On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Today marks the first Monday of the 23/24 school year and our first full week of classes for students and staff across MVSD. Our staff had 2-3 days with students last week and, for most of us, we are ready to swing into full programming mode. The school tours are complete, desks and lockers are organized, back-to-school assemblies have been held, and we will now see regular routines be introduced. When it comes to the role of educational technology in classroom… Read More
Follow Friday – MB Teachers Unplugged
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. Looking for accessible professional development to kick off the school year? Follow along with the new podcast from our local Manitoba Teachers’ Society (MTS): MB Teachers Unplugged! Launched at the end of June, their website describes the podcast as follows: MB Teachers Unplugged episodes feature MTS members, staff, and education experts supporting Manitoba educators’ wellbeing, collective bargaining, and professional development https://www.mbteach.org/mtscms/2023/06/01/mb-teachers-unplugged/ Podcasts can be a great way to build in PD as… Read More
Throwback – Custom Student Tagxedo Art
On Thursdays I usually use our social media platforms to share using the #ThrowbackThursday trend where users participate by sharing a memory (recent or distant). These posts don’t usually make it to the blog but this memory had a few people asking how this was accomplished so I thought it deserved a dedicated space (with some important updates for 2023). While in the classroom I was the Grade 8 homeroom which meant that I had our Grade 8 cohort for the start and end of the day, in addition to any classes I was teaching. As their “home base” this… Read More
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… Read More
PD on the Potty
Near the end of 2019 I implemented the idea of PD on the Potty following a podcast from Kasey Bell. This alternative method of professional development sees the inclusion of flyers placed in staff washroom facilities. Depending on the month these may include: divisional tech reminders upcoming PD opportunities tips & tricks program reviews social media recommendations and more! Not only do these flyers allow you to have a captive audience but they can provide a bridge for staff members who have technology as a barrier in their practice [for these individuals, emails, social media posts, digital resources, etc are inaccessible]. Here… Read More
September 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 out through our social media pages and divisional website. September 2023 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
MVSD Back-to-School ICT Checklist
Welcome to a new school year! At the start and end of each school year I find it helpful to share out the following checklist that was inspired by a practice from when I was a classroom teacher. This checklist is designed to ensure the effective and professional use of various ICT elements and support your growth in the 2023/2024 school year. Please note that not all checklist elements may apply to you depending on your position within the division. The checklist itself has each task hyperlinked which leads to a tutorial or video providing more information on how to complete the… Read More
Summer 2023 Tech PD
Happy New Year! For those involved in education, fall time is our new year and we are ramping up for the whirlwind that is September. When it comes to the ICT Department, my technicians have been hard at work ALL summer: performing maintenance on all infrastructure and hardware inventorying and setting up new equipment setting up classrooms and new office/education spaces As we approach the end of August, we are also preparing for our summer PD series which will include: Maximizing Office 365 Overview of the platform: features, log-in tips, navigation, mobile apps, new updates for the 23/24 school year… Read More
ICT Team Overview 22/23
It is hard to believe that I am wrapping up my fourth year here at MVSD as Coordinator of ICT. I strongly feel that, after 3 years affected by Covid-19, I finally hit my stride this year and am feeling much more confident in the role as a whole. My enjoyment in this role has a lot to do with the team that I get to work with. With a combined experience of over 80 years within MVSD, our team is the ONLY department in the entire division that did not see any position changes through the Covid-19 upheaval and… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Summer Holiday Tech Prep
On Tuesdays 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. We are pushing right through this last week of school for 22/23 and this week’s tech tip aligns with a section of our Year End Tech Checklist. I recommend turning on your automatic replies on your email indicating that you are in holiday. (I’ll include a tutorial below for those who operate within Outlook) If you previously had your work email on your Smart Phone or personal devices consider removing it for the break. Alternatively, you… Read More