Has your school division gotten "the letter"? The one indicating that your website is not accessible? Need to know more? Join the VSTE CoSN Council on Thursday, October 20, 2016, at 8 PM, for a primer on Section 508, the federal law related to electronic accessibility. VSTE Board Chair Keith Reeves will lead this session. Come with questions!
Connected Education Month 2016 Activities
VSTE, along with schools and organizations all over the world, will be celebrating Connected Educator Month with activities throughout October sponsored by the Education and Outreach Committees of the VSTE Board of Directors.
Check out the information and then keep an eye on the newsletter and our social networks for specific times.
Slow Tweet Book Group:
VSTE is thrilled to be welcoming Rafranz Davis as our keynote speaker at VSTE2016 in December. In preparation for her visit, we'll be reading her book The Missing Voices in EdTech: Bringing Diversity Into EdTech and then sharing our ideas and insights through Twitter. Guest moderators will lead us through a chapter each week. Grab a copy of the book, start reading and look for the first questions on Monday, October 3. Register ahead of time for reminders and the chance to win VSTE swag!
Classroom Snacks:
As educators, we spend lots of time talking about students but not much time talking to them. VSTE is working to change that by providing virtual visits to classrooms across the Commonwealth. We made several visits on Digital Learning Day 2016 and will continue the tradition on Thursdays in October with visits to classrooms in Prince William County, Frederick County, Roanoke County and Wise County. We'll meet and talk with students about how technology is impacting their lives and their learning.
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Big Deal Book, September 15, 2016
VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you the best of the Web from grants to competitions to resources for your classroom.
The September 15, 2016, newsletter focuses on Turn Game Players into Makers, Extend STEM Beyond the Classroom & More.
We've chosen a few favorites from this newsletter. Be sure to check out the full newsletter using the link below. Don't miss the opportunity to complete the survey and be entered to win a $50 American Express gift card.
Toshiba America Grants
The Toshiba America Foundation offers $1,000 grants to K–5 teachers for projects that focus on improving science and mathematics education. The goal is to provide teachers with additional funding to support innovative ideas for hands-on classroom projects. Applications should be for project-based learning with measurable outcomes.
Activities Developing Data Analysis Skills
The US Census Bureau has unveiled its newly updated Statistics in Schools program for K–12 teachers and students. Using current and historical data, the Census Bureau provides teachers the tools to help students understand statistical concepts and improve their data analysis skills. The program offers free online activities and other resources in geography, history, math, and sociology.
Webinar on Bringing Social Media into the Classroom
From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) on October 5, 2016, the Amazing Resources for Educators community on edWeb.net will be hosting a webinar titled “Bring Social Media into the Classroom.” This free webinar, sponsored by Quill.com, will define social media and explore a variety of tools that will allow participants to communicate and reach out to other learners or experts from around the world.
Big Deal Book, September 15, 2016
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VE PLN: Upcoming Events
The VSTE Virtual Environments PLN continues its tradition of Monday night professional development with two upcoming events:
VSTE Game Night
Monday, September 26, 2016, 8 PM
Join the VSTE Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network at 8 PM Eastern time on VSTE Island in Second Life for an hour of games and fun. There are games scattered all over VSTE Island, such as Greedy (think Farkle on Facebook), Scrabble, Pentadee (think Kismet), SLmopolis (think Monopoly), Galaxy War (a 3D strategy game), En Garde (Fencing), and Parcheesi. We will teach you how to play and you will meet some fun educators.
If you don't have a Second Life account get one, it's free, at http://secondlife.com/. Download and install the software. While your Second Life viewer (software) is open click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/
Minecraft Monday
Monday, October 3, 2016, 8 PM
Calling all Minecraft builders, we need your help! Join the VSTE Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network at 8 PM Eastern time in VSTE Place, VSTE's Minecraft server. We will be working together to create a Hogwarts type of castle for the Virginia Children's Book Festival. On October 15 some of us will be traveling to Longwood to attend this festival and share Minecraft with the children and their parents. Young attendees will be able to add to our Hogwarts build while they visit our booth. Won't you help us help the kids?
You must have a computer Minecraft account from https://minecraft.net/en/ to join. There is a one time fee of $26.95. Download and install the software. Choose multiplayer and add a server: Name VSTE Place IP 69.175.17.26:25565 We will open it up for this event. If you want to be whitelisted to enter anytime you want to continue building this, or anything else, email Kim Harrison at kvharris@vbschools.com from an educational email address with your real name and minecraft name.
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Digital Equity Discussion
We all can attest to the need to help bridge the digital gap that exists for our students. As more content and instruction moves online, the need to provide access to digital resources grows.
The VSTE CoSN Council is pleased to sponsor a free discussion related to digital equity. This webinar will be held Thursday, September 22, 2016, from 8 to 9 PM.
Featured speakers include:
- Dr. Elizabeth Hoover; CTO, Alexandria City Public Schools
- Diane Doersch; Chief Technology & Information Officer at Green Bay Area School District
- Rod Carnill; Supervisor of ITRTs, Frederick County Public Schools
- Cheryl Wood and Kim Fields; Project Managers on Digital Equity, Fairfax County Public Schools
- Tom Lundquist, Director of Technology, Staunton City Schools
Speakers will address digital equity issues faced by their school divisions and their current approach. They will describe the alternatives they explored and how they are evaluating their return on investment.
You can view the archived recording here: http://vste.adobeconnect.com/p6kugdkfl32/
