VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Board of Directors

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

Board Welcomes Five Board Members Following Recent Election

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Five members were elected by the VSTE membership for the 2018 - 2021 term. Three of those elected are incumbents and will begin their second terms. Two of those elected are new members and can serve up to two terms.

Learn more about each Board member by clicking below:

Smiling Man in Blue ShirtRod Carnill, Incumbent
Supervisor of Instructional Technology Coaches
Frederick County Public Schools

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Lynmara Colón
Principal
Prince William County Public Schools

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Woman Smiling

Nicci Dowd
Special Education Teacher
Prince William County Public Schools

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Smiling man with glasses

Tim Stahmer, Incumbent
Freelance Educator
Fairfax County Public Schools (Retired)

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Smiling woman with glasses

Meg Swecker, Incumbent
Coordinator of Technology Integration/ITRT
Roanoke County Public Schools

 

Meg Swecker

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Smiling woman with glasses

Meg Swecker
Coordinator of Technology Integration/ITRT
Roanoke County Public Schools

Educational Leadership

As the Coordinator of Technology Integration for Roanoke County Public schools, I support district wide initiatives, provide professional development, and collaborate with teachers and district leaders to use technology to empower learners. I have presented at local, regional, state, and International conferences.
I was elected to serve on the VSTE Board of Directors in 2015. During my term, I chaired the both the Elections Committee and the VEPLN Ad Hoc Committee and served on the Education Committee, the Outreach Committee, the Awards Committee, and the TSIP Ad Hoc Committee.

Vision for VSTE

My vision for VSTE includes advocacy, education, and outreach, three things that VSTE is already actively involved in.
VSTE’s advocacy, at both the state and national level, provides an active and passionate voice for Virginia’s students and educators. It is important that this voice continue to be heard.
VSTE supports Virginia educators by providing outstanding professional development in regional, state, and virtual events. The development of digital PD opportunities will create a positive impact on Virginia educators who may not be able to attend face to face events.

Biographical Sketch

I am passionate about the innovation and creativity that technology can bring to teaching and learning, and it is an honor to be able to share this passion with other educators. This is my 30th year as an educator and I feel like I’m just getting started!
When I’m not teaching, I spend my time gardening, keeping bees, and scuba diving.

Tim Stahmer

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Smiling man with glasses

Tim Stahmer
Freelance Educator
Fairfax County Public Schools (Retired)

Educational Leadership

I have been a VSTE member for more than 25 years and have served the organization through my work on various teams, presenting at the conference almost every year, and supporting other smaller events. For the past three years, I have been honored to serve on the Board of Directors and working as part of the Outreach and Advocacy Committees. I was part of the team that renovated the VSTE website to make it more accessible and useful for the membership, and continues to maintain it. In addition, I have been part of the Conference committee for six years, originating and leading the Maker/Playground areas that bring more interaction to the annual event. I have also planned and present events for local, state and national organizations, including ISTE, ASCD, and NSDC.

Vision for VSTE

Over the past three years, the Board has worked to increase VSTE’s role as a vocal advocate for Virginia teachers, ITRTs, school administrators and other education professionals at the state and national level. We must continue and expand this effort to strongly articulate the views of our members on instructional issues related to the use of technology for learning. One way of doing this is by expanding our support of regional and local organizations and their events that help ITRT and teachers become more effective at using technology to improve student learning. We must also continue our efforts to learn and use the art of lobbying, especially in Richmond, so that the Governor, legislators, and other officials clearly understand our message.

Biographical Sketch

For more than 25 years, I was a teacher and Technology Specialist in Fairfax County. During the latter part of my time there, I was privileged to work with the 200 amazing instructional technology trainers (called ITRTs in most parts of Virginia) in our schools, primarily supporting their efforts with middle and high school teachers and students. Prior to that I was one of those trainers, back when one of us served multiple schools at multiple levels. In a life before that, I taught students in middle and high school the beauty and application of mathematics and computer science. On the side, I have been actively blogging for almost 15 years (ancient history in the web timeline) and regularly inflict my thoughts on the web through Twitter, flickr and other channels.

Ed Ozols

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Ed Ozols
Technology Director
Bath County Public Schools

Educational Leadership Experience

I was an ITRT from August 2012 until July 2016 when I became the Technology Supervisor for Bath County Public Schools. During that time, I have overseen the BCPS becoming a 1:1 laptop division for grades 5-12 and have led the way for Office365 to be the main educational workspace for teachers and students. Additionally, I have increased network bandwidth significantly. Having been a teacher before I was an ITRT, I understand the classroom and the demands that are placed on teachers. I worked to give teachers solutions that would empower them while saving time.

Vision for VSTE

I want VSTE to continue to be the voice for technology in schools. Division budgets are challenging, but we need to continue to develop 21st century skills in our students. Many of the jobs that they will occupy have not yet been created, but we can give them the skills that they need to be successful in those new jobs. I would like to see increasing involvement at the university level with students who will be entering the teaching field so that they are better able to successfully integrate technology into their classroom starting at day one.

Biographical Sketch

I wrote my first code in 1969 during my freshman year in high school. I have a BA in Psychology from Southern Illinois University and a MS in Special Education from Radford University. Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked in technology. When I started teaching, I used an overhead projector. After a few years they gave me an interactive whiteboard and then a table computer. I quickly moved from Special Education to teaching programming and Technical Drawing while at the same time acting as a part time ITRT. When the Technology Supervisor position became open, I applied, and now have that job.