November 8th is marked as STEM Day, also known as STEAM Day, which is dedicated to inspiring students in the areas of Science – Technology – Engineering – Art – and Math. If you are looking for a way to explore STEM/STEAM in your classroom here are FIVE resources I recommend: PhET Simulations Minecraft EDU Read the blog post from Minecraft: Powering Up STEM Explore all the available lessons HERE. Vex VR Robotic Playground MAETL Lending Library The MAETL Lending Library is a curated collection of tools purchased by MAETL, available for loan to membership organizations. Loans through the MAETL… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Bing AI
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. The topic of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been front and center for many of my conversations since it hit the public scene in 2022. In fact, I am currently in Banff attending the 2023 CyberSummit which is focused on AI (watch for a blog post to come). This will also be the 20th post on the blog with an AI tag While this week’s topic isn’t brand new to the blog, I am happy… Read More
The STEM Mindset
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Tomorrow, November 8th, will play host to STEM Day so I wanted to make sure that I kick off the week with some thoughts to get us started: If you are looking for STEM Resources, Wednesday’s post will be FULL of links to explore! In the meantime, check these out: Coding and Makerspaces in MVSD Engaging Elementary Students in STEM Learning MVSD Tech Kits
November 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: general ICT updates (software changes, divisional ICT timelines, tech-themed holidays) upcoming PD for the month tech tips divisional highlights These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared through our social media pages and divisional website. November 2023 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
Happy Halloween from the Blue Screen of Death
Who doesn’t love a good tech-themed Halloween costume! Since joining the MVSD team as Coordinator of ICT I’ve tried to ensure my costume aligned with my role and it has honestly become one of my favourite traditions. This year I tried to think of one of the scariest things for an ICT Department: 2022 – The Social Butterfly I had recently had an opportunity to visit with Chris Nesi on the House of Ed Tech podcast, in which one of our discussion topics was social media. You can listen to the interview in which this reel’s audio is taken from:… Read More
You Think Halloween Is Scary?
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. How many Terms of Service agreements do you think you have clicked, “I Accept”, on as part of the requirements of accessing a digital service? How many times did you actually read the full agreement before selecting, “I Accept”. If you did read it all (good for you), did you understand everything? Terms of Service (TOS) agreements are notoriously difficult to understand and, although some platforms have made their information more accessible, most are full of jargon specific to that field. If you are guilty of… Read More
Follow Friday – Media Smarts
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. While Media Literacy week is wrapping up, our focus on media and digital literacy is a year-long task (especially now that so much more of our programming is utilizing online tools). Media Smarts is a fantastic resource to help address these skills as required by Manitoba educators in the Literacy with ICT Continuum. In fact, one of the new Media Smarts updates this summer was a direct connection to the Manitoba curriculum! Follow… Read More
MTS/MSBA Workplace Safety & Health
Today I had an opportunity to take part in Workplace Safety & Health training provided through Manitoba Teachers’ Society and Manitoba School Boards Association. As the head of our ICT Department, I took part to ensure I can effectively assist our staff as they work between all schools and divisional sites. This information not only informs safe work judgments for our staff but also that our tech integration is being set up and maintained in a manner that is safe for all users. The following is a summary of my notes from the day: The WSH Act & Regulations for… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Break the Fake
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. As October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, all of the tips shared this month will tackle common cyber security concerns (both student-related and workplace-related). If you missed our previous cyber security tips you can check them out below: secure passwords phishing emails email security With that being said, today is not only part of Cyber Security Awareness Month but also Media Literacy Week! As such, today’s tip blends both of these topics as we address “fake news”… Read More
Media Literacy Week 2023
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. If you are new to Media Literacy Week, Media Smarts describes it as: “Media Literacy Week is an annual national campaign hosted by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers Federation to promote digital and media literacy, with activities and events taking place in classrooms, libraries, museums and community groups from coast to coast to coast.” Media Literacy Week Resources Break the Fake resources Media Literacy Week newsletter Media Literacy Week Teachers Hub YouTube Channel Connect with MediaSmarts on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram Questions? mlw@mediasmarts.ca Crash Course Media Literacy Playlist Read More Digital… Read More