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Virginia Society for Technology in Education

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governance

2024 Annual Report from the Executive Director

December 8, 2024 by Rod Carnill

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.

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Filed Under: Blog, Board of Directors, VSTE News Tagged With: Board of Directors, Coaching, Conference, CoSN, governance, ISTE, VDOE

Board Candidate – Fara Faust

April 12, 2021 by timstahmer

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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Filed Under: Board of Directors, Elections, VSTE News Tagged With: 2021 elections, board, candidate, governance

Board Candidate – Amy Stewart

April 12, 2021 by timstahmer

Amy Stewart

Virtual Academy Administrator
Colonial Heights Public Schools

Educational Leadership

I have had the opportunity to lead educators for the past 8 years in various capacities in two states; from building leader to district level leader. My experiences have included Reading Specialist, Instructional Coach, Administrator, Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning, and Supervisor of Instructional Technology and Extended Learning. All of these opportunities allowed me to merge my love of curriculum and instruction with educational technology.

Vision for VSTE

To further create opportunities for minorities in EdTech leadership positions by highlighting the work of those currently in the field and introducing the educational technology field to those who are interested. Also to forge the path of revamping how professional development is created and delivered so that it is more inclusive of teacher needs and experiences.

Biographical Sketch

I have dedicated my career to building lifelong learners who are equity minded knowledge seekers. My goal has always been to assist learners, both adult and children, by helping them find the areas they want to grow in and supporting their journey. I believe the future of education is to prepare the future trailblazers to be users of technology and not used by technology. My success has been contingent on my desire to create an environment that fosters the desire to be on a continual hunt for self improvement, while highlighting the strengths of those she is charged to lead, while supporting them in the areas they are looking to grow in.

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Filed Under: Board of Directors, Elections, VSTE News Tagged With: 2021 elections, board, candidate, governance

Board Candidates for 2021

April 12, 2021 by timstahmer

a blue apple with a green leaf and brown stemNine candidates are running for five open seats on the Board of Directors for the 2021 - 2024 term. The VSTE Board of Directors provides leadership and direction to the organization. The election runs from April 12, 2021, to May 9, 2021.

Click on the links below to review each candidate's information. Then use the link at the bottom of the page to access the ballot. You must be logged in to the Members' area of the website in order to access the ballot. Only members in good standing for at least ten days prior to the election are eligible to vote. Use the lost password link to retrieve your password. If you have any issues, contact us for help.

photo of Kerry Adkins

Kerry Adkins

Gifted Resource Teacher

Marsteller Middle School/Prince William County Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Matt Caratachea

Matt Caratachea

Coordinator of Technology Integration & Innovation

Goochland County Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Lynmara Colon

Lynmara Colón

Director of English Learner Programs and Services

Prince William County Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Fara Faust

Fara T. Faust

Instructional Technology Specialist (ITS)

Virginia Beach City Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Emily Heller

Emily Heller

Instructional Technology Coach

Fredericksburg City Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Joy McDonald

Joy McDonald

Online Learning Coordinator

Rockbridge County Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements


photo of kelly rippard

Kelly S. Rippard, Ph.D.

Senior Lecturer

Old Dominion University

View Candidate's Statements


photo of Margaret Sisler

Margaret Sisler

School Based Technology Specialist

Westfield High School/Fairfax County Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements


Amy Stewart

Virtual Academy Administrator

Colonial Heights Public Schools

View Candidate's Statements

Click here to access the ballot.

If you are not already logged into the Members section of the VSTE site, you must do that first, using the link on that page. Use the Lost Password link on the login page if you've forgotten your password.

Thank you for participating in the VSTE Board of Directors election.

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Filed Under: Board of Directors, Elections, VSTE News Tagged With: 2021 elections, board, candidates, governance

Board Candidate – Lynmara Colón

April 12, 2021 by timstahmer

photo of Lynmara ColonLynmara Colón

Director of English Learner Programs and Services
Prince William County Schools

Educational Leadership

Lynmara brings the perspective of a teacher, assistant principal, and principal—positions she has held since joining education in 2003. As principal of an elementary school in 2014, she served over 1,000 students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade and was able to increase reading engagement by leading a culture of literacy, personalized learning, and collaborative learning teams. She now leads the English Learners office where she supports over 20,000 Els, teachers, and their families.

Vision for VSTE

My vision for VSTE is to continue to advocate for special populations and represent the fastest growing population in the VA. I want to continue supporting educators in seeing Els as students who have potential and deserve access despite where they come from or the level of their digital literacy skills.

Biographical Sketch

Lynmara believes all schools should be run like Disney; providing magical experiences to every student regardless or their background. She now heads the office that provides comprehensive registration services to English learners and immigrant children, including translation and interpretation services, to a school division serving over 90,000 students. These students represent 124 countries and 149 languages. Colón holds two master’s degrees: a degree in curriculum and instruction, and the other in educational leadership. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in education through Old Dominion University.

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Filed Under: Board of Directors, Elections, VSTE News Tagged With: 2021 elections, board, candidate, governance

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