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. Friday, April 19th, plays host to the first annual AI Literacy Day designed to support students, educators, parents, and community members in their understanding of, “What is AI”. In their own words, This event will offer valuable lessons for classrooms and after-school programs, plus professional development opportunities for educators. With events hosted in local communities and national spotlight events, our mission is to promote AI literacy through education. https://www.ailiteracyday.org/ The organization’s website… Read More
April ICT Newsletter
With the start of a new month comes a new monthly ICT newsletter. These newsletters are designed to serve as an outreach to all MVSD staff and provide: general ICT updates (software changes, divisional ICT timelines, tech-themed holidays) upcoming PD for the month tech tips divisional highlights These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared through our social media pages and divisional website. April 2024 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
More Than Just Play – Elementary Esports Divisionals
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. This week’s primary focus for the ICT Department is our Elementary Esports Divisionals! This event has been a goal of mine for this calendar year and I am thrilled to see it come to fruition. While our middle- and senior-year students have the option of participating in a variety of games, tournaments, and events through the Manitoba School Esports Association (MSEA), our elementary students do not. Modeled after the introductory events our athletic association offers for elementary students, our esports event will… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – AI-Supported Report Card Comments
On Tuesdays, 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 Manitoba, we have a standardized report card template that communicates attendance, academic achievement, learning behaviours, and includes teacher commentary on individual subjects. Full information about the expectations and format of our provincial report cards is available for review in the Manitoba Provincial Report Card Policy and Guidelines document. When it comes to learner assessment, the formal documentation that takes place as part of required “Teacher Comments” is a time-heavy task. See the policy exert… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – AI for High-Interest Texts
On Tuesdays, 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. When it comes to divisional- and school-based literacy goals, something that I see as a strategy in multiple situations involves high-interest texts. However, this implementation relies on access to these resources. While some schools have access to a variety of text sets, that is not always the case. We also know that it can be challenging to easily reach every interest and every reading-level. Enter AI! Regardless of what AI platform you are using, effective… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Laura Joss
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 excited to showcase another example of how our MVSD staff is utilizing generative AI in their role. Laura Joss, who currently has a K-2 class at Ochre River School, recently shared about her exploration into AI on their school’s Facebook page. In this activity, students worked on their descriptive vocabulary to share details… Read More
Follow Friday – The AI Education Conversation
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. I am always searching for different PD-focused podcasts to help me grow in my practice. As someone who regularly holds PD for others, it can sometimes be challenging for me to build in time for my professional learning as the dedicated PD days in our teaching calendar do not apply to me in the same way they do for other staff. However, I travel for my job A LOT. Between the regular… Read More
Thoughts on AI-Generated Photo Manipulation
The Winnipeg Free Press recently reported on an incident related to “explicitly altered” images at a Louis Riel School Division school (story embedded below or found HERE). The images in question involved faces of under-age students that were manipulated using AI. My heart goes out to both the victims of these images but also those who created the images without a potential understanding of their impact. I am seeing a lot of comments in the online space surrounding the role of AI in this situation. The following are some of my initial thoughts: Technical Education I believe that society, students… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Patti Goodine & Dave Byckal
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 had the opportunity to visit the Grade 9 & 10 classes of Patti Goodine and Dave Byckal at the Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School. We spent an entire afternoon together discussing artificial intelligence and learning how it may be used in both the classroom and personal settings. This student-focused visit was a follow-up to… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Divisional AI Testimonials
On Wednesdays 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. As we continue to learn more about AI and explore its potential role in education I have been trying to curate feedback from MVSD staff members on how they are using AI tools in their practice. I believe there is a difference between theoretical and practical applications for all softwares and it is important to me to see… Read More