On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Today is the 2024 Earth Day, a day dedicated to, “diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide.” I am also conscious of the fact that technology, and by extension, the energy it requires to function is at odds with the environment. However, I am trying to work on aspects that are within my control. As part of this, I wanted to share some of the digital programs we have access to that support the mission of Earth Day. Check out… Read More
National Robotics Week ’24
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. National Robotics Week or “Robo Week” is officially here! If this event is new to you, I recommend checking out the “Follow Friday” post I shared last week (April 5th). I’ll be visiting a number of classrooms this week assisting staff with their introduction of this event and I encourage everyone to try to incorporate elements of robotics throughout the week. The following are some resources to get you started: Where to Access Robotics for Your Classroom MVSD Tech Kits These… 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
Fair Dealing Week 2024
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. February 26th will kick off Fair Dealing Week 2024 which will run through the week until Friday, March 1st. With the next two Mondays being “No Classes” days in MVSD I wanted to make sure I got us thinking about this event today! The Fair Dealing Canada website describes this legislation as follows: “Fair dealing recognizes that certain uses of copyright protected works are beneficial for society. By placing limits on instances where copyright owners can require payment, fair dealing leads innovation, to… Read More
The Role of Audiobooks
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. February is upon us and schools across the country are busy with “I Love To Read” activities. With a literacy focus for the month, our Tech Tips will follow suit as we explore the many ways in which digital tools can be a part of your overall literacy toolkit. If you missed this month’s ICT Newsletter, I recommend you check back and see some examples of how our Tech Kits can support literacy development from K-12. One of these digital tools… Read More
Data as a Pollution Problem
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. This weekend, January 28th, plays host to Data Privacy Day and this entire week is dedicated to Data Privacy Awareness. I wanted to start this week with an open discussion and call to action. As we better inform ourselves about the importance of data privacy and security, within the context of education, I ask you to reflect on your practices in the classroom or office space: are there any passwords visible or accessible to others? this applies to both students and staff… Read More
It Doesn’t Go Away
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Reactive versus proactive… what would you prefer? Is it dependent on the context? During December, I find that many of the staff (and students) I work with are SO ready for a break. They are tired and need a change of pace, especially with how busy some schools are this month as they build in many holiday-themed events. For our staff, self-care can be placed on the back-burner and, unfortunately, I feel like most of our staff end up reactively caring… Read More
A Willingness To Not Know
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Last week one of the #TweetTheHalls prompts asked participants to, “Share your favourite tech tip”. This day is a treasure trove of great ideas and I recommend that you explore through the #TweetTheHalls hashtag on X/Twitter to see all of the great sharing happening through the event. It was from here that I pulled this week’s quote. Coming off of Computer Science Education Week, this quote resonated with me greatly. It was one of the driving mindsets of the entire event!… Read More
Computer Science Education Week 2023
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Computer Science Education week is officially here! Running from today through to December 8th, this event is an international movement designed to introduce students to the field of computer science, strengthen computational thinking and encourage creativity in the digital space. I will be spending my week in a variety of MVSD schools doing coding events with over 400 students between Kindergarten to Grade 12. The following include some of my go-to resources for coding with students: Computer Science Fundamentals(Elementary) “Computer science… Read More
The Experience of Social Networks
On Mondays, I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. With the onset of #TweetTheHalls starting on Friday I wanted something that spoke to the fact that the connections that can be made in the online space can be immensely valuable. Yes, X/Twitter (I continue to use Twitter/Tweet vocabulary, I can’t help it) is an example of a social network but it is so much more than just a place to share posts and find resources. I joined Twitter in 2012 and I have befriended so many educators across Manitoba who have played… Read More