VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VSTE News

Don’t Underestimate Our Littles

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As we look back throughout the year, we have all been “encouraged”  to pursue current technologies differently. This is especially true for our youngest students. However, this is not necessarily, a negative thing. As an ITRT for the past 12 years, I have discovered that educators, including myself, often underestimate our students’ abilities. As teachers, we need to let go and allow our students the opportunity "to explore” and demonstrate their knowledge. This can be challenging when our students are in front of us in the classroom, however, as we have learned, it can be even more challenging for our remote students.

For those of you who connected with us at the VSTE Annual Conference virtually this year, you may have had the opportunity to check out Christine Danhoff’s session, Yes, Littles Can! If you did not get the chance, I would encourage you to view the recording on the VSTE Video YouTube channel. Christine Danhoff shares several resources that you will be able to use with your elementary students today. One of the core concepts she reiterates is we should give students the freedom to play and explore different programs before we utilize them for instruction. She demonstrates ways to utilize Google Suite and SlidesMania to design creative and playful lessons. Christine Danhoff also shares ways to incorporate favorite programs like Flipgrid and Seesaw to create developmentally appropriate activities your students will genuinely enjoy and learn from. 

Another great presentation video to check out on the VSTE YouTube channel is Engagement Strategies for Today's Hybrid or Distance Learning Classroom presented by Barbara Huth from Common Sense Media. She demonstrates strategies such as how to use Flipgrid for a Think, Pair, Share, or ways to brainstorm with Jamboard.

Check out the VSTE Video YouTube channel and both of these outstanding presenters.   They have excellent ideas and tips to assist you in making your classroom more engaging whether you are teaching remotely or in person.  

Heather O’Brien is a VSTE Board Member and an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher in Culpeper County Public Schools.

 

Big Book Deal, May 15th, 2021

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with  Jane Austen’s Curiosities, Virtual Planetarium Show, Art Tales & More........

Time Travel Through the A

TimeTours:  Uxmal takes students on a virtual trip to the golden age of the Maya, using modern 3D reconstructions. The virtual trip through time brings the past to life in three spherical panoramas that put students right into several important locations of ancient Uxmal using the built-in compass feature.
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Hundreds of Scientific Articles, Written for Children, Approved by Scientists

The online Science Journal for Kids and Teens reports on cutting-edge, peer-reviewed science research adapted for students and their teachers. Articles can be selected according to reading level and/or subject field.
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Virtual Visit to Jane Austen’s House

Fans of Jane Austen can visit her House from the comfort of their home, or wherever they are. They can stroll through the House, now a Museum, on a 360-degree virtual tour, wander through the gardens with the Museum cat, or take in an online exhibition.

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Big Book Deal, May 15th

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Big Book Deal, May 1, 2021

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This edition with help with Building Skills for Emerging Careers, Observing the Natural World & More......

Eco-Documentary Issuing an Urgent Call to Address Climate Change

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Winner of more than 40 US and international film festival prizes, the eco-documentary Kiss the Ground unveils a game-changer: we can reverse global warming, and Earth’s soil is the solution. By regenerating earth, we can completely and rapidly stabilize our planet’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies.
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Grants for Environmental Restoration Initiatives

Quadratec is taking their love for all things environmental and asking educators why they feel they would make a great fit for the Quadratec Energize the Environment grant program. Twice a year, Quadratec offers a grant of $3,500 to an individual or group pursuing a program or initiative designed to benefit the environment.
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Virtual Visit to a Museum of Medieval Art

Museum lovers will find The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s second location—The Met Cloisters atop a hill in the northern tip of Manhattan, at the end of long, winding wooded pathways, with stunning views across the Hudson River to the Palisades.
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Webinar: Inclusive Learning 365: Edtech Strategies for Every Day of the Year

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The VSTE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is pleased to host the authors of the new book Inclusive Learning 365: Edtech Strategies for Every Day of the Year for its free webinar series. The group will be joined by Amy Jackson on May 13 at 9 AM.

Christopher Bugaj, Karen Janowski, Mike Marotta, and Beth Poss have created a wide ranging guide to inclusion with lots of strategies. They remind us that learning need not be a chore for anyone, including those with IEPs or 504s.

The session will begin with an examination of what authentic inclusion really is, what it looks like, and how it fosters improved outcomes for everyone involved.

From there, explore a range of strategies which engage and empower ALL students to take charge of their own learning. Incorporated into the strategy discussion will be examples of contemporary tools that can be used to support the design of the instructional methodologies. From apps to browser extensions to web tools, participants will not only learn new supports to promote active learning for every student but have an opportunity to share what’s working in their own practices.

Areas to be discussed include reading, writing, STEAM, Executive Functioning, Research and Study Skills, Social Emotional Learning, Professional Learning, and Cross-Curricular Supports.

Come for the strategies, leave with mindset change!

Registration is required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAofuuprjouE93OE41HwwlFhB5iYDaUPomI

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Big Book Deal, April 15th, 2021

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VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you carefully curated resources designed for K-12 educators. Grants, competitions, web-based and mobile resources and more. We select our favorites from each newsletter but be sure to scroll down and view the whole newsletter. And, since not all the Big Deal Book resources are time sensitive, we provide an archive for you to browse.

This newsletter will help you with Virtual Adventures with Scientists, Perspectives on Black History & More ....

 

Interactive Technology That Promotes Engagement and Effective Learning

Dive into the power of interactivity with Samsung—why interactivity matters so much to effective learning and how prioritizing it engages students and improves learning outcomes. Uncover the science behind interactive learning and the key elements driving impact, as well as the principles of interactive learning and their ever-changing applications. Also explore how to capture students’ imaginations and drive meaningful outcomes. And review the importance of having technologies and methods that are simple to deploy, easy to use, and ready right out of the box.
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Reference Center with Perspectives on African American and Global African History

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The BlackPast provides a global audience with reliable and accurate information on the history of African Americans and of people of African ancestry around the world. The compilation and concentration of these diverse resources allow BlackPast to serve as the “Google” of African American history.
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Photographs Documenting the Diversity of the World’s Wildlife

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Photo Ark is a multiyear effort to document every species living in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, inspire action through education, and help save wildlife by supporting on-the-ground conservation efforts.
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The Archives