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. With MVSD being a Microsoft EDU division, one of the reminders I send out every September focuses on the Microsoft Educator Center (aka Microsoft Learn). This is a FREE online community platform in which educators can participate in Microsoft-based professional development, connect with other educators, access virtual field trips, find shared resources and more! With so many topics to choose from, this is one of my go-to resources to share with educators who are looking for support in the… Read More
You Don’t Need To Do It All
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. I’ve always been a big believer in doing a few things well as opposed to taking on too many things and not being able to fully commit. There is a huge pressure in the tech industry, with ed tech being no exception, that there is always something, “bigger/better/newer”. While this can be exciting, jumping to something new all the time in education can lead to frustration for both teachers and students (this also extends to families). Before implementing a new tech… Read More
Follow Friday – Manitoba Scholastic ESports Association (MSEA)
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. With this month playing host to National Video Games Day I thought it was only fitting to showcase the Manitoba School eSports Association (MSEA) for this week’s Follow Friday. ” Manitoba School Esports Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to connecting, informing, and supporting competitive gaming in schools across Manitoba. MSEA is an amalgamation of the former MYEMB (Middle Years Esport Manitoba) and MHSeA (Manitoba High School eSports Association). With the expansion of esports in Manitoba, MSEA was developed to… Read More
National Video Games Day
Did you know that Manitoba is a Canadian leader when it comes to eSports? eSports (electronic sports) involves competition using video games and MVSD currently has an eSports presence at 7 of our 16 buildings (hoping to grow to 10 this year). Today’s post has put together a trove of resources including: Why eSports? eSports PD for Educators There are some great PD opportunities coming up over the next 6 weeks! These podcast episodes were specifically curated to showcase the world of eSports within Manitoba schools : Microsoft eSports Teacher Academy (META) “New to esports? Microsoft Esports Teacher Academy (META) teaches… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Melanie Keown
On Wednesdays, I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Every day 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. This week I would like to highlight Melanie Keown and the Grade 9 ICT class at Goose Lake High in Roblin. They committed to providing formal training to all of the students in the use of Office 365. This training is specifically on how to use these tools to enhance their learning and included: A big thank… 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
Follow Friday – MVSD Accounts
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. One of the projects I was excited to undertake when I took on this role was curating our divisional social media pages. The purpose of this project was: – to help build community– to assist with effective and appropriate use of these platforms– to establish some level of consistency in regard to messaging While our official numbers fluctuate every year due to staffing changes, we are currently over 60 accounts across various social media… Read More
WOW Wednesday – MVSD Staff
On Wednesdays, I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Every day 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. It is the first day of school with students and we are running at full capacity across the division! Naturally, our first WOW Wednesday has to highlight ALL of our divisional staff. When it comes to the world of ed tech, a big change that affects all of our staff from K-12 is in response to an… 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: 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 is a peek at the new “tissue” hitting stalls this week! With it being the start… Read More
September 2024 ICT Newsletter
Welcome back to school! 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: These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared through our social media pages and divisional website. September 2024 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali