VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Blog

Big Deal Book, November 1, 2023

by

 

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Experiential SEL, Historical Thinking, STEM Expeditions & More...

 

SEL Tool with Real-World Activities

Krikori is an app and online-based platform with resources for teaching social–emotional learning (SEL) to school-aged children. The SEL setup is helpfully standards-aligned, making it a useful tool in education scenarios. With more than 2,056 experiential SEL activities available, teachers will find options for most ages, developmental stages, and goals.

 

Curriculum Building Historical Thinking Skills

The nonprofit Thinking Nation provides schools with innovative data-driven curriculum, assessments, and professional development to empower students to become thinking citizens. Thinking Nation’s free curriculum resources include simple worksheets that teach students a particular historical thinking skill and have a short practice section for students to apply their new knowledge.

 

Virtual Outdoor STEM Learning Adventures

Expeditions in Education was founded by a former longtime STEM educator and her husband, who now travel around the country visiting the US National Parks, filming their outdoor experiences, talking to rangers, and creating free STEM learning content that includes a look at each park, its history, its place in the world, and a STEM challenge.

 

Video-based Platform Connecting Classrooms Across the Globe

Empatico creates a space in which groups can meet from across the planet to share experiences, ideas, and learning. The digital platform runs through teachers, who can communicate by sending messages, videos, and images.

 

 

The Archives

New EdTech Reels Episode – TInkerCAD!

by

Check out this #EdTechReels episode from #VSTE and learn to use @Tinkercad with your littles!

Tinkercad EdTech Reel

From the Tinkercad website:

Tinkercad is a free web app for 3D design, electronics, and coding, trusted by over 50 million people around the world. We’re the ideal introduction to Autodesk, a global leader in design and make technology. It is free for everyone, safe for all ages, and emphasizes learning by doing.

Big Deal Book, October 16th, 2023

by

 

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Closing the Gender Gap, Designing Video Games, Finding Grants & More...

 

Tool for Designing Video Games

GameMaker is a free tool that allows educators and their students to create video games and share them across platforms. Educators can use the tool to address the standards of the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) and encourage student engagement and creativity.

 

Events and Activities for Media Literacy Week (October 23–27, 2023)

Inspired by Canada’s Media Literacy Week, the annual US Media Literacy Week is hosted by the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE). The mission is to highlight the power of media literacy education and its essential role in education all across the country.

 

Girls Club Aiming to Close the Gender and Diversity Gap in Technology

Brown Girls Code (BGC) founder and CEO Ebony Brown says her love of STEM and the experience of being the only female or Black female in local tech meet-ups inspired her to create a nonprofit to support girls and their interests in STEM. The BGC program hosts educational events in 26 states on STEM topics, including AI, robotics, and emerging sciences, as well as skills such as leadership and entrepreneurship.

 

Lessons That Situate Math in Relevant Contexts

At a Title I school on the South Side of San Antonio, an AP Stats teacher abandoned his curriculum and made lessons on topics his students actually cared about: Is college worth the cost? Are electric cars actually greener? Can you make a living as an influencer? Who’s the best basketball player of all time?

 

 

The Archives

Digital Citizenship Week (October 16-20, 2023): Elevating the Importance of Digital Citizenship

by

Image of students working on a computer with Digital Citizenship overlayed.

Digital Citizenship Week, running from October 16th to 20th, 2023, provides an invaluable opportunity to reflect upon proper internet conduct. In a world where every moment can be shared with a global audience, it is imperative to pause and ponder: do we truly wish to lay bare every minute of our lives to the world? Furthermore, this observance should compel educators to introspectively think about the way they teach digital citizenship. Are we setting a good example of online behavior? Are we equipping our students to not just survive but thrive in the digital era? Just like with other subjects we teach other students we also need to teach our students how to use the internet, fostering responsibility, and promoting kindness on social media while encouraging a positive digital footprint is crucial.

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Student Standards delineates digital citizenship as follows: "Students recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning, and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical."  This may sound simple, but are we really doing a good job fostering these abilities in our students? Within the realm of digital citizenship, nine core themes emerge, some of which may surprise you:

Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship

  1. Digital Access: Ensuring equitable digital rights and internet access for all.
  2. Digital Etiquette: Exemplifying good manners and kindness in online interactions.
  3. Digital Law: Comprehending the laws governing internet use and their implications.
  4. Digital Communication: Selecting appropriate digital tools to convey one's voice and message.
  5. Digital Literacy: Evaluating online information to distinguish fact from fiction or opinion.
  6. Digital Commerce: Understanding online shopping and cultivating mindful consumption in the digital economy
  7. Digital Rights and Responsibilities: Grasping online privacy rights and responsibilities, including awareness of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
  8. Health & Wellness: Preserving the right to use the internet without fear of cyberbullying or other mental health concerns.
  9. Security: Exercising caution with fundamental internet safety best practices to safeguard one's internet data and footprint.
image of student coding on a computer
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Why should digital citizenship be important to educators and students? The importance of digital citizenship to educators and students cannot be emphasized enough. First and foremost, safeguarding students from harm and furnishing them with the skills requisite for success in life is essential. Secondly, in the state of Virginia, digital citizenship is integrated into the Computer Science, Digital Learning Integration, and ELA Standards of Learning. Thirdly, Virginia recently enacted Code 22.1-24.1 (approved on 3/21/23), mandating the State Superintendent to establish an Internet Safety Advisory Council, furthering the cause of safe media and technology utilization by students and teachers in public schools statewide. Numerous school districts in Virginia have already embarked on the development of district-wide Digital Citizenship programs for both staff and students.

As Digital Citizenship Week approaches this year, it is incumbent upon all stakeholders to contemplate how we are preparing students to be adept, responsible digital citizens of the future. A deliberate review of daily lesson plans and interactions with students is warranted. How can we collectively enhance the digital citizenship competencies of our students?

For educators seeking valuable resources on digital citizenship, consider exploring the following:

About the Author:

Fara T. Faust is an Instructional Technology Specialist with Virginia Beach City Public Schools and a member of the VSTE Board of Directors.  She can be contacted at FaraFaust@VSTE.org

Big Deal Book, October 4th, 2023

by

 

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Constitution Day, AI in Education, Citizen-Science Reporting & More...

 

Free Video Series Focusing on the Role of AI in Education

A collaborative effort of Code.org, Educational Testing Service (ETS), International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and Khan Academy, AI 101 for Teachers is a free, five-part video series that aims to help educators understand artificial intelligence, its responsible use, and its potential to enhance teaching

 

Professional Community with Resources for Online Learning and Collaboration

Amazing Resources for Educators is a free professional learning community that helps educators find information on grants and other attainable funding, rich resources for 21st century themes and skills, professional development opportunities, research and assessment information, and free and inexpensive tools for teaching and learning.

 

National Security Mentorship and Training for Girls

Thinkabit Lab, an invention-based school program from Qualcomm, shows students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds that they can be part of inventing the wireless world of the future.

 

Learning Activities Using Stories Across Digital Media

Created by AT&T in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery, The Achievery helps connect students to a new world of digital learning through stories that spark curiosity and learning content that entertains as well as teaches. The Achievery platform features videoclips from some of the most popular movies, TV shows, and cartoons from Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network, paired with lessons and learning activities that student can engage with anywhere.

 

 

The Archives