Vermont Fest 2024

Join us to explore how Essex Westford (Peter Drescher), Harwood Unified Union (Nate Gingras) , and Mount Mansfield Unified Union (Jeff Wallis), are leveraging ClassLink in their districts.
-Challenges they faced before using ClassLink
-From SSO to Rostering and Account Provisioning
-Implementation process
-See what’s new
While this is focused on a particular solution, all will talk about various ways all have explored this topic over the years. Consider how this solution might provide a streamlined means to roster and on/offboard employees.

Students and educators can create immersive 3D VR and AR experiences using CoSpaces. I will show you how younger students with little coding experience and older students with text-based coding experience can all create dynamic 3D environments that show off their learning while developing transferrable STEAM skills. Teachers can create classes and create/access assignments within the platform (which is browser-based on computers and an app on iPads). CoSpaces projects can incorporate 360 degree images and can be viewed in CoSpaces, online, or even through VR headsets for a truly immersive experience. Come see how students can create projects that allows them to connect to their community by creating an interactive virtual tour or creating a virtual world to tell a story, all while using cutting edge technology that is easily accessible. Participants will get and share lesson and project ideas and be able to jump into the CoSpaces environment to start building their own 3D experiences during this workshop. 1 month trial codes will also be available to further try it out on your own and with your students.

Jill will lead a conversation on SWANK, the streaming service brought to you at a discount through the help of VITA-Learn. Previously provided through the VT Department of Libraries for free to libraries, SWANK is a streaming service that provides easy access to learning materials. Jill will share how to connect with Jeff Mao of VITA-Learn to obtain discount pricing and login credentials. She will share how they have leveraged the use of SWANK at U-32 and will open discussion to the room for sharing their usage and ideas.

What if we told you there was a way to empower students to become leaders in their school community while also saving you time and work? Creating and leading a group of student tech experts is the answer!

At Cambridge Elementary School, we've been building our team of fifth and sixth grade "Technology Ambassadors" for over eight years. Students meet weekly to practice various technology skills, and then apply what they've learned by helping in our school community. The Technology Ambassadors assist around the school with tech issues, become our school photographers, produce a school newscast, assist younger students with using new tools, and more!

In this session we'll share successes, failures, and tips to help you build a group like this at your school! Although our experience is with fifth and sixth graders, the ideas could be easily applied to middle and high school as well.

Do you want to give your students an authentic opportunity to develop their information literacy knowledge and skills? Empower them by making them the teachers at a school-based Media Mentorship event. In this session, you’ll see examples of past events where students have engaged audiences like their families and local senior citizens around how to recognize confirmation bias, consider the impact of social media algorithms, and investigate questionable claims and sources. Leave with the lessons used to prepare students for these teaching moments and event materials you can adapt to fit your community’s needs.

In today's digital landscape, both digital citizenship and cybersecurity are crucial for protecting our students. Understanding online safety and responsible behavior helps students navigate the digital world, safeguard their personal information, recognize the consequences of their online actions, and effectively report cyberbullying. Join this session to explore free, ready-to-use lessons designed to equip students with the skills they need for both secure and ethical online decision-making.

Do you have a maker space and you don't know how to organize it or get students to use it? At U-32 we've designed our maker space to be user friendly and user independent. After visiting Generator in Burlington, VT we modeled a badge system that they use to ensure that our students could access the space after receiving training. They earn badges for completed trainings and can use those tools/materials independent of supervision. It is still a work in progress, but we've seen major growth in the usage of the tools. I will share what we've done, templates for creating your own badge and accountability system and open the floor to discussion and recommendations of tools.