Over 30 proposals were accepted by the Dynamic Landscapes conference in the first round of reviews. Sessions proposed included both in-depth 2.5-hour, hands-on sessions, 1-hour presentations and workshops, and Innovation Lounge showcase and exploration opportunities!
Additionally, the conference has re-opened and extended the deadline for workshop proposals. The conference is interested in sessions that may touch upon any content area or aspect of classroom, library, or school innovation. That includes but is not limited to:
- Digital Literacy and Citizenship
- Coding and Robotics
- Computational Thinking
- Anti-Fragile Practices
- Digital Content and Resources
- STEM/STEAM
- Maker Spaces
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Trauma-informed Practices
First Round Accepted Proposals:
Become a Microsoft Innovation Educator Today
Participants will spend this time getting excited about the many tools Microsoft has to offer students and teachers. Teachers will reflect and create a customized toolkit of resources to increase engagement, efficiency and develop modern skills for a global classroom/society. Throughout the session, participants will engage in a series of immersive learning activities that will build a strong foundation of how to use technology to improve instruction and meet the learning needs of their students. Note: This is an introductory course intended to expose educators to Microsoft offerings for education. This is not a deep-dive instruction into any one tool. Each participant will leave our session their an Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) certificate and Badge indicating they are a Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE).
Cindy Daniels | Professional Development Specialist | Connection
Building a Technology-Rich Learning Tool from a Google Spreadsheet
Good ed tech supports maximal student choice, responsibility and engagement, but too often we in education forgo these, choosing tech that instead ranks, surveilles or mesmerizes. Happily, Google Workspace components provide resources aplenty to build tools for the good of all stakeholders and Vita-Learn’s new “In-Depth” format gives us more of that essential catalyst for both learning and creativity: time.
In this session, participants choose their level of endeavor based on experience and familiarity with spreadsheet functions, query language, html/css, and javascript/google apps script. Working alone or (preferably) in small teams, we will transform a spreadsheet shell into a learning tool with as many inputs/outputs as practical and needed for a chosen instructional and organizational purpose. For example, a team might build a “leaderboard” whose student-facing display tallies student task completion and automates updates to parents/guardians, and whose backend collects and organizes data on student PBGR progress and learning activity effectiveness. Included are discussion and tips on finding resources; workflow development; and ethical data management.
Participants should have access to Google Workspace and should complete a short pre-conference questionnaire to help the presenter provide effective support.
Jim Chlebak | Music Director, 4th Grade Music Teacher | Springfield School District
How to Regulate the Nervous System: How You Can Cope With Trauma in Your Classroom
You have 20 (+ or -) students in your class, and you probably don’t know all of their struggles and experiences. How on earth are you supposed to help regulate that many different nervous systems so that they can learn and grow?
In this workshop you will learn about:
The neurobiology of trauma
Why regulate the nervous system?
We will:
Figure out ways to regulate your nervous system
Try out some self-regulation techniques
Discuss trauma and self-regulation and
Figure out how to implement these and other techniques in your classroom.
Rebekah Blaisdell Simays | Correctional Educator | Community High School of Vermont
Building Whole School Community through a Month of Code
If an hour of code is awesome, imagine a whole month! In this presentation you will hear how St. Albans City School used the challenge of the pandemic and the desire for equitable whole school celebrations to engage every student and adult in computer science. Unplugged coding activities, video mystery challenges, online coding, coding dance parties, robotics–this workshop has it all! We will provide lots of hands on learning and provide you with experiences, materials and ideas that will leave you enthusiastic to bring coding and computer science to the next level at your school. Presenters will meet the audience where they are at and we will learn together in a collaborative and fun environment. Join us!
Darcie Rankin | STEAM Educator, PreK – 8 | Maple Run SU
Twenty-Two Tools and Trends: Technologies and Techniques to Enhance Your Teaching and Inspire Your Students
Participants will experience a collection of tools and techniques that are free or low cost, and easy to master. Technologies presented will be generic enough to span multiple grade levels and subjects, depending on your creativity and goals. Topics will include virtual and augmented reality apps, artificial intelligence devices, inexpensive drones and robots and collections of resources and artifacts. There will be a mix of fast-paced presentations and time to explore. Bring your devices: cell phones, tablets and laptops. Suggestions for apps to load before the conference will be shared before the May presentation. No experience necessary. Enthusiastic and curious educators with a sense of adventure and a sense of humor are encouraged to attend. The session will end with a sing-along, a game, prizes, and a raffle.
Maureen Yoder | Professor | Lesley University
Enhance and Support Your Mathematics Teaching Through Data-Driven Instruction Without Adding Something New
Join us in learning how ASSISTments, a free math practice and assessment system that empowers teachers to target class instruction, monitor learning, and intervene quickly to keep students on track. When teachers assign digitally through Google Classroom or Canvas, ASSISTments enhances math content with actionable data for teachers and immediate feedback for students. We offer fully digitized versions of Eureka Math/EngageNY, Illustrative Mathematics, and Open Up Resources, grades 3-12, as well as a library of additional practice problems and assessments.
This hands-on workshop is designed to help teachers get started using ASSISTments in their classrooms to support a strong formative assessment routine. We will provide actionable strategies teachers can immediately utilize to efficiently gather and analyze student data to support differentiated instruction. Teachers will learn how to introduce ASSISTments to students and use it to build students’ growth mindset, and create an inclusive math classroom culture that is a safe space for all students to grow and learn. ASSISTments is forever free for teachers and students, and proven by rigorous research to impact student math achievement and shift teacher instruction. This session will give teachers what they need to create this impact in their classrooms.
Dawn Peterson | Director of Content and Partnerships | The ASSISTments Foundation
Respons-Able Educator Certificate Cohort
Vita-Learn in partnership with Digital Respons-Ability is offering a Response-Able Educator Certificate (REC) cohort that will begin with in-person instruction at Dynamic Landscapes followed by asynchronousself-paced online learning in combination with two (2) synchronous online cohort gatherings during the summer and an opportunity to present and share your learning at our fall conference, Vermont Fest.
The Respons-Able Educator Certification (REC) is a whole new way to help teachers embed and implement digial citizenship elements in their classroom. Based on tens of thousands of hours teaching digital citizenship to students, this professional learning helps teachers build skills in not only their students, but themselves. The REC program addresses digital citizenship holistically, covering topics such as media literacy, communication, the digital economy and more. It has downloadables, lesson plans, videos and other guides that teachers can use long after they finish the program. With 10 self-study asynchronous modules, teachers who complete REC can earn be school digital leaders, changing the culture and education around digital citizenship.
Requires advanced sign up and an additional registration fee
Carrie Rogers-Whitehead | Founder | Digital Respons-Ability
Code Breakers: The WWII Enigma Device
In this session from CYBER.ORG, learn to integrate cybersecurity concepts and careers into your classroom through cryptography. Participants will decrypt and encrypt coded messages using a “Pringles Can Enigma Device” that will be constructed during the session. Discussion will include the use of the Enigma during WWII and how the code was ultimately broken. Participants will get free access to the CYBER.ORG curriculum with standards-aligned modules in STEM, Computer Science, and Cybersecurity.
Heather Howle | Curriculum Development Specialist | CYBER.ORG
Digital citizenship through Media Literacy
In this session from CYBER.ORG, participants learn how media literacy can help students become perceptive consumers of journalism and media through engaging lessons designed to help evaluate the reliability of news sources. Join CYBER.ORG as we showcase our media literacy module designed specifically for educators to confidently teach students how to demonstrate skills in validating the accuracy and authenticity of media sources.
Charlene Cooper | Curriculum Development Specialist | CYBER.ORG
Digital Breakouts – A Virtual Escape Room
Learn how to create a virtual “escape room”. In a digital breakout, students work collaboratively to solve a series of puzzles in order to open “locks” in a Google Form. As educators, we’re always looking for effective ways to engage our students without breaking our budgets. Great news, digital breakouts are FREE! This hands-on session will teach participants how to utilize various Google Apps to create their own class “escape room”. The educational learning possibilities for this tool are endless!
Denise Wood | Business CTE Teacher | Essex North Supervisory Union
Do You Plan Your Curriculum With Students Yet?
Imagine a classroom where students are stakeholders in the activities and outcomes; not just the ones being graded on their work, but planning the learning itself. There are several methods for engaging students in co-designing curriculum. These range from full-class reviews & feedback of a lesson or unit plan, to weekly meetings with a “Student Planning Committee” (SPC) to plan, tinker with, and revise curriculum. This interactive session will feature SPC members sharing their experiences, providing examples from units this year that they shaped and designed, and built-in time for audience members to talk systems-level with Sam, or workshop their own curriculum plans with SPC members in breakout groups. *Recommended: BYOC (Bring Your Own Curriculum)
Sam Nelson | Middle Level Teacher | Champlain Valley School District
Creating Assistive Technology Devices Using Makey Makey!
Interested in learning about how to create empathetic students and innovative problem solvers in your classroom? If so, this session is for you!
Students and teachers at LGS with the help of a student they created an assistive tech device for will explain their journey from learning and reading about a non-verbal girl with cerebral palsy and how she navigates learning in school to actually creating and testing assistive technology devices using Makey Makeys for students who are non-verbal in their supervisory union! Through this process, students developed lasting relationships and innovative problem-solving skills that will hopefully stand the test of time!
Jessica Tetreault | STEM integration instructional coach | NCSU
Green Mountain Book Award
GMBA committee members introduce titles on the 2022-2023 Green Mountain Book Award list! Hear the committee discuss how you can integrate these titles in your curriculum, classrooms, and school libraries. Listen as we also talk about favorites that didn’t make the list too!
Shannon DeSantis Gile | School librarian | Lamoille South Unified Union
Building Entrepreneurship through Hands-on Project-Based Learning
Join Bob and the students from Lamoille Union High School as they present a history of the Lancerships program. The program currently serves on average 20-25 students per semester, who manage and run 7 micro-businesses, creating products for their upcoming Lancer Store. The students will discuss how they fully experience the entrepreneurship process from product research, production, financial planning and the sales process. From t-shirt printing to jewelry, the Lancerships program is a place where students are able to personalize their learning and contribute to their school and broader community.
Robert Fredette | Business Educator | Lamoille North Supervisory Union
Animating Fractured Fairytales; Writer’s Workshop in the Makerspace
Third graders are getting randomly struck by lightning! That giraffe is eating an ice cream cone with a fox! And did that rabbit just ask an owl why he was here? The room is full of snakes, rabbits, princesses and bears, flying and dancing! Even the fruit in the fridge is talking! Wait, what’s going on here? It’s Writer’s Workshop in the makerspace! Students are animating short stories in Scratch in conjunction with the Google CSFirst Storytelling unit to prepare them to animate the Fractured Fairytales they are writing and storyboarding in Language Arts. In the first story students create, edit and animate characters, and change scenes using code. In the second story they use function loops to make rain fall and the random generator to make lightning strike. And, of course, there’s a rainbow after the storm.
Tricia Finkle | Co-Teaching Makerspace Integrationist | Mater Christi School
Minecraft Formal Gardens; Integrating 5th Grade Math, Social Studies, Language Arts and Technology Standards with Minecraft
Imagine a beautiful garden with flowing lava, golden statues and dolphins swimming in pools of colorful coral. It’s not a dream, it’s Minecraft! Students studied formal gardens from different times and places to understand the form and function of formal gardens, and to see how formal gardens present differently in different cultures. Then they designed their own following the general guidelines for a formal garden and built them in Minecraft Bedrock Edition. Using guided discovery, students characterized the cardinal directions and altitude of the Minecraft world as a right-hand coordinate grid, and defined significant locations in their garden in terms of xyz coordinates. Garden Designers gave guided tours of their gardens and discussed what our contemporary gardens said about our culture. Find out what they discovered!
Tricia Finkle | Co-Teaching Makerspace Integrationist | Materchristischool
Spatially Speaking: Developing visuospatial communication skills across the K-8 curriculum using TinkerCAD.
Our objective in using TinkerCAD across the k-8 curriculum is not only to develop strong visuospatial abilities to understand real situations and imagine complex solutions, but the intentional development of using this ability to improve communication of complex information to a broad audience. This selection of projects show how we use TinkerCAD to develop visuospatial skills in the four core content areas.
Leslie Sem | Math Support | Mater Christi School
Career Pathways at the Middle Level
When should career pathways begin? Middle level is a crucial time to engage students in exploring their curiosities and passions while investigating how career pathways might emerge from them. Through hands-on experiences (touring tech/vocational centers or presentations from community professionals) and game-based learning (“The Game of Life” experience, with embedded mini-games centered on financial literacy) students learn about tailoring their educational experience – in middle school and beyond – to shape career pathways. This session will involve 8th grade students discussing their experiences and include built-in time for audience members to try out “The Game of Life”.
Sam Nelson | Middle Level Teacher | Champlain Valley School District
Creating CyberSecurity Clubs for Students
You can be sure that you have students in your school who are driven to explore computer operating systems! In the CyberSecurity realm passionate individuals may explore through attack (usually thought of as “hackers”) or defense (learning to harden/protect systems). Help your passionate computer explorers to embrace the defensive side of CyberSecurity. This session will introduce you to a number of options that can be used for Cyber Clubs, including cyber.org, cyberstart.org, and the CyberPatriot program. Hour of Code is a great experience for all students. For those driven to explore further CyberSecurity offerings may be just the thing!
Mark Kline | Director of Technology | WCUUSD
Keep Students Reading With Exciting and Engaging Titles!
This session is for book junkies that would like to enjoy a rapid fire book talk on titles that will engage K-6 students. Supplementing science and social studies with content literacy expands understanding. For students struggling with a textbook, short, high interest text will provide the prior knowledge they need to understand topics and participate in class discussions. Children should hear their own voices as well as the voices of others in literature. Diversity and inclusive literacy is vital to every collection. Whether you’re interested in fiction or nonfiction, you’ll leave this session with a long list of great titles!
Beth Fuller | Consultant Capstone Publishing | Capstone
Diversity and Inclusion in Leveled Book Rooms and Classroom Libraries
Does your collection represent all people? In addition to the storyline, what do students see when they read? An overview of recently published research and data on diversity and inclusion in literacy collections will be shared. The research and criteria provides the perfect lens for assessing book room and classroom library collections. How diverse are your school’s collections? Who do they represent? This will be followed by a book talk on titles that meet this criteria to strengthen every collection.
Beth Fuller | Consultant, Capstone Publishing | Capstone
Library policies and best practices for digital citizenship
Digital citizenship is a vital topic in libraries, whether it be through curriculum or library missions. How can libraries craft the best policies around this topic to encourage ethical and responsible online behavior in their students, patrons and staff? This session from a former librarian and author of the new book with ABC-CLIO, Advocating Digital Citizenship: Resources for the Library and Classroom, will share strategies and suggestions for librarians to help create safe and positive online spaces.
Carrie Rogers-Whitehead | Founder | Digital Respons-Ability
Ride the Wakelet Wave
We will overview what Wakelet is, how to create a Wakelet, how educators and students are using Wakelet in their classrooms, and how you can discover Wakelets that are out there to use in your classroom right away. We will share the features of Wakelet such as easy collaboration, adding video, Immersive Reader for reading support, and “spaces” which makes collaborating with students and your PLN more streamlined and powerful.
Jennifer Mitchell | Education Technology Integrationist | Missisquoi Valley School District
Engaging Students with Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry-based learning is a powerful method that makes learning motivating, engaging, accessible, and relevant for all students.
In this program, Peter uses his expertise in inquiry-based learning to break down exactly how teachers can implement it in their classroom. Step-by-step, Peter will guide teachers through the process of planning units, lessons, and activities designed to get students thinking about big questions related to their content. This workshop will take the abstract concept of inquiry-based learning and break it down into practical steps that you can use in your classroom tomorrow!
By the end of this workshop, teachers will understand the steps to creating and implementing an effective inquiry-based lesson, develop a compelling question for a topic in their content area, and choose an engaging activity structure to build their inquiry-based lesson around.
If you have been looking to get your students motivated and engaged with inquiry-based lesson, then this is the session for you!
Peter Gierlach | Social Studies Teacher | Shenendehowa Central School District
Overcoming the reading hurdle in research
How to get over the barrier students put up when there’s even more reading in specials? Join Jess Rigollaud in exploring different ways to follow the research steps of learning and sharing that learning without the reading. You’ll see examples of fourth and fifth grade projects, and get a chance to design your own that you could bring right back to library classes.
Jess Rigollaud | Librarian | Union Street School
Twenty-two for ’22: Tools, Trends and Technologies to Inspire & Motivate
This will be a fast-paced, lighthearted session guaranteed to tickle your geeky side and delight the teacher in you, an updated version of my 2021 VermontFest session. It will highlight free tools you can master quickly, innovative virtual and augmented reality apps, artificial intelligence devices, and inexpensive little drones and robots. Hear about technologies and innovative ideas that do not yet exist at the time this session was proposed. Evidence of successful implementation in f2f and online instruction will be presented with research-based learning outcomes. The term “Electronic Constructivism” was coined by this presenter who will link these technologies to what it is all about: Good Teaching. No experience necessary – just your curiosity, enthusiasm about teaching, and a sense of humor. Participants will receive links to all resources. The session will end with a raffle for techy door prizes.
Maureen Yoder | Professor | Lesley University
Project LIT – Let’s Collaborate
Learn how a group of librarians and teachers began collaborating to bring high interest books to students, using the Project LIT collection as a starting point. This unit allows for student choice and the ability to create engaging discussions and activities around young adult literature.
Christina Deeley | Teacher-Librarian | CVSD
Isle of Tunes – Mapping and Music by Design
Isle of Tunes is a musical sequencer app offering a twist of city-building and simulation whereby a student creates a musical journey through building street layouts! Participants will engage in a two-phase activity that features a cardinal/intermediate directions challenge and subsequently a venture to build a virtually mapped out town with sounds and notes embedded in a way that plays out a musical score. Creating a musical masterpiece will engage the design engineering progress while learning. CCSS met in this activity will be appended.
Anne Pius | Digital Learning Leader | Champlain Valley School District
Creating An Interactive World Map: Grade Three and STEM
My teaching colleague and I will present our experience in guiding third grade STEM students in developing a large interactive map. On the technology side, we used the popular Bare Conductive Touch Board, QR codes, and multiple media. The students combined classroom research of the continents and oceans plus their voice recordings to describe their place on the map. They did it in such a way that is interesting and captivating for them as well as those who view their presentation.
Eileen Vaughn | STEM teacher & Library Media Specialist | Killington Elementary School
The End of Edtech Ennui
Feeling stuck? Need some inspiration? Suffering from edtech ennui?
Come see how the ISTE Certification energizes and reignites enthusiasm for teaching and technology. We’ll show you how the ISTE Standards for Students and Educators guide and support pedagogical changes that empower students to be informed digital citizens and global collaborators. ISTE Certified Educators have told us time and again that this program has been the push they needed to get through the quagmire and emerge victorious waving edtech’s flag higher.
Is it hard? YES! Is it worth it? Come and find out!
Suzanne Judson-Whitehouse | ISTE Certification Trainer | Collaborative for Educational Services
Student-Authored Interactive Choose Your Own Adventure Novels
Writing is one of the most important skills for students to master, and yet we rarely think creatively about how to fully engage their learning. In this workshop, I will show you how to teach a student co-authored novel writing unit, in which students work together to write a real choose your own adventure style novel. You will learn how to launch the experience, organize and manage student work, embed content skills, provide meaningful feedback without sacrificing your personal life, publish an interactive virtual novel that students can read throughout the process, and publish a professionally bound print copy that students can order online. I’ll show you how to tailor this work to the amount of time you have available and to include as many students as you wish to include — even the entire school.
Giom Giom | Instructional Coach | Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union
Hands-on with MILK Crates
MILK stands for Mobile Innovation Learning Kits and is a district program that BRSU started to share innovative tools between the schools. At the moment the kit includes Edison Robots, a Cricut, GoPro & DJI cameras, microphones and BreakoutEdu boxes. In this workshop people can come and explore these tools hands-on. I will talk about the program and help spark some ideas to start one for your school.
Bjorn Behrendt | Hands-on with MILK Crates | BRSU
3D Virtual Reality
Experience 3D Virtual Reality on a computer – without glasses. Engage in interactive 3D experiences designed for K12 education. Try the Oculus Quest headset. See the breadth and depth of experiences available. Learn about how you can use these innovative technologies in a classroom to expand your curriculum and inspire your students.
Julie Willcott | Education Products Manager | zSpace
The intersection of Literacy and STEAM
Stop by the innovation lounge to try out literacy based STEAM projects! Are you interested in tips to integrate STEAM into everyday activities? Would you like some ready to go activities? Stop by to grab some resources or stay awhile and try out a sampling of science experiments, engineering challenges and making.
Teresa Bolton | Library Media Specialist | Canaan Schools
Lamoille Union High School Students present the Lancerships Program
The Lamoille Union High School students will present their business ventures from product creation to how they organize and run their business. Participants will also receive our Lancerships gift pack.
Robert Fredette | Business Teacher | Lamoille Union High School
