VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Events

Spring 2017 CETL Study Groups Scheduled

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The VSTE CoSN Council has scheduled two sets of CETL® study groups in Northern Virginia. It will be led by Dr. Barbara Gruber from Loudoun County, a CETL certified educator.

Northern Virginia:
This study group will be held at the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway, Chantilly, VA 20151 and led by Barbara Gruber.

April 29, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
May 13, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
June 10, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
July 15, 2017, 10 AM  - 1 PM

Central Virginia:
Update: We have had to cancel this face to face study group. We are working to find an alternative, possibly online.

April 22, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
May 20, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
June 17, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM
July 8, 2017, 10 AM - 1 PM

If you wish to attend the Northern Virginia study group, you must register by April 14, 2017.

Register now. 

The exam will be administered on Friday, July 28, from 8 AM to 12 PM, in Colonial Heights, Virginia.

Leading Ed Forum Sponsor Information

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The 2nd annual Leading Ed Forum will be held October 19 and 20, 2017, at the Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper, Virginia. This event is designed for school division instruction and technology leaders including chief technology officers, technology directors, and superintendents. Session topics will focus on E-rate, digital equity, 1:1 initiatives, and student data privacy.

Sponsorships for this event are available. Sponsors will be provided with a 45-minute breakout session and a table in the main gathering area for one day of the event. Sponsorships cost $2000.

Please contact Karen Richardson at karen_richardson@vste.org to learn more about this opportunity.

Archived Recording Available: CETL Certification Webinar, March 14, 2017

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Archive Webinar Recording

The VSTE CoSN Council will be sponsoring a free informational webinar about the Certified Education Technology Leaders (CETL) certification on March 14, 2017, at 4:30 PM. The webinar will be hosted by Tim Tillman, Director of Technology and Learning, Colonial Heights Public Schools, a CETL certified leader. Tim will discuss the certification in general and, for those who are currently studying for the exam, offer tips and techniques for preparing and taking the test.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) is the premier professional association for school system technology leaders. As part of its mission, CoSN sponsors the Certified Education Technology Leaders (CETL) certification.  Earning the CETL certification will demonstrate that you have mastered the knowledge and skills needed to successfully build 21st century learning environments in your district. You can learn more about certification here.

The webinar is complimentary but we are asking for registration. Please use this form to let us now if you plan to attend: https://goo.gl/forms/xFSP4sATUrnMdZK02

The webinar will take place in VSTE's Adobe Connect room: http://vste.adobeconnect.com/vstelive.

Making Connections: Southwest Regional Educational Technology Leadership Summit

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Roanoke County Public Schools with support from VSTE is hosting Making Connections: Southwest Regional Educational Technology Leadership Summit on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Virginia.

This inaugural event is designed to bring together educational technology and instructional leaders in Regions 6 and 7 for both learning and networking around issues related to cybersecurity, privacy, E-rate, infrastructure, and support for innovative instruction.

Schedule Available Here

Thanks to generous sponsorship support, this event is free.*

Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Lodging:

A hotel block at the state rate is available at the hotel.

Hotel Roanoke Booking Website:
https://aws.passkey.com/e/49060800?utm_source=9515698&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=273857584

Reference VSTE 2017 is you call the hotel directly at 540-985-5900.

*Sponsors: THANK YOU!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Learning Day, February 23, 2017

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VSTE will be partnering with the Virginia Department of Education to provide a full day of virtual events for Digital Learning Day 2017, February 23, 2017.

#stuvoice

Throughout the day, VSTE will be featuring students from the Richmond area  talking about how they learn, how they use technology to learn and showing some of the innovative projects they are working on in their classrooms. VSTE is partnering with GRAETC to provide these classroom visits.

The VDOE will host two live webinars to provide updates on current and proposed technology-related initiatives. Join Mark Saunders, Director, Office of Technology & Virtual Learning and Bobby Keener, Chief Technology Innovations Officer for these updates. Specific times will be announced soon.

VSTE will host an evening webinar beginning at 7:30 PM that will highlight the VSTE 2016 award winners talking about educational technology past, present and future.

Schedule

9:00 AM: Scrum in the Classroom

6th grade students in Mr. Frago's class in Goochland County will talk about their experiences using Scrum, a framework designed to help people work in teams. Jim Frago, Joe Beasley, and Bea Leiderman have adapted the Scrum framework from its original form in the business world to help students learn to work in teams, taking ownership of their own learning. While the school provides an iPad for every child, learning activities are more meaningful when they are collaborative. Scrum teaches students to work together effectively and seamlessly, removing many perceived barriers to project based approaches. Students will share how they have learned to use digital tools for collaboration and media creation.

Archived Recording

9:30 AM Coding with Ozobots

4th grade Hanover County students in Mrs. Yarbrough's class will discuss how they used Ozobots to code with markers on "playgrounds" in order to make the Ozobot travel over mazes and complete various challenges.  The goal of this activity was for students to work in collaborative teams to create a course the Ozobot could complete in a specified time range.  Join the students as they discuss what they learned and how they used perseverance in this innovative lesson.

Archived Recording

10:15 AM Makerspaces

Hear AP Computer Science students from Powhatan High School discuss their leadership roles in division-wide outreach programs that focus on STEM activities (STEM Fair, CS Roadshow, STEM Sisters & Brothers).  The students will showcase the different technologies they have used through computer science courses, STEM outreach activities, and the newly created high school makerspace.  Technology tools include App Inventor, Code.org, 3D printers, digital cutters, and green screen technology.  These students have a strong support system with computer science teachers, Blythe Samuels and Sharon Shadrach, along with the division's Science & STEM specialist, Libbey Kitten.

Archived Recording

10:45 AM It's a Blue Bot World
4th grade Hanover County students in Mrs. Gemmill's class read the novel The Gollywopper Games, and then worked to complete a cooperative challenge. The story is all about teamwork and problem solving.  As an extension activity, students were asked to work in teams to create a world for a Blue Bot which included an innovative theme.  Students used measurement to create their own grid on the mat and wrote a story that included four destinations and an obstacle in their bot world.  They then programmed their bot to travel to the four destinations avoiding the obstacle.  The bots visited museums, a picnic, the inside of a computer, and even the Virginia Watershed.   But could someone new read the story and accurately program the bot?  Join the students as they talk about their project and how they introduced the Bluebots to younger students.

Archived Recording

1:00 PM Using Spheros for Content Learning

Wilder Middle School students in Henrico County are using the Sphero robots to drive to different calendar dates to practice complex movements and time frames and mark points on a coordinate plane.

Watch Live (YouTube Live)

2:00 PM Bobby Keener, Chief Technology Innovations Officer, VDOE

Bobby will discuss VDOE initiatives including Open Education Resources (OER) and broadband.

Archived Recording

Digital Learning Day Slides

2:45 PM Mark Saunders, Director, Office of Technology and Virtual Learning

Mark will provide updates of digital learning projects in the areas of:

  • Computer Science – Standards development work and teacher training
  • Instructional Technology – Update to state technology plan, TSIPs, and digital content
  • Virtual Learning – New MOP applications and courses received

Archived Recording

7:30 PM VSTE Award Winners: Ed Tech Initiatives

Join our 2016 award winners to learn more about the work they are doing in their school divisions and communities:

  • Matt Caratachea, Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, Henrico County Public Schools, Innovative Educator of the Year
  • Dr. Amy Cashwell, Chief Academic Officer, Virginia Beach City Public Schools, Outstanding Leader of the Year
  • Ann Nash, Instructional Technology Resource Teacher, Henrico County Public Schools, Outstanding Teacher of the Year

Archived Recording

Links from Matt: