VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Award Winning Coaches Say Relationships Are Key

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Krystle Demas, Patrick Hausammann, and Timothy Signorelli, the 2018 Tech Coach of the Year winners, will be featured in VSTE's Digital Day Learning Webinar, Thursday, February 28, 2019, at 7:30 PM. They will be highlighting innovative practices and answering questions about technology and coaching. You can use this link to join us live. 

VSTE asked these leaders to share their best coaching tip and, perhaps not surprisingly, they all focused on the importance of empathy of relationships:

Krystle: One size doesn’t fit all. Working with teachers is similar to working with students in that we can’t expect everyone to be at the same place at the same time. Teachers appreciate a coach that understands and empathizes with their needs and celebrates their successes! I have found that building relationships first and offering a helping hand open the door to allow conversations to start about teaching and learning.

Patrick: When coaching teachers, administrators, or even students… start with empathy. Think back to when you started your journey or align to where your colleague is in theirs. Innovation for each person is different and can be a small step or a giant leap. Taking the time to empathize and build a relationship ensures that you know better how to scaffold your help and how much you can push outside of comfort zones for growth, stopping short of frustration or overwhelming.

Tim: Relationships are key. Empathy helps to build those relationships, and is a learnable skill. Krznaric claims, "Our personal empathy quota is not fixed: we can develop our empathic potential throughout our lives.” Knight suggests that, to build this skill, we need to look back (consider interactions we’ve had with others and how we can be more effective in the future), look at (reflecting on action and identifying when/how we demonstrate empathy), and look ahead (make plans for our interactions in the future).

Join us on February 28, 2019, at 7:30 PM, to learn more about how these award-winning coaches have built those kinds of relationships. And, learn about other Digital Learning Day events here. 

 

 

Digital Learning Is…

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logo for eventWhat IS Digital Learning? VSTE wants to know!

woman holds up sign

We're making it easy to share your answers with us...download the printable, fill it out with your students, and take a picture just like Heather Hurley, VSTE Board Member and Outreach Chair, demonstrates.

Tweet out the pictures with the hashtag  #DLDAYVSTE and we will retweet them!

You don't have to wait until Digital Learning Day to get started. Just print, complete, and tweet! Don't forget the hashtag #DLDAYVSTE!

Vote Now for Virginia’s NextGen: Emerging EdTech Leaders

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Two Virginia educators--Chanel Alford-Campbell from Alexandria City and Scott Lewis from Frederick County--have been nominated for the NextGen Emerging EdTech Leaders award, an annual recognition developed and co-sponsored by CoSN and EdScoop. This award is meant to recognize and support emerging leaders who are passionate about K-12 education technology and committed to taking their career to the next level.

Finalists are selected via online voting, and you can help select the NextGen: Emerging EdTech Leaders by casting your vote today. Voting ends at midnight, February 19, 2019. Click here to learn more and cast your vote.

Here's a bit more information about the outstanding nominees from Virginia:

CHANEL ALFORD-CAMPBELL

In just a few months with Alexandria City Public Schools, Chanel Alford-Campbell, a Technology Integration Specialist, has helped to create a professional development plan that includes both digital and in-person components. She also works with a group of girls after school teaching block coding, JavaScript, and coding with sphero robots. With a passion for programming languages, she says she aspires to further the field of instructional technology by conducting research, writing articles, and designing a nationwide professional development model.

SCOTT LEWIS

From Middle School Dean to Instructional Technology Coach, Scott Lewis from Frederick County now mentors and offers feedback for 80 teachers as they figure out how to incorporate technology into their lesson planning. As part of this role, Lewis worked with co-taught and self-contained special education teachers who teach students with learning and physical disabilities on online portfolios and coding. Lewis, along with a teacher and student, were invited to speak before Congress on this work. In addition to his day-to-day work, Lewis founded a weekly Twitter-based edchat centered around instructional leadership called #fcpslearn. He also created the district's first podcast that shares innovative teaching practices and lessons.

Click here to learn more and cast your vote.

Celebrate Digital Learning “Day” with VSTE

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Digital Learning Day, sponsored by the Alliance for Excellent Education, will be held February 28, 2019.

You can participate: tell us how you define digital learning. Learn More

Our annual award winner webinar will be held via YouTube Live on February 28, 2019, at 7:30 PM. We will feature our three Tech Coach of the Year finalists discussing innovation in their schools and divisions. Use this link to join us live.

 

 

VSTE partnered with Common Sense Media for a webinar featuring two VSTE leaders. Meg Swecker, VSTE Board member from Roanoke County, and Tamara Letter, VSTE Conference Committee member from Hanover County, will be discussing  Cultivating Kindness: A Foundation for Digital Citizenship on Thursday, February 21, 2019, at 4:00 PM. Recording Available Here

We will be announcing additional events as they are scheduled.

 

Nominations for VSTE Board of Directors Open Now

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VSTE members may nominate themselves or a colleague to be considered for election to the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) Board of Directors for a three-year term.  This is an opportunity to become involved in the key decision-making group for the Virginia Society for Technology in Education.

Nominations for the 2019-2021 Board term are open now through March 11, 2019. Nominees and those who nominate them must be members of VSTE.

The nomination form will be available in the Members' Only area of the website. When you are ready to nominate either yourself or someone else, you can start here.

Learn More About the VSTE Board of Directors

You can preview the nomination form but must submit the final form online.

Remember, you must be a VSTE member to nominate, to be nominated, and to participate in the online election.  Details for a complimentary membership can always be found at VSTE’s website.  Please let us know, via email to boardelections@vste.org, if you have any questions or need further information about the election process.

In order to vote in the elections, you must be a member for at least ten days prior to the opening of the Board elections in April.

Member Login Information

It will be necessary for you to login to the system to participate in the nomination and election process. You can find the login page here. Unless you have changed it, you should use your email address at which you receive VSTE mailings for your login.  If you do not remember your password, you may click the link on the login screen for those forgetting their password. Your password will be emailed to you.  Once you login, you can update your membership information, change your login and/or password (as necessary) and submit a nomination.  Please write to karen_richardson@vste.org if you have problems accessing the member only section of our website.

Thank you for your interest,

VSTE Election Committee, 2019

Josh Long, Chair