Blog

Follow Friday – ICTC

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’d like to highlight the Information & Communications Technology Council (ICTC-CTIC). ICTC-CTIC describes themselves as, “The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a not-for-profit national centre of expertise for the digital economy. ICTC is the trusted source for evidence-based policy advice, forward looking research, and creative capacity building programs for the digital economy. OUR MISSION IS TO: Strengthen Canada’s digital advantage in a global economy OUR VISION IS TO: Foster… Read More

#TechTipTuesday – Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences

    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. November brings about the first round of report cards in Manitoba and, traditionally, this has also meant an open opportunity for parents/guardians to visit the school and discuss student progress with their teacher(s) face-to-face. However, admist the Covid-19 pandemic, having multiple visitors in our school buildings is not ideal (and in some cases not possible). As such, virtual options have been built in for families with connectivity. For those with access, these tools… Read More

The Complete EdTech Coach – Part 1: Philosophy

*Part 1 of a 4-part series Presenting at teaching conferences and hosting PD sessions has always been a passion of mine. To me, teaching is teaching, whether my learners are school-age or adults. While this fills my cup, it often means that I am involved as a presenter and not a participant during school PD opportunities. As such, my personal PD comes in on my own time. My most recent PD endeavour is, The Complete Ed Tech Coach: An Organic Approach to Supporting Digital Learning, by Adam Juarez & Katherine Goyette. As always, I will be using the blog to… Read More

Tips for Successful Online Lessons

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed A LOT of things for everyone; coordinators included. To say the adjustment has been easy would be a lie… I’m shared between all 16 of our school buildings and last year I strived to visit every building at least once a month to support teachers, staff, and students with all things ed tech. Sometimes these visits were scheduled appointments but often they consisted of me stationing myself in the libary, common-area, or staff room and developing organic conversations as people saw me. We all know teachers are busy and this method was fantastic because, while… Read More

Follow Friday – Donna Miller Fry

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’d like to highlight Pine Creek Superintendant, Donna Miller Fry. To be honest I cannot remember exactly how long Donna has been part of my online PLN on Twitter. What I do know is that her posts always encourage me to reflect on my personal learning and expand my understanding of what is happening in education, both in Manitoba and across Canada. Donna has been increasingly on my radar during… Read More

#TechTipTuesday – Blended Learning Practice MOOC

    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 the summer one of colleagues from Manitoba Ed recommended I participate in the Blended Learning Practice MOOC. This massive open online course is, “an introduction to blending technology and distance education teaching strategies with traditional, in-person classroom activities”. This four-week, FREE, course is accessible and provides practical supports for K-12 educators (and planning teams). I enjoyed this course quite a bit and have shared their open textbook regularly with our staff as… Read More

Mantra Monday

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: Monday is not only the start of a new month but also the start of a new set of Covid-19 restrictions across the province. Educators are currently working to accomplish their regular curricular goals ontop of: addressing the complex mental health needs resulting from the pandemic adjusting to new health guidelines designing and participating in blended learning completing assessments and writing report cards planning virtual Remembrance Services planning virtual Parent-teacher conferences and much, much more! While this… Read More

Remote & Blended Learning Resources for Educators

As our local Covid-19 situation changes we are seeing further restrictions put in place that impact education and our ability to have our students with us face-to-face. As such, we are seeing an increased need for information on Remote & Blended Learning Resources. While the majority of my blog posts focus on ed and ed tech resources I do a lot of curation that doesn’t necessarily get onto the blog; which is why I also provide a direct link to my curation platform of choice – OneNote. Please see a short video below showcasing how to find this resource in… Read More

Follow Friday – Media Smarts

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’d like to close out Media Literacy Week by highlighting, once again, Media Smarts! While Media Literacy week is wrapping up, our focus on media and digital literacy is a year-long task (especially now that so much more of our programming is utilizing online tools). Media Smarts is a fantastic resource to help address these skills as required by Manitoba educators in the Literacy with ICT Continuum. Follow Media Smarts… Read More