VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Tech & Equity: Supporting All Our Students

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At 2 PM on Monday, March 23rd, Governor Ralph Northam announced that Virginia's public schools will close for the rest of the school year. Amy Stewart and Nicci Dowd, co-chairs of VSTE's Inclusion Task Force, offer guidance for making sure we are using technology to meet the needs of all our students. 

As our world has changed over the last couple of weeks, we have all come to understand the importance of instructional technology to our educational systems. With the closure of schools, many school divisions quickly shifted to online instruction. As we venture into this largely unknown territory, there have been profound and on-going discussions regarding how to reach the diverse student populations we all serve. Students are preparing to "work from home," and we have to make sure that we are diligent in providing them with the appropriate resources and opportunities. 

What better time to ignite this conversation on how instructional technology can support teachers and their students regardless of cultural differences and/or ability levels? That is ultimately the beauty of instructional technology; it makes differentiation possible on a grand scale and we have an opportunity to practice it now. 

How do we make sure differentiated online resources are provided to students? There is still much work to be done to ensure differentiation. Even with the assistance of instructional technology, it will not be quick, but it is worth it so that we can make sure we are reaching all students during this critical time.

Here are some helpful tips as teachers prepare to support their students; 

  1. Have you been online with your students this past week? If so, take a moment to do a quick check. Have ALL your students been participating? If not, who is missing? Is there another way besides the Internet to reach out to them? Not all students will be at home with adults, and many may be taking care of younger household members. And, as we know, there is a wide gap in access from broadband to devices to support.
  2. Even for students who have some kind of access, using it to connect with you can be a challenge. Think about how much data usage the resource requires from a student; many students will be using hotspots or mobile phones to access materials and may be sharing those devices and data plans with multiple family members. As we advised last week, keep it simple and low threshold. 
  3. It is also critical to remember that access to broadband and devices does not ensure equitable instruction or learning. We must continue to make sure that materials are accessible to all students. Families may benefit from guides on how to use the accessibility features of their home devices. Make sure that online resources you choose allow for text to AIM VA logospeech, enlarging text, multiple reading levels, and translation. If the resource does not provide these things, be sure to provide access to an alternative resource. AIM-VA provides accessible instructional materials to eligible Virginia K-12 students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are unable to access traditional print.
  4. Students have a wide range of technology skills so keep that in mind as you select resources. How many "clicks" does it take to get to the resource and is that path clear? If students are using a learning management system or dashboard, do they know how to use their single sign on or other login information? Where do they go to retrieve that information? How easy is it for students and family to access school division technology support?
  5. Finally, make sure students continue to have access to content that reflects a wide assortment of people, cultures, and situations. Be sure to introduce your students to the many authors and industry leaders providing time on their social media platforms. 

As the crisis continues to unfold, educators are taking the lead on supporting students and their families. VSTE has opened a Facebook group where we would love to hear about what you and your school division are doing to ensure learning equity for all students. We can continue to learn, share and grow together. 

Nicci Dowd is an Assistive Technology Training and Technical Specialist for AIM-VA and a member of the VSTE Board of Directors. 

Amy Stewart is Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Extended Learning for Petersburg Public Schools. She is treasurer of the Greater Richmond Area Education Technology Consortium (GRAETC), VSTE's partner organization.

 

 

News and Media Literacy Resource Center

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Fact checking is just the beginning. To teach news literacy in the classroom today, you'll need to give students a strong foundation in cultural awareness and critical thinking. Common Sense Education gathered best-in-class activities, discussion guides, and more in this all-new News and Media Literacy Resource Center.

VSTE is pleased to partner with Common Sense Education to provide access to these kinds of essential resources. Everything's been carefully vetted by Common Sense editors and fellow educators so you can be sure you are connecting with quality.

Coach of the Year Finalists Announced

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Each year, VSTE recognizes three exemplary educators for their outstanding works in supporting their peers in becoming digital age educators. They meet the high standards set in the ISTE Standards for Coaches. They will be lauded at the Annual Technology in Education Conference and featured in the Digital Learning Day 2020 webinar.

We are pleased to announce this year's winners:

Picture of Tonya CoffeyTonya Coffey has a passion for all things technology, especially finding creative ways to utilize technology to bridge the gap between the classroom, home, and community. She is currently an ITRT for Augusta County Public Schools. One way she connects with others is through her conference presentations that include VSTE, VSRA, Brainstorm, JMU Kappa Delta Pi, and VMI STEM. She earned her Educational Specialist Degree (2018) from Liberty University and is currently a Liberty University doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction with an endorsement in School Administration. She is a dedicated advocate for teachers. Her skillful coaching combines technical expertise and interpersonal relationships allowing her to connect with even the most reluctant or timid of educators.

With 15 years of experience in public schools, Katie Picture of Katie FieldingFielding is always excited to talk about ways to integrate technology into the classroom. As the Instructional Technology Coach at Woodbridge Senior High School, Katie  has quickly found her niche in sharing instructional practices with her colleagues. She works hard to provide digital equity for students at her school; making sure SPED and ELL students have access to assistive technologies. Katie likes collaborating with fellow Prince William County ITC’s to improve instructional practices district-wide. She takes joy in building capacity in teachers and students so they can fully participate in the digital world. Katie has a special interest in using educational technology to improve homebound instruction for chronically ill students. She sees educational technology as a bridge that can join home, hospital, and school. Katie’s life with cystic fibrosis has informed her concern for this often-overlooked demographic.  This interest was also the focus of her 2018/19 Google Innovator project. You can learn more about it at sickatschool.com. Katie is active on twitter and you can connect with her about her project @KatieF.

Picture of Daniel VanoverDaniel Vanover has 13 years experience working in the field of education. He earned a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia's College at Wise in 2007 and M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in 2011. In 2009, he was hired as an Educational Technologist where he is responsible for the training and technology support of schools within the Wise County Public Schools district. He is a Google Certified Educator Level 1 & Level 2, Google Certified Administrator, Google for Education Certified Trainer, Certified Apple Teacher, and a co-founder and leader of the Google Educator Group in Southwestern Virginia. Daniel is also a YouTube content creator and posts educational technology related videos to his YouTube channel.  In 2018, he and Dr. Scott Kiser of Wise County Public Schools co-founded EdTech Solutions, LLC a technology consultation and training company that provides services and support to school divisions, churches, businesses, and organizations in many parts of the state.  Daniel is also the Pastor of Technology and Media at Glamorgan Church in Wise, VA and also enjoys hunting, camping, woodworking, photography, and spending time with his wife, Katie, and their two children.

Changing a Mindset to Shift the Paradigm in a 1:1 Environment

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What does it take to survive and thrive in a 1:1 classroom? Prior to my current role, I was a classroom teacher navigating my way through my division’s 1:1 iPad Pilot Initiative. I spent two years immersed in a 1:1 classroom environment working with both 3rd and 4th grade students. During that time, my colleagues and I experienced some of the pains of adopting new technology solutions in our combined efforts to bring deeper learning to students.

If you have ever had to manually update hundreds of devices, search for hours in the shared with me section of Google Drive, or totally revamp a lesson because a website or app wasn’t working, then you have felt theteacher with students sitting on the floor growing pains of adopting new tools. Anything new can be difficult, scary, or overwhelming, but if you shift your mindset to find ways that technology can make you more efficient and open up new doors of opportunities for your students, those fears and frustrations will subside.

As I started exploring ways that I could use technology to enhance students’ learning experiences, I quickly learned I was going to have to move past only thinking about efficiency. I realized that the potential impact these new resources of mobile devices, apps, and services provided me and my students would require going back to the drawing board. My lessons needed a re-design!

Our professional development at the time of this transition to 1:1 wasn’t only focused on how to use the new iPads or apps. We also explored as a team the meaning behind deeper learning, and what it would take to expose students to those types of learning experiences. We were tasked with re-thinking about the student perspective. What could their own interests add to our lessons? Were we allowing for extra time to explore things beyond the Standards of Learning? And how did our role get easier as the facilitator of learning when technology could help us better assess and monitor student progress?

teacher working with students on ozobot projectWhile I had learned about SAMR and how technology would offer the greatest benefit through lesson re-design, it was critical that my building principal understood that change was part of the new program. Luckily for me and my colleagues, she supported us with an an innovative mindset through this transition. We were encouraged to try new things, to learn from our students’ experiences using new resources, and to slowly integrate new apps to open up new possibilities and modalities of learning. As much as my students were learning that first year, so was I! Having the support to try new ideas, or to totally revamp what already had worked well, was an important lesson that sticks with me today.

In my role as a coach, I continue to reflect on that experience when helping other teachers revamp lessons and methods, and design for student-centered learning. I have to ask challenging questions and push teachers to rethink their design. Having been through this experience myself, I know that this shift in thinking takes time. However, without the help and support of invested leaders and coaches, designing for student success can be a difficult and arduous process.

Even with great support, understanding how the use of technology can transform and deepen students’ learning experiences can be difficult for a teacher to implement, especially when nothing else is slowingteacher working with student and tablet down. Through my experience working with teachers, I see great success in continuous and relevant professional development, modeling, and embedded coaching and teaching. Providing this level of support gives teachers the space and resources needed for a shift in mindset.

Looking back on that first year within a 1:1 program, I didn’t have all the answers. (I still don’t have all the answers.) Yet I believe I was successful during the transition because I had a positive mindset focused on preparing students for an ever changing global society. I quickly learned during that first year of my 1:1 experience that when you shift your mindset as a teacher and give students more opportunities to explore content more deeply, they will exceed your expectations every time!

If you want to learn more about my continued journey towards innovation and deeper learning follow me on Twitter @Mrs_Demas or check out my blog (http://kdemas.goochlandschools.org/).

Written by Krystle Demas, an Instructional Technology Coach for Randolph and Goochland Elementary Schools. She also serves as co-Mentor Coordinator for Goochland County Public Schools.
Formerly Krystle was an upper elementary classroom teacher and was a member of the Goochland Curriculum & Innovation Team.

Security and Privacy Webinar

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Are your students safe online? Are you a division leader with responsibilities related to privacy and security?

On March 25th, Brian Gibbs-Wilson, Chief Data Security Officer from Virginia Department of Education, and Tim Tillman, Director of Technology and Learning (CIO/CISO), Colonial Heights Public Schools, lead a webinar about cybersecurity and student data privacy. Panel participants included Jim Siegl, Fairfax County; Rachel Johnson, Loudoun County; and Louis McDonald, Fauquier County.

Watch the recording below to learn more about Virginia's Student Privacy Alliance, a collaboration of Virginia school divisions that share common concerns around student privacy, and how you can get involved.

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has paid for every school division to join the Student Data Privacy Consortium, which is discussed extensively in the webinar. You can learn more and request an account by clicking here.