Grab your tropical juice or cup of coffee and join the Virginia Department of Education’s breakfast briefing from 8:15-8:45 AM. Hear the latest updates and share your thoughts with the Office of Educational Technology and Classroom Innovation.
In the world of educational technology (EdTech) and generative artificial intelligence (genAI), we have seen many shiny new tools and claims of classroom transformations alongside buzzwords like dierentiation, fidelity, and 21st-century-skills. Meaningful edtech integration is never about the EdTech, instead, it is all about good teaching and learning first that is supported by technology to enhance and open new possibilities. The never before seen speed of change in education as pushed by genAI calls on all educators to employ EdTech with a Purpose.
Since the beginning of communication there has been a need for security. While telecommunication inventions have transformed the speed and ease of communication, security remains of daily importance. As early as the 1834 attack of the French Semaphore Communication System to modern day AI-generated phishing attacks, the active role of users ensures security. The VDOE E-Rate Coordinator/K-12 Specialist in the Office of Cybersecurity and Risk Mangement will provide a historical approach to encourage digital citizenship habits towards Cybersecurity that can be shared with teachers and students alike.
Just as explorers once navigated uncharted tropical islands, educators today must navigate the vast and ever-evolving digital landscape. However, ensuring a safe and enriching journey requires a collective effort: educational leaders as seasoned navigators, teachers as skilled cartographers, and students as responsible voyagers. This session invites you to embark on a voyage of discovery, exploring resources that will illuminate the path to student internet safety. Join us as we chart a course for responsible digital citizenship, ensuring our students can explore the vast online world safely and confidently.
Augmented reality gives students opportunities to experience the world in new and inspiring ways, but integrating it into curriculum requires planning. Join us to learn best practices for bringing augmented reality to the classroom across subject areas — from science to social studies and beyond.
Curious about how to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning into your classroom in a fun, approachable way? Stop by this hands-on station to explore Google’s Teachable Machine—a beginner-friendly tool that lets users train their own machine learning models using images, sounds, or poses, all without writing a single line of code. Participants are invited to experiment, ask questions, and play, building and testing models on the spot. You’ll see how even younger students can use this tool to learn about data collection, model training, and bias—concepts that are covered in the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning. Whether you're new to AI or looking for fresh ideas to engage your students, this interactive space will spark new possibilities for teaching and learning with machine learning!
Participants will experience a hands-on session where they will complete a science or math VR lesson. Presenters will highlight the benefits of using VR in the classroom and offer some tips for using VR with students.
Just like a tropical paradise offers endless opportunities for exploration, coaching opens a world of possibilities for educators. Join us as we navigate the latest coaching trends across Virginia, sharing insights from the VSTE Certified Coach program and data-driven strategies that empower educators, foster collaboration, and drive impactful growth. Through interactive discussions, real-world case studies, and problem-solving challenges, you'll gain practical insights into adaptable coaching frameworks that help teachers thrive. Participants will also explore key findings from Virginia’s coaching landscape and discover ways to enhance their own coaching practices. 📱 To fully engage, bring a smartphone or device to participate in interactive elements. 🏝️ Come ready to dive in, ride the waves of best practices, and leave with actionable strategies to build your own coaching oasis!
In this session, you will learn how to create basic activities in Google Slides or PowerPoint, as well as Canva to create math resources in your classroom. With everyone trying to save a little money, creating your own resources will save you time, and could give you an opportunity to make a little extra cash on the side.
Katie is a Reading Specialist for Lee County Public Schools but my most important and favorite job is Micah's mom. Micah is an 8th grade student with learning difficulties who has learned to self-modify when reading longer books for pleasure. Come join us for a session on self-modification strategies. Device not required.
The Robot Drone League Jr. program is designed to provide younger students with open-ended challenges that allow for creation and innovation by engaging in hands-on design, engineering, and programming of interactive robots and drones. Working with robots in a collaborative game format is a very powerful tool to engage students and enhance math and science skills through hands-on, student-centered learning. Join us for an exciting and hands-on session to explore RDL Jr., interact with robots and drones, and hear firsthand from Lee County students and coaches about their experiences in past RDL Jr. competitions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is built on core computer science principles. By integrating foundational CS concepts like computational thinking, algorithmic design, and data analysis into instruction, K-8 educators can provide students with the foundation of AI literacy. This foundation not only helps students understand AI concepts but also empowers them to think critically about how AI systems work and impact their world. This session will explore how the 2024 Computer Science Standards of Learning integrate key AI concepts aligned with the Five Big Ideas of AI—Perception, Representation & Reasoning, Learning, Human-AI Interaction, and Social Impact, which is essential in understanding how AI works.
AI is the latest, most advanced and probably most challenging technology educators have faced. We owe it to our students to learn about this new world in order to help them navigate it ethically and effectively. This minds-on, hands-on session will demonstrate how an old school tool called TPACK can support teachers as they learn to use AI in the classroom. You will leave with ideas for supporting your own work as well as ideas for integrating AI in your lessons. There will be lots of times for creating and collaborating so bring a colleague!
This session explores how empowering young girls to engage with artificial intelligence (AI) can foster creativity, collaboration, and leadership skills. Participants will discover strategies for promoting teamwork in AI projects, highlighting how diverse perspectives lead to innovative solutions. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, attendees will learn how to inspire girls to thrive in technology-driven environments, equipping them with the confidence and skills to shape the future of AI. This session is ideal for educators, mentors, and advocates looking to create inclusive opportunities in STEM fields.
This interactive session will show you how to connect student data with AI-powered lesson planning to support every learner. We’ll model how to use our front-loading process with Google tools and generative AI to meet the needs of ELs, SPED, and other subgroups. You’ll see how this approach improves digital literacy, supports content standards, and saves teachers hours each week. Ideal for classroom teachers, coaches, and administrators looking to make tech-enhanced learning practical and powerful.
Creativity is critical to effective problem solving, analytical thinking, and collaboration. But it can be challenging to clearly define —much less cultivate — in the classroom. Join us to discuss best practices for integrating creativity into your school’s curriculum.
Be a part of a live audience for a recording of a SEASON THREE episode of the Ed-Tech –focused ActiVAtED Learning Podcast. Tom Landon of Blue Ridge PBS asks the questions you want answers to from one of America’s great educators (insert guest/keynote name here). ActiVAtED Learning is produced in partnership with the Virginia Department of Education and in collaboration with VSTE.
This session will focus on the 2024 Computer Science Instructional Guides that support the implementation of the Computer Science Standards of Learning. The instructional guides serve as a companion document that amplifies each standard by defining the core knowledge and skills in practice, supporting teachers and their instruction, and serving to transition classroom instruction from the 2017 Computer Science Standards of Learning to the newly adopted standards. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the structure and purpose of the instructional guides, learning how the instructional guides may be used for curriculum planning and classroom instruction.
Join this active session to learn more about ClassSwift from ViewSonic. ClassSwift is an advanced classroom management tool designed to empower educators and enhance the learning experience for students. This presentation will highlight three key features of ClassSwift that make it an indispensable asset for modern classrooms: Check Learning Comprehension On-the-Fly: ClassSwift enables teachers to assess student understanding in real-time through interactive quizzes and instant feedback mechanisms. This allows educators to identify and address learning gaps promptly, ensuring that no student falls behind. Spark Classroom Engagement: With ClassSwift, teachers can create dynamic and interactive lessons that captivate students' attention. The platform offers various tools to foster participation, such as polls, discussion boards, and gamified learning activities, making the classroom environment more engaging and enjoyable. Personalize Instruction: ClassSwift's data-driven insights allow educators to tailor their teaching strategies to meet the unique needs of each student. By analyzing performance metrics and learning patterns, teachers can customize lesson plans and provide targeted support, enhancing the overall effectiveness of instruction. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how ClassSwift can transform traditional classroom dynamics, making it easier for teachers to focus on what matters most: teaching and inspiring students. This proposal aims to showcase the practical applications and benefits of ClassSwift in various educational settings, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and personalized learning experience.
This engaging presentation delves into the intricate connections between Virginia's 2020 Digital Learning Integration Standards, curriculum, and the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It offers a compelling vision for the future, where these elements come together harmoniously to prepare students for a world that is increasingly dominated by technological advancements. Participants should bring a personal device for interactive parts of the presentation.
Are you ready to explore a creative paradise with your young students? Grab your sunglasses and dive into the vibrant world of 3D printing, designed with elementary learners in mind. Using Tinkercad’s intuitive design tools and a variety of classroom-ready templates, we’ll navigate a landscape where imagination meets innovation—empowering even the youngest students to turn their ideas into tangible creations. We’ll look at real classroom examples that align with core content, try our hand at designing and creating our own, and share practical tips and tricks to make the experience fun, manageable, and meaningful for littles. Participants will walk away with ready-to-use templates and inspiration to immediately use in their classrooms.
Augmented reality gives students opportunities to experience the world in new and inspiring ways, but integrating it into curriculum requires planning. Join us to learn best practices for bringing augmented reality to the classroom across subject areas — from science to social studies and beyond.
Have you been dabbling in AI as a teacher but haven’t begun to integrate responsible AI use by students into your classroom? This session will dive into making sure you as a teacher are comfortable with using AI tools as well as providing a range of resources and experiences to get started teaching students how to responsibly & successfully use AI. All will leave the session with many teacher and student AI resources and things you can use in class the next day!
Curious about how to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning into your classroom in a fun, approachable way? Stop by this hands-on station to explore Google’s Teachable Machine—a beginner-friendly tool that lets users train their own machine learning models using images, sounds, or poses, all without writing a single line of code. Participants are invited to experiment, ask questions, and play, building and testing models on the spot. You’ll see how even younger students can use this tool to learn about data collection, model training, and bias—concepts that are covered in the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning. Whether you're new to AI or looking for fresh ideas to engage your students, this interactive space will spark new possibilities for teaching and learning with machine learning!
Creativity is critical to effective problem solving, analytical thinking, and collaboration. But it can be challenging to clearly define —much less cultivate — in the classroom. Join us to discuss best practices for integrating creativity into your school’s curriculum.
Come along for a "suite" journey through tips, tricks, and just plain cool G Suite tools. This will be a fast paced session with a wealth of resources shared. Feel free to bring awesomeness to share and, rest assured, resources will be shared to review afterward. Let’s learn and grow our Google awesomeness together!
This presentation will explore the virtual learning options and resources for K-12 education in the Commonwealth. It aims to highlight emerging opportunities and tools that empower educators to deliver engaging and personalized instruction for all students. We will discuss best practices, artificial intelligence connections, and a myriad of resources and supports available to educators and divisions will be shared to help students and families succeed. Learn more about we make virtual learning connections for educators, students, and families.
