*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina In our discussion of research paradigms, interpretivism operates on the foundation that sociology needs to be approached differently than the positivist objective stance taken by natural science branches. Crotty (1998) shares that the interpretivism epistemology is one that, “looks for culturally derived and historically situated interpretations of the social life-world.” The role of an educational coach depends on one’s ability to operate within this context as our students’ [educators, administrators, and support positions] programming requires an understanding of symbolic interactionism. A primary… Read More
Follow Friday – MAETL
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. MAETL is a provincial organization that I have been involved with since I started my role as Coordinator of ICT in 2019. The past two years I participated in their monthly professional development and business meetings and am honoured to now be serving in the capacity of vice-president. Their website, which is going to be getting a facelift soon (stay tuned!) describes MAETL as: “MAETL (formerly CECM – Computer Education… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Dimitrius Sagriotis
Every Wednesday 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. Dimitrius and I joined MVSD together in 2019 and since our first meeting at divisional mentorship he has proven to be a life-long learner. At almost every school visit I attend Dimitrius has been quick to sign-up for a quick question or longer PD session to help refine his practice. A self-declared “tech illiterate”, he is always… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – PowerSchool Resources
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. In MVSD we use PowerSchool as our Student Information System (SIS). This means that this platform is the go-to program for our staff when it comes to student records, assessment reporting, daily attendance, etc. There are many different elements of the program that are applicable depending on your role within the division. While this means that all stakeholders have easy access to the information that is needed for their position, it can also make PD… Read More
But Won’t Tech Replace Teachers?
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: This quote is one that I have shared out multiple times over the past 5 years (this number actually shocked me as I didn’t think it had been this long). In 2017, I shared out that my mindset towards the role of technology in the classroom had shifted from that of a hierarchy model to an ecosystem model. In this stance we see both technology and educator filling unique niches within the classroom, each serving a distinct… Read More
Constructing The Echo Chamber: Constructivism in Social Media Use
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina As we enter the third school year under the presence of the Covid-19 global pandemic there is a narrative of acclimating to a “new reality”. What has been overlooked by some administrators is that, for many of their staff and students, their life has been operating in a new reality for much longer than they may realize; the self-constructed reality as developed by social media. Michael Crotty (1998) defines constructionism as the stance in which knowledge is constructed by the interactions between… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Chelsea Hockridge
Every Wednesday 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. Chelsea is no stranger to this blog . As a fellow ed-tech advocate her and I have worked collaboratively on projects together as we completed our M.Ed, she participated in our 2020 social media takeover with a feature on Minecraft, and she has been highlighted in a WOW Wednesday post previously. She has now taken on a… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Location Based Reminders
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. In my role I am shared between 16 schools in 7 different communities. It is quite common that many of my school-based enquires aren’t necessarily urgent enough for a planned meeting so I often get the phrase, “can you pop in and check on this with me next time you’re at my school?”. As such, at any given time I have a list of potential conversations on the go and I want to ensure that… Read More
The New Normal
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: As we enter our 3rd school year in the presence of a global pandemic our “new normal” has been established. How are you using tech differently compared to 2019? I purposefully selected this quotation to not only encourage reflection on the role that technology plays in your classroom but also because it aligns with the wording of a fantastic Manitoba PD that is taking place this week! The New Normal School is a half-day virtual event on… Read More
Objecting the Subjective: Manitoba Education’s Positivism Reform
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina Manitoba sits at a crossroad in their quest for educational reform. After 3 years of external consultation and widespread planning the current Progressive Conservative party has backtracked on their Better Education Starts Today (BEST) strategy. Interim premier, Kelvin Goertzen, who oversaw this campaign in his role as Minister of Education, announced on September 1, 2021, that he would be pulling the associated Bill 64 legislation from the fall docket (Gowriluk & Bernhardt, 2021). While the future of what public education looks like… Read More