VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

Board of Directors

VSTE Announces Election Results 2025

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Congratulations to the three candidates who have been elected to the VSTE Board of Directors for the 2025-2028 term! You can learn more about each Board member below.

Region 5:

Rebecca "Erin" Comninaki, Classroom Teacher / Middle School English, Linkhorne Middle School / Lynchburg CityR. Erin Comninaki Schools

Your vision for VSTE in the next three years:

In the next three years, I envision VSTE expanding its role to support smaller and underfunded divisions that are losing access to edtech coaches and resources due to budget cuts. Many educators in remote areas can’t attend the annual conference or don’t have access to regional events. VSTE could serve as an umbrella organization to help connect and support these divisions by amplifying regional efforts and creating equitable access to professional learning. Additionally, a centralized resource hub with shared content would help ensure all educators and learners have access to high-quality tools and training year-round.

Region 2:

Kari Lomanno, Technology Innovation Coach, Chesapeake Public Schools

 Your vision for VSTE in the next three years:Kari Lomanno

In the next three years, VSTE can lead the way for instructional technology in Virginia by continuing to provide relevant and hands-on professional development opportunities. As schools across the state work to develop effective AI policies, VSTE should be at the forefront of this movement by providing sample policies and best practices for districts. With the growing uncertainty about federal funding in our schools, VSTE should be a leading advocate for funding initiatives and equitable access to technology in our schools. VSTE should continue to offer opportunities for educators to earn credentials and collaborate in an online community. Finally, the VSTE Annual Conference is a wonderful event that showcases the most innovative tools and resources available to our schools. We need to keep up this momentum by growing this event each year.

At-Large-Director

Denise Henry-Orndorff,  Instructional Technology Coach,  Frederick County Public Schools

Your vision for VSTE in the next three years:Denise Henry-Orndorff

I have been an active member of VSTE for several years and deeply value the sense of community it fosters among educators. My vision is to continue building on VSTE’s strong foundation by supporting current initiatives and exploring innovative ways to reach and empower educators across the Commonwealth. With experience as both a classroom teacher and instructional technology coach, I understand the challenges educators face and the transformative role technology can play in teaching and learning. I am committed to advancing professional development through high-quality training, hands-on support, and advocacy for equitable access to educational technology. If selected to serve on the VSTE board, I will bring a collaborative spirit, a strong focus on educator support, and a passion for promoting innovation and equity in education.

2025 VSTE Board Nominations Elections

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VSTE Board Elections Opening on April 9, 2024

You are invited to nominate yourself or a colleague to be considered for election to the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) Board of Directors, for the 2025-2028 Board term (three years). This is an opportunity to become involved in the key decision-making group for the Virginia Society for Technology in Education. The online election, which will be held in April 2025, is for four seats on the Board of Directors for Region 2, 5, and an At Large Position.

Learn More About the VSTE Board of Directors

Nominations

VSTE members may nominate themselves or a colleague for a three year term who belong to VSTE and who live or work in Region 2 (Southwest) or Region 5 (North Central) or At Large (Any Region). This is an opportunity to become involved in the key decision-making group for the Virginia Society for Technology in Education. If you are interested and meet these requirements, please login to members.VSTE.com and complete the electronic form no later than April 7, 2025. If you are nominating someone else for the position, please be sure they are aware in advance and properly secure responses to the nomination form prompts.

Nominations open on March 17 and close April 7.  You must be a VSTE member as of  December 31, 2024 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.

 

Voting 

Voting will open on April 14, 2025 and close April 28th 2025. You must be a VSTE member as of December 31, 2024 to be eligible to vote. New board members will be announced May 1. 

 

2024 Annual Report from the Executive Director

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As the year draws to a close it is fitting that we look back on the months and milestones that have made 2024 a year of significant growth and advancement for VSTE. The highlights from 2024 feature many of the ways that VSTE has advanced and grown as an organization. Communication, Membership, Development, and Partnership are the four goal areas identified in the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Guided by our 2024-2027 Strategic Plan, we achieved the following.

Communication
Communication as a goal primarily focuses on showcasing the identity of VSTE, focusing on its purpose, and recognizing ways to strengthen involvement through awareness. Our strategic plan emphasizes a clear purpose and intentional decision-making. Developing the strategic plan provided many opportunities for the Board to discuss the values and vision of the organization. The plan has helped to solidify our commitment to our core values and utilize our organizational strengths. Communication is critical to our success. There is more to follow regarding the Communication Plan and gaining insight from our membership. We have restructured our regular meetings to enhance communication and encourage dialogue among the Board. Weekly meetings with the executive director have also increased the flow of information and the opportunities for said dialogue.

Membership
Engaging and expanding our membership is the focus of the second strategic plan goal. The adoption of an association management system and the creation of a membership portal will lead the organization toward better understanding and interacting with its membership. The membership portal has enhanced member engagement by allowing members to manage their profiles and keep their information up-to-date. The membership portal has also allowed the organization to better keep track of the roles and locations of our members, including those that support the organization as exhibitors and sponsors. This will lead to more effective and efficient dialogue with members and allow VSTE to effectively know and better understand our membership. Through these efforts, we have been establishing a foundation for enhancing the benefits of membership. Every attendee at this year’s annual conference is an active VSTE member with an updated profile including all of our exhibitors and our sponsors.
Our annual conference builds on our reputation for providing an outstanding lineup of presenters and featured speakers. Our presenters allow us to celebrate the success of the finest educators in Virginia and bring perspectives from those recognized for their impact on the national teaching and learning community. The efforts of our conference team have been focused on continuing this legacy through the enhancement of the overall conference experience.

Development
Continued development is important to any organization. VSTE has continued to build on the certified coaching program and has also begun to shape and develop the professional services team. The certified coaching program has grown significantly, with over 300 certified coaches and over 100 more in training. The professional services program has begun to recruit talent and has taken on its first series of content creation and delivery which will roll out in early 2025. Both of these programs bring together a network of talented individuals to support the ongoing innovation that is a hallmark of VSTE. These networks will also help us to better identify the needs of our community and also the expert and experienced professionals to meet those needs.

Partnerships
Partnerships with other organizations stretches VSTE in positive ways as the collaborations extend the reach and influence of the organization. Our partnerships with key supporters are essential to our mission and vision. Maintaining ongoing partnerships and seeking out new partnerships provides both structure and new opportunities to serve our community. We are pleased to continue the work we have done with the Virginia Department of Education, Virtual Virginia, the Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (VASCD), CodeVA, the Greater Richmond Area Educational Technology Consortium (GRAETC) and the Shenandoah Valley Educational Technology Collaborative (SVETC), Blue Ridge PBS, WHRO, Virginia Ed Strategies, Forward Edge, Virginia's Training and Technical Assistance Centers (T/TAC), the Commonwealth Partnership for Learning, as well as our many sponsors and exhibitors. We also continue our memberships with national organizations like the Consortium of School Networks (CoSN), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and the School, Health, Library Broadband Coalition (SHLB). We learned in 2024 that the merger of ASCD + ISTE will bring changes to the relationship we have with those organizations as ASCD + ISTE refine their partnership program. Continuing on with effective partnerships provides VSTE and its members with great possibilities in the future. An example of this type of collaboration can be heard and seen in season one of the ActiVAtED Podcast series and by subscribing to season two.

Strategic Planning
The recently adopted 2024-2027 Strategic Plan is one way the Board has focused on VSTE’s internal growth and development. We completed several necessary revisions to our guidance documents and standard operating procedures like the VSTE Webinar Protocols, Procedures, and Best Practices and the Finance Policy and Procedures documents. The development of a Communications Plan has helped us make improvements in the utilization of the VSTE Blog, VSTE newsletter and various social media platforms to keep our followers informed and engaged. Effective communication, emphasis on the value of membership, developing programs that respond to the changing needs of our community and engaging partners that can support our growth are the goal driven and strategic means by which VSTE can proudly enter into 2025 and toward our fortieth conference with pride in its past and hope for its future.

Be well, make good happen, and keep in touch.

Vote Now! VSTE Board of Directions Election Open!

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IT IS TIME TO VOTE for the VSTE Board of Directors!! 

Voting is open NOW through April 26, 2024! Please select 1 candidate for each region. You will need to log-in to the member site to have access to the page with the ballot.  You must be a member in good standing at least 10 days prior to the start of the election to be eligible to vote.

Once on the election page hover over each candidate's photo card to view their name and information.

Lights, Camera, Learning: Why Video is the Star of Education

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Written by VSTE Board Member Chrystal Elmore (@elmore_chrystal)

In education, tapping into students' innate abilities is key to fostering meaningful learning experiences. One powerful tool that aligns perfectly with students' natural inclinations is video. Let's explore why integrating video into education is not just beneficial but transformative:

  1. Students are natural storytellers.
    It's no secret that students possess a natural inclination towards storytelling. Video provides them with a medium to unleash their creativity and storytelling process. Whether it's crafting narratives, presenting ideas, or explaining concepts, students can harness the art of storytelling to deepen their understanding of the subject matter.
  2. Most students already spend a lot of time watching and making videos.
    In today's digital age, students are immersed in a world of videos. They spend hours consuming content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. By incorporating video into education, educators can leverage this existing interest and familiarity to create engaging and relevant learning experiences.
  3. Encourages students to be creators, not just consumers.
    Video empowers students to transition from passive consumers to active creators. Instead of merely absorbing information, students become actively involved in the learning process. They take ownership of their learning journey, exploring topics, conducting research, and producing content that reflects their understanding and perspectives.
  4. Allows students to create personal connections to the content.
    Video offers a platform for students to personalize their learning experience. They can relate course material to their own lives, experiences, and interests, fostering deeper connections with the content. This personalization not only enhances engagement but also facilitates long-term retention and understanding.
  5. Enables Multimodal learning.
    Every student learns differently, and video caters to various learning styles. It combines visual, auditory, and sometimes even tactile elements, making it a powerful tool for multimodal learning. Whether students prefer visual demonstrations, verbal explanations, or hands-on activities, video provides a versatile medium to accommodate diverse learning preferences

Looking for some inspiration on how to incorporate video into your classroom? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Create a personal/subject narrative
  • Record Interviews
  • Stop Motion
  • Make a video tour of significant locations
  • Record Video Self-Assessments
  • Book Reports
  • Step-by-Step Videos
  • Newscasts

Our district uses Canva to create videos in the classroom. Canva for Education is like the Swiss Army knife of design platforms—it's versatile, user-friendly, and packed with features tailored specifically for students and teachers. With Canva, students and teachers have access to templates, stock photos and royalty free music to use in their videos!

Incorporating video into education offers students a dynamic platform for student expression, engagement, and learning. So let's grab our cameras, cue the lights, and embark on an educational adventure where creativity knows no bounds. After all, in the grand production of learning, every student deserves a starring role. Lights, camera, learning—action! 🎬✨