I think we can agree that the past year has been unlike any other. You’ve pivoted, shifted, adjusted, and used all sorts of other verbs to provide the best support and opportunities for your students, families, and school communities.
KUDOS to you!
At this point, you hopefully have a bit of time to breathe and consider the next steps presented by your district. Additionally, we invite you to consider what’s next in your own unique journey as an educator:
- What did you learn about yourself as an educator that you are excited to carry into the future?
- What edtech tools are you planning to continue to utilize with your students?
- What edtech challenges did you encounter and overcome? What are you still grappling with?
- What are you interested in learning about to further develop your instructional repertoire? Do you have a specific focus?
- Who is in your own personal learning community? How will you connect with these people for mutual support and benefit?
If you would like an opportunity to learn from other Virginia educators about their reflections and ideas for the future, please plan to attend EdTechRVA 2021! This conference is offered by the Greater Richmond Area Educational Technology Consortium (GRAETC), the regional VSTE affiliate. This conference is directed toward you as a teacher, administrator, or school-based coach, and is intended to provide exciting and applicable professional learning!
While normally hosted at VCU, our conference is virtual this year and takes place over the span of three evenings, 4-6 PM each night on March 9-11th, to honor your demanding schedules.
Over 50 breakout sessions will be offered on a multitude of topics, including:
- Gamification and other engagement strategies
- Ideas to leverage Google tools
- Learning management system (LMS) tips and tricks
- Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Spotlights on instructional applications, including Desmos, Nearpod, and Bandlab
In addition to the many fabulous breakout sessions we have planned, we will also host a Wednesday keynote speaker, facilitate casual “chat and share” opportunities to network and reflect, and enjoy a crowd-favorite – the demo slam! All attendees will be eligible to win door prizes as well, including Amazon gift cards to spend on neat edtech tools and accessories of your choice.
Registration will open for attendees on January 31st, and registration will be $20 per person. Stay tuned for a registration link on the GRAETC homepage or check out our Twitter feed for announcements! If you have any questions about the conference, please email Krystle Demas, conference chair, or Kelsey Pacer, conference chair-elect.
We understand completely that this has been a busy year full of “crisis PD.” However, we hope you will take advantage of this inspiring, collegial conference to feel supported and get excited to embrace what’s next in the future!
Authorship Information
Kelsey Pacer is the Virtual Professional Learning Support Specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools and this year’s EdTechRVA Conference Chair-Elect. She is in her ninth year in education, having previously worked as an Instructional Designer, Technology Integrator, and elementary classroom teacher in Virginia and North Carolina. In her free time, Kelsey enjoys reading, traveling, dogspotting, and running around Richmond.