Mantra Monday
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider.
This week’s Mantra is:
Monday is not only the start of a new month but also the start of a new set of Covid-19 restrictions across the province. Educators are currently working to accomplish their regular curricular goals ontop of:
- addressing the complex mental health needs resulting from the pandemic
- adjusting to new health guidelines
- designing and participating in blended learning
- completing assessments and writing report cards
- planning virtual Remembrance Services
- planning virtual Parent-teacher conferences
- and much, much more!
While this time can be a source of stress for staff it is important to note that divisional supports, such as Coordinators, continue to be there to support educators in their practice. With that being said, I recognize that not everyone is prepared, or comfortable, with face-to-face visits. As such, I have been trying to ensure there are multiple ways for staff to get ed tech information and PD that is accessible to them.
Face to Face Visits
This option continues to be available for anyone who is comfortable. Our Covid-19 precautions include:
- medical masks for all interant staff
- signing-in at all visits for the purpose of contact tracing
- use of sanitizer and distancing during meetings
- disinfecting of equipment brought into schools
- 1 school per 48hr period
Email, Phone, Virtual Meetings via Teams
Most of my discussions with school administrators occur via email or phone as it provides the flexibility required for their busy schedules.
Many of my school visits have no been via Teams which has worked very well logistically. The flexibility of this platform also means I can “visit” more schools that I normally would as I am not restricted by travel or Covid-19 precautions.
MVSD ICT Resources Notebook
This Microsoft OneNote file is considered the “one-stop shop” for all things Ed Tech in MVSD. It is divided into Sections and pages for easy navigation and is very much a “living” document that is updated weekly.
You can view this resource directly from the blog!
Social Media Posts
There are several social media accounts tied to the ICT department. These accounts are designed to get ed tech information into the hands of educators in an accessible fashion.
Many of our staff are already on social media so we are trying to meet them where they’re at. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are all clones of one another and designed to reach a wide variety of demographics.
This blog builds off of the short social media posts and provides more detailed context, links, resources, etc.
Our YouTube channel features more in depth tutorials and community resources while TikTok is more humourous.
PD on the Potty
The perfect venue for a captive audience!
New “tissues” of our PD on the Potty fliers are distributed to schools once a month and are hung up by building secretaries.
You can read more about this project HERE.
Monthly ICT Newsletter
Our department sends out a monthly newsletter to the email of our staff members. The format of this communication changes slightly from month-to-month but usually includes:
- introductory message
- month at a glance
- (tech events, divisional tech updates, etc)
- upcoming tech PD
- (both local and those from outside organizations)
- 1-2 blocks highlighting timely topics
- check it out
- highlight on divisional ed tech resources
- contact information
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