VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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Annual Board of Director Elections 2018

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Board nominations for 2018 are now closed.

VSTE members may nominate themselves or a colleague to be considered for election to the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) Board of Directors for a three-year term.  This is an opportunity to become involved in the key decision-making group for the Virginia Society for Technology in Education.

Learn More About the VSTE Board of Directors

You can preview the nomination form but must submit the final form online.

Remember, you must be a VSTE member to nominate, to be nominated, and to participate in the online election.  Details for a complimentary membership can always be found at VSTE’s website.  Please let us know, via email to boardelections@vste.org, if you have any questions or need further information about the election process.

In order to vote, you must be a member for at least ten days prior to the opening of the Board elections in April.

Member Login Information

It will be necessary for you to login to the system to participate in the nomination and election process.  You can find the login page here. Unless you have changed it, you should use your email address at which you receive VSTE mailings for your login.  If you do not remember your password, you may click the link on the login screen for those forgetting their password.  Your password will be emailed to you.  Once you login, you can update your membership information, change your login and/or password (as necessary) and submit a nomination.  Please write to karen_richardson@vste.org if you have problems accessing the member only section of our website.

Thank you for your interest,

VSTE Election Committee, 2018

Janet Copenhaver
Josh Long
Tim Taylor

VSTE Releases Refreshed Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel

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The Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) has drafted new Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP). These standards update the original 1998 standards and represent foundational skills that every educator must meet in order to be considered proficient in the use of technology for teaching and learning.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These standards have been drafted by VSTE and, while we think they SHOULD be adopted by the Virginia Department of Education, they have not been adopted YET. Licensed teachers in Virginia are still covered by the 1998 standards that can be found here.

In the meantime, we encourage school divisions and individuals to adopt the new standards as part of their forward thinking teaching and professional development as we believe they better reflect our contemporary, digital classrooms.

Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel

Lifelong Learner: Teachers engage in ongoing professional learning related to content, pedagogy, technology and leadership.

  • Engage in ongoing professional growth related to the use of innovative instructional strategies that integrate digital technologies
  • Use technology to obtain feedback that allows for reflection and improvement in the learning process
  • Use local and global professional learning networks to collaborate and learn in both physical and digital environments

Digital Leadership: Teachers positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world.

  • Cultivate and manage their digital identities and reputations and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world
  • Promote and model safe, legal and ethical behaviors with students by embedding digital citizenship skills in online lessons and activities
  • Select and correctly attribute appropriate digital content, tools and resources that meet local, state and/or federal policies
  • Understand the rights and obligations of student privacy and security when collecting and using student data, communicating with stakeholders, reviewing user agreements, and selecting digital content, tools, and resources

Learning Facilitator: Teachers facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement.

  • Incorporate learning strategies that use technology to accommodate learner variability, personalize learning, and allow student choice, self-direction and goal-setting
  • Model the appropriate use of technology to communicate, create, collaborate, and solve problems
  • Assist students in selecting and using appropriate and available digital tools to communicate, create, collaborate and solve problems
  • Acquire, access, and analyze a variety of formative and summative assessments that leverage the power of technology to provide immediate and specific feedback and offer alternative learning paths to students

Skilled Technology User: Teachers understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations and troubleshooting as well as basic uses of technology in instruction.

  • Choose and use digital technologies including both hardware, software and web-based resources to support classroom instruction
  • Troubleshoot typical classroom technologies
  • Perform basic computing operations such as accessing accounts, managing files, navigating the Internet, and selecting appropriate applications to perform tasks

A PDF version of the standards can be found TSIP.

NOTE:  In response to requests from Virginia school divisions, VSTE has created a new version of the Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel (TSIP). This new version is supported by research and peer feedback. The new version is not an official VDOE document, as the official VDOE TSIP are still those dated 1998 (seehttp://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?000+reg+8VAC20-25-30).

New and renewing teachers must meet the VDOE TSIP through a process each division develops and implements. Divisions may use the VSTE TSIP, which encompass currently needed technology skills for all educators.  The VSTE TSIP encompass the VDOE TSIP, so meeting the VSTE TSIP also satisfies the requirements of the VDOE TSIP, and meets the legal requirement for licensure.

However, there is no obligation to use the VSTE TSIPs at this time.

VSTE Supports Net Neutrality

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt4eO5wuMlc&feature=youtu.be

At the annual conference, VSTE Board Chair Keith Reeves voiced VSTE's strong support for Net Neutrality, the concept behind what is often called the open Internet. This concept means that all lawful content and providers should be afforded the same level of access. Governments, internet service providers and others would not be allowed to discriminate by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, and modes of communication by providing more robust access to particular companies or applications. Many people consider net neutrality to be a fundamental piece of the Internet architecture.

On Thursday, December 14, 2017, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) will vote to roll back rules related to Net Neutrality.  In 2014, VSTE issued a statement related to these rules when they were under consideration. You can read that statement here.

Now, Net Neutrality is back in the news, and the vote on Thursday will likely undermine those rules, allowing Internet Service Providers to provide preferential treatment to content providers. VSTE is adding its voice to organizations from the American Library Association to CoSN asking the FCC to vote no on these rules. There is no public comment available but VSTE members and friends are encouraged to contact their federal legislators to ask them to pressure the FCC to delay or cancel the vote. Use the Who's My Legislator site to determine your Congressional representatives.

Your Voice Matters!

Getting the Most Out of Your Raspberry Pi in the Classroom

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This is a cross post from the DexterEd website and features content of potential interest to VSTE members.

So you purchased a Raspberry Pi!  Now what can you do with it in your classroom?  These simple $40 computers are extremely versatile in the classroom. Whether you have one or a full set, there are plenty of ways to utilize them with your students.  Time for a field trip to my 6th grade classroom!  We have eleven Raspberry Pi workstations setup in my classroom for the students to use throughout the day.  They are used just like our class laptops – web searches, creating documents and slideshows, etc.  We also use them to learn more about physical computing, programming, and to build.  This has been a work in progress over the past three years.  I started with one Pi and it has slowly grown from there. Below are a couple of ways to use the Raspberry Pi in your classroom.

Computers

Using the Raspberry Pi just like we use other computers takes a little setup. The Raspberry Pi is the computer board, so you’ll connect it to a mouse, keyboard, monitor, and ethernet cable to turn it into a computer.

Programming

Many students begin programming using block-based programming languages such as Scratch.  Students can create programs for a variety of purposes.  In my class students have created quiz games, reviews to illustrate concepts in a unit, as well as programs just for fun. Students can also program in other languages such as Python.  Sonic Pi is another program for programming that is designed for creating music and sounds. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has excellent activities and lessons to help you get started.

Physical Computing

Students can learn to control LEDs, buttons, distance sensors, motors, buzzers, and robots.  This can be through class lessons or individual explorations of using the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi to control inputs or outputs.

  • GoPiGo, a complete robot kit you can program in Bloxter, Python, Scratch, C and more.
  • GoBoxEd, a set of curriculum to teach programming in a block based language, Bloxter (built off of Google’s Blockly).

There are also a variety of HATs for the Raspberry Pi and Raspberry Pi Zero.  Another way to explore physical computing with Pi is by using a Sense HAT.  The Sense HAT features include a barometer, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, gyroscope, magnetometer, LED matrix display, and a button joystick. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has excellent activities and lessons to help you get started.

Building –

Minecraft Pi is a basic version of Minecraft made for Raspberry Pi.  Students created builds to show their understanding of social studies concepts, illustrate types of patterns in math class, and to explain novels from book club.

Not only can students build in the Minecraft world just as they do in other versions of Minecraft, they can learn Python programming to build.  This was a  lunch bunch project for a group of my students last year.  They read and learned about programming in Python to create structures in Minecraft, teleport, and much more. Their exposure to Python through Minecraft then inspired them to investigate using Python to program games and to control their robots.  If you need to some support getting started, check out the Raspberry Pi Foundation site.

There is so much you can do with the Raspberry Pi and this post just scratches the surface of the possibilities.  Hopefully you are inspired to dive in and learn more!

Sign up to receive a FREE Raspberry Pi Syllabus!

National Day of Action, December 5, 2017

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Please join the 60+ organizations that make up the Title IV-A Coalition for our National Day of Action!

Join the push to fully fund Title IV-A, which houses the edtech provisions in ESSA. Funding for this program is critical!

Sign up for the Thunderclap here: https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/65448-raisethecaps-for-moretitleiv 

Read below for more info and ways you can take action:

Join us on Tuesday December 5th for a National Day of Action to advocate for full funding of the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant program. This grant, part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will allow schools and districts to support well-rounded programs, safe and healthy schools, and the effective use of technology.

In its first year of funding, Congress only allocated 25% of the authorized funds for Title IV-A, severely limiting the ability of districts and states to support these programs. We need to let lawmakers know that an investment in Title IV-A is an investment in our nation’s schools and students, ultimately preparing them for the workforce.

If you want to add your own throughout the day, here are some sample tweets (Twitter now allows 280 characters!):

  • @[Senator], raise the non defense discretionary spending caps and provide #MoreTitleIV of #ESSA, which provides mental health services, access to #STEM, arts, music, PE, & #edtech programs. Our nation’s students deserve the $1.6 billion Congress promised
  • @[Senator] #MoreTitleIV funds mean greater flexibility and more meaningful investments for local school districts! #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • #MoreTitleIV funding provides Ss the ability to give students a more complete, well rounded education @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • All Ss benefit from Title IVA funds, w/o them districts are forced to choose between critical programs. #MoreTitleIV @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps
  • Mental health services, access to STEM, arts & music, PE and edtech programs are at risk w/o fully funding Title IV, A grants. #MoreTitleIV @[Senator] #ESSA #RaiseTheCaps

CALL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL OFFICES

Below is a script you can use:

I am a [insert profession or organizational affiliation] and a voter in [insert home state and or congressional district] and I am calling to urge Senator/Representative[insert name here] to raise the non defense discretionary federal spending caps and support full funding of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program under Title IV, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Congress authorized Title IV-A of ESSA at $1.6 Billion to ensure that each school district received funds to support access to a well-rounded education, improve student’s physical and mental health and improve conditions for learning, and to increase the effective use of technology. Unfortunately, the current level of $400 million is wholly inadequate to support the critical services needed in my school.

All of these areas supported by this block grant are critical to ensure all students graduate from high school ready to enter college or the workforce. Underfunding this program seriously undermines my ability as an educator to adequately educate and support the whole child.

I strongly urge you to raise the caps and support the full funding of Title IV-A in FY18.

SHARE YOUR STORY – HOW DO THESE FUNDS IMPACT YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS?

Share Your Story Here: One of the most compelling ways to let Congress know about the importance of funding for this program is to hear directly from you about how these programs benefit your students. In order to help us show Congress the real life value these funds provide to you and your students, we are collecting stories about the benefits and consequences of receiving adequate or inadequate funds for programs including mental health services and professionals, music, arts, AP, STEM, and the effective use of technology.

Do you have a story to tell? Has your school received enough funding for these programs? What differences have these funds made in the lives of your students? What happens if these programs and services go away due to underfunding?

Please take a few minutes to write a paragraph or two using this handy form to share your story with us and to show Congress exactly why funding for these programs matters. We need to let members of Congress know how increased funding for this program could help your students.