Blog

Crowdfunding in the Classroom: Controversial or Simply 21st Century Fundraising?

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University   Does your school participate in fundraising activities to raise money for educational resources or opportunities that fall outside of the budget constraints of your building? If so, it most likely involves students and staff petitioning their friends, family, and community selling any number of items: chocolate bars, baked goods, cooking supplies, cash calendars, etc. At any time have you shared these endeavours through social media? If so, you have moved your traditional fundraising into the 21st century and… Read More

Digital Citizenship: From Design to Recycling

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University This week our Internet for Teachers (#BU755) class delved into the question of: What does Digital Citizenship look like in a global political context? Global Digital Citizen Quickstart Skills Guide. (Accessed 2017). Uploaded by the Global Digital Citizen Foundation. Available online at: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/ When it comes to the concept of digital citizenship a quick Google search brings up numerous items involving skills around netiquette, digital footprint, collaboration, or any number of other individual skills designed to teach the, “norms of… Read More

Understanding our Ecosystem

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University Tonight Chelsea and myself will be presenting our summary of two articles using Thinglink. Our presentation is embedded below. Weaver, J., & Grindall, K. (1998). Surfing and getting wired in a fifth grade classroom: Critical pedagogical methods and techno-culture. In J. Kincheloe & S. Steinberg (Eds.), Unauthorized methods: Strategies for critical teaching (pp 231-251). New York, NY: Routledge. Zhao, Y., Gaoming, Z., Lei, J., & Wei, Q., (2016). Never send a human to do a machine’s job: Correcting the… Read More

TPACK – Tech Integration Series

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University      This post is Part TWO of a four-part series titled Model Mayhem where I am exploring and critiquing different models of tech integration. For each model I will provide a general overview of the model, what it might look like in a classroom setting, and attempt to critique the pedagogical theory and foundations behind the model’s development.      The first model of the series was the SAMR model, a four-step model of tech integration designed to improve student… Read More

The Role of School Administration in the Success of ICT Program Implementation: Traditional vs. Distributed Support Models

An administrator’s role in their building or district is becoming increasingly complex as today’s education system involves multiple stakeholders and programming needs.  One such role includes the development and implementation of technology use within their facility(ies).  The use of technology by educators and their students is becoming an essential component of interacting successfully within our globalized 21st century society.  Successful programming, however, requires an administrator to be directly involved in all aspects of any technology-based implementation from planning, to classroom use, to troubleshooting.  An administrator that is directly involved in the implementation of an information and communication technology (ICT) program… Read More

Educational Technology: Cure-All or Waste of Time?

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University This week our Internet for Teachers (#BU755) class delved into the question of: Why are there disparate views towards the effectiveness of technology in education? Middle School Enrichment Courses. (2016). Uploaded by ASB Online Academy. Available online at: http://www.asbacademy.org/asb-middle-school-enrichment-courses/ When it comes to educational technology (ed tech) I find that it can be one of those ed topics that can become incredibly polarizing. You either find educators who are enthusiastically supportive of the implementation of various forms of ed tech… Read More

Room 132 Info

     The 2017/2018 school year is in full-swing! Here is where you can find out more about our classroom and keep up-to-date with the amazing learning my students are uncovering. YouTube Twitter Small group instruction in Gr 7 Social Studies to practice latitude & longitude 🌍 #trsd32 #schoolgoals pic.twitter.com/a2d7aQeRoA — Mrs. Thompson (@Thompsonclass) September 14, 2017 Instagram  Welcome back to all #trsd32 students; it’s going to be a great year A post shared by Mrs. Thompson’s Classroom (@thompsonclassroom) on Sep 6, 2017 at 6:06am PDT Facebook  Website Canadian History Blog

ICT for Teachers – Back in the Blogging Game!

*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University Hello?  Is there anyone in the blogosphere that still has me added to their RSS feed?  If so, THANK YOU! If you are joining me as part of class #BU755 then welcome!      It has been a long absence from this blog (over a year in fact) but that doesn’t mean I’m not still here! In fact I check into my blog pretty regularly as it was my constant source of documentation over the past 4 years. I often check… Read More

Classroom Assessment Chapter 12

    LAST CHAPTER      To help us work towards our school goal of improving our understanding and practice of assessment, my principal has provided our staff with a copy of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it Right – Using it Well, by Jan Chappuis, Rick Stiggins, Steve Chappuis, and Judith Arter. As I make my way through the book, I will be summarizing my learning as a means of organizing my thoughts and getting clarification on particular ideas. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Cover. (Accessed 2016). Uploaded to Amazon; Pearson Education. Available online at: https://www.amazon.ca/Classroom-Assessment-Student-Learning-Doing/dp/0132685884 Chapter 12 – Conferences About & With Students… Read More

Classroom Assessment Chapter 11

     To help us work towards our school goal of improving our understanding and practice of assessment, my principal has provided our staff with a copy of Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it Right – Using it Well, by Jan Chappuis, Rick Stiggins, Steve Chappuis, and Judith Arter. As I make my way through the book, I will be summarizing my learning as a means of organizing my thoughts and getting clarification on particular ideas. Classroom Assessment for Student Learning Cover. (Accessed 2016). Uploaded to Amazon; Pearson Education. Available online at: https://www.amazon.ca/Classroom-Assessment-Student-Learning-Doing/dp/0132685884 Chapter 11 – Portfolio Assessment * a collection of artefacts put together… Read More