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 January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! Keeping your device(s) clean and disinfected not only helps ensure that you are healthy but it can also help ensure your device is free of debris and running optimally. However, devices can be picky about how they are cleaned so you want to make sure you do so in a way that aligns with the specific… Read More
Follow Friday – BYTE Conference
Every Friday 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. February is almost upon us and that can only mean one thing…. it is time for the BYTE Conference! This conference holds a special place in my heart as it was not only the first large ed conference that I attended as a B.Ed student but it was also the start of my presentation experience. Since that time I have been able to attend 8 of the conferences (7 years as a presenter). You can… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Podcasting in the Classroom
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. In MVSD we have three podcasting kits that are available for loan to any staff member or student. They include a Snowball USB Microphone, high quality headphones, and supplementary resources to support classroom use. One example of these kits in action comes from Megan out of Ethelbert School who used the podcasting kits with her Grade 11 and… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Naming Files
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 January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! When I was in the classroom I worked with Grade 7-12 in the areas of social studies, science, math, and sometimes areas such as art, health, or resource. As you can imagine, this meant I had A LOT of digital files that spanned a wide range of topics. Finding a way to organize my files was… Read More
Technology and Blue Monday
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Today, the third Monday of January, is known as “Blue Monday” and is widely referred to as “the most depressing day of the year”. While this statement has been disproved as pseudoscience, many people continue to utilize this time of year to bring awareness to mental health and wellbeing. I find that there can be significant pushback when it comes to technology use and the topic of user mental health decline is commonly included in this discussion. However, I strongly believe… Read More
Follow Friday – Blended Learning Practice MOOC
Every Friday 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. This week I want to highlight the collaboration between Athabasca University and the Commonwealth of Learning as they relaunch one of their popular MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course). While Manitoba has not experienced a mandated period of remote learning since January of 2022, elements of remote programming that were adopted during those period are here to stay! In the summer of 2020 one of colleagues from Manitoba Ed recommended I participate… Read More
WOW Wednesday
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. Our division is in the midst of a NEW collaborative video project and the clips have started rolling in! These projects serve multiple purposes and are for EVERYONE in all MVSD roles, but for those working directly with students, it allows students an opportunity to take a multi-disciplinary approach to: Literacy with ICT video design framing/shooting/lighting digital collaboration using cloud-based… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – 7 Tips to Clean Up Your Computer
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 January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! A new year calls for a fresh start and what better way then making sure that the tech in your life is running optimally! This checklist of tips is designed to get you started in a way that ensures your tech is clean (physically) and organized in a way that works for you. Let’s get… Read More
January 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. January 2023 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
#TweetTheHalls 2022 Winners
We are in the LAST week of school of 2022 (a short week as students’ last day is the 22nd), which also means that our #MBEdChat #TweetTheHalls event has come to a close. Over the course of 16 days we had over 400 participating Tweets from 17 provincial school divisions (and beyond)! This morning we used a random number generator to randomly select our last weekly prize winner as well as our six GRAND PRIZES from all eligible participants. As we wrap up our 3rd year of #TweetTheHalls I want to extend a HUGE thank you to: all of the #TweetTheHalls #MBEdChat participants… Read More