VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Events

VE PLN: Upcoming Events

by

The VSTE Virtual Environments PLN continues its tradition of Monday night professional development with two upcoming events:

VSTE Game Night
Monday, September 26, 2016, 8 PM

Join the VSTE Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network at 8 PM Eastern time on VSTE Island in Second Life for an hour of games and fun. There are games scattered all over VSTE Island, such as Greedy (think Farkle on Facebook), Scrabble, Pentadee (think Kismet), SLmopolis (think Monopoly), Galaxy War (a 3D strategy game), En Garde (Fencing), and Parcheesi. We will teach you how to play and you will meet some fun educators.

If you don't have a Second Life account get one, it's free, at http://secondlife.com/. Download and install the software. While your Second Life viewer (software) is open click this link http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VSTE%20Island/61/104/22 and voila! Look for an avatar on VSTE Island and say, "Hey, I'm new!" We will take care of the rest.

Minecraft Monday
Monday, October 3, 2016, 8 PM

Calling all Minecraft builders, we need your help! Join the VSTE Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network at 8 PM Eastern time in VSTE Place, VSTE's Minecraft server. We will be working together to create a Hogwarts type of castle for the Virginia Children's Book Festival. On October 15 some of us will be traveling to Longwood to attend this festival and share Minecraft with the children and their parents. Young attendees will be able to add to our Hogwarts build while they visit our booth. Won't you help us help the kids?
You must have a computer Minecraft account from https://minecraft.net/en/ to join. There is a one time fee of $26.95. Download and install the software. Choose multiplayer and add a server: Name VSTE Place IP 69.175.17.26:25565 We will open it up for this event. If you want to be whitelisted to enter anytime you want to continue building this, or anything else, email Kim Harrison at kvharris@vbschools.com from an educational email address with your real name and minecraft name.

Digital Equity Discussion

by

We all can attest to the need to help bridge the digital gap that exists for our students. As more content and instruction moves online, the need to provide access to digital resources grows.

The VSTE CoSN Council is pleased to sponsor a free discussion related to digital equity. This webinar will be held Thursday, September 22, 2016, from 8 to 9 PM.

Featured speakers include:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Hoover; CTO, Alexandria City Public Schools
  • Diane Doersch; ‎Chief Technology & Information Officer at Green Bay Area School District
  • Rod Carnill; Supervisor of ITRTs, Frederick County Public Schools
  • Cheryl Wood and Kim Fields; Project Managers on Digital Equity, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Tom Lundquist, Director of Technology, Staunton City Schools

Speakers will address digital equity issues faced by their school divisions and their current approach. They will describe the alternatives they explored and how they are evaluating their return on investment.

You can view the archived recording here: http://vste.adobeconnect.com/p6kugdkfl32/

 

Leading Ed2, October 11, 2016

by

LeadingEd2logoVSTE and the Virginia Department of Education are partnering to present Leading Ed2, a one-day conference 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.

The conference will be held October 11, 2016, 8:30 AM to 4 PM, at Daniel Technology Center, Germanna Community College, Culpeper, Virginia.

The complete schedule is available now.

Featured Session:

Opening Panel: Where We Are, Where We're Going

  • Bobby Keener, Chief Technology Innovations Officer, Virginia Department of Education
  • Dr. Jared Cotton, Superintendent, Henry County Public Schools
  • Dr. Larry Shifflett, Director of Innovation and Learning, Rockingham County Public Schools
  • Facilitator: Keith R. Krueger, CEO, CoSN

Register Now

Hotel List

Agenda and Resources for Integrating iPads

by

June 6, 2016, 9 AM - 2:15 PM

ODU Tri-cities Center
1070 University Blvd
Portsmouth, VA

A Mobile Feast for the iPad

9:00 - 9:15
Introductions
Survey Says

9:15 - 10:45  iPad “app” etizer
Jennifer Lockett, Sherry Sanders, Ed Rhett
Hampton City Public Schools

Stimulate your tastebuds with a brief overview of management techniques and iPad tips and tricks that will arouse your iPad app-etite!

11:00-12:00 Main “Course”
Jennifer Lockett, Sherry Sanders, Ed Rhett

This course will fill your plate with ideas on student assessment and presentation strategies.

12:00 - 12: 45 Lunch

12:45 - 1:30 "Dessert" Buffet: Having Fun with Educreations
Karen Richardson
VSTE

Choose from a menu of options to create your own  content-based lessons or student project prototypes.

1:30 - 2:15 Taking Time to Digest
The Team

Sit back, relax a bit, and choose one area from today's workshop that you want to pursue further.What one or two items from today will you take with you into your classroom? You can use this time to continue experimenting with the apps presented, explore the list of resources and apps, or strike out on your own. We are here to support your exploration.

Links to Hampton Apps List

Hampton Information Literacy YouTube Site

Educreations Lessons

Bridging the Gap: Teaming Up for Differentiation

by

September 29, 2016, Virginia Tech Southwest Center, Abingdon, Virginia

VSTE is pleased to partner with the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development for this leadership event in Southwest Virginia.

Classrooms are diverse. Some students are identified as gifted or having learning disabilities. They may be learning to speak English or be on the autism spectrum, or they may have no "designation" at all. Each student has unique interests and ways of learning. This conference will help teachers meet student needs using varied instructional strategies, technology applications, and team approaches designed to support teaching and learning.

Learn more and register now.