2024VSTE Annual Conference

Explore powerful ways to transform your classrooms into digital learning and creation spaces. First, empower your students' agency using tech tools. Then, learn about Debbie's 3 Cs of Creation- Choice, Collaborative and Clickable. Finally, determine how intentionally integrating technology can prepare your learners for the future that awaits them.

As AI becomes an integral part of our daily lives, teaching students to navigate its complexities responsibly is more crucial than ever. This session will explore the benefits and risks of inviting students to use generative AI as a tool to support their learning. Should students be using generative AI every day? And if so, what guideposts can we put in place to define cheating, ensure ethical use, and protect students? personal information? We'll investigate useful tools and resources that students and teachers can utilize to effectively engage with AI and equip educators with strategies to evaluate their definition of digital literacy and foster critical thinking and responsible AI usage by students.

Ready to set sail on a voyage of student-led science exploration? Join us as we navigate the waters of creativity with Canva, crafting engaging choice boards. This session will chart a course for educators to design interactive boards that support the flipped classroom model and topic review. By offering students the helm in their learning journey, we foster independence and personalized discovery. Participants will curate their first boards, ready to launch on the same day. Anchors aweigh, and let's embark on this educational adventure together!

In this dynamic session, we will explore innovative strategies for integrating technology into Project-Based Learning (PBL) tailored specifically for gifted learners. Attendees will gain insights into how digital resources can enhance the PBL experience, fostering deeper engagement and advanced critical thinking skills among gifted students.Through hands on demonstrations, attendees will be taught strategies for leveraging technology to create differentiated and personalized learning opportunities that challenge and inspire gifted students. This session will be tailored to meet the needs of K-12 teachers across all subjects and will include cross curricular examples.

This session will repeat on Tuesday at 1:00pm in room 5A.

What happens when a Technology Coach and a Librarian get reunited after 4 years of being separated? See the fruits of our four years apart as AI happened. Although ChatGpt made all the headlines, there's a Pandora's box of AI tools to navigate and Education doesn?t sail at the speed of AI. Threat or tool, how do we pilot our vessels in a sea of AI tools in a way that avoids overestimating and underestimating AI technology? See how we approached AI tools as learners and then as teachers. Anchor in on one of our five tools to explore. As time permits, we will discuss source reliability, equity algorithms, digital redlining, chatbots and writing instruction. Join us as we share our larger manifest on tools for you to explore and gather your feedback on what works and what doesn?t. Digital AI resources will be made available.; Technology and Global Ethics: Where do we anchor with tech as we navigate environmental, intellectual, and social challenges? What circumstances and solutions require us to sail away from the shores of technology and which ones require more support for a quality anchor? When do we need to dock on topics related to Digital citizenships and innovative technology? How do we sail past distributing a list of moral guidelines to training students how to navigate their own moral decision-making when it comes to technology, its use, and impact? If you have ever pondered any of these questions, this is the session for you. Join us as we share our ideas and experiences on how we helped students harbor around technology and ethics.

What do you expect learning to look like for your youngest students? And how can technology play a role? Join us for a discussion around how the use of technology should be intentional and natural, as well as age appropriate to meet the abilities of each learner. We’ll also explore how iPad can help your youngest students communicate, create, and learn at their own pace.

Given the range of learning styles and abilities of students today, educators need technology and resources to accommodate and personalize learning. Apple builds accessibility features into every product, so everyone can use them in ways that work best for them. Join us for an interactive learning session to learn about built-in accessibility features on iPad.

Connect with the Apple Education team at VSTE at any time during the hour. We’ll discuss how schools are leveraging Apple devices in the classroom and answer any questions you might have.

Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of leadership and educational excellence that demonstrate Apple’s vision for learning with technology — and we believe they are some of the most innovative schools in the world. 

Join this panel discussion to hear from visionary school leaders at Apple Distinguished Schools who will share examples of how they inspire and impact teaching and learning in innovative ways in a technology rich environment. You’ll also get the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and network with each other.

Learn from the pros how you can produce a podcast or improve one you're already doing. The presenters are both longtime radio and television producers who have started applying their knowledge to the ActiVAtED Learning Podcast,  which is produced in partnership with VDOE and in collaboration with VSTE. In this session we'll go over the equipment you need, different applications for recording and editing, and tips to improve both production quality and audio design. We'll also talk about interviewing technique, hosting services, and how pre-production planning can save time and improve production quality.

Get ready to rock out with the sounds and legends of Rock n’ Roll and draw inspiration from their stories and music!  We’ll explore music videos, share some famous tales about these artists and songs, and learn how we can use technology like Rockstars!  This session is sure to motivate technology users, with great music and stories, along with cool examples of Instructional Technology in action, as well as some resources that are ready to be put into practice.  Since we’re at the beach this year, don’t be surprised if you hear some music to get you ready to hit the beach, and head out to sea!

Rock ‘n Roll has music and stories that create excitement and inspire creativity, and being at the beach this year, it seems only appropriate to use Beach Music to learn important lessons about how we can better use technology! Rock out at the beach and get some great technology resources!

Join me for this sun-sational session as we ride the wave of app smashing. We'll unleash the power of AI to turn classrooms into ampitheaters and lessons into brain-boosting adventures! Get ready to create lessons as engaging as Hanging Ten ! Tools used: Magic School AI, Suno AI, Brisk AI, and Quizizz AI.

This session repeats on Sunday at 3:30 in room 3D.

Coaching is a vital role for an effective Edtech leader, but it feels like there's not enough time in the day to successfully implement. In this session you will learn strategies for 15 minute coaching sessions that will empower your teachers to own their learning and professional development journeys.

This session will be repeated on Sunday at 3:30 in room 4A.