VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

virtual

Your LMS isn’t JUST for virtual learning!

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As we take a moment for a much-needed rest, we may not be thinking much about instructional plans for those inclement weather days that now seemed to be called “virtual learning days” in some areas. Don’t worry! Your VSTE friends have got you! The VSTE Regional Advisory Council, best known as the VSTE Coaching Crew is a new statewide council aimed at building capacity for virtual and blended learning in each region of the state. This magnificent, not at all motley, 'crew' of technology leaders works to strengthen online presence in Virtual Virginia by expanding our digital PLN, and by partnering with VVA and Instructure for monthly webinars. But that’s not all!

At this month’s VSTE conference in Roanoke, The VSTE Coaching Crew debuted a cool new and ever-expanding resource guide aimed at helping you use your LMS in your instruction every day! The best part of that is that when those inclement weather days hit and we do another “PIVOT!”, then you are all set for learning! Take a look at over 40 Ways to Use Your LMS for ideas, strategies, and some killer resources to help you design and implement seamlessly blended instruction. These resources will also help you to streamline your in-person instruction as well all while sharpening your students’ technical and content knowledge skills.

graphic showing photos of the members of the VSTE Coaching Crew

Let’s explore a few of those great ideas shared at VSTE! Coaching crew member Ann Nash from Henrico County in Region 1 shared a great idea to create virtual “Gallery Walks” with digital artifacts giving students a place to display their work proudly. Gallery Walks can also be used to help students synthesize their research and presentation skills and offer a collaborative space for reflection and feedback. Learn more about this strategy in the Strategy #3 Resource Guide!

Coaching crew member Patty Gilham from Manassas Park City in Region 4 shared a cool idea to help your little learner navigate your LMS with ease! She suggested using emojis and buttons for a visual representation for young learners who are unable to read allowing them to follow along with the lesson with ease. While she provided examples from her courses in Canvas, this strategy could easily be done with many other types of learning management systems. Learn more about this strategy in the Strategy #21 Resource Guide!

One of my favorite ways to use your LMS in your day-to-day classroom is by presenting content and resources as embedded content. Your LMS can serve as your “home base” of instructional content and support for all of your students. By having your links to activities and resources in one easy-to-access place, you save essential time with one-click access! Want to take your students to a faraway location? No problem, just embed one of Nearpod’s free virtual tours lessons! Your students will be able to explore places like Glacier National Park and many more with or without VR equipment. Learn more about this strategy in the Strategy # 13 Resource Guide!

There are so many wonderful ways to blend your in-person and virtual instruction! The VSTE Coaching Crew is working to expand these resources over the next year. We hope to see you at one of the monthly regional meetings. For more information about the regional meeting times subscribe to the Virtual Virginia calendar, or contact VSTE’s Executive Director, Dr. Karen Richardson at karen.richardson@vste.org.

Written by Heather Askea. Heather is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Center for Teaching Excellence at UVA Wise. She is also the Chair of the VSTE Board of Directors. You can connect with her on Twitter @HeatherAskea or by leaving a message on this website.

Elementary Students are Too Young for Virtual Learning! Or Are They?

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During our TSIP (Technology Standards for Instructional Personnel) evaluations, I make it a habit to ask all of my teachers, “How's it going?” “Do you need help or assistance with anything?” Mrs. Candice Nurney, a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School, answered “No, I’m fine and my students are doing well!” Given that her portfolio evidence is always exemplary, her evaluation was short so we had a few minutes to chat before my next evaluation. I was intrigued by her answers and wanted to know more as I have read the horror stories about virtual learning and elementary students.

Reflecting back to the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney said and continued to reiterate that ATTITUDE was very important and instrumental in the success of her second-graders in the virtual learning environment. Just like every other teacher, she went into virtual learning with the fear of the unknown, but her positive ATTITUDE made the difference. It would have been easy to succumb to the negative stigma that elementary students are too young for virtual learning, but not Mrs. Nurney. She stated that how you approach the situation and your ATTITUDE will dictate success or failure.

screenshot of website by 2nd grade teacherAt the beginning of the school year, Mrs. Nurney took the time to​ explain and practice ​with her students, just as she would in the face-to-face environment. She mentioned that she kept her instructions simple and clear, as well as allowing ample practice time for her students while making sure she did not overwhelm them with too many tasks. Although the focus was given to the usage and features of the Canvas, Clever, and Zoom platforms for the first few weeks of school, the subject matter was still being taught.

Mrs. Nurney recognized the importance of these platforms and the role they would play in her success as a teacher in the virtual environment so she took the time to model screen sharing, muting/unmuting, reactions, and how to access documents and resources in Clever and Canvas with her students. She made it fun by using the popular Bitmoji classroom, which also made her Canvas page easy to navigate. In addition to her normal working hours, Mrs. Nurney made herself available after hours to assist parents and students so they could be successful. With persistence and patience, her second graders continue to thrive in this virtual environment. Despite this horrible pandemic and the normal challenges of virtual learning, she kept a positive ATTITUDE. Mrs. Nurney is a true testament to the saying, “a positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes.”

Written by Tim Mays (@tmays921). Tim is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Student Information Systems for Sussex County Public Schools. He is a VSTE Board Member and a member of VSTE’s Education Committee and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mentor. Mrs. Candice Nurney is a second-grade teacher at Sussex Central Elementary School and is currently a doctoral student at Liberty University.

Webinar: Concurrent Instruction With Dr. Catlin Tucker

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picture of womanVSTE Welcomes Dr. Catlin Tucker

Webinar: Using Blended Learning Models to Design and Facilitate Learning for a Concurrent Classroom
December 8, 2020, 7 - 8:30 PM
Thanks to Zoom and McGraw Hill for their support!
Virginia educators are implementing a variety of virtual learning models from hybrid to hyflex. VSTE, with support from our partners Zoom and McGraw Hill Education, is pleased to offer a webinar with Dr. Catlin Tucker on how to create effective, engaging virtual learning. Catlin is dedicated to helping teachers blend technology and tradition to shift students to the center of learning and find balance in their teaching practice.
Catlin is a Google Certified Innovator, bestselling author, international trainer, and keynote speaker. She is an expert in the fields of blended and online learning and has published a collection of best-selling books on blended learning, including Blended Learning in Grades 4-12, Blended Learning In Action, Power Up Blended learning, and Balance With Blended Learning. She is active on Twitter @Catlin_Tucker and writes an internationally ranked education blog at CatlinTucker.com.
As a thank you to the educators in the state and with the support of Zoom and McGraw Hill, VSTE is able to offer this webinar for free. 
Seats are limited and this session will NOT be streamed outside of Zoom. The recording will be available for registrants for a short amount of time after the event.
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Using Blended Learning Models to Design and Facilitate Learning for a Concurrent Classroom
The concurrent classroom presents several challenges. It’s tough to meet the needs of students in class and online simultaneously. Often, there is an inequality of teacher attention, students struggle to stay engaged, and learning experiences do not maximize face-to-face and online learning affordances. When teachers rely exclusively on a whole group, teacher-led model, these challenges are exacerbated. Teachers can combat the challenges associated with the concurrent classroom by using blended learning models to prioritize differentiated small group and personalized 1:1 instruction, give students agency, and shift control over the pace of learning to students. This workshop will explore how teachers can use the station rotation model, flipped learning model, and playlist model to successfully engage students in a concurrent classroom.

Being Culturally Responsive With Technology

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My husband and I are the self-proclaimed spades champions in our family. At past family gatherings, we are often met with, “Hey, how have you been? Did you bring your deck of cards?” The thing about spades is that you just can’t “throw in your hand”. You have to play your hand. You have to play the cards that you’ve been dealt.

As with the current quarantine situation, many communities and school districts are diligently working with the resources they have. They are refusing to give up. One school, in particular, is the Gladys Oberle School.

The Gladys Oberle School is a private day special education school in Fredericksburg, VA. With a total enrollment of approximately 50 students and a looming threat of losing resources as a result of the COVID-19 situation, the administration, faculty, and staff designed a plan built on best practices using instructional technology and culturally responsive instruction.

In spite of students not being physically able to attend school, the administration and faculty remain connected to their students and families. Teachers effectively use tools such as Google Classroom and Zoom to deliver instruction and maintain an atmosphere of community and support. For those teachers and students who have limited access to the internet, students have received packets in the mail along with encouraging words and instructions on how to complete their assignments.

The school’s counselors personally called each family on their caseload to offer support or arrange for virtual individual counseling sessions if needed. The administration has also encouraged students to make videos and take pictures of class projects. These videos and pictures are posted and uploaded to the virtual school newsletter.

Empowered with a commitment to their students and families and the technology available, the Gladys Oberle School has refused to “throw in their hand”. This school is truly a champion!

For more information regarding the Gladys Oberle School, please visit their website.

Written by Nicci T. Dowd, Ed.D. Nicci is a Trainer and Technical Specialist with AIM-VA at George Mason University, and a member of the VSTE Board of Directors.

Global Collaboration in Rural Virginia

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The words ‘global collaboration’ seem like a distant attainment for most of us educators. We think that concept is something someone else could do, but certainly not someone like ourselves. But, I’m here to tell you it is not an impossible task. Last week’s news story is proof positive!

So, how did a teacher like me, a middle-aged teacher in rural Virginia, wind up collaborating on projects with teachers and students in Turkey, Italy and India during a pandemic?

students in an online conference call

It started in the summer of 2017 when I participated in a year-long professional development program through ITTIP at Longwood University, Inspiring Teachers for Engaged Learners (InTEL). Part of the learning experiences included a book study utilizing, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis.  The book study experience was a catalyst for my subsequent connections.  ITTIP director, Dr. Paula Leach and STEM Learning Specialist, Stephanie Playton, encouraged participants to reach beyond the walls of our classrooms. They continue to support teachers years after the course to test video calls, come into classrooms for lessons, loan equipment, and provide STEM education advice.

mystery skype posters

Mystery Skype is one particularly engaging technology tool I learned about through the program. The aim of the game is to guess the location of the other classroom by asking questions in a video call format. Finding colleagues to play Mystery Skype requires forming connections through professional learning networks such as Skype in the Classroom and Edmodo.

It was through Edmodo that I found like-minded educators in India and Italy in the fall of 2019. We navigated time zone differences by having students arrive at school at 7:30 a.m. in Virginia and 5:00 p.m. in New Delhi for a Skype call. We set up an Edmodo classroom for students to post projects and receive international feedback. We often used Padlet for asynchronous connections.

slide about Turkish people celebrating children's day

Those two connections have multiplied. My colleague in India had a connection to a teacher in Turkey. The teacher in Turkey was seeking an international audience for her children to share information about their World Children’s Day holiday in their country. From our Zoom meet teacher brainstorm, we ironed out details of the project that resulted in the featured news story.

Where do we go from here? We are presently working on a Padlet to commemorate World Bee Day on May 20th. This project also includes students in Japan and Ireland. We are also looking toward a future International Kids Magazine to be developed as schools reopen in the fall!

So, see! ‘Global Collaboration’  is not an impossible task.

Written by Melanie Ranson. Melanie is a K-5 Gifted Resource teacher for Appomattox County Schools.