VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Register Now for LeadingEd Forum 2022

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Join VSTE and the Virginia Department of Education for the Leading Ed Forum, March 23, 2022, at New College Institute, Martinsville, Virginia.

We will welcome Charles Chuck Moss, Director of Innovation and Development, Dinwiddie County, to kick off the day encouraging us to find our awesome as a leader. From there, breakout sessions will include:

  • What’s New with Google? with Kim Lane Clark, Program Manager, Google
  • Virginia’s Whole-of-Commonwealth Approach to Cybersecurity with Chris Cruz,Cybersecurity Program Manager, Homeland Security Division, Office of the Secretary of Public Safety & Homeland Security
  • Student Data Privacy with Lisa Waters, Cambridge Public Schools, Penny Murrary, Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community
  • Digital Accessibility Features in a Nutshell with Dr. John Hendron, Project Manager of Professional Learning & Organizational Development, VDOE, and Sarah Warnick, Director of Products & Services, Virtual VA
  • Authentic Leadership with Wesley Williams, Executive Director of Technology, and Laurie Seidel, Cultivating Awareness & Resilience in Education (CARE) Facilitator, Roanoke Public Schools.
  • Virtual Learning in Virginia: Here and Now! with Dr. Meg Foley & Reggie Fox, VDOE
  • What’s #GoOpenVA with Jean Weller, VDOE
  • Student Data Privacy Continued: Working With Marketplace Providers – Common Expectations are the Key with Larry Fruth and Steve Smith, Access 4 Learning (A4L) Community

Kelly Calhoun Williams, Ed.D., Vice President Analyst in Gartner Research will discuss Top Trends Impacting K-12 Education in 2022 for the event keynote, followed up by Dan Stoneman, Ph.D. Executive Partner with Executive Programs, Gartner, connecting the trends with instruction. 

This hybrid event will host face to face attendees and sponsors. Virtual attendees will access the conference via VSTE's virtual conference platform. Cost for both attendees is just $50.

The face to face event will include a continental breakfast and lunch. Face to face seating is limited due to ongoing health and safety concerns. If you plan to attend in person, you should register as soon as possible.

This event is supported by VSTE's Corporate Partners:
 
Tanium Logo

Boolean Girls Clubhouse Reopening In NOVA

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Image of chart demonstrating increasing coding confidenceBoolean Girl is a non-profit with a mission to diversify technology fields by teaching girls and individuals from underrepresented groups to code, build, invent, and animate.

We are excited to announce the reopening of our in-person clubhouse at Marymount University in Arlington.

What's Clubhouse?

Clubhouse is our Saturday morning coding and engineering event. It runs from 9-12 Saturday mornings. The next block of meetings starts Feb 26th. A block lasts 4 weeks but you can attend one or all four meetings in a block.

What do we do at Clubhouse?

Based on skill level and interest, girls choose one of three tracks. The current offerings include;

Track 1 - SCRATCH CODING FOR ALL. (Grades 3-6)

Track 2 - PYTHON II: CODE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE (Grades 5-8)

Track 3 - CRAFTY CIRCUITS. (Grades 3-7) This session takes a hands-on approach to

Coding using micro:bits to incorporate programming, engineering, circuits, and art.

Details

Because we limit participation to 30 girls, we typically charge $25 to encourage parents to show up. However, we have unlimited scholarships, just ask at info@booleangirl.org. 

When: Saturdays starting Feb 26, 9 - 12

Where: Marymount University, 1000 Glebe Road, Arlington

Who: Girls in grades 3 - 8

Sponsored by Amazon

Details and registration: https://booleangirl.org/clubhouse/

Download the flyer: https://bit.ly/3sO7vNX

Why only Girls?

While some think the diversity in tech issue is solved, this is not the case. Girls, students of color, and low-income children are not getting the STEM education they deserve. While some progress has been made in diversifying the sciences, an alarming lack of diversity persists, particularly in computer science. Girls make up 56% of students who take AP exams, but only 19% of those that take the computer science AP exam.

Further reading:

"More women in a STEM field leads people to label it as a ‘soft science,’ according to new research", The Conversation, January 24, 2022

 

Nominations Open for VSTE Board of Directors

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VSTE members may nominate themselves or a colleague who belongs to VSTE 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 2022-2025 Board term will be open from Wednesday, February 16, through Friday, March 18, 2022. Nominees and those who nominate them must be members of VSTE.

The slate of nominees will be announced in late March, and the election will be held in April.

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.

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, 2022

Janet Copenhaver, Chair

Questions? Contac: Elections Committee

VSTE Outreach Welcomes CodeVA

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graphic of a laptop with people in videoconferencing boxes
Modern flat vector illustration appropriate for a variety of uses including articles and blog posts. Vector artwork is easy to colorize, manipulate, and scales to any size.

Join VSTE's Outreach Committee, led by Board Director Chanel Alford for an at-home, 40-minute virtual Guided Tour, led by members of CodeVA's Professional Learning and Eureka Workshop engagement teams. They'll share exciting updates about CodeVA's flagship programs for educators and students, exciting new offerings rolling out this spring and summer, and upcoming events open to all Virginia educators and students.

CodeVA seeks to revolutionize learning with Computer Science in every classroom, and to pioneer and innovate CS learning for students, beginning with their teachers. We care about equity, access and inclusion, as key success measures in this effort. We're eager to learn how we can best support your work in CS, no matter where you're starting from or what grade or subject you teach. We're all in this exciting evolution together!
Bring your favorite drink of choice and join us on Thursday, February 17th at 7PM!
Attendees will be eligible for free CodeVA Swag!

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlf-ivpzgjGtesWCK_PHJI9IVH4NsFDZR6

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Update: Ed Tech Shorts from VSTE & UnisonEDU

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logo for edtechshortsUpdate: 2/21/2022:

Check out our latest Shorts - Chrome Tips and Tricks and 90 Seconds Wordle. You can find all the videos on GoOpenVA or VSTE's YouTube Channel. Brought to you by #VSTE and #UnisonEDU

 

Looking for PD that fits your schedule? Well, it is here! Introducing Edtech Shorts! Short instructional videos you can view anywhere! Edtech Learning at your fingertips! Brought to you by #VSTE and #UnisonEDU.

 

You can find the videos at GoOpenVA or VSTE's YouTube Channel.