VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VSTE Partners

5 Doable Digital Citizenship Goals for Teachers

by

Easy ways to address cyberbullying, online privacy, and more in your teaching.

Internet safety, online privacy, cyberbullying, media balance, online relationships, news and media literacy -- digital citizenship topics tackle big questions. It can feel daunting to integrate lessons on these weighty topics into your already-packed classroom agendas. But does it have to be such a heavy lift?

It's true: Educators who can teach digital citizenship as a standalone unit can really dive deep into the dilemmas students face online. But digital citizenship can also simply be part of your classroom culture.

It can be baked into your daily routines, messages home to families, informal conversations in the halls, and more. Set a goal for yourself that feels achievable -- big or small. Here are a few ideas to get started:

1. Embrace teachable dig cit moments.

We've all encountered a situation in the classroom that required spontaneous, unplanned digital citizenship instruction: viral rumors blowing up students' social media feeds, drama or misunderstandings in an online discussion, or an instance of oversharing online that you happen to witness. No matter what content area you teach, don't shy away from addressing teachable moments related to digital citizenship when they arise. A little bit of guidance can go a long way in helping students think through the digital dilemmas they face.

2. Find the natural connections to already-planned lessons.

Whether it's a quick video refresher on copyright at the start of a research project or setting norms and protocols for online discussions, short digital citizenship skill-builders can enhance learning activities across a range of content areas.

3. Empower families with resources to tackle their biggest pain points.

Parents and caregivers are hungry for guidance on some of the media and technology challenges they face at home, from kids multitasking during homework to setting expectations for kids' first phones. Print a tip sheet to send home in young students' backpacks or add a section to your class website or newsletter for sharing helpful digital citizenship resources.

4. Talk to colleagues and administrators about the value of digital citizenship instruction.

Break the ice by sharing some copies of these quick-start lesson ideas in the teachers' lounge. When your colleagues are ready to go deeper, you can introduce them to the ISTE Standards for Students and Common Sense Education's Recognition Program.

5. Model responsible digital citizenship.

As always, strive to lead by example. Be mindful of your own digital footprint, educate yourself on the risks and benefits of sharing information online, be a critical news and media consumer, and strive for a healthy media balance. The more you can verbalize your thought process for students related to your own technology use, the better.

Written by Erin Wilkey Oh, Executive Director, Education Content and Distribution for Common Sense Edutation.

This article originally appeared on Common Sense Education and a version was published on the ISTE blog. We feel this information is very relevant to many VSTE members and it is reprinted here with permission.

Leading Ed Forum 2018: Creating Vision & Value

by

Conference logo with theme

The Third Annual Leading Ed Forum will be held October 8 and 9, 2018, at Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper, Virginia. Sponsored by VSTE and the Virginia Department of Education, this event focuses on division level issues faced by instruction and technology leaders from CTOs to Superintendents.

We are still finalizing the schedule but you can take a peak at the draft here.

Join your fellow leaders for two days of learning and sharing. We will feature a nationally known keynote speaker and breakout sessions presented by VDOE and state level leaders. Attendees will have opportunities to share their school division's challenges and successes and connect with other division decision makers and selected corporate partners and sponsors.

Strands will be organized around the CoSN Framework of Essential Skills. This framework designates 10 specific skill areas organized into three primary professional categories and outline the responsibilities and knowledge needed to be a viable educational technology leader. You can learn more here at the CoSN website. The VSTE CoSN Council is the Virginia chapter of CoSN.

smiling man in blue shirt We are pleased to announce that Jeff Mao, former Learning Technology Policy Director for the Maine Department of Education, will provide Monday's opening keynote as well as a breakout session. Jeff brings a wealth of experience to our event: he has been a classroom teacher, school technology coordinator, district technology director, state education technology director, and education technology consultant over his 25+ years supporting kids and learners. He served on the Board of Directors of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) for six years including two as Chair of the Board.

Jeff was directly responsible for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). He oversaw all aspects of the program including vision, implementation, policy, professional development, procurement and contract management. He was a lead author of the State of Utah’s Master Plan: Essential Elements for Technology Powered Learning. Additionally, he is an advisor for Future Ready Schools and has moderated and presented at almost all of Future Ready’s Summits and Institutes. Jeff was a Senior Director for Common Sense Media’s education division (2014-2018). He is currently a Senior Strategic Education Outreach Manager for Wonder Workshop.

Dr. James Lane, Superintendent of Instruction for Virginia, will keynote on Tuesday, October 9.

Meanwhile, early bird registration is open now through September 8. We offer both one- and two-days tickets for $65/day. This will include breakfast, lunch and access to all sessions. We have not reserved a room block. for this event but you can find a suggested hotels list here.

Register Now

Sponsors

amazon education logo
logo for Clever
Blue logo with word Shentel

Big Deal Book, June 1, 2018

by

Blue rectangle with words Maximizing Technology in the the 21st Century Classroom bright graphic on left side of rectangle displays words Big Deal Media

 

 

 

 

 

VSTE partners with Big Deal Media to bring you the "best of the best" of web-based resources, classroom competitions and teacher grant programs. The June 1, 2018, newsletter offers resources that Merge STEM & Literacy, Sharpen Media Skills, Coach New Teachers & More.

Here are a few of our favorites...be sure to check out the whole newsletter!

Science Journal for Collecting and Recording Observations

Google’s Science Journal transforms students’ mobile devices into a science laboratory, encouraging students to conduct authentic experiments, collect and visualize data, and record observations from the world around them.

Lesson Challenging Assumptions About Others

Facing History and Ourselves offers a lesson that challenges students’ assumptions with curiosity. In the lesson, students practice being thoughtful about fellow citizens’ values, identities, and perspectives by reflecting on a video featuring voices of young people from across the country.

Astronauts Reading Stories to Children from Space

If you’re looking for a way to take story time up a notch with the children in your classroom, why not turn to astronauts? That’s the premise of Story Time from Space, a project from the nonprofit Global Space Education Foundation that features astronauts reading children’s books from the International Space Station.

Big Deal Book, June 1, 2018

Archives

Turning Big Data Into Big Benefits For Students

by

Ten Questions BrightBytes Can Help You Answer as You Turn Big Data into Big Benefits for Students

  1. How can we be sure that we offer the specific professional development teachers need?

“With BrightBytes data, we discovered that most of our districts needed to focus on digital citizenship skills. We created online modules to teach those skills, and made them available for free to every teacher.” —Teela Watson, Director of Instructional Services & Digital Learning, Texas Education Service Center Region 11 (ESC 11)

 

  1. Is our organization’s data and direction clear to all stakeholder groups?

“Our districts use BrightBytes data to show their school boards where they are with integration. It’s been critical to provide clear, communicable data to identify challenges.” Teela Watson, Director of Instructional Services & Digital Learning, Texas Education Service Center Region 11 (ESC 11)

  1. How can we take complex data and use it to make an immediate difference in a student’s life?

“With the Student Success module, we can identify a student at risk of dropping out and the specific issues immediately. This information helps determine the right interventions.” —Jeffrey Luks, Manager, Northeastern (NY) Regional Information Center (NERIC)

  1. What can data show us in terms of interventions for each student?

“The Intervention module helps schools look at inputs and outputs to determine which interventions have the most impact on students.”

—Jeffrey Luks, Manager, Northeastern (NY) Regional Information Center (NERIC)

  1. How can we identify students in need early and get them the necessary support?

“By analyzing data from multiple sources, the Student Success module provides easy-to-understand visualizations to help target specific students for support.”—Bryan Fairbrother, Educational Data Services Leader, Mohawk (NY) Regional Information Center

  1. Is there a way to understand student trajectory earlier?

“The data is meaningful, impactful, and clear, so we can see the big picture, identify students who need help, and take immediate action.” —Bryan Fairbrother, Educational Data Services Leader, Mohawk (NY) Regional Information Center

  1.  How can data help teachers learn to integrate technology in a way that meets students’ expectations?

“Teachers report using technology frequently, but students say otherwise. We have to provide the mindset and training to support a big shift. We started a book series and as a result, one teacher spent the summer rethinking lesson plans.” —Charlotte M. Golden, Director of Curriculum & Instruction/Educational Technologies, Carbon Lehigh (PA) Intermediate Unit #21

  1. Can data provide insight on the big picture of our initiatives?  

“Often, districts make decisions based on intuition. With the Technology & Learning module, we’ve been able to connect the dots to see how to achieve smaller initiatives. The data helps us learn how each initiative works together toward a common goal.” —Lisa Cala Ruud, Managing Coordinator - Instructional Services, Northeastern (NY) Regional Information Center (NERIC)

  1. How can we better determine and validate new initiatives?

“The data puts assumptions in check. There was a lot of resistance about blended learning from educators who assumed students didn’t have devices or Internet at home. After the BrightBytes survey, they discovered only a small percentage lacked access.”

—Lisa Cala Ruud, Managing Coordinator - Instructional Services, Northeastern (NY) Regional Information Center (NERIC)

  1. How can we better understand our district’s digital equity?

“The data serves as a jumping-off point for conversations. We found most students have devices at home, but many of them are shared. That data impacts the consistency for instruction at home. A teacher needs to be intentional about using digital assets at home.” —Doug Renfro, Executive Director of Learning Technology and Library Services, Metro Nashville (TN) Public Schools

Learn More about using data to support students at the Bright Bytes website: http://www.brightbytes.net/

Free Webinar from GRAETC: Learning Experiences to Engage and Empower Students

by

 

Join VSTE's regional partner the Greater Richmond Area Educational Technology Consortium on Monday, February 26, 2018, at 7 PM for Learning Experiences to Engage and Empower Students, a free webinar.

Watch the archives: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7FDcbhHYyY&feature=youtu.be

Are you looking for ways to be inspired to engage your learners? Do you need ideas on how to empower your students? Longwood University's Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) will share how they are facilitating classroom learning experiences in seven divisions to foster student engagement through 1) technology integration with littleBits; 2) problem-based learning; and 3) global collaboration. Key components also include alternative assessments and the 5c components of the Profile of Virginia Graduate (critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship).

ITTIP will share the teaching and learning experiences being used in a year-long professional development with teachers from various subject areas in grades 3-8. Teachers are involved in learning how technologies like littleBits and Google Expedition can be used in the classroom to engage their students in content learning through problem-solving and inquiry-based pedagogies. The professional development experience includes exploration with tools such as Seesaw, Google Classroom, and Skype to see how these tools could be used in the classroom to facilitate engagement through collaborate work, communication, and critical and creative thinking.

In addition to being challenged with designing inquiry-based learning experiences for students through problem-based learning (PBL), alternative assessments, and technologies during a five-day summer workshop, participating teachers are continuing their learning and leadership in facilitating an engaged and empowered classroom through a year-long professional learning community. During these experiences teachers will be involved in a fall book study to learn more about ways they can facilitate classroom connections through global learning experiences.

Come hear about our teacher’s experiences and get inspired with ways to empower and engage your students!