VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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VSTE 18: Assistive Technology – My Early Christmas Gift

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With telescopic precision, Matt Newton used his VSTE 2018 session as a platform to spotlight one of many Assistive Technology Resources: Read and Write.  As a matter of fact, it was the only presentation which specifically focused on accommodations and modifications for the special education population.

Matt prefaced that he is not a representative for Google Read & Write.  He is a T/TAC coordinator who has witnessed the powerful benefits of the Read & Write extension.  In a matter of 60 minutes,  Matt expressed how the awesomeness of this tool could have lasting effects for students who struggle with reading comprehension.  This app is designed to help struggling readers grasp the content.  This is not to say that Read & Write is the “That’s It. That’s All Folks” app for struggling students.

As educators, we know we have to find what works best for our students.  I remember one student who was given an iPad as an accommodation.  The thing is…he didn’t like the iPad!  Regardless of its function or the number of apps which were downloaded on his iPad, he just refused to use it.

As Matt alluded to in his session, the best Assistive Technology in the world is the one that the student is comfortable with and enjoys using it.

Success is gained when teaching and learning become enjoyable and not dreadful.  So, if you have not done so already, check out Read & Write.  Your students just might thank you for it.  And if they don’t, it’s all good. There’s a galaxy of Assistive Technology just waiting to be discovered.

Matt Newton is a Technology Coordinator in the Training and Technical Assistance Center (T/TAC) at Virginia Tech. His VSTE presentation is here and more resources are linked from his conference presentation page.

This post was written by Nicci Doud, a Special Education Teacher for Prince William County.

Programs that Work: STEM Awards for Exemplary Projects and Programs

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Programs that Work

STEM awards for exemplary projects and programs in K-16 STEM Education

The Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition (VMSC) invite you to nominate effective student and teacher education projects and programs for its annual “Programs That Work” Awards. The VMSC recognizes exemplary mathematics, science, integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs for which there is evidence of a positive impact on student or teacher learning.  Proposals will be evaluated on the extent that applicants are able to:

  • Represent innovative, exemplary programs that have proven effective with all students or teachers
  • Demonstrate the important mathematics, science, and STEM concepts, skills or processes students and teachers learned as a result of the programs
  • Document impact on teaching and learning

Virginia’s public and private elementary and secondary schools, public school divisions, institutions of higher education, state agencies, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are invited to apply.

It is entirely appropriate to nominate your own project or program as long as the following criteria are met:

  • The project or program is a specific STEM project with goals and objectives
  • Science, mathematics concepts, technology, skills, and or processes are the main focal point of the project or program
  • The STEM project or program has a documented impact on STEM learning which has been documented with an assessment
  • The project or program has been implemented for a minimum of at least 2 years within the past 5 years                                                           

 

Applications are due on December 10, 2018, and will be evaluated on a competitive basis for programs that have been conducted within the past five years and have demonstrated positive results.  Awardees will be recognized at a conference and awards ceremony on January, 15, 2019, at the State Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia.  Through a generous grant from Dominion Energy, the VMSC will support the travel and lodging of award recipients for each program that is recognized.

Applications can be found at http://www.vamsc.org/index.php/application/

For additional information, contact the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition by e-mail at ptw@vamsc.org.

Past is Prologue: A Message from the Chairperson

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Keith David Reeves

The call to serve children is clarion, resonating through time and across countless divides. Transcending culture and community, geography and space, we who teach feel our hearts swell and sing with the vibrations of that call, even when things are hard… and I daresay especially when they are.

Teaching in 2018 is not easy. Working in a field that lives at the state of the art, intersecting pedagogy and technology, is a profound challenge, but nearly each one of you that I’ve met - thousands now, in this sixth year of my service on the VSTE Board - shares the ethical mandate that we must use our skills and talents to teach, to make the world better for children, and to serve. It has been humbling to be a part of this extended network that is in so many ways an extended family, and to know that even on the hard days, we are not alone.

September is a hard time of year for we educational technologists. From people wondering what we did all summer despite spending weeks in back rooms with stacks of iPads to the inevitable bombardment of those who seek assistance with that which we’ve assisted them a dozen times, it is precisely because we dwell at the nexus of critical practices that we are so important to our school communities. Our students and teachers rely on our expertise as well as our compassion. The grace with which so many of you labor to ensure that everything is as right as it can be, is as ready as it must be, is a source of great inspiration for me and for my fellow VSTE leaders.

Inevitably, programs will expand, new tools will continue to arrive, and we will continue to have to expand our skill sets and knowledge bases, network with those in ever-more-diverse fields and related services… and we will inhale, and exhale, and strive for grace and empathy for those who rely upon our unique blend of futurist and practitioner, of superhero and grunt.

In the evolving landscape of the internet of things, with artificial intelligence and virtual environments steadily on the rise, and exponentially-increasing breadth and density of information available to children and adults around the world, our jobs get harder and harder, year after year. It takes special passion, work ethic, professionalism, and knowledge - and admittedly maybe just a little bit of cray-cray - to be an educational technology leader in 2018. I know that I do it because I am absolutely convinced that the ITRT role in Virginia represents the most bang for any buck anywhere in the Commonwealth, and many of the wonderful classroom teachers that have strong ed tech backgrounds bring those same skills to bear even if they are not in the ITRT role itself.

We meaningful integrators of technology into learning wear more hats than most, and so many of us fluidly move between roles as needs arise: teacher, mentor, coach, assistant, administrator, technician, principal, analyst, graphic designer, communications expert, media consultant, pedagogue, curriculum designer… We know few people understand that there is no single-sentence answer to the question “what does an ed tech person do?”

There’s no much we don’t do in the service of education in Virginia. I am proud of us, and I am proud of you.

I appreciate you, and your work, and hope you will remember in this unique (and admittedly tiring) season that we do what we do for all the right reasons, and even if you don’t get the smile or thanks that you deserve, you have it nonetheless: You have it from me, if no one else has said so today.

Serving as your Chairperson for for the past three years has been one of the great privileges of my professional life, and I’m humbled that you’ve chosen me to be your voice for advocacy in Virginia so many times. This will be my final year as your Chairperson as I conclude my second and final term of office on the Board of Directors in 2019. As I look back over the past six years, I am struck by the profound number of wonderful people I’ve met, and how much stronger my network is now than it was when I began. I count myself fortunate to represent you, and to have helped shape this most recent chapter of our organization, strengthening our finances and our infrastructure, fostering powerful collaboration and our national-class conference… What will the next years hold for you, and for VSTE? I hope those two destinies are intertwined, and that you will continue to lend your voice and your talents to your students, your colleagues, and to this organization we so love.

Welcome back to school, my friends. VSTE stands ready to support you all year, and I pledge my full efforts in the months to come, for one more phenomenal year.

With affection and in service,

Keith David Reeves, M.Ed., CETL
Chairperson
Virginia Society for Technology in Education

4T’s of Technology

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The following post was written by VSTE Board Member Janet Copenhaver.

In our world today we are overwhelmed by acronyms that are used in government and education and especially social media. However, today I am taking the liberty of creating a new one called the 4 T’s of Technology-Training-Thinking-Teacher.

First T: Technology-try-try-try

As technology changes rapidly every few months, we have to investigate ways to keep up the pace. When school divisions are implementing 1:1 mobile technology, many factors should be considered. Among these are relevance to curriculum, adaptability, and sustainability. Letting your curriculum drive technology purchases will result in a successful implementation if the device is relevant to your curriculum in an every day setting.

Devices should be adaptable to a current lesson plan and not be subject to an individual lesson plan created for technology. Teachers should be able to adapt and integrate any new technology into their current curricular lesson plan without having to create new plans.

A four-year sustainability plan should be in place before the first device is adopted. Although a device is so awesome and exciting the first when a student receives a device, does the excitement last the next year and so on? Will these same devices continue to be exciting for students? Plans should be in place to integrate new activities each school year so that technology will continue to be engaging.

Sustainability should be a part of the technology budget each year and a four-year refresh program should be developed into the long-range plan. If technology does not work, enjoyment and engagement begin to fade.

To keep up with the latest in technology try to attend conferences to collaborate and observe best new practices. Remember you do not have to reinvent the wheel-ask for help from someone who has been there.

Second T: Training-train-train-train

“As more and more devices and technological applications are added to our schools, it becomes necessary to provide professional development to keep up with the pace.” Janet Copenhaver

This statement by Sam Carlson and Cheick Gadio probably sums up my thinking of why teachers should be involved in Educational Technology training…

Experience around the world in developing, industrialized, and information-based countries has shown that teacher training in the use and application of technology is the key determining factor for improved student performance (in terms of both knowledge acquisition and skills development enabled by technology). Educational technology is not, and never will be, transformative on its own—it requires teachers who can integrate technology into the curriculum and use it to improve student learning. In other words, computers cannot replace teachers—teachers are the key to whether technology is used appropriately and effectively.

From TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, Carlson and Gadio.

I believe that teachers need a beginning foundation of technology knowledge that is relevant and easily adaptable into their lesson plans. The one-time technology training is certainly not enough as technology changes so rapidly every year. Technology Professional Development should be on going and at a pace to keep up with new technologies. No longer should we just provide a workshop on PowerPoint, Keynote, or other presentation tools without providing the skills for teachers to adapt the applications into a lesson plan that will benefit their students.

I have been an educator for many years and I have observed that most staff members have an expectation of training when their school division adapts new things. Should we not do the same thing for our staff when we add new technologies and mobile devices? Adding these technologies without training will result in the devices and technologies not being used to their full potential. As portable learning becomes our norm and we are not confined by walls but can educate at anytime or anyplace, lets move forward with our students.

I urge all Tech Directors to ensure that your staff has Educational Technology training in your division. I also urge all teachers to request this training when new technology ordevices are added to your classroom.

Third T: Thinking-think-think-think

Perhaps the greatest compliment I received in my years of being a Technology Director was, “Janet you are a radical thinker ”. I realize it takes all kinds of thinkers in this world to succeed but I also believe if you are going to be successful in technology you must take risks and begin to think differently. Years ago as 1:1 mobile devices were beginning to be the buzzword; many technologists were caught up in the device war of which one to choose. My philosophy when I talked to school divisions was just “pick one”. If you wait until the “perfect” device comes along, your division will lag far behind. Take a risk, choose a device, implement with training, and if you have to regroup in another direction it is o.k. Remember, there are no mistakes in technology; they just become challenges to us all.

Collaborative thinking becomes important when new technologies are introduced. What better way to check with your peer about something they implemented than attending a conference? Again, conferences are important to challenge and guide participants to think, communicate and create. A good quote from Mark Twain “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Fourth T: Teachers teacher-teacher-teacher

The greatest champion of any implementation is a teacher. If teachers have a comfort level of knowledge with technology, integration becomes a second nature to them. Be transparent with on-going training and support with your teaching staff. One of my favorite times of training was a technology camp at night. We introduced many new techniques at our Teaching and Learning Conference at the end of the school year. At the beginning of the new school year, we held technology camps beginning at 7 p.m. at night. During these camps we introduced new technological concepts and how they would benefit a classroom. We also covered many new social medias and how to use them in instruction. All classes were filled and we had to close the sessions at a certain time because the teachers wanted to stay longer. Support staff was available to teachers during the school day and after hours to help with projects or integration activities.

So let’s remember the importance of the 4 T’s of Technology working together as a unit. Guidelines that are best practices and research based practices are available to establish a training program that best fits your division. I have listed some of these for you to investigate.

The SAMR model is used to help teachers infuse technology into teaching and learning. I like Kathy Schrock’s guide to SAMR.

ISTE standards for teachers is a guide for Educational Technology Training.

VSTE offers the new enhanced foundational standards for teachers and found on VSTE’s web page.

Whatever training you choose; make it transparent, on going and rewarding.

Janet is an Educational Consultant and is a retired educator from Henry County Public Schools where she served as Director of Technology.

She is a graduate of Radford University with a B. S. in Library Science and  M. S. Degree in Educational Leadership. 

Janet currently serves on the Patrick Henry Community College Board of Directors and on VSTE Board of Directors.

Technology for Non-Verbal Students

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The following post was written by VSTE member Chelsea VanKerkhove, a special education teacher at Alvey Elementary School in Prince William County.

The exceptional students in my classroom are all non-verbal and rely on technology everyday. Technology is not only fundamental for student learning, but necessary for students to communicate. Whether it is an electronic tablet, such as an iPad, or a device which tracks eye-gaze, the students depend on technology to have a voice in our class. We also use technology to engage students in learning content material by presenting information in more dynamic ways.

The students are working on learning “core vocabulary” with their devices. Core vocabulary, including yes, no, more, want, stop, off and help, make up most of our daily vocabulary. By teaching these words it allows my students to use their technology to express themselves. We offer choices for the child involving food, toys, favorite activities and music by asking simple questions such as, “Do you want this?” It is very important to honor their wants, even if it is not the choice we as teachers hoped for. When students can communicate their basic wants, we will see them laugh, smile and sometimes even vocalize happy sounds.

Along with using the devices to communicate, we use various other forms of technology in our classroom as part of our daily routine. We use the Smartboard for our morning meeting, brain breaks, learning activities, experiments, and song choices. We also have a weekly computer lesson in the computer lab with our technology teacher. In addition, we use various switches to practice cause and effect. Using a Power Link switch, we are able to use a hand mixer, blender, food processor, and popcorn popper during cooking lessons. We are also able to use the switches during our scientific experiments, such as using the switch to activate a blow dryer when determining the effect wind has on various items.

While technology is important for all students, my classroom uses technology to enable them to communicate and perform tasks that they would otherwise be unable to do. My students are very accustomed to technology as an everyday part of their lives and their learning experience. This has made technology not just an augmentation, but a necessity.

This short video will give you a view into my classroom.