VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Events

VSTE Virtual Environments PLN Grand Opening, August 19, 2019, 8 PM

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Flyer advertising meeting on August 19VSTE has a new space in Second Life, the virtual community, and you are all invited to our grand opening on August 19, at 8 PM EDT! Come find out what it's like to interact with others in this online space. 

We will have a DJ spinning happy tunes as we network and plan for future VSTE VE PLN events. The space was built with flexibility in mind. Whether educators gather to relax, learn Second Life skills, talk about books, hear a speaker, or share ideas we have a place for that! We will feature a new interactive game each month on the clubhouse deck. 

If you don't have a Second Life account get one, it's FREE. We recommend setting one up at the Rockcliffe University Consortium's Gateway here:​ https://urockcliffe.com/reg/second-life/

Download and install the free software. With the software open, click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Soulgiver/155/144/58 and voila! You will be transported to VSTE's space.

Look for an avatar on VSTE Island and say, "Hey, I'm new!" We will take care of the rest. 

Share Your Expertise: Conference Call for Proposals Open Now

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conference logoThe VSTE Express is on its way to Roanoke, Virginia, for the Annual Technology in Education Conference. The Call for Proposals is open now until mid-September. Share your knowledge and expertise of using technology for teaching and learning by submitting your breakout session proposal.

Our keynote speaker for the Monday opening session is Michael Bonner, inspirational teacher and leader. Our own Tamara Letter, the queen of kindness, will be part of Sunday's opening. There will be over 325 sessions, a full exhibit hall and lots of opportunities to learn, share and grow with other passionate educators.

The conference is December 8 - 10, 2019, at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia.

Early bird registration is open now.

Learn more

 

Free Webinar: Federal Reserve CRA Funding for Broadband

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The Virginia Department of Education is providing a free webinar presented by Jeanne Milliken Bonds, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Jordana Barton, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, on the role of the Federal Reserve Community Development in digital equity and inclusion, including best practices for financing broadband in underserved communities.

The webinar will be presented twice:

  • Friday, July 12, 4-5:30 PM
  • Wednesday, July 17, 10-11:30 AM

To join the meeting via webex:  https://frbmeetings.webex.com/join/jeanne.bonds
To join the meeting via phone: +1-415-527-5035, Access code: 903 429 655

Keith Reeves to Keynote LearnerPalooza 2019

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Join us for the 6th annual gathering on June 10, 2019, at Lord Fairfax Community College in Middletown, Virginia. Rod Carnill, VSTE Board Vice Chair, is the lead planner for this annual event.

A palooza is defined as an exaggerated event, and LearnerPalooza 2019 is exactly that and maybe a little more although I could be exaggerating. Honestly, though, in the past six year, LearnerPalooza has become a VSTE co-sponsored edtech event of educators, by educators and for educators.

When we first started out, we wanted to provide a local and low key environment for educators from across the region to come together and share best practices, formative experiences, edtech tools and applications, and have some fun doing so. This year proves to perhaps be one of the best ever. I know I said that last year but this time I am not exaggerating when I tell you that edtech leaders will be at the forefront of the offerings this year.

Our keynote speaker, Keith David Reeves, is the VSTE Board chair. He is also the author of Insurrection: A Teacher Revolution in Defense of Children, a work on educational philosophy and pedagogy, and of Paperless Research Writing: Effective Digital Scaffolding for Academic Writing. He currently serves as Senior Instructional Technology Coordinator at Discovery Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, the largest Zero Energy elementary school ever constructed in the United States. He is a Certified Educational Technology Leader (CETL).

Jean Weller, a Teaching and Learning Technology Integration Specialist with the Virginia Department of Education, will provide updates from Richmond on current VDOE initiatives, especially #GoOpen. We will have an opportunity to explore the Virginia OER Commons website.

Karen Richardson, VSTE Executive Director and ISTE Certified Educator as well as Patrick Hausammann, VSTE Technology Coach of the Year and Google Certified Innovator will share their knowledge and expertise. Many other local teachers, ITRTs and technology coaches and Google Certified Trainers will provide experiences and insights on topics like classroom productivity, enhanced instruction, student content creation and, of course, with the usual throwbacks to the event's ‘GooglePalooza’ roots, the latest and greatest GSuite apps and extensions. This is ALL to help you place ‘Students First’ and engage in ‘Learning Forever’.

I hope to see you there! Remember to bring your own device and invite a friend to join you because we are always better together.

Register Now