VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VSTE News

Big Book Deal, November 15, 2020

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BIg Deal Media

 

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 learn more about  Diverse STEM Pioneers, Thanksgiving from a New Perspective & More......

 

Award Recognizing Excellence in Engineering Science Education

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Northrup Grumman Foundation annually present the Excellence in Engineering Education Award to recognize the importance of integrating high-quality engineering instruction into science classrooms and the critical need to make students proficient in practices used by engineers in the field.
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Competition Engaging Students in Audio Storytelling

The NPR Student Podcast Challenge, which has drawn more than 35,000 students around the country into the world of audio storytelling, is back for its third year. Students in grades 5–12 can participate in the 2021 challenge by creating a three- to eight-minute podcast about a topic they want to explore.
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NASA Program Encouraging STEM Involvement

NASA’s HUNCH program empowers and inspires high school students through project-based learning. Students who participate in the program learn twenty-first century skills and have the opportunity to launch their careers through participation in the design and fabrication of real-world-valued products for NASA.

Big Book Deal, November 16, 2020

The Archives

Featured #GoOpenVA Resources, November 9, 2020

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logo for go open vaJean Weller, VSTE Board Member and VDOE Technology Integration Specialist, leads the #GoOpenVA initiative in Virginia. This collaborative initiative enables educators and others throughout Virginia to create, share, and access openly-licensed educational resources (OER, also known as open education resources). OER are free digital materials that can be used or modified to adjust to student needs; they are openly-licensed unhampered by many traditional copyright limitations.

The database is growing. Jean recently created a collection for resources specifically related to professional learning. Technology coaches from across the state have contributed and you can learn more here.

#GoOpenVA hosts instructional resources from Virginia education institutions as well as individual educators.  During the fall, you might want to focus student attention on the study of their immediate environment, no matter where they live in the state. Here are a few examples of resources you can use to study about Virginia!

The Virginia Geographic Alliance provides a wonderful set of lesson plans for studying various aspects of Virginia Geography in their Virginia GeoInquiry Flipsnack Guide. Geoinquiries are intended to help get new teachers started or to move experienced teachers to grow their curriculum to incorporate deeper learning opportunities for students.  Teachers are guided on how to include local geographies into their students’ lessons, along with personal observations and data collection.

Virginia Public Media partnered with the Virginia Wildlife Center (VWC) to post their Untamed video series, about wildlife in Virginia in the Virginia Wildlife Center Collection. Students can view videos to learn about animals such as bald eagles and black bears. Teachers can connect with the VWC to find background information to guide discussions on the animals and related topics, such as lead poisoning and creating backyard habitats.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is expert at getting students to think and dig deeper. Jamestown and Beyond: The World of 1607 provides artwork for students to explore with the purpose to consider the cultures that influenced Jamestown and its legacy not only in Virginia but in the broader world.  Suggested activities for teachers to pursue with their students lead to a deeper learning experience than just a simple visit to a gallery.

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

CETL Certification Grant Available

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cosn logoVSTE has been awarded funding from the Virginia Department of Education to provide grants for up to eight leaders, one from each region, to pursue CETL™ certification, a nationally recognized program for education technology leaders. Grant winners will be enrolled in the facilitated online certification course taking place in Spring 2021 in preparation for the certification exam.

The CETL® program is the only practice-based certification program available to education technology leaders that bridges technical knowledge, understanding of the educational environment, leadership and vision, and the management of technology and support resources needed to integrate technology across the curriculum to advance student outcomes.
The CETL® credential is a true measure of today’s education technology leaders, identifying those who have mastered the framework skills and knowledge needed to bring 21st-Century skills to schools. The CETL® program is also a professional development tool that can be used to guide edtech leaders' study of learning technologies. This certification requires satisfaction of eligibility criteria, passage of a rigorous multiple-choice exam, adherence to a Code of Conduct, and a recertification process every three (3) years.

A short application form is required. Applications must include a short letter of support from an immediate supervisor and a current resumer.

Application deadline is December 4, 2020. Grants will be announced in mid-December 2020. CoSN membership is not required. Applications will be reviewed by state CETLs.

Application Form

Celebrate Fall with VE PLN

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Second Life AvatarThe Virtual Environments Professional Learning Network is hosting several fall activities for fun and learning.

Halloween Social
October 26, 2020, 7 - 8 PM ET, the VSTE crowd will dance and network in costume to “DJ Thunder’s” Halloween tunes at VSTE Space in Second Life. Come chat and laugh with us. Let your hair down and leave the stress at home for an hour. 

Costumes are optional but if you want help with one, come visit Jazmemo and Thunder at VSTE Space during office hours any Saturday morning between 9 and 11 AM ET. We are always there ready to help. You still have time on Saturday, October 24 so don't miss out!

 

Report from the Front Lines

The VE PLN is starting a new segment called Report from the Front Lines. This series will be held at VSTE Place in Second Life once a month. The next meeting will be Monday, November 9 at 7 PM ET. This is an opportunity for teachers from across the state of Virginia and beyond to share data from teaching online, hybrid (AABB model), or fully in class. We will discuss strategies for improving grades of students, problems teachers are having, and new tools for teaching online. We had an organizational meeting on Oct. 12 that went well. Please join us as we continue to learn and grow in this new environment. The conversation will be led by Dr. William Schmactenberg, High School Earth Science Teacher at Franklin County High School, AKA Dae Miami (sl).

Minecraft Mondays

The first Monday of every month the VSTE VE PLN meeting is held in Minecraft on VSTE’s own server. 

Banner making in Minecraft

On Monday, November 2, 2020, at 8 PM ET, we will have a basic lesson in building with redstone, Minecraft’s own “electricity.” Experienced redstone builders are invited to create something ahead of time to show off what they can do to inspire the beginners! The server is online all the time.

How to Connect to the VE PLN via Second Life and Minecraft

Join the Facebook Page to keep up with the VE PLN