*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 – Edit YouTube Captions
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. Captions can be a great tool for accessibility but, sometimes, YouTube captions are too small/big or block the content of the video (depending on how it is filmed). But did you know that these captions can be edited and moved around the screen!? Thank you to Catherine Coyle at @classroomcreations for putting together a great tutorial via TikTok that I will embed below:
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
Universal Design for Learning/Differentiated Learning
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. 10 ways to use iPads to increase access and engagement Presenter: Cassie Frost Overview: “Discover 10 ways that an iPad can be used to increase access for students with disabilities. Methods for use in face to face and digital learning environments will be discussed. Learn about both internal accessibility features as well as iOS Apps for engagement and accessibility.” Main Takeaways: Assistive Technology “Any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve… Read More
Students Thriving Online
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Here in Manitoba it has been a full week since we welcomed the vast majority of our students back to our buildings following a period of temporary remote learning which ended on January 15th. While we continue to have some of our learners enrolled in remote learning as a result of medical accommodations or logistical constraints, almost all of our learners are now attending in-person. While this has been celebrated by many stakeholders we can’t ignore that, for those with access,… Read More
Equity & Inclusion
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. Why Digital Equity Matters Presenters: Dr. Desiree Alexander, Darren Bell, Patricia Brown, Keri Hennessy-Wilson, Matthew Hiefield, Carla Jefferson, Valerie Lewis, Dr. Michael Mills, Dr. Adam Phyall Overview: “As we reimagine and further define digital equity, there’s an increasing need for professional learning opportunities. We’ll facilitate a dialogue about the multiple dimensions of digital equity with the goal of determining actionable steps for K-12 campuses.“ Main Takeaways: *This was a challenging sessions to participate in the VOD format as the primary component of their session was… Read More
Follow Friday
Every Friday 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. Twice a year our division hosts PD that sees staff from all 16 buildings learning and sharing together. These events take place in September and February which means that we’re only 10 days away from the second, and last, full divisional PD session of the 2019/2020 school year. This year MVSD staff will be learning from the wonderful Shelley Moore. Shelley has a roboust social media… Read More
My Thoughts on WestCAST
I’m back safe & sound! All 41 of us from our university survived the 11 hour bus ride (22 hours round trip) to and from Calgary without killing each other (almost) haha. All-in-all it was a great time! I really enjoyed spending time with other students from my faculty, some of whom I had not even met before, and I learned a lot from the sessions I attended. I give props to the U of C who organized a wonderful event with some amazing presenters and super helpful volunteers. I was able to visit family, see the mountains and… Read More
WBT & Manitoba's "Towards Inclusion" Document Part 2
Yesterday I started blogging on how WBT strategies might fit in with the criteria set out by the Manitoba government. I found the Towards Inclusion: Supporting Positive Behaviours in Manitoba Classrooms document and decided to focus on Section 6: Positive Reinforcement (pg. 53) and Section 7: Fair & Predictable Consequences (pg. 58). I quickly realized, however, that this was not a one-post topic and decided to split it into two parts by covering Section 6 yesterday and covering Section 7 today. SECTION 7: FAIR & PREDICTABLE CONSEQUENCES The document summarizes that a teacher must establish consequences for inappropriate behaviour BEFORE… Read More
WBT & Manitoba's "Towards Inclusion" Document Part 1
I spent the better part of this weekend working on filming a video with a group for our Classroom Management class. Our film is supposed to demonstrate a specific classroom management model and will be used to teach the rest of our classmates about said model. With my last post about “The Scoreboard” and this project on my mind, I started thinking about how WBT strategies would fit into different classroom management models. While I enjoyed the model we were working on (Rudolf Driekur’s Social Discipline Model) I decided to do some research on how WBT would fit in… Read More