2024VSTE Virtual Conference

In this globally connected world, are board games a thing of the past? I think not. Getting together with friends or family for "Game Night" still has an appeal for most people. Within the walls of our classrooms, the most engaging activities consist of student choice, innovation and a little competition. There's never been a better time to dive into bringing gamified learning to your class and, in my opinion, Genially templates hold the key to this endeavor. Participants will use Genially Templates to create digital board games to play as a whole group, with teams, or as a station. The games may be coordinated with any content and any standard. Participants should have a content area and standard in mind for their design. By the end of this make and take session, participants will have a completed game ready to play next year.

With the push to implement the Computer Science SOL standards into our classrooms in recent years, this session will give you some ideas for library activities that incorporate various Computer Science standards covering multiple grade levels. For each library activity, we will explain the CS standards being covered in the lesson. If you ever need to document how you are covering the CS standards in your library class, this session is for you.

Who is truly using the technology in your classrooms the teachers or the students? Is a worksheet on Canvas or Schoology more effective than one on paper? Are teachers getting the most out of the interactive board at the front of their classrooms? The PIC-RAT model for Technology Integration provides educators with a framework to assess the impact of technology on student learning. This model not only evaluates whether new tools are transforming instructional practices but also examines whether students are interacting with the technology in active or passive ways. In this interactive session, you will practice using the matrix and discuss how the tool can be used for self-reflection or coaching teachers to improve their practice.

KidWind has a saying, ?Dream big, but start small.? Join a KidWind coach as she explains how KidWind.org coaches work with students to creatively explore the science, technology, and implications of a world powered by clean energy. Many schools now have STEM (STEAM) classes, or, environmental education courses during the school day, or after-school clubs that address environmental literacy topics. KidWind plays a big part in after-school and in-school lessons promoting clean energy education in Virginia. As the world is increasingly powered by clean energy, it is more critical than ever that we help prepare a workforce that understands the complexities of this new power generation.

Collaborative learning technologies have the potential to transform traditional educational practices by fostering a more interactive and engaging learning environment. This presentation will explore the impact of collaborative tools such as online discussion forums, collaborative documents, and social media platforms on student engagement and learning outcomes. Through a combination of theoretical insights and practical examples, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively integrate these technologies into their teaching practices to enhance student collaboration and achievement.

Executive skills develop until age 25, with rapid growth in the middle years. We must be cautious and intentional in saying, "They already know how to do this!" Using the UDL guidelines, we explore how to scaffold Strategic, Goal-Directed, Purposeful, and Motivated Learners. We provide classroom-level and schoolwide evidence-based strategies for teachers, coaches, and administrators to put in place to develop students? executive skills -- and scaffold the ones that won?t develop until age 25! Understand the range of executive skills Understand critical characteristics of executive skills Identify opportunities to scaffold and build executive skills during the middle school day Identify activities and strategies to scaffold and build executive skills during the middle school day Participants will have a QR code for access to materials, explore a handout and examples, and discuss with the presenters to personalize to their own setting and network for the future.

Do you like having some time added back into your day? Would you like to have high quality materials ready for your students with little to no work on your side? Then this session is for you! Throughout the session, templates will be shared for a variety of Google apps, Canva, Adobe Express, AI Prompts, and whole lesson plans that can be applied to and used in any subject area. Further resources and websites will be shared to continue the learning well after the session ends.

Anchoring a vision of innovation in the fundamental understanding of how technology supports content and pedagogy can lead to powerful change in the classroom. In this interactive session, we will consider what innovation looks like, learn about and practice using the Technological Pedagogical Content model for lesson planning and explore opportunities to use TPACK as an anchor for more student-centered, engaging instruction. Come prepared to play as we explore and create new ways of approaching instructional design.

How many ways are there to tell a story? And how many ways are there for learners to demonstrate their knowledge? Learning is about discovering and organizing information, so let?s add tools and options to share with our teachers! From notecatchers to interactive projects, we?ll look at how infographics create opportunities for classroom innovation, and understanding infographics also builds students? digital literacy! Analog and digital tools will both be explored.

In today's digital age, proficiency in computer science (CS) is no longer confined to IT departments but has become essential across all disciplines. We advocate for the integration of CS principles and practices into every subject area of the curriculum. By embedding computational thinking into all core subjects, educators can foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity in students, preparing them for the ever changing digital world. We are looking forward to exploring the newly adopted computer science standards.