This evening is the ManACE AGM and my last ManACE meeting as president! I will remain on the board in the future in the capacity of past-president but I am thrilled to be welcoming a new senior executive team and celebrating the success our organization had in the 23/24 school year. As part of our AGM, we will be hosting a keynote presentation by Greg Kulowiec titled, “AI in EDU: Opportunity and Dilemma“. This post will serve as my reflection on this learning experience: When internet connected devices were introduced to classrooms, creating powerful 1:1 learning environments, students and educators… Read More
Empowering Digital Responsibility: How Schools Can Foster Effective Cell Phone Use Among Students
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. This week’s quote comes from the work of Dr. James Lang, Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It. The topic of device use, whether that is school-issued or personal, is on my mind heavily this week as I will be traveling to Winnipeg to work with Manitoba Education on this very thing. While the Cell Phone Debate is still a hot topic for many in the education field, I stand by my statement that schools should… Read More
Sharing Generative AI Practice
This morning I had an opportunity to tune into a PD event hosted via the University of Regina. This post will serve as my reflection on this learning experience: Join us for this online panel discussion as three faculty members share their experiences integrating generative AI into their teaching practices. These individuals include: Dr. Wei Cai – Professor in the Division of Chinese Studies and Japanese Studies in the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Calgary. Dr. Paul Sinclair – Associate Professor of Business Communications in the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Regina. https://uregina.libcal.com/event/3801752… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Device Norms
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. Today I wanted to share one strategy that I have been implementing to help guide people in the use of their personal devices. As the “cell phone debate” continues at many levels, I strongly believe that: To assist with this, I have begun implementing a “device norm” conversation into the PD sessions that I facilitate. This conversation, based on the work of Dr. James Lang, serves multiple purposes. It can: To learn more, check out… Read More
Follow Friday – Greg Kulowiec
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. Greg is relatively new to my professional learning network (PLN) but they are no stranger to the world of educational technology. A former high school history teacher, Greg has been passionate about the integration of technology for years and has been extending this passion via online sharing and consulting for over a decade. Greg will also be joining Manitoba educators as they deliver the Keynote address for the 2024 ManACE AGM at… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Ashley Osachoff
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 am so excited to highlight Ashley as they are the first MVSD staff member to take advantage of the MAETL STEAM Library and bring drones to their building of Goose Lake High! Back in April I had an opportunity to co-teach with Ashley when I joined her class as part of our National Robotics… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – MAETL STEAM Library
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. One of the most challenging barriers when it comes to technology integration for educators is access to resources. In almost all scenarios, classroom teachers do not have a lot (or any) say over their budget and while buying things out-of-pocket is a reality for many educators, tech tools are often cost-prohibitive. However, the budget restraints affect individual schools and school divisions as well; especially for niche tech items that aren’t part of “daily” use. This… Read More
Empowering Educators: AI Awareness for Today’s Classroom and Beyond
If there has been one constant over the past 18 months it has been that awareness and training surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is necessary for all stakeholders. In MVSD, we started this work in the spring of 2023 following the public release of Chat GPT in late 2022. Since then, I have expanded this work to educators across the province and beyond as we all work to navigate the advancements and disruptions AI has brought to our individual roles. With that being said, I am excited to share that I will be further expanding this work via the Manitoba Rural… Read More
My First Keynote!! – Riding The Wave 2024
This past week I delivered my very first KEYNOTE as part of the Riding The Wave 30th anniversary celebration. This experience was nothing short of a complete whirlwind and I am so honoured that I was asked to play a role in this milestone event. Looking back on the keynote, there were a few tech hiccups which I felt leant some reality to the situation but I don’t feel like it was enough to throw me off. With this being an anniversary event I wanted to kick things off with a nostalgic throwback to the early 90s, the first conference,… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – CyberSafe Privacy Prodigy
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. May 6-10 marks Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) which is an annual event to raise awareness within the public sector and the broader community about the importance of protecting and respecting personal information. If you are curious about how to approach this topic with students, I recommend the Mincraft EDU module: CyberSafe – Privacy Prodigy! This module covers the following skills: Keep login information private Discuss real-world cybersecurity problems and how personal information can be protected. Explain how physical… Read More