VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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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.

Webinar: Being the Calm in The Storm

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In the first of two March 2021 editions of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Amy Jackson discusses how to maintain calm, transparency, and control during times of technological difficulties. Amy currently works for a small school district in Central Virginia and is the co-chair of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.

The webinar is hosted by Charles Randolph.

Our next edition will be on Wednesday, March 17 at 12:30.

Webinar: Incorporating Diversity and Equity Principles Into Learning Content

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In the February 2021 edition of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Charlotte Morris talks about how educators can include diversity and equity principles in their learning content. Charlotte is an instructional designer of graduate courses in the College of Professional Studies at George Washington University.

The webinar is hosted by Charles Randolph.

Webinar: Incorporating Diversity and Equity Principles

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Tomorrow, February 24, at 12:30 pm the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee will host a webinar on incorporating Diversity and Equity principles in your learning content. One of our mentors, Charolette Morris, will facilitate this webinar.

In this webinar, you’ll learn about:

  • The importance of incorporating D&I in learning content.
  • Examples of how to apply D&I in your learning content.
  • Common D&I Terms

Charlotte Morris is an Instructional Designer with the College of Professional Studies at The George Washington University. Join us at 12:30 tomorrow as she shares insight into how to incorporate Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) principles in your learning content.

If you would like to attend this webinar, email vstedei@vste.org to receive a link to the Zoom room.