Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. I stumbled across this quote being shared across Twitter last week and it resonated with me as I have the unique opportunity to get and inside look into the variety of classrooms across MVSD. Through our 16 buildings, the role technology plays in student programming varies drastically and is influenced by: device availability and connectivity options the culture of the school and broader community / student interests teacher familiarity and comfort with tech integration student grade and subject area and many… Read More
But Won’t Tech Replace Teachers?
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 is one that I have shared out multiple times over the past 5 years (this number actually shocked me as I didn’t think it had been this long). In 2017, I shared out that my mindset towards the role of technology in the classroom had shifted from that of a hierarchy model to an ecosystem model. In this stance we see both technology and educator filling unique niches within the classroom, each serving a distinct… Read More
WOW Wednesday – MVSD Video Conference & Asynchronous Programming
Every Wednesday 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. One of my roles in MVSD involves the organization of our divisional video conference schedule. As of 2021 this also includes asynchronous programming. This includes planning with participating schools, communication of schedules, maintenance of required equipment, and professional development for staff. Each of our 6 senior years schools is identified as a subject-specific hub and specializes in… Read More
Follow Friday – Michele Eaton
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. This Friday I would like to reintroduce you to Michele Eaton. Michele shares about Blended Learning and her resources are fantastic for those working with remote students, split-classrooms, or any type of hybrid scenario. You may find Michele’s name familiar as I summarized her blended learning discussions in July 2020 when she spoke at the ISTE Summer Learning Academy as well as at ISTE LIVE. You can check out an excerpt of… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Transparent Whiteboard for Virtual Lessons
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. At our most recent MAETL meeting, Andy McKiel shared how you can use Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) to make a transparent whiteboard for use during virtual lessons. OBS is a tool that is new to me this spring and I have been experimenting with it a bit for use during virtual presentations (see BYTE example below): I know that many of our staff could utilize this option for their classes so I started experimenting and… Read More
Why “Snow Days” Should Not Be Turned Into Remote Learning Days
At the beginning of November we experienced our first weather-related closure since the onset of remote learning. At that time I shared out the following graphic: The importance of relationship building in education has always been framed as a high priority. When I was in the classroom I found that “snow days” provided an opportunity to get to know my students as people and not just learners. It allowed us to connect, play, and work on important tasks that sometimes get pushed to the back-burner. For those who don’t attend classes during “snow days” they were able to connect with… Read More
We’re All In This Together
I somewhat cringed as I wrote this post title today because, even with the best intentions, this phrase has become somewhat triggering through the pandemic (and I’m on record saying this phrase multiple times). I decided to keep it, however, because it so often accompanies discussions between “leaders” and their team members. One thing that I hear often in the world of ed tech can be generalized as, “I just don’t have time to learn something new right now”, or, “I’m too old to add that in”. What!? I don’t recall hearing any teacher tell their students, “Now that you’ve… Read More
Instructional Design & Delivery
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. Taking everyone to the top: from app-centric lessons to true cognitive engagement Presenters: Jessica Herring, Dr. Michael Mills Overview: “Apps usually become the focus of technology use in classroom learning, but in this session, you’ll learn how to take what might start as app-centric lessons and take them to a higher level of authentic, contextual learning and cognitive engagement.” Main Takeaways: App choices need to move beyond “this is cool” to “how does this help to meet or surpass curricular goals” “plant the seeds of… Read More
WOW Wednesday – DRCSS Staff
Every Wednesday 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’ve adapted to the ever-changing teaching environments available to us during the Covid-19 pandemic, an emphasis on physical distance has been essential. In order to make this happen our largest high school, Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary School, has operated on a blended schedule this year. This sees students attend two days a week on a Monday/Wednesday… Read More
What Have Your Students Taught You?
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. I recently found a series on Tik Tok entitled, “Tech Tips I Learned From An 8-Year Old”, where teachers share the game-changing tech tips their students have taught them. The tips range from keyboarding shortcuts and program features to tech tool suggestions and digital “life hacks”. The series is very light and fun and has resulted in the curation of a variety of tech tools that are assisting teachers while also creating a collaborative learning environment that honours the student expertise… Read More