Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. Day 2 of Computer Science Education week is underway and I wanted to highlight Hour of Code as an accessible way to bring coding into your classroom, regardless of if you are a beginner or a pro. Code.Org (who hosts the Hour of Code activities) is no stranger to this blog and yesterday I shared out more of my favourite coding activities, including curriculums for K-12. There are currently over 500 one-hour coding activities, available in 45… Read More
Computer Science Education Week 2024
On Mondays, I share a different edtech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Computer Science Education Week is officially here! Even though today is technically a snow day…… Running from today through to December 13th, this event is an international movement designed to introduce students to the field of computer science, strengthen computational thinking, and encourage creativity in the digital space. I will be spending my week in a variety of MVSD schools doing coding events with students from Kindergarten to Grade 8. It is also my hope that our staff will be taking on… Read More
Follow Friday – Computer Science Education Week
On Fridays, I share what I believe to be a notable person/organization/school on our social media pages to assist our staff in the development of their online Personal Learning Network. Next week is the annual Computer Science Education Week (CSEd Week(, which is one of my favourite times of the year. If this event is new to you, it is described as, “an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.” Here in MVSD, our department has used this… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Emma Rathgeber
On Wednesdays, I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Every day our staff are using tech in new and exciting ways, are learning new skills, and are sharing ways in which ed tech is assisting them in their practice. This week I would like to highlight Emma Rathgeber from Roblin Elementary School. In 2023 Emma, and the RES team, participated in our 5th annual Hour of Code event during Computer Science Education week. This event serves a variety of roles (see the previous link to learn more) but one of my goals in facilitation of the… Read More
December ICT Newsletter
With the start of a new month comes a new monthly ICT newsletter. These newsletters are designed to serve as an outreach to all MVSD staff and provide: These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared through our social media pages and divisional website. December 2024 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
Leader in Me – Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators
Our MVSD Admin Council is continuing our work with the Covey Institute as part of our professional growth plan. This has been an ongoing journey with my involvement including: This post will serve as a summary of resources to document my learning journey through this session. We started our morning with a review of the 7 Habits program and a reflection on the MVSD journey thus far. *Reflection Question regarding the potential to lead your ideal school. My qualities included: This reflection for myself was, of course, hypothetical as I am not a school leader. GET: What impact/results would you be… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Startup Tabs
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. Even if you would not consider yourself to be a “techy” teacher, you probably have a lot of “tech tools” that you are using regularly without realizing it. These include things like your professional email, attendance report software, digital grade book, etc. One tool that can streamline your morning routine, and ensure you have quick access to all of your tech tools, is the use of Startup Tabs. Startup Tabs allow you to set a list… Read More
Follow Friday – Common Sense Media
On Fridays, I share what I believe to be a notable person/organization/school on our social media pages to assist our staff in the development of their online Personal Learning Network. Common Sense Media has been a resource that I’ve used for well over a decade and I was shocked when I did a recent search and saw that I’ve never included them as a dedicated Follow Friday post! When working with staff and community members, I often describe Common Sense Media as “the American version of Media Smarts”. They have multiple branches but their general “about” section introduces themselves in the following… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Tanis Bennet
On Wednesdays, I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Every day our staff are using tech in new and exciting ways, are learning new skills, and are sharing ways in which ed tech is assisting them in their practice. Today I want to highlight Tanis Bennet and the work that she is doing at Whitmore Elementary. Tanis, and the team at Whitmore, offer the only daily Kindergarten program within MVSD that features a unique component where the last component of the day invites families into the building to participate in programming alongside their children. During the… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Digital Integration for Community Interviews
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. Thursday is the official start of our Community Interviews (parent-teacher interviews) for many school divisions, although individual teachers have already started this process. Given the prevalence of digital tools in our educational programming, I think this is a fantastic opportunity to educate and support our community members on what these tools are and how they shape opportunities within your school community. I have summarized my thoughts on this topic in a video that is available… Read More