On Thursdays I usually participate in the online social media trend of #ThrowbackThursday where you re-post a picture or video memory. These posts can be anything the user wants: good memories, bad memories, recent history or decades-old memories. Today, as I was scrolling through old posts on the blog and was reminded that 9 years ago this week I was working with Mike Nantais (who was teaching at BU) and Tyler Letkeman (fellow B.Ed student at the time) on our contribution to the #ETMOOC Lipdub. This project saw participants from around the world work collaboratively to divide up a song,… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Disinfect Your Tech
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. As January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month and, with so much more of our practice being digital during remote learning, all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! Here in Manitoba we are one week into our return of in-person learning and our classrooms are the busiest they have been in 2022, while navigating the current wave of the pandemic. One strategy in increasing the overall health and safety of staff/students… Read More
Follow Friday – Jake Miller
Every Friday I share what I believe to be a notable person/organization/school on our social media pages (linked at the top of the blog) to assist our staff in the development of their online Personal Learning Network. This week I’d like to highlight one of my favourite educational podcasters, Jake Miller! Jake records the Educational Duct Tape podcast that I was introduced to in 2019 via Chris Nesi (another great edu-podcaster). Jake describes his work as, “The #EduDuctTape Podcast focuses on viewing #edtech as a tool used to meet goals, address learning standards, and solve problems in the classroom, much… 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
eSports in Manitoba
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. On Friday I had an opportunity to hear Melissa Burns speak at our MAETL meeting about her role in the facilitation of eSports in Manitoba and across Canada. My familiarity with Melissa began in 2020 as eSports rose in response to the restrictions placed on activities during the Covid-19 shutdowns. I quickly learned that Manitoba has served as a Canadian leader in eSports for quite some time and that Melissa is your go-to person to learn more! “Melissa is an award-winning… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – O365 Bookings
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. As we approach the season for parent-teacher interviews I like to remind Microsoft users about the O365 Bookings tool. The use of Office 365 Bookings has streamlined our Parent-Teacher Interview Process in multiple ways: our secretarial, admin, and teaching staff are no longer required to manage incoming appointment times our teachers know automatically when their bookings are as they sync to their Outlook calendars Teams video meeting links are autogenerated for every family who requires… Read More
Technology Failures & Successes
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Last week ManACE hosted their first virtual Ed Tech Talk which saw participants from across Manitoba share their thoughts on the state of ed tech integration as it relates to their practice; this week’s quote has been pulled from this conversation. I find that anytime the conversation of ed tech is brought up, it is natural to dive into the barriers to tech integration (there can be a lot of them!). Research by Johnson et. al. (2016) mirrors educator concerns and… Read More
The “Hidden Curriculum” in Tech
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 pulled from work I started earlier in the month as part of my Ph.D journey at U of R. To read the full version, visit THIS POST from October 9, 2021. The inclusion (or exclusion) of particular tech features can say a lot about what the values/accepted lifestyles are of the company producing the program. As an extension, educators should be aware of the tone this can set in their classrooms. How might you… Read More
Programmed Oppression
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina Critical theory, the legacy of the theoretical work of the Frankfurt School, is centered on changing the circumstances of the oppressed. Giroux (2009) explains that critical theory in education, “…enables educators to become more knowledgeable about how teachers, students, and other educational workers become part of the system” that is emphasized through organizational practices, messages, and values; often referred to as the hidden curriculum. In the realm of educational technology, the pervasive school of thought has seen the inclusion of technology in… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Create to Learn
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 marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation which will be held on Thursday, September 30th (formally referred to as Orange Shirt Day). As we move forward in a spirit of truth and reconciliation, I know that many educators are looking for resources to support this action. In response, today’s Tech Tip is focused on Create to Learn. “Create to Learn is pleased to offer this free online learning resource in partnership… Read More