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. Here in Manitoba, we are very quickly approaching summer break, with our last day with students being June 27th. As we step back for an opportunity to recharge and connect with activities that bring us joy, I know that many of us are looking for easy and accessible PD opportunities. Podcasts can be the perfect way to build in both PD and entertainment as they can be played: Current stats for Canadian… Read More
Follow Friday – Greg Kulowiec
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. Greg is relatively new to my professional learning network (PLN) but they are no stranger to the world of educational technology. A former high school history teacher, Greg has been passionate about the integration of technology for years and has been extending this passion via online sharing and consulting for over a decade. Greg will also be joining Manitoba educators as they deliver the Keynote address for the 2024 ManACE AGM at… Read More
Follow Friday – Richard Byrne
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. Richard has been part of my PLN for a LONG time with their online resources (via their Free Technology for Teachers website) first appearing as part of my blog suggestions way back in 2013. Over the years Richard has moved from my RSS feed to social media feed with my interactions in 2024 occurring mostly on X/Twitter and YouTube. Richard’s work, in my opinion, does exactly what their current website title states:… Read More
Follow Friday – Monica Burns
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 Dr. Monica Burns is a newer member of my Professional Learning Network (PLN) over the past 2 years as they caught my eye as I explored the topic of AI. They are a former classroom teacher, author, international speaker, and general ed tech extraordinaire! On their website, they share that their network is designed with the following audience: You are a teacher who isn’t sure how to make the most of technology… Read More
Follow Friday – AI Literacy Day
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
Follow Friday – National Robotics Week
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. The 2024 National Robotics Week begins tomorrow, April 6th, and runs to Sunday, April 14th. In preparation for the event, I recommend that you connect with the National Robotics Week network to get access to all the fun updates and resources that they share out! This event is self-described as: “The mission of National Robotics Week (RoboWeek) is simple — to inspire students in robotics and STEM-related fields and to share the… Read More
Follow Friday – Riding The Wave
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. As we head into Spring Break I want to make sure that Riding the Wave is on your radar because it is a FANTASTIC learning and networking event and a great way to build your ed tech goals in alignment with your plans for the upcoming year. To check out my summary from the 2023 conference click HERE. Situated in beautiful Gimli, Manitoba this conference is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and, while… Read More
Follow Friday – Blended Learning Practice MOOC
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. This week I want to highlight the collaboration between Athabasca University and the Commonwealth of Learning as they relaunch one of their popular MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course). While Manitoba has not experienced a mandated period of remote learning since January of 2022, elements of remote programming that were adopted during that period are here to stay! Most recently, we have experienced almost TEN snow days this winter where busses are not… Read More
Follow Friday – #FairDealingWeek
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. Monday will kick off Fair Dealing Week, which I shared about earlier this month. When it comes to this event, the information associated with “Fair Dealing” and “Copyright” is shared and distributed by a variety of organizations. For Manitoba educators, these resources are commonly shared by our union, the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, post-secondary institutions, and the Library Services lead of individual school divisions. As such, there isn’t necessarily “one” place to go… Read More
Follow Friday – BYTE Conference
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. February is here and that can only mean one thing…. it is time for the BYTE Conference! This conference holds a special place in my heart as it was not only the first large ed conference that I attended as a B.Ed student but it was also the start of my presentation experience. Since that time I have been able to attend 9 of the conferences (8 years as a presenter). You can read about some… Read More