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 was recently shared by Niki Card as part of our #MBEdChat #TweetTheHalls event. As we move into January, a lot of our staff will once-again move into a new learning environment as we begin a temporary period of remote learning for middle and high school (with the option extending to elementary for those who request it). Our staff has been busily working to refine their distance and online strategies in preparation of this change. This… Read More
Coaching and Mentoring
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. Building Buy-in: Helping Faculty See the Value of Classroom Technology Presenters: Nicole May, Caitlin Donovan Overview: “Learn about one school’s strategies for creating buy-in for using technology in the classroom. Explore how the strategies encourage thoughtful use of technology in schools.“ Main Takeaways Meet teachers where they are and provide an accessible entry point that is relevant and meaningful to them take into account current understanding/comfort, teaching style, teaching goals, available resources, subject area, age/stage of students build relationships Highlight progress and don’t punish failures Share… Read More
Laptop Loans in MVSD
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need for at-home learning, MVSD piloted a laptop loan program in the spring of 2020. Given that MVSD is not a 1:to:1 school division, and we have not explored device loaning before, this was a big undertaking for us. Luckily, there are many great examples across the province from other school divisions who have offered programs like this for many years. Through my contacts at MAETL and ManACE I was able to work with our ICT and Programs & Planning teams to help craft a program that worked for our division. Since… Read More
#WOWWednesday – Wendy Oversby
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. This week I would like to highlight Wendy Oversby from Ochre River School (ORS). Earlier in the fall the staff at ORS began discussing how best to organize and deliver their Remembrance Day Service as the school-provided service is the only one available in the community. Due to Covid restrictions that prevented any type of gathering or… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Code.Org
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. This week is Computer Science Education Week so naturally, this week’s tip is focused on coding! Computer Science Education week is a perfect opportunity to build in activities that introduce learners to the field of computer science, strengthen computational thinking skills, and encourage creativity in the digital space. Last year MVSD spent the full Computer Science Education week hosting Hour of Code events (see video below for some highlights): This year our ability… 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: This quote was shared during a recent #ISTE20 presentation, Maintaining Quality in Online Learning, by Mike Agostinelli. While feedback is essential for learners at all times, the switch to remote or online delivery requires even more focus on this area. Mike shared that, in his context, educators are tasked with ensuring that all learners receive timely, personalized feedback that is focused on both addressing current status as well as indicating next steps. For them, teachers work on… Read More
Distance, Online & Blended Learning – Part 2
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. Reimagine Your Classroom: ISTE’s Top Tips, Tricks & Tools for Online learning Presenters: Brian Huff, Liz Lee, & Dr. Joseph South Overview: “When schools began shifting to virtual learning last spring, ISTE quickly pivoted to develop relevant, bite-size, engaging professional development focused on online and blended learning. Join this session to learn some of ISTE’s top strategies for online teaching, including how to create community, design instruction, provide feedback, and ensure equity and inclusion in online learning environments. You will also hear from a district leader who incorporated… Read More
Distance, Online & Blended Learning – Part 1
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. Blended Learning in 90 Days Presenters: Marcia Kish and Jeff Kish Overview: “Is it possible to set up a true blended-learning classroom in 90 days? Learn about a deployment plan that will guide any educator through the process of implementing pace, place, path and differentiation into the K-12 classroom environment.“ Main Takeaways Introduction community building, welcoming, bell ringers Whole Group Instruction Does not mean the teacher is there talking for 45mins, just that all students are participating Weekly Schedule over a Month Mon: whole… Read More
#TweetTheHalls
Recently, while on Twitter, Donna Miller Fry brought up the idea of a Twitter challenge to help foster community and bring holiday cheer amongst educators. She shared a past example from Ontario who hosted a #TweetTheHalls event which was a series of daily Twitter challenges in the weeks leading up to the Christmas break. After a bit of brainstorming, we decided that this could be a perfect activity for #MBEdChat to take on in lieu of a formal December Twitter chat. From there our team came up with a series of daily prompts, I made up a graphic using Canva,… Read More
I’m Going to ISTE!
Attending an ISTE conference is something that is on my bucket-list but it was not practical for me when I was in the classroom. When I moved into my new position, however, I knew that I was one-step closer to making this goal a reality. In the spring of 2020 I applied for a scholarship to attend the 2020 ISTE conference scheduled to be held in Anaheim. Of course, with the Covid-19 pandemic, the plan for what ISTE looked like in 2020 changed a few times. Despite the conference now being held in a virtual venue, I was still so… Read More