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’d like to showcase the staff at Smith Jackson School who have been learning coding alongside their students through the Hour of Code tutorials (this one featured is Star Wars themed)!
#TechTipTuesday
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. Did you know that January is Clean Up Your Computer month? The following graphic can help you start this process for yourself. I invite you to follow along on our social media pages for ongoing tips and tricks in our posts and stories. Clean Computer Calendar. (Accessed 2020). Uploaded by SingleHop.
MVSD is now on Facebook!
Did you know that Mountain View School Division is now on Facebook? This account is a joint effort between our Manager of Communications & Reporting, myself, and senior admin. The majority of our posts are pushed out through our pre-established communication platforms such as our divisional website, Twitter account, or our family email list which has helped us build consistency in our messaging while reaching the most amount of people as possible. MVSD Facebook Page Screenshot. (2020). Uploaded by Kirsten Thompson. Available online at: http://fishbowlteaching.blogspot.com/ We invite you to follow our page and stay up-to-date with what… Read More
#MantraMonday
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: I’ve said it once & I’ll say it again: tech for the sake of tech is not our goal! Like anything we implement in our classroom tech needs to be well thought out, expanding curricular objectives & backed by strong pedagogical choices
DRCSS Staff Training
One of my favourite aspects of this new position is when I have an opportunity to be back in classrooms working with students and staff. When possible, I try to book sessions with multiple teachers and spend a half-day or full-day at one school. Today was one of such days and I was able to spend time at the DRCSS today working with multiple departments on a variety of tools. Our goal today was to make their practice faster & easier for them so that they have more time to be working with students. What programs do you… Read More
Welcome to TikTok!
I had to do it; I had to see what all the fuss is about. I recently downloaded the TikTok app (previously branded as Music.ly) and after viewing the “For You” page for hours a while and being absolutely entertained I decided to take the plunge and try to create my own content; of course from the ed tech perspective (no one needs to see me dance around without being provided with tech tips as well!). Like anything, there is a wide spectrum when it comes to user demographics, trends, and quality of content on TikTok. From… Read More
PD on the Potty
After listening to a podcast episode with Kasey Bell, Shake Up Learning, I decided to try a new way of communicating tech tips with my staff: Potty PD! Now this idea is not new, its been floating around the Twittersphere for a while but we all know: don’t reinvent the wheel. While emails, social media posts, newsletters, etc are all well and good (and I do those things as well), there is something to be said for having a captive audience. Enter Potty PD! The simple placement of a flier featuring quick tips in the staff facilities and you… Read More
Microsoft Series Part 5 – Forms
Part five of our Microsoft Series is going to focus on Office 365’s data collection tool: Forms. Whether it is an informal survey to gather information or a carefully planned out assessment, Forms can get the job done! Forms offers real-time data collection for you to easily review your results in automated graphs or as an Excel spreadsheet. Integration of learning tools such as Immersive Reader also allows your students to get question-by-question read-aloud support when needed. Forms Logo. (Accessed 2019). Available online at: www.office.com What is Forms? Forms Professional Development Forms Presenter-led Training If you would like… Read More
2020 Presentation Schedule!
I am so excited to share that the final touches have been put onto my 2020 presentation schedule! When I left the classroom for my second maternity leave in 2018 I set a goal for myself to get more involved in public speaking as a way to stay connected to the professional-side of my life. This goal allowed me to work creatively on various ed tech projects and provided an avenue to deepen my understanding. View this post on Instagram Thank you to the BYTE Conference planning committee for having me out to Virden today. We had a… Read More
Social Media – Divisional Recommendations for Best Practice
This month I have been invited to speak with the MVSD Board’s Community Relations Committee to share my thoughts on social media use. Now, if you have been following my blog for a while you know that the use of social media in education is one of my passions; especially when it comes to its use in increasing transparency and accountability for stakeholders! The slides from my presentation are available below: MVSD Social Media Recommendations for Best Practice from MissLwbt You can read other posts that I wrote about social media HERE. … Read More