VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Events

Register Now: micro:bit micro Project Academy begins February 23, 2021

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Event logoVSTE is pleased to partner with Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager to present The micro:bit micro Project Academy, a STEM hands-on learning opportunity. Sylvia and Gary will lead participants in a five-week exploration of the BBC micro:bit, a  platform for exploring powerful ideas in computer science, electronics,  engineering, and mathematics. The course will synchronous sessions with Sylvia and Gary, weekly "micro projects" and a collaborative virtual space for ongoing  collaboration, inspiration, and support between classes. Participants will  be encouraged to inspire, challenge, and support one another. 

The course will run from February 23 - March 23, 2021. Live sessions will be held Tuesdays at 7:00 PM and be recorded. 

Register now.

Each participant will receive two micro:bit Go kits, including the microcontroller development board, USB cable, batteries, and battery box along with other supplies including alligator clips and LED lights. Reference materials, project prompts, and tutorials will be be distributed electronically.

Cost for the course is $75. Registration is open now through February 12. The course is limited to 50 participants. 

In addition to exploring electronics, mathematics, computer science, and engineering topics through  hands-on activities, the course will discuss pedagogical choices and approaches to project-based learning.  Participants will learn by tackling a series of open-ended projects and share their experiences with the  community.

Specific topics:

  • Block programming  
  • Circuits and switches  
  • Sensors and feedback  
  • Iterative, generative, and notional design  
  • Probabilistic behavior  
  • Logic and problem solving  
  • Debugging strategies  
  • Robotics and computer control  

Audience is K-12 educators. Basic computer operations are assumed. No specific prior knowledge is necessary. 

About the course designers/leaders

Gary Stager, Ph.D. is a journalist, teacher educator, consultant, professor, software developer, publisher,  and school administrator. An elementary teacher by training, he has taught students from preschool  through doctoral studies. In 1990, Dr. Stager led professional development in the world’s first laptop  schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. Gary is the founder of  the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute for educators.  

Dr. Stager’s work has earned a Ph.D. in Science and Mathematics Education and he collaborated on a  project that won a Grammy Award. Recently, Gary was invited by Fondazione Reggio Children to lead a  public seminar on education in Reggio Emilia, Italy.  

Sylvia Martinez is a former aerospace engineer and co-author of the book, Invent to Learn: Making,  Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, called “the bible of the classroom maker movement.”  Sylvia speaks to and works with schools around the world and is president of Constructing Modern  Knowledge Press, creating books and professional development advocating using modern technology for  learning. Sylvia is also principal advisor to the Columbia University FabLearn Fellows, a research group  of global educators sharing hands-on, minds-on projects and curriculum. She also led educational non profits and headed product development for consumer software, video games, and educational games at  several software publishing companies.  

Martinez started her career as an electrical engineer designing high frequency receiver systems and  software for the GPS navigational satellite system. She holds a master’s in educational technology and  a bachelor’s in electrical engineering.

Getting The Most From VSTE 2020 (Virtually)

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Although we won’t be able to see everyone in-person at the annual VSTE Conference, we will still have plenty of great learning experiences and ways to connect with educators from around the state.

If you’re attending the conference, and especially if you are presenting, there are some things you can do before the opening day on December 9th to enhance your experience.

To start, visit the Conference schedule and login or create an account. Then go to the settings and update your profile. Since we won’t be able to have the usual hallway conversations, this will help your fellow attendees find and connect with you.

Next, review the schedule and find the sessions you would like to attend. Sched (the web service we are using) makes it easy to browse by day, session category or vendor/sponsor, but you can also search by keyword or name of a person.

When you find a session you might like to attend, click the circle in the block to add it to your personal schedule. Remember that this is just a collection of sessions in which you are interested. It does not guarantee a spot in the room (we will have limits to the number of participants in each live session) and does not obligate you to attend.

Since recordings for all sessions will be available for 6 months after the conference, include the sessions that you can’t attend live but might want to catch up on later. Also, presenters are encouraged to upload materials and add links to their resources in the listing for their sessions, so Sched will also be the place to come when you want to do more exploring into a presentation topic.

Finally, encourage your friends and colleagues to join you at VSTE 2020. They can view and browse the schedule without registering and even attend the sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday morning at no charge. If they see something they like, “walk up” registration will remain open for most of the conference, so they can pay and join you for the Friday spotlight with Lynmara Colón, the keynote with Kim Lane Clark on Saturday morning, and all the great sessions on the weekend.

While it cannot replace the experience we would have had if we were able to meet live, we hope that you will find much to learn and people to meet at the VSTE 2020 Virtual Conference.

DEI Task Force Mentoring Committee Launches Webinar Series

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Join us live for the inaugural episode of our webinar series on November 30, 2020 at 11:30 am. The series, hosted by Charles Randolph and Jennifer Orr, will highlight the work of VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force and bring our viewers information for educators around Virginia. Meet members of the task force and learn about our professional development and mentoring work.

photo of Charles Randolph

Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer, the webinar hosts welcome you and look forward to sharing ideas with you. Stay tuned for future webinars.

Join us on Zoom

Webinar: Concurrent Instruction With Dr. Catlin Tucker

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picture of womanVSTE Welcomes Dr. Catlin Tucker

Webinar: Using Blended Learning Models to Design and Facilitate Learning for a Concurrent Classroom
December 8, 2020, 7 - 8:30 PM
Thanks to Zoom and McGraw Hill for their support!
Virginia educators are implementing a variety of virtual learning models from hybrid to hyflex. VSTE, with support from our partners Zoom and McGraw Hill Education, is pleased to offer a webinar with Dr. Catlin Tucker on how to create effective, engaging virtual learning. Catlin is dedicated to helping teachers blend technology and tradition to shift students to the center of learning and find balance in their teaching practice.
Catlin is a Google Certified Innovator, bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She is an expert in the fields of blended and online learning and has published a collection of best-selling books on blended learning, including Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, Blended Learning In Action, Power Up Blended learning, and Balance With Blended Learning. She is active on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker and writes an internationally ranked education blog at CatlinTucker.com.
As a thank you to the educators in the state and with the support of Zoom and McGraw Hill, VSTE is able to offer this webinar for free. 
Seats are limited and this session will NOT be streamed outside of Zoom. The recording will be available for registrants for a short amount of time after the event.
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Using Blended Learning Models to Design and Facilitate Learning for a Concurrent Classroom
The concurrent classroom presents several challenges. It’s tough to meet the needs of students in class and online simultaneously. Often, there is an inequality of teacher attention, students struggle to stay engaged, and learning experiences do not maximize face-to-face and online learning affordances. When teachers rely exclusively on a whole group, teacher-led model, these challenges are exacerbated. Teachers can combat the challenges associated with the concurrent classroom by using blended learning models to prioritize differentiated small group and personalized 1:1 instruction, give students agency, and shift control over the pace of learning to students. This workshop will explore how teachers can use the station rotation model, flipped learning model, and playlist model to successfully engage students in a concurrent classroom.

Draft Schedule Available: VSTE 2020 Goes Virtual

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The draft schedule for VSTE 2020 is available now. Check it out to see the wide variety of opportunities to learn, share and grow.

The conference has two parts: sessions on Wednesday, December 9 - Friday, December 10 are free and will be streamed so anyone is able to join.

Beginning Friday evening and through Sunday, December 13, sessions will be available to paid registrants only. Registration is required for the paid portion of the conference.

Register Now