VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VSTE News

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

The Archives

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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The Archives

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

Board Candidate – Fara Faust

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photo of Fara FaustFara T. Faust

Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS)
Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Educational Leadership

I have served as an Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS) for 10+ years in my district. During this time, I have served on the building Leadership Team and district-wide curriculum committees. I am a frequent presenter at VSTE and other state level technology conferences, and I serve on the district technology conference planning committee. My teammate, Heather Thomas,LMS, and I serve as a model for a successful Educational Technology Team collaboration. We host many visitors each year to our school’s Learning Commons where we share our design ideas, MakerSpace area and co-teaching model. During the past year, I created a weekly Computer Science webinar for elementary age students in her district. I work with a fellow ITS to provide engaging and enriching activities for our students.

Vision for VSTE

I would like to see VSTE promote and advocate for equitable access to technology for all students across the state of Virginia. Computer Science is an area of great interest to me. VSTE is the perfect organization to promote the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning especially in the elementary grades. So often people think that Computer Science is covered in the secondary schools and there is no need to include Computer Science integration in the elementary grades. I feel that the opposite is true. We need to provide teachers in Virginia elementary schools with learning opportunities that will enable and empower them to provide integrated Computer Science instruction to their students.

Biographical Sketch

I began my career as a special education teacher and moved into instructional technology in 2007. I have taught in both Nashville, Tennessee, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. In 2018, I was named the CodeVA Computer Science Educator of the year. I was the first educator in Virginia to receive this state-wide distinction. I also work as a facilitator for CodeVA. Outside of school, I enjoy pursuing my interests in history, genealogy, travel and cooking.

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