ITTIP News

ITTIP News.

TTES 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

Much like AFDA and CoMPD, Transformative Teaching in Elementary Science (TTES) is designed to improve content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge of forty K-5 teachers and enable them to transform instructional practices to develop science process skills. Through these graduate courses, teachers will receive 5 graduate credits and training on specified science SOL strands. Working in small groups within their schools, teachers will develop and implement lessons using research based UDL, IBL, and SIOP strategies.

AFDA 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

afta_pic_1Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis (AFDA) for Southside Virginia began in Fall of 2009 and has continued this summer. Southside Virginia school divisions, Longwood University, and Longwood’s Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices have created AFDA to improve the knowledge skills of mathematics teachers in grades K-12. The new AFDA standards will provide opportunities to develop these skills for improved understanding.

Another class will be offered in the Fall of 2010 for teachers in participating Southside Virginia school divisions.

ISTE Conference 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

In June of this year, Dr. Manorama Talaiver and Rebecca Bowen of the Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices traveled to Denver, Colorado for the 31st annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference. Dr. Talaiver along with project staff presented a poster session on Digital-Age Teaching and Learning: Games, Simulations, and Virtual Environments.

ISTE is the largest educational technology conference in the world with many workshops and keynotes available to attendees.

 

MarineTech 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

The Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices has partnered with Batten College of Engineering and Technology of Old Dominion University (ODU) to bring MarineTech to some of the surrounding areas. Recently MarineTech had a two-week summer academy for students from Norfolk, Richmond, and Skipwith, VA. ODU professors, Dr. Alok Verma, Dr. Tony Dean, and Mr. Ron Jerasa were instructors for the three sites. The workshop included Math and Science exploration, IT exploration, and Sea Perch Workshops.

StudentComputerAlong with the student summer academy, MarineTech had a two-day Summer Workshop for teachers. These workshops were held during June 23-24 in Norfolk, June 28-29 in Richmond, and July 14-15 in Skipwith, VA.  Included in this program was the Sea Perch Workshop conducted by Dr. Alok Verma. Teachers worked together to build underwater robots based on topics including Force and Motion, Oceanography, Submarines and Deep Sea Salvage.

The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) donated the Sea Perch Kits under a program funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

WiiSTEM Teacher Academy 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

WiiSTEM Teacher Academy is a professional development for Elementary and Middle school teachers. At this academy, Scratch and Alice, two object-oriented programming languages, were taught to interested teachers in two locations, Halifax and Goochland. This five-day workshop took place on June 14- 18, 2010 in Halifax and June 21-25, 2010 in Goochland.

There were ten elementary and middle school teachers per site and selection was based on the teacher’s willingness to create educational games and teaching modules as well as their commitment to the two programs. Teachers were given incentives for this workshop.

Alice Workshop

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

Rebecca Bowen of Longwood University’s Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) presented a free two-day workshop on the gaming software Alice.

Alice is a free object oriented programming environment that allows someone with little programming knowledge to create animations and virtual worlds.

This workshop was made available to students in grades 4-8 as well as any interested parents in the participating locations, Clarksville’s Verizon Distance Education Center and Halifax in the ITTIP’s training room. Ten students took advantage of this opportunity.

Dr. Talaiver Recognized for Outstanding Service in Digital Equity

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | August 04 2010

Dr. T Dig EquityDr. Manorama (Mano) Talaiver, Director of Longwood University’s Institute for Teaching though Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP), has been selected to receive the Outstanding Service in Digital Equity Award (OSDE) from the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). The OSDE was established to recognize outstanding scholarship and successful approaches taken through teacher education.

Senator Ruff & Dr. TCriteria for this award includes; outstanding evidence of service to and impact on teacher education; service to digital equity; scholarship; overall initiative; and work as an innovation catalyst.

This award is given in hopes to stimulate scholarship and service to expand the knowledge base relative to teacher education, promote equity in technology and teacher education, and disseminate information nationally and internationally.

CoMPD 2010

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | July 30 2010

Receiving a Math Science Partnership grant, the Institute for Teaching Through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) and the Mathematics Department of Longwood University Cooke's College of Arts and Sciences have partnered together to provide opportunities to enhance the knowledge and skills for forty teachers grades K-3 and 36 teachers grades 4-6. They have also partnered with the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research to provide similar opportunities for teachers of grades 7-8. 

Beginning June 7, 2010, Longwood University hosted a video conference for 36 teachers of grades 4-6 from the surrounding counties. This conference was designed to improve the content, pedagogy, and technology knowledge of these teachers. It will transform instructional practices to improve mathematical learning and develop mathematical thinking in all students including students with special needs. Through graduate courses and follow ups throughout the year in the form of online classes and workshops, teachers will receive training on the new mathematics SOL standards and implement lessons using research-based mathematics strategies. 

At the end of the fall workshop, four teachers will be chosen based on their merit and accomplishments during the program to attend and present their projects at the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (VCTM) annual conference.

Digispired ii: Field Trip to ODU

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | July 30 2010

Students at ODUOn Friday, July 16th 2010,  the students of the Digispired ii program traveled to Old Dominion University  (ODU) to get a hands on feel of different STEM undergrad programs. The students were able to get a first hand look at Thermodynamics, Micromechanics, Aerodynamics, Medical Imaging, Diagnosis and Analysis (MIDA), and Biomedical Engineering.  With each lab the student was able to understand the principles and concepts behind that particular field and see the benefits of technology and how it has helped with advancements in that area.  ODU graduate students led Digispired ii students on tours of the Engineering Department.  ODU graduate students also shared with Digispired ii students their perspectives on engineering fields.

Digispired ii Summer Academy

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Written by Cassandra Wilson | July 30 2010

 

Digisired ii StudentCommencing on July 12th 2010, Digispired ii: Workforce Inspiration Investigation for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiiSTEM) welcomed 71 students from Halifax, Mecklenburg, Charlotte, Farmville, Cumberland, Appomattox, Hopewell, Petersburg, and the Richmond area. This kicked off the beginning of a three year project established through a grant by the National Science Foundation. Based in three locations, the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, Longwood University, and Virginia State University, the program focused on introducing these students to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

 

Using Scratch software, a product to facilitate game design, the students were taught to create innovative learning games including interactive characters and backgrounds while incorporating STEM related concepts. During the two weeks, the students were asked to come up with no less than 9 projects; 7 learning projects, a group project, and an individual project. Each project incorporated a new aspect of Scratch and taught the students how to use the Picoboard, a gaming console connected to the Scratch Software.

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