vsteadmin

Help Make Broadband a Reality for Everyone

April 12, 2015 by vsteadmin

Broadband is the backbone of a high skilled, high-tech economy. Access to broadband accelerates all of Virginia towards economic opportunity, 21st century education, advanced health care, enhanced safety and security and can lead to a better life for everyone in Virginia.

In an effort to expand high-speed Internet access across the state, Virginia Tech's eCorridors program has launched Accelerate Virginia, a new broadband mapping project.

You can help! By sparing just a few minutes of your time to take the Accelerate Virginia Internet speed test, you will help encourage the expansion of affordable broadband services throughout Virginia.

Visit http://www.acceleratevirginia.org/speedtest today to take the speed test and get an instant review of your Internet connection and survey results of what others in your zip code are reporting about their broadband services.

If you do not have access to high speed Internet, please report your broadband dead zone at:http://acceleratevirginia.org/contact/ Your participation will help encourage the expansion of affordable broadband services in Virginia.

VSTE Board of Directors Election Opens Today

April 6, 2015 by vsteadmin

Ten candidates are running for the VSTE Board of Directors. Review their candidate information pages here.

Members in good standing since Saturday, March 28, 2015, may vote for up to five candidates. Members should login here to access the link to the ballot.

Big Deal Book, March 16, 2015

March 17, 2015 by vsteadmin

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to provide access to quality resources of interest to K-12 educators. From grants to competitions to curriculum resources, this newsletter has something for everyone.

In the March 16th edition, you can Bring Poetry to Life, Take Part in Game Design, Teach Tolerance & More

Here are just a few highlights from this edition. Click the link below to find lots more:

Investigate Magnetic Fields in Three Dimensions

NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, which launched on March 12, provides an opportunity to bring hands-on science activities related to the mission to classrooms. The MMS mission will study the mystery of how magnetic fields around Earth connect and disconnect, explosively releasing energy via a process called magnetic reconnection. Using four identical spacecraft, the mission will provide the first three-dimensional view of this fundamental process that occurs throughout the universe.

Plus: NASA partnered with the University of Virginia and the International Society of Technology Education (ISTE) to design and publish a set of digital-age resources for students and educators, callediMAGINETICspace. These freely downloadable resources are designed to encourage teachers and students to work creatively and collaboratively through a study of science and engineering principles related to space weather and the MMS mission.

March 16, 2015 Edition (opens in a new window)

Brainstorm 2015: Make and Take

March 15, 2015 by vsteadmin

April 10, 2015

A partnership of JMU M. Ed. in Educational Technology, JMU Outreach & Engagement, SVTC and VSTE

Reaching out to educators in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond

We are looking forward to Brainstorm 2015! Registration for this event is closed.

Schedule: http://brainstorm2015.sched.org/

Location:
Memorial Hall,James Madison University, 395 South High Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Parking Information:
Brainstorm participants should park in R9 Lot. No parking permits will be necessary. The lot is located directly behind Memorial Hall on South Willow Street. Check the map for help with locating Memorial Hall and the parking lot.

NOTE: All regulations for JMU students, faculty and staff will remain in effect, and students attending the event are required to park in appropriate student parking lots with a JMU parking permit. Regular enforcement will continue in other parking lots, and guests may receive parking citations if parked in restricted lots. Guests are prohibited from parking in specialty spaces such as Service Vehicle spaces, handicap spaces without proper permit, or expired meters. They are also prohibited from parking in Fire Lanes.

Campus Map: http://www.jmu.edu/map/buildings/MEMH.shtml

CTO Clinic, May 6, 2015

March 15, 2015 by vsteadmin

CTO Clinic
Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 8 AM to 4 PM
NEW Location for the Clinic: Williamsburg Lodge, Williamsburg, Virginia
Hotel: Woodlands Hotel, Williamsburg, Virginia

You can find the complete schedule here: http://ctoclinic2015.sched.org/

The VSTE CoSN Council in conjunction with CoSN will be holding its first CTO Clinic on May 6, 2015, at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. Designed for school division technology leaders, this will be a day of panel discussions, breakout sessions and facilitated discussions.

We'll also be hosting a Technology Petting Zoo: presenters and participants are encouraged to bring samples of the devices they are deploying to share with others. We'll have a Double Robotics Telepresence robot to demo during the day.

We're finalizing the schedule now but here's just a taste of some of the topics we will covering:

Decision Making in the Era of 1:1 and BYODSpeakers: Janet Copenhaver, Henry County; Elizabeth Hoover, Alexandria City; Debra Roethke, Henrico County; Matt D'Ascoli, Chesterfield County

The day kicks off with a panel discussion that includes four educational technology leaders discussing their division programs related to ubiquitous computing.

Legal and Ethical Issues in the Digital AgeSpeakers: Wade Anderson, Henrico County; Rich Contartesi, Loudoun County

Now more than ever, schools are confronted with legal issues related to safety, security, privacy and acceptable use. Join Wade Anderson, Henrico County's attorney, Rich Contartesi, Loudoun County's Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services, for a lively discussion around these issues.

Follow Up to Panel Discussion: Issues for Small School DivisionsSpeaker: Janet Copenhaver, Henry County; Elizabeth Hoover, Alexandria City

Join Janet for an opportunity to discuss the panel issues in more detail as they relate to small school divisions.

Opening Session Follow Up: Issues for Large School DivisionsSpeakers: Debra Roethke, Henrico County; Matt D'Ascoli, Chesterfield County

Join Debra and Matt for an opportunity to discuss the panel issues in more detail as they relate to large school divisions.

Making the Transition: Creating a Digital Learning EnvironmentSpeakers: Debra Roethke, Henrico County; Jan Streich, Spotsylvania County

How do we change the nature of the conversation in educational technology? How do we move from learning about the tools to creating a digital age learning environment that emphasizes creativity, collaboration and problem solving? How must professional development change in order to support this transition?

The Superintendent and the CTO: Forging a Strong RelationshipSpeakers: Pam Moran, Vince Scheivert, Albemarle County

How do you create a successful leadership team around educational technology? What roles do the superintendent and CTO play and how you can strengthen those roles to be sure you are making effective decisions for your division?

Keeping up with eRateSpeakers: Mark Saunders, Virginia Department of Education; Greg Weisiger

Attend this session to understand the basics of the E-Rate program before you dive into the changes of the E-Rate Modernization. In late July the FCC Commissioners published the Report and Order “Modernizing the E-rate Program for Schools and Libraries”. The Report outlined major changes in the E-rate program that will impact your school's fiscal and technology planning in the future. In wake of these changes in the E-rate program, you need to be acting now to best prepare to minimize the loss of funding in some categories as well as looking at ways to increase funding in others. Learn the basics to help you understand the changes.

Professional Growth for Leaders: CoSN and CETL CertificationSpeakers: Barbara Gruber, Loudoun County

From cutting edge research to leadership certification, CoSN offers a variety of resources as part of its membership program.

Digital Equity: A ConversationSpeakers: Becky Fisher, Vince Scheivert, Albemarle County

Access to technology and networks continues to be an issue for school divisions. How do we approach digital equity in an effective way to ensure access for all our students? Join this conversation and share your possible solutions.

Providing Support: Using Student Help Desks and Other SolutionsSpeakers: Elizabeth Hoover, Alexandria City; Danielle Thorne, Alexandria City

School divisions cannot always provide as much support demanded by the increasing number of devices. Innovative solutions such as student help desks can fill a gap while giving students opportunities for learning skills. Join Elizabeth Hoover for a conversation about how to provide effective support.

Closing Session: Looking ForwardSpeakers: Dr. John W. “Billy” Haun, Chief Academic Officer/Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, Virginia Department of Education; Rich Contartesi, Loudoun County; Brian Callahan, WHRO

Your chance to think about the future: both how to continue today's conversations and what the future looks like for school divisions across the Commonwealth.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, share and grow with other educational leaders from across the state.

Location Information for Clinic:

Williamsburg Lodge
310 South England Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185

Lodging Information:

Williamsburg Woodlands
105 Visitor Center Drive
Williamsburg, VA 23185

We have secured a special room rate the the Woodlands:

Standard Room: 2 double beds: $121.00 plus tax

King Suite: 1 queen sleeper sofa and 1 king bed: $151.00 plus tax
To take advantage of this rate please contact Group reservations at
1-800-261-9530 – Monday thru Friday – 9am to 5pm and give the agent the name of the group or our ID # which is 36090.