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Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Common Sense Education Resource Share – February 20, 2023

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An image of students working on laptops in a classroom. A Common Sense Education text overlay appears in the top right of the graphic."Common Sense is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They support pre-K–12 schools with lesson plans, edtech reviews, family resources, and everything else students need to thrive in a connected world." Below is a custom set of resources pulled from this month's newest updates! Check them out via the links and explore even more at www.commonsense.org/education. VSTE is proud to partner with Common Sense Education.

For Teachers:

For Parents & Caregivers:

 

All Resources via Common Sense Education

All VSTE Posts of Common Sense Education Resources

Big Deal Book, February 1st, 2023

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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 Black History Month, Math Sightings, Virtual Fitness Challenge & More...

 

SPOTLIGHT! On Black History Month.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in US history. Since 1976 every US president has officially designated February as Black History Month.

Teachers are invited to put the power of these resources to work in their classrooms during Black History Month and throughout the year.

 

Virtual Learning Experience with African American Scientists

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invite middle school and high school students to join A Space for Us All, a virtual educational experience examining and building on the legacy of achievement, connection, and knowledge of African Americans at NASA.

 

Robotics Platform That Uses Trash to Teach Coding

To students, crumpled plastic water bottles and milk cartons may seem like trash, but to brothers and entrepreneurs Rohit and Sidharth Srinivasan, these common everyday items represent an opportunity for equitable STEM education.

 

Walking, Cycling, Swimming … Virtual Fitness Challenge

Spice up your motivation for running, walking, or cycling (or any distance-based exercise) by taking on The Conqueror’s Mount Everest Virtual Challenge. The challenge takes you through a breathtaking 40-mile journey to the summit of Mount Everest—the highest peak in the world.

 

 

View the whole Big Book Deal Newsletter for February 1, 2023

The Archives

Girls Who Code Summer Programs Announcement

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It is hard to believe that we have already entered the time of the year to start actively helping students find opportunities aligned with their passions for the summer. Girls Who Code are excited to continue hosting free summer programs, and VSTE wants to encourage Virginia students to apply!

Girls Who Code’s Summer Programs

  • StudentsAre 100% free, with need-based grants for tech access to those who qualify
  • Include beginner to intermediate-level curriculum featuring concepts in game design (brand new!), web design, cybersecurity, and data science (brand new!)
  • Are hosted by Corporate Partner Sponsors who lead virtual panel discussions and networking events with inspiring female entrepreneurs
  • High school girls and non-binary students can apply here!

Please share the information below with any eligible 9-12th graders to encourage them to apply?
Here is a link to our Summer Programs Student Flyer for easy sharing as well!

Girls Who Code’s Free Summer Programs
Apply now to Girls Who Code’s free summer programs, with options running June 16 - August 11! They've got two great opportunities, so you can choose the one that fits your needs:

Their 2-week Summer Immersion Program (SIP) hosts current 9th-11th graders in live virtual classrooms led by industry-leading companies like Metlife, Bank of America, and Accenture. Participants will learn how to get creative with game design. By the end of the program, attendees will learn the fundamentals of game design, UX, the iterative design process, and more, as they build out a suite of short games using the p5.js library for JavaScript. Participants can even apply for laptop and hotspot access and grants of up to $300 for financial support!

Their Self-Paced Program gives current 9th-12th graders the flexibility to learn to code through independent study and real-world projects. By the end of the program, you’ll earn beginner-level certificates of completion in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript for web development or intermediate-level certificates of completion in Python for Cybersecurity or Data Science.

Both programs introduce attendees to inspiring industry professionals and unlock lifelong college and career support. For more information on the virtual Summer Programs offered by Girls Who Code, check out our website or attend a webinar. Applications are due on March 24, 2023. Head to girlswhocode.com/summerapply and submit yours now!

Common Sense Education Resource Share – February 3, 2023

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"Common Sense is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping all kids thrive in a world of media and technology. They support pre-K–12 schools with lesson plans, edtech reviews, family resources, and everything else students need to thrive in a connected world." Below is a custom set of resources pulled from this month's newest updates! Check them out via the links and explore even more at www.commonsense.org/education. VSTE is proud to partner with Common Sense Education.

For Teachers:

For Parents & Caregivers:

 

All Resources via Common Sense Education

All VSTE Posts of Common Sense Education Resources

Incident Response is a Team Sport: A Cybersecurity Event

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According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), when it comes to cybersecurity, K-12 school divisions are “particularly lucrative targets due to the amount of sensitive student data accessible through school systems.”

Incident Response is a Team Sport is an event designed to provide participants with the opportunity to experience how a cybersecurity incident may unfold and how an Incident Response Plan can help minimize loss of information and disruption of services.  K-12 division-level leadership including superintendents, assistant superintendents, technology directors, network admins, and other critical staff who would be involved in incident response decisions should attend. The objective for the day is for schools to leave with a draft of an IRP if they do not already have one, or to refine the one they already have as a result of interacting with cybersecurity and legal experts throughout the day.

We will start the day with district teams engaging in a tabletop exercise to provide an opportunity for school division leaders to strengthen their cybersecurity program awareness, plans, decision-making process, and capabilities.  We will also use the tabletop exercise to determine key considerations for the core components of your division’s IRP.  During the time together, you will have an opportunity to review and update your Incident Response Plan with feedback from colleagues from other divisions as well as agency and organization cybersecurity experts.  It is recommended you register with your division team to get the most out of the tabletop exercise.  The afternoon sessions will provide breakout sessions geared toward the specific operational, legal, communications, and technical concerns of those in the crucial division-level leadership roles mentioned above.

To accommodate divisions in different geographical regions, the event will be offered twice once on March 14th at Richard Bland College of William and Mary in South Prince George, and again with the same agenda on March 30th at the New College Institute in Martinsville.  It is strongly recommended that you register with a team from your division.  Lunch will be provided.

Register your team for the Richard Bland College event on March 14th or the New College Institute event on March 30th by pointing your browser to bit.ly/incident-response-23.