
  • Aligned with the ISTE Standards for Teachers
  • Packed with great ideas you can use in your K12 classroom
  • Conveniently scheduled after work hours
  • Available in live (for credit) and archived (without credit) formats

Learn more

Postponed: The Invent to Learn Workshop Tour Coming in Spring 2020

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NOTE: This event has been postponed until October 2020. If you were registered, check your email with information about tickets and refunds.

VSTE is pleased to welcome Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager for a week of minds-on and hands-on learning. Join them and your VSTE regional colleagues for a day of hard fun and problem solving at the Invent To Learn Workshop— where computing meets tinkering and design.

Update: The roadshow will travel the state during the week of October 19, 2020.

The workshop begins with the case for project-based learning, making, tinkering, and engineering. Next, we will discuss strategies for effective prompt setting. You will view examples of children engaged in complex problem solving with new game-changing technologies like 3-D printing, robotics, and programming and identify lessons for your own classroom practice. Powerful ideas from the Reggio Emilia Approach, breakthroughs in science education, and the global maker movement combine to create rich learning experiences.

Most of all, you will learn by making with exciting NEW materials! Learn how micro:bits, the new Hummingbird Bit robotics kit, Scratch, Makecode, and other emerging technologies can supercharge not only STEAM, but all subjects. This is a fertile context for learning coding and engineering through playful projects that bridge the digital and physical worlds. During the workshop, we will also discuss how to integrate project-based learning across the curriculum.

Each participant will leave with a Micro-bit Go kit.

The Roadshow will visit four locations in the state during the week of March 23, 2020:

March 23, 2020: Western Branch High School, 1968 Bruin Pl, Chesapeake, Virginia

March 24, 2020: Goochland High School, 3250 River Rd W, Goochland, Virginia

March 25, 2020: New College Institute, 191 Fayette St, Martinsville, Virginia

March 27, 2020: Amazon Web Services, 13200 Woodland Park Road, Herndon, VA 20171

This event is supported by the Virginia Department of Education and CodeVA.

 

Upcoming Events of Interest 2020

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Lots of events of interest to VSTE members...

 

Learnerpalooza South
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
New College Institute, Martinsville, Virginia
Learn More: https://vste.org/learnrpalooza-south-2020/

TechSplash 2020
Monday, July 13, 2020
SWVA Higher Education Center, Abingdon, Virginia
https://www.uvawise.edu/cte/techsplash/

Tech Splash 2020 will showcase exemplary examples of technology integration in the K12 classroom as well as focus attention on new and emerging technologies. This is a fun and interactive day filled with great hands-on learning opportunities, collaboration, and FUN! The Keynote for this event is author and creator of Hello Ruby, Linda Liukas.  Get those flip-flops ready and register today! 

Presentation proposal deadline: April 15, 2020
(Free registration and the coveted TechSplash T-shirt for presenters!)

Techstravaganza 2020
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
https://sites.google.com/lcsedu.net/techstravaganza20/home

Free for educators
Call for proposals open now through May

Clarke Innovation Conference
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Clarke County, Virginia
https://bit.ly/clarkeinnovation

A regional conference with a keynote speaker, 45 concurrent sessions, and more! Session proposals due May 1, 2020. 

ISTE 2020
Anaheim, California
November 30 - December 1, 2020
 

VSTE2020: Annual Technology in Education Conference December 6 - 8, 2020
Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia 
This premier education conference features keynotes, spotlights and breakouts as well as a full exhibit hall of the latest technology innovations. http://www.vsteconference.org

CS Teacher of Year Joins VSTE in Second Life

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Picture of Fara FaustVSTE's Virtual Environments PLN is pleased to welcome Fara Faust, the CodeVA Computer Science Teacher of the Year for 2019 at its regular Monday meeting in Second Life on February 10, 2020, at 8PM EST (5 PM SLT). She will share information about CodeVA and their mission to bring computer science to every student in Virginia. She will also discuss some of the education opportunities offered through CodeVA.
Fara is an Instructional Technology Specialist in Virginia Beach.  Fara has over ten years experience in instructional technology and is a strong supporter of “Computer Science is for everyone!”  She is actively involved in bringing computer science to her school and other elementary schools throughout her district.  Fara is a frequent presenter at local and state conferences including VSTE.  She is also a Google CS First facilitator and apprentice for CodeVA.  In this capacity she has worked with teachers throughout the state of Virginia.
This event is held in Second Life, a virtual world that is navigated using an avatar. You will need a free Second Life account as well as the software in order to participate. We recommend setting up an account at the Rockcliffe University Consortium's Gateway here: https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/ Download and install the software.
Once the software is installed and open, click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Soulgiver/156/169/58 and your avatar will be teleported to VSTE Island. Look for an avatar on VSTE Island and say, "Hey, I'm new!" We will take care of the rest.

Celebrate Digital Learning Day 2020

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logo for eventVSTE is pleased to partner with the Virginia Department of Education and the Alliance for Excellent Education to sponsor several events for Digital Learning Day 2020. This year, the day will be held February 27, 2020.

VSTE and VDOE will be focusing on the #GoOpenVA OER initiative and portal that opened at the beginning of the year. For Digital Learning Day 2020, the VDOE and VSTE will highlight the #GoOpenVA open educational resources platform recently launched on January 24 with the following activities:

Graphic with details for Digital Learning Day

Check back for more information and keep an eye on the VSTE newsletter. Don't get the newsletter? It's part of the free VSTE membership. Learn more.

* When you click one of the links for a Zoom meeting, you will be asked for permission to open the Zoom application. If the software is not already installed on your computer, tablet, or phone, you will be asked for permission to download and install the free Zoom app.