VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Computer Science in King George County Schools

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King George County Schools has been incorporating Computer Science SOLs since they were adopted in 2017. But including Computer Science skills in our classes started before they were officially adopted by the Department of Education.

screenshot of 5th grade CS Standards
Click for larger view

In the spring of 2016 King George County Schools had been experiencing overcrowding in the elementary specials rotation. After looking at several options including orchestra and foreign language, it was determined that STEM would be added to all three elementary schools as a way to introduce the students to engineering and increase exposure to technology, math, and science. During the fall of 2016 students began attending their first classes for STEM. Our first year was exciting and new for everyone. We were all learning as we were doing and the students were very excited about the new special. Some even ranked it better than PE, which helped us to know we had made the right choice.

elementary student playing with a robotAt this time, we were aware that VDOE was working on writing and adopting Computer Science Standards and we were following their work closely. As the standards were adopted we went through each standard to determine where the SOL would be taught (STEM, Art, Music, Library, Math, Reading, or with our ITL). Once it was determined where the SOL would be taught, we began to place them on our curriculum maps.

In the 2018-2019 School year we added a subscription to Learning.com for all three elementary schools and the middle school. Learning.com had the ability to cover all of the Computer Science SOLs for our schools and could be easily assigned to students by any K-8 teacher in the district. Leaning.com has continued to add additional lessons and activities for students, offer professional development for staff and assistance with curriculum as needed.

elementary students using robotsThe elementary school STEM programs use a variety of tools to teach Computer Science in addition to Learning.com. Code.org has been a wonderful (and FREE) resource that offers a variety of activities for our students and includes both online and unplugged activities for our learners. Additionally, we have added BeeBots, Dash and Dot Robots, Bloxels, Computational Thinking Games, and 3-D Printers to our labs to augment our programs. While each building has a slightly different set up due spacing and materials added with grants, all three programs continue to provide a variety of experiences for our learners.

students working on a STEM projectMiddle school students get a 10 day Lego Mindstorm Robotics unit as part of their 7th grade life science class. Additionally, the middle school offers semester-long elective classes under the CTE umbrella that include Keyboarding, Middle School Computer Science, and Computer Solutions. The middle school recently completed a major renovation and addition. This has allowed for the creation of a beautiful new Maker Space which includes 3-D Printers, Legos, Drones, and many other resources.

At the high school level, King George students have numerous opportunities to take computer science related elective courses that include: Informational Technology Fundamentals; Computer Information Systems; Design, Multimedia, and Web Technologies; Cybersecurity Fundamentals; Cybersecurity Software Operations; and Video / Media Technology. The high school has also started to create a Maker Space in their library. Each year they are adding additional materials to the Maker Space and encouraging students to create.

photo of STEM night activityBy introducing students to computer science in the elementary schools we believe the students are more prepared to make elective choices at the middle and high school level related to computer science. We also feel it is important for all students to have some experience with Computer Science and STEM at the elementary level because it often allows students an opportunity to be successful and show leadership in ways that are different from those assessed with formal testing.

King George County Schools has also included the community in our growth of Computer Science instruction by having Family STEM (now STEAM) nights. On these evenings, families come together at one of our buildings to experience a variety of STEAM related activities being taught or demonstrated by KGCS Employees, students, community members, and partners from Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. While this year we were unable to get together in person, our division hosted three nights online with multiple sessions being offered every 30 minutes.

If you are just starting to incorporate more Computer Science into your instruction, here are some tips:

  • Start small.
  • Look at available resources that your district already has in place.
  • Look for funding programs and materials from a variety of sources - like local educational grants and DonorsChoose.org to the CTE budget.
  • Remember that everything doesn’t need to be purchased at the same time.
  • Reach out to other districts and visit their programs.
  • Most importantly, don’t be afraid to give it a try.

Written by Yvonne Richard. Yvonne has been a K-6 STEM teacher since fall of 2016. Prior to becoming a STEM teacher, she has taught reading, first grade, second grade, and third grade self contained classrooms. Yvonne is a member of the Virginia Children’s Engineering Board of Directors and she is the editor of the Children’s Engineering Journal. Yvonne’s STEM Lab can be found on Facebook by following @KGES STEM Lab.

Brainstorm 2021: Innovate, Integrate, Motivate

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VSTE partner, SVETC, is excited to present the 10th Annual Brainstorm Conference, coming April 13-17, 2021.

Brainstorm 2021 will be a fully-virtual Ed Tech Conference designed to motivate educators to innovate their classrooms and integrate ed-tech tools. Presenters and keynote speakers will focus on the future of Ed Tech in education and strategies, tools, and resources to transform classrooms to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner.

Graphic with information for Brainstorm conference

The conference will be powered by the Canvas Platform from Virtual Virginia and will feature:

  • 25 LIVE and interactive Keynote & Sessions (All live sessions will be recorded)
  • 30 on-demand sessions at your own pace
  • Blending Learning with Google by Kasey Bell Book Study
  • professional development points
  • learn in different ways, including book study, live sessions, and on-demand sessions
  • discussion and follow up with presenters and keynotes after sessions
  • collaboration with peers throughout the Shenandoah Valley and beyond
  • LOTS OF LEARNING & FUN with a Social Hour and PRIZES

Learn more on the SVETC website and view the Brainstorm 2021 Schedule.

And follow the conference and our participants on social media using the hashtag #vabrainstorm21

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

There are two registration options for this conference:

  • Option 1: Individual- $20.00 for one individual will receive access to the Canvas Course
  • Option 2: District- $100.00 for access for 100 participants from your school district in our Canvas Course. (If your district selects this option, a separate google form will be sent directly to the participant contact on the registration.)

Register NOW for Brainstorm 2021. Registration will close on Friday, April 9th, 2021.

Don’t forget to invite your friends, colleagues, and/or team members to join you for this wonderful learning experience!

VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: How a vision became a reality

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In 2019, Karen Richardson, VSTE’s Executive Director, asked the Board to investigate ways that the organization help our members educate and advocate for diversity in education.  Through her leadership, Dr. Richardson pulled together a team of individuals who shared that same passion and formed the Inclusion Taskforce, which eventually became VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Through the work of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, VSTE is building a collection of resources here on our website, as well as developing a mentoring program, which is now in its 3rd year.

This program connects educators with Instructional Technology leaders from various parts of the Commonwealth to help them develop their own leadership skills.

We are also building a library of targeted professional development activities which currently includes a series of monthly webinars and professional development coaching activities from UnisonEdu

So, how does a vision become a reality?  It takes leadership and dedicated individuals committed to being agents of change rather than defenders of the status quo!

Written by Nicci Dowd. Nicci is a special education teacher for Prince William County Schools. She is also a member of the VSTE Board of Directors and Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Webinar: Share Your Story, Get that Job

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In the second of two March 2021 editions of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Katie Fielding asks some relevant questions: has the past year made you think about changing schools, changing roles, or moving into educational leadership? Do you remember making a portfolio in your education program that involved a lot of page protectors and slipping in pieces of evidence? Or maybe you haven’t given your digital portfolio an update in a while.

Watch as Katie offers guidance on creating a portfolio strong both visually and content wise that will allow you to “Share Your Story, Get that Job”.

The webinar is hosted by Charles Randolph.

Elementary Students are Too Young for Virtual Learning! Or Are They?

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During our TSIP (Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel) evaluations, I make it a habit to ask all of my teachers, “How's it going?” “Do you need help or assistance with anything?” Mrs. Candice Nurney, a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School, answered “No, I’m fine and my students are doing well!” Given that her portfolio evidence is always exemplary, her evaluation was short so we had a few minutes to chat before my next evaluation. I was intrigued by her answers and wanted to know more as I have read the horror stories about virtual learning and elementary students.

Reflecting back to the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney said and continued to reiterate that ATTITUDE was very important and instrumental in the success of her second-graders in the virtual learning environment. Just like every other teacher, she went into virtual learning with the fear of the unknown, but her positive ATTITUDE made the difference. It would have been easy to succumb to the negative stigma that elementary students are too young for virtual learning, but not Mrs. Nurney. She stated that how you approach the situation and your ATTITUDE will dictate success or failure.

screenshot of website by 2nd grade teacherAt the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney took the time to​ explain and practice ​with her students, just as she would in the face-to-face environment. She mentioned that she kept her instructions simple and clear, as well as allowing ample practice time for her students while making sure she did not overwhelm them with too many tasks. Although the focus was given to the usage and features of the Canvas, Clever, and Zoom platforms for the first few weeks of school, the subject matter was still being taught.

Mrs. Nurney recognized the importance of these platforms and the role they would play in her success as a teacher in the virtual environment so she took the time to model screen sharing, muting/unmuting, reactions, and how to access documents and resources in Clever and Canvas with her students. She made it fun by using the popular Bitmoji classroom, which also made her Canvas page easy to navigate. In addition to her normal working hours, Mrs. Nurney made herself available after hours to assist parents and students so they could be successful. With persistence and patience, her second graders continue to thrive in this virtual environment. Despite this horrible pandemic and the normal challenges of virtual learning, she kept a positive ATTITUDE. Mrs. Nurney is a true testament to the saying, “a positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes.”

Written by Tim Mays (@tmays921). Tim is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Student Information Systems for Sussex County Public Schools. He is a VSTE Board Member and a member of VSTE’s Education Committee and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mentor. Mrs. Candice Nurney is a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School and is currently a doctoral student at Liberty University.