WOW Wednesday – Summer PD Participants

On Wednesdays I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Everyday 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.

Ahead of the start of our school year, tech PD was offered here at Division Office for any staff members who wanted to fine tune their skills before stepping back into their classrooms. Spread across three days, these sessions incuded a variety of topics including:

Maximizing Office 365
- Overview of the platform: features, log-in tips, navigation, mobile apps, new updates for the 23/24 school year
- Review of the O365 programs for professional and instructional use
- Microsoft learning tools
Intro to Canva
- Introduction of the platform and how to access Canva PRO for free
- Navigation and new updates of the 23/24 school year
- Implementation supports and how Canva can assist schools
New Staff Mentorship
- Distribution of divisional devices
- Login and navigation of divisional platforms
- Applicable ICT policies
AI in Education
- Introduction to artificial intelligence and how current programs differ from those in the pawst
- AI program options: student-use, staff-use, capabilities, and limitations
- AI considerations: AUP, copyright, ethics
MVSD Tech Kits
- Overview of the variety of tech kits available for loan
- Supported exploration to demo all tools
- Implementation supports and booking options

In total we saw 32 staff members from across the division take time at the end of their summer to strengthen their tech skills! Participants included teachers, secretaries, educational assistants, substitutes, and trustees. Not only do these sessions enable the individual staff members with their skills but they can now serve as a point-person within their building to assist their colleagues.

I am so thankful that we have staff modeling lifelong learning across the division and am thankful for the time they spent with our team!