VITA-Learn - Thursday Strands

The workshops have been divided into strands to better allow you to select workshops to meet your interests.

Strand A –Tools for Teachers Gateway 1

Strand B - New & Interesting Northstar 1

Strand C – Elementary Integration Escapade 2

Strand D – Middle Level Integration Northstar 2

Strand E- High School Integration Gateway 2

Strand F – Vendor Presentations Escapade 1

Strand G – Vendor Presentations Roundabout

Session 1 9:45 – 10:45

A. Look Mom, No Binder – ePortfolio Considerations

This session, designed for teachers, technology coordinators, and technology integrationists, is focused on describing and applying the core components of a support system for electronic portfolios.~ Topics will include: choosing an ePortfolio system, identifying partners, assessing technical needs, training methodologies, facilities, staffing, and connection to institutional assessment.~ The principles and components of this presentation have been applied at Plymouth State University where iWebfolio has been used as the ePortfolio tool of choice for the past three years.

B. Using Podcasts to Building Literacy Skills

"I'm Going to be on I-Tunes!" exclaimed Rebecca, a 5th grader, who is working with other Middle School students to produce podcast episodes published~on the school's website and through I-Tunes.~~ Students are using Inspiration and PowerPoint for storyboarding and planning, word processing for writing scripts,~and free tools for producing and publishing radio styled shows called Podcast.~ Student and teacher presenters will share their excitement,~technical how to's, lessons learned, and ideas for using podcasting in your school.

C. Planning for Successful Technology Integration in the Elementary Classroom

Erica Goodrich & Leslie Read

The Technology Grade Expectations and Performance Assessment Tasks are a part of our life! You need to incorporate these into your curriculum, but where do you start? There are tons of questions racing through your mind. What specifically are you responsible for? How do you make the integration meaningful and enhance you curriculum with technology? What resources are out there waiting to be used? How do you make sure students have plenty of practice opportunities before you assess? What tools can you use for assessment? How will the task work in your classroom with only a few computers? In this session your will find some helpful suggestions to these questions and other questions that really work in the classroom!

D. Integrating Technology within the Vermont Studies Curriculum

Are you looking for resources to use in the teaching of Vermont Studies?

Using the Grade Level Expectations for History and Social Studies, this

workshop will offer participants ideas for integrating technology within the

Vermont Studies curriculum. Kidpix applications, the Timeliner program,

spreadsheets, word processing and specific websites will be featured.

E. CricketSats as an Educational Tool in The Science Classroom

Developed by Stanford University, the CricketSat is a remote sensor circuit that allows for real-time data collection via a sensor that is then transmitted as a radio frequency. This low-cost system has multiple applications both in the air and on the ground and can easily be modified to meet individual needs. Educators can use the CricketSat in the classroom as a data collection system, allowing students the ability to directly study atmospheric conditions and as a tool for demonstrating scientific phenomena.

F. Claymation Fasination Across the Nation – Hands-on

Heather Chirtea & Jennifer Sweeney, Tool Factory

Using only a ball of clay and a digital camera, we’ll demonstrate how to make a clay character come to life.~ The instructor will~show how to shoot a sequence of digital photos, and then use them as the frames of a mini clay-animated sprite.~ Transfer images to the computer, and then assemble the frames into a looping cartoon.~ Free copy of MultiMedia Lab V (worth $99), instructive manual, plus a subscription to Elementary Zone.

G. Introduction to VCAT: Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Tool

Steve Peery, Effective Assessment

Designed to meet Vermont’s requirement for a Local Comprehensive Assessment

System, VCAT (vcat.us) is a powerful web-based system that enables teachers and administrators to plan, administer, and assess student learning based specifically on a district’s curriculum and Vermont Standards. This presentation will include a full demonstration of this solution to all of your local assessment needs.

Visit the Vendors – 10:45 – 11:15

Must be present to win

Session 2 11:15 – 12:15

A. All A-board for Fun and Learning: Kids, Literacy and Electric Whiteboard

Lee Hollister & Joanne Finnegan

Looking for ways to motivate reluctant readers? Learn how we’re using an interactive whiteboard to differentiate and involve kindergarten and first grade emergent readers and writers during their literacy block.

You’ll see hands on demonstrations of the effectiveness of using an interactive whiteboard to promote early literacy with at-risk learners. Some of the things you’ll see are letter formation, cloze activities, word sorts, and games. Any of these activities can be adapted to other grades.

If you thought you couldn’t afford an interactive whiteboard, we’ll explain the creative ways we used to come up with the funding to purchase our equipment.

B. What can Open Source (read FREE) do for you?

Open source software is growing at a tremendous rate. It opens up all kinds of possibilities that may not have existed before because of cost. The number, quality and kinds of applications continue to grow. Among the applications we will examine are, GIMP (a photo editor) OpenOffice 2.0 (An alternative to Microsoft Office) AbiWord (low overhead word processor), Scribus (Desktop Publishing), Dia (diagraming software), Firefox, and more.

C. Building Performance Assessments Tasks for Primary Grade Students

Technology Performance Assessment Tasks can start at any grade. This presentation will focus on using Kidpix and Kidspiration and cover both Information Technology Grade Expectations and the curriculum areas in math, writing, science, and social studies in the primary grades.

Kids love to see themselves on the big screen. This project involves students with all aspects of creating a school newscast. Students of all interests and abilities can find their niche. The roles include reporters, interviewees, anchors, camera operators, script- writers, sign makers and iMovie editors. The focus is working together, trying new things and contributing to a product they can be proud of. You will see a first attempt that will allow you to imagine the possibilities.

E. Supporting Effective Technology Integration in High Schools

What are the essential factors needed for successful technology integration at the high school level? How do high school teachers successfully integrate technology?

With new demands around technology grade expectations, and the challenging schedules of most high school teachers, this process becomes even harder. In this workshop, based on a research study conducted at Milton High School, we will explore what core factors really need to be in place for successful technology integration to work. The data collected during this research was from the teachers and technology leaders in the high school. Research based ideas, model strategies and teacher recommendations will all be discussed. This workshop is great for school and technology leaders as it looks at the big picture strategies that schools can adopt to begin to successfully integrate technology at the high school level in a systemic way.

F. Databases Skills for Novices – Meet the Technology Standards Head On! –

Heather Chirtea & Jennifer Sweeney Tool Factory

Introduce database skills at any level, elementary to high school.~ Using a comprehensive library of clip art, teachers will create their own databases, based on their current teaching themes. We’ll show you an effective way to introduce each step in creating databases. Finish with lively discussion on effective ways to introduce database skills at key grade levels.~ Receive a free copy of Tool Factory Workshop (worth $199), plus a subscription to Elementary Zone.

G. MAP by NWEA - Formative Data to Supplement NECAP

Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a nationwide non-profit organization, provides computerized adaptive assessments that adjust to each student’s achievement level. The tests, aligned to the instructional standards for the state of Vermont, provide immediate results, contain no time limits, and may be administered up to four times a year. Reports address individual student needs to facilitate differentiated instruction as well as provide growth and historical data. Our mission is to help ALL children learn.

Lunch – 12:15 – 1:15

Session 3 1:30 – 2:30

A. Collecting Evidence that Supports Technology Integration in Your Classroom and School

We are living and working in an ever more evidence-based culture where stakeholders and colleagues want to see measurable results that support our practice. As emphasis is placed on technology integration there is a need for evidence to support best practice and promote successful integration models. This presentation aims at helping teachers, integration specialists, and administrators identify measurable outcomes and develop evidence that supports these outcomes.

The session will use an interactive dialogue to provide participants with models for collecting evidence to support technology as well as providing participants the opportunity to inform the presenter and each other on models and potential application from the field.

B. Mind Over Media: Teaching Media Literacy

Richard Schattman, Rob Williams, Kay Marcelle,

“What’s important now is not what media are doing to children but what children are doing with media.” ~~~--Henry Jenkins, professor, M.I.T.

Media literacy education is a framework for analyzing, evaluating and creating media content that will enable students to develop critical thinking and media production skills necessary for living and learning in a global culture that is increasingly connected through a variety of media. Powerful images, words and sounds influence students as the amount of time they spend “media multi-tasking” continues to increase.

All 5th & 6^th grade students at Waitsfield School complete a media literacy program that addresses technology GE’s, is linked to curriculum, and views students as both consumers and producers of media. Participants in this presentation will discover skills, strategies and lesson plans useful in teaching media literacy.

C. Technology in the Primary Classroom… Starting Early

It is recommended that assessment of Vermont students’ technology skills start as early as grade two. (Vermont Technology Grade Expectations). If assessment starts in grade 2, instruction must start as early as kindergarten. This presentation will focus on how K-2 teachers in one school district prepare students for assessment in the early grades.

Other examples of technology integration will be shown that take students beyond the Technology Grade Expectations.

D. A Math History Project

Start with the name of a famous mathematician. This presentation lays out a successful strategy for integrating Math History into your classroom. The purpose of the math history project is to give students an opportunity to research and explore the life and contributions of a historical mathematician.~ Examples of student PowerPoint presentations that integrated graphing calculators, Smartboards, and internet links will demonstrate how far students can go with math history when given the opportunity.

E. Technology Tools in~a HS Physics and Chemistry Classroom

Teacher websites come in all sizes and shapes. This workshop will show you how one teacher utilizes his website to~provide students with teacher-created, web-based solution guides for chemistry and physics problems using common office tools.~Learn how concept mapping is tightly integrated in advanced science curriculum to foster knowledge construction. Gain insight into the use of~physics simulations via SmartBoard technology (as time allows).

F. Digital Camera Workshop, Camera Tips and Curriculum Building – Hands-on

Heather Chirtea & Jennifer Sweeney Tool Factory

Come to this rowdy seminar and find out what you never discovered about your digital cameras!~Learn creative tips when shooing sports, panorama, zoom and super-macro. Explore a photographic library and build a~project~that includes narration and sound effects. Use a paint program smudge out a frame, stamp down a border. Learn how to procure digital cameras through training budgets and get strategies for district-wide training. Free software (worth $199), great manual.

G. The Latest and Greatest from Apple

John Lemansky / Bryan Schofield, Apple Computer

Join us for an exciting session featuring the latest products and technology directions for education from Apple Computer. The session will be loaded with exciting demonstrations and will have plenty of time for questions and answer.~

Visit the Vendors – 2:30 – 3:00

Must be present to win

Session 4 3:00 – 4:00

A. Using Technology for Creating Teacher Management Tools

You can have the classroom library, organizing web searches (for students and colleagues), grade book, assessments, and records all at the touch of your keyboard. The time spent creating these tools is worth the payoff – no more lost index cards, no crunch time for calculating grades, few file drawers needed are just some of the benefits of these tools.

B. An Inquiry About Inquiry-based Learning

Should wolves be allowed to resettle in Vermont? Does listening to music while studying affect learning? What places in Vermont are most interesting to children? What do your students really want to know? Learn about ways to bring excitement to your classroom by engaging your students using inquiry-based learning strategies and technology resources and still meet grade expectations and standards. Make their learning and your teaching meaningful, memorable and fun.

C. The Making of Vermont Authors

Courtney Kendall & Ceil Hunt

In written narratives, students organize and relate a series of events, fictional or actual, into a coherent whole.

In this workshop you will discover . . .

· Authors and literature that lead into or collaborate with writing narratives

· Prewriting activities that prepare students for writing narratives

· How to use a story map as a graphic organizer to help students organize their thoughts and ideas

· Hand movements and verse that assist students in identifying and using story elements

· Whole group writing activities that work K-2 and beyond!

· How to publish narratives into book format

D. Graveyards and the American Civil War

Who were the men Vermont sent into the American Civil War?~ The answer is just a click and a step away. Join my fifth and sixth graders as we visit gravesites and websites to learn more about whom we sent and why they went.

E. Communicating Curriculum through Webpage Design

Noah Hurlbury & Len Denice

The objective of this presentation is to provide educators and administrators an opportunity to effectively communicate curriculum, school events, coursework, and other germane information through their school’s or district website. Individuals will observe how to use the necessary tools to create effective WebPages and then create WebPages that demonstrate proficiency in design, graphics, and usable information. This will include understanding and appreciation of what makes an effective webpage. The presentation covers topics ranging from physical tool utilization (i.e. digital photos, scanners and video), to software utilization, Microsoft Word, FrontPage, Dreamweaver Adobe Reader/ Writer, HTML/ web editors, graphic/ animation creation and web shareware.

F. School Newspaper , Banners, Posters, and Bulletin Boards

– Hands on - Heather Chirtea & Jennifer Sweeney Tool Factory

If you love printed projects, then this is the seminar for you! Learn how to combine your favorite digital photos with the school’s logo to create a rousing banner for the lobby or a classroom newsletter. Experiment with paint tools that emulate felt tip, water color and pastels. Attendees receive a comprehensive lesson plan packet, a free subscription to Elementary Zone, plus a free copy of Fresco or Tool Factory Workshop (worth $199).

G. Podcasting with iLife '06: Enhanced Podcasts and i-pods in the Classroom - Bryan Schofield Apple Computer

The best way to record music on a Mac is now the best way to record podcasts. Podcasting in GarageBand 3 puts you in the control room of your own full-featured radio station. And new iWeb integration gets your voice on the Internet in minutes.~ This session provides an in depth review of pod casting, focusing on making enhanced pod casts with i-life 06. We will also share some the innovative pod casts being produced in Vermont Schools.

Vendor Reception – 4:00 to 6:00

Enjoy Great Snacks

Network with your Friends

Sponsored by Effective Assessment developer of

Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Tool (VCAT)