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 would like to highlight Paul Barkman from Gilbert Plains Collegiate. As MVSD continues to grow its eSports offerings at all grades, Paul is undertaking a big project by being the first teacher in our division to offer the Gaming Concepts curriculum. While our other eSports programs run as part of the MSEA league, or… Read More
Follow Friday – Manitoba Scholastic ESports Association (MSEA)
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. With this month playing host to National Video Games Day I thought it was only fitting to showcase the Manitoba School eSports Association (MSEA) for this week’s Follow Friday. ” Manitoba School Esports Association is a not-for-profit organization committed to connecting, informing, and supporting competitive gaming in schools across Manitoba. MSEA is an amalgamation of the former MYEMB (Middle Years Esport Manitoba) and MHSeA (Manitoba High School eSports Association). With the expansion of esports in Manitoba, MSEA was developed to… Read More
National Video Games Day
Did you know that Manitoba is a Canadian leader when it comes to eSports? eSports (electronic sports) involves competition using video games and MVSD currently has an eSports presence at 7 of our 16 buildings (hoping to grow to 10 this year). Today’s post has put together a trove of resources including: Why eSports? eSports PD for Educators There are some great PD opportunities coming up over the next 6 weeks! These podcast episodes were specifically curated to showcase the world of eSports within Manitoba schools : Microsoft eSports Teacher Academy (META) “New to esports? Microsoft Esports Teacher Academy (META) teaches… Read More
Mountain View Matters – Esports
I recently had an opportunity to draft an article for our divisional Mountain View Matters series on the topic of esports. This monthly series is one of the outreach tools our division has to speak about topics impacting the students and staff we represent. The articles are prepared by school principals, coordinators, or senior admin and are published both online through our networks as well as in the local newspapers servicing our area. The article is now LIVE on our website and available HERE. I will also include it below. A tour of many buildings within Mountain View School Division… Read More
WOW Wednesday – ORS & MMS Students
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. In the wake of our Elementary Esports Divisional event, I wanted to make sure we had a dedicated space to highlight and celebrate our student volunteers who helped make that day such a success. During the initial planning of the event, I wanted to showcase student voices and talent as much as possible while working to reduce… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Esports in MVSD
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. With our Elementary Esports Divisionals just a day away I wanted to maintain this theme and share what esports looks like within the context of MVSD. The following table outlines our “formal” esports presence in the division: School Team Name League Affiliation Notes Ecole Macneill “Ecole Macneill Gamers” Minecraft Student Ambassador MVSD Elementary MVSD Elementary Esports Founder 23/24 Minecraft Design Challenge finalists Mackenzie Middle School MS Magic MSEA MY Top 4 23/24 Brawhalla Provincials 2022/23 AAA Rocket League provincial… Read More
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
Elementary Esports Divisionals – Planning Time!
With a growing esports presence within Mountain View School Division, I set a goal for myself to help grow opportunities for this type of programming. 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. I am very much in the introductory stages of this event but I wanted to share the process as we progress for those who are thinking about planning an event of their own. At the current time, our planning includes: Location We have three… Read More
WOW Wednesday – SJS Minecraft Club
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. MVSD is on a roll when it comes to esports and I am thrilled to share our newest addition, the SJS Minecraft Club out of Smith Jackson Ukrainian Bilingual School. In a similar fashion to our other elementary esports teams, the SJS Club is using the Minecraft EDU platform to participate in both school- and division-based build… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Barker Builders
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. I am so pleased to see how esports has been growing across Mountain View School Division as we enthusiastically announce a new esports team, the Barker Builders, out of Lt. Col. Barker Elementary! As a K-5 building, this presence has been mirrored off of our widely successful Macneill Gamers team. A subsidiary of their team, the MVSD… Read More