VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Education

PROP-EL: Creating a Resource that helps both EL students and their teachers to succeed

by

Screenshot of PROP-EL website header

 

Created by:

  • Ryan Champney - ITRT for Spotsylvania County Public Schools
  • Tara Hefner - ESOL Secondary Lead / ESOL Coach
  • Sarah Mills - ITRT for Spotsylvania County Public Schools
  • Cara Miles - former Spotsy ITRT / current ESOL teacher for York County

 

“Do you have anything for translation?” This was a question I was asked many times in my first year as an ITRT. Little did I know that this question would send me on a journey that I never would have guessed I would become immersed in as a new ITRT.

In the past year, Spotsylvania County Public Schools has had an increase of over 500 EL (English Learners) or ML (Multiple Language) Learners. This is a trend that is only increasing as we begin to see an influx of these students in our schools.

As I started to become aware of the needs of these students, I reached out to some of my colleagues for support and information. We decided after some discussion about how best to support the teachers for EL students and the students themselves, that we would create a shared Google Drive to host a number of EL resources that could be shared throughout the county.

A screenshot of the PROP-EL Canvas course header

However, after some discussion about copyright and share settings, we decided to create what is now known as PROP-EL. Within this project, we created a hub for resources, a Canvas Course with Modules to keep track of the state required training needed by all teachers, and a website that hosts a number of resources to help all of our students.

Take a look at the presentation below and explore what PROP-EL is, what it can become, and what YOU can do to best help your EL students.

PROP-EL PRESENTATION

PROP EL Title slide with PROP-EL centered, a rocket to the right and the tagline "Propelling ELs forward using technology based skills and strategies"

How Rockingham County Public Schools Leveraged LearnPlatform in Pursuit of TLE Seal

by

Trusted Learning Environment Logo

The Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal Program, developed by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and a group of U.S. education leaders, is a prestigious achievement for K-12 school systems that have implemented “strong, measurable, and publicly available” student data privacy practices. Rockingham County Public Schools (RCPS) received the TLE seal in June 2021 after nearly two years of work. The rural Virginia district recognized the protection of student data as critical to the district’s technology infrastructure.

Access this case study to learn how they did it.

April Education Committee Webinar: Wakelet

by

Join VSTE's Education Committee on April 28, 2022, at 7 PM, for Improving Classroom Organization,  Collaboration, and Creativity  with Wakelet with Tisha Poncio, Digital Learning Specialist, from Wakelet.

Wakelet is a solution for teachers students, parents, and administrators as an easy and safe way to collaborate, communicate, and create while engaging students K-12. Users can organize content, create lesson plans, implement digital citizenship skills, and showcase school activities with stakeholders! This session will cover an intro to Wakelet, basic account setup, an overview of student accounts, and using Wakelet for meaningful integration in any learning environment.

This webinar is free but registration is required.

Register in advance for this meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvcOyuqj0iHN1YBlPBB3EpXtSYVpUB4IvP

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Upcoming Webinars from VSTE

by

Join VSTE's Education Committee, led by Board Director Tim Taylor, for its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 24, at 7 PM. We will be joined by Ron Shultz, PhD, Associate Professor of Teacher Education at
Eastern Mennonite University. Dr. Shultz wil, discuss Culturally Responsive Teaching in a Digital Age:

Regardless of the school division, it is evident that the cultural demographics of our students are becoming increasingly diverse. This requires a different perspective and approach for developing relationships with students and engaging them in the learning process. Simultaneously, technology impacts both our society in general, as well as the classroom experience, in ways that we have never experienced before. How might one inform the other? Join us for a conversation about how an increased understanding of culturally responsive teaching can more effectively inform technology instruction.
This meeting is free and open to all. Registration is required.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqdeygqDouGdJGzfsh1jrN7hRnzk7kUx1a

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join VSTE's Outreach Committee, led by Board Director Chanel Alford, for a Cybersecurity for Educators webinar on Thursday, March 31, at 7 PM.

Has your email or bank account been hacked? Did they take your personal information or alter your computer? Come to this webinar to learn about cybersecurity and how to protect yourself from hackers. Here’s your chance to ask the experts questions!

About CySecSoL:

CySecSol, LLC navigates networking, education, certifications, experience and designs a path that caters to the individual and not just the company. CySecSol LLC will get you to your goal of learning cybersecurity quick, fast and easy.

This webinar is free and open to all. Registration is required.

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqcOigrzguGtHviCfX-BWuUgHE_rfZ0m1s

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Update: Ed Tech Shorts from VSTE & UnisonEDU

by

logo for edtechshortsUpdate: 2/21/2022:

Check out our latest Shorts - Chrome Tips and Tricks and 90 Seconds Wordle. You can find all the videos on GoOpenVA or VSTE's YouTube Channel. Brought to you by #VSTE and #UnisonEDU

 

Looking for PD that fits your schedule? Well, it is here! Introducing Edtech Shorts! Short instructional videos you can view anywhere! Edtech Learning at your fingertips! Brought to you by #VSTE and #UnisonEDU.

 

You can find the videos at GoOpenVA or VSTE's YouTube Channel.