2024VSTE Annual Conference

Join us for an interactive poster session showcasing innovative apps transforming school libraries! Two elementary school librarians are excited to share how they integrate technology to enhance learning environments and empower students. Discover a variety of apps tailored for library management, digital resources, literacy promotion, and more.

Explore the VSTE Certified Coach (VCC) Program at our interactive poster session! Learn how we are shaping the future of education by empowering teachers, coaches, and administrators through cutting-edge coaching practices. Our display will feature highlights of our program's structure, benefits, and the profound impact it has on educators' professional development.

The "Compass to Coding" conference session introduces an innovative approach to empowering educators with hands-on computer science activities tailored for students. The session delves into the concept of a monthly subscription box designed specifically for teachers, aiming to enrich their curriculum with engaging coding experiences. Each monthly activity is designed to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity among students.

In this session we will share how we moved kindergarten students through the design process with the task of creating a model of an insect for the Virginia Aquarium. We brainstormed/generated questions whole group, individually utilized Pebble Go for research, planned, built, tested, and improved insect models using cooperative teams, as well as threw in a little robotics for fun.

Embracing Diversity: Culturally Inclusive Educational Technology," will provide participants the opportunity to explore the powerful role that educational technology (EdTech) can play in promoting cultural inclusivity within the classroom. This session aims to provide educators with practical tools, strategies, and insights to create a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds.

Unlock the full potential of your LMS! Discover how using HTML can transform your instructional content, creating a more engaging and dynamic learning experience for your students. Stop by to explore and discuss simple ways to boost student engagement and enhance your LMS courses using HTML! Learn how to read HTML code, add it to the HTML editor in your LMS, and adapt it to your needs.

This poster session will show teachers some cool AI features offered by google.

Are you ready to launch your literacy instruction into the 21st century? Challenge and delight your students with a brand new way to showcase their reading: living book reports built with robotics! In this poster session, participants will view and interact with robots inspired by literature. They will have access to free resources that include pedagogical tips and tricks to incorporate computer science into reading and writing, and build confidence in robotics and in computer science instruction. No robotics experience required!

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) use continues to grow in P-12 education, it is necessary for educators to navigate these emerging technologies and remain on the leading edge of pedagogical practices and integrated curricula. To prepare them for today?s classrooms, educator preparation programs need to provide teacher candidates with instruction on effective ways to use AI to improve teaching and learning while reducing teacher burnout. This poster session provides guidance on understanding how AI tools can support both teachers and learners and includes concrete ways to improve learner engagement, the learning process, assessment, and student well-being within all disciplines in teacher educator preparation programs.

I will highlight various tech tools we use to teach coding and robotics at Cape Henry Collegiate such as Marty the Robot, Bee-Bots, Spheros, EV3's etc...I will add additional features as the time nears and I am happy to update this list for you. I hope that attendees will learn about new products to add to their curriculum or learn new ways to add familiar tech to their curriculum and get excited about it!

Join us for an interactive poster session aimed at enhancing school-home connections through technology. In this session, we will explore strategies and best practices for organizing a successful Family Technology Night at your school. We'll discuss how to engage parents and caregivers in meaningful ways, promote digital literacy, and foster a collaborative learning environment outside the classroom.

Henrico County Public Schools has implemented three innovative game-based programs?Esports Clubs, First Lego League Challenge teams, and Minecraft Build Battles?to help anchor middle school students to school. These programs provide engaging platforms for students to connect with peers, develop durable skills, and cultivate a sense of belonging within the school community. Explore Henrico's "Game Plan" to discover the positive impacts on attendance, well-being, and academic achievement, and learn how these initiatives are building a stronger, more connected school environment.

As coaches and leads, we are expected to support our colleagues in ?the right moves? to reduce barriers for student learning. But what are the right moves? We?re sharing our Instructional Playbook for coaches and leads that?s built on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework for teaching and learning. We?ll share how using the UDL guidelines makes us more effective coaches and teacher leaders and first (or next) steps for anyone in those roles. Understand the basic neuroscience behind the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework for teaching and learning Explore samples from the UDL Instructional Playbook for coaches and leads Identify next steps for coaching peers to reduce instructional barriers 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.