Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. February 20th (next week) will kick off Fair Dealing Week 2023 which will run through the week until Friday, February 24th. 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 the creation of new works and new scholarship. The Supreme Court of Canada increasingly refers to copyright as providing a balance… Read More
Data as a Pollution Problem
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. With last week playing host to Data Privacy Day I wanted to continue our discussion into this week with a 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: are there any visible passwords posted? are passwords updated regularly using strong password development? are you familiar with your Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) and how the role of data… Read More
Technology and Blue Monday
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Today, the third Monday of January, is known as “Blue Monday” and is widely referred to as “the most depressing day of the year”. While this statement has been disproved as pseudoscience, many people continue to utilize this time of year to bring awareness to mental health and wellbeing. I find that there can be significant pushback when it comes to technology use and the topic of user mental health decline is commonly included in this discussion. However, I strongly believe… Read More
Assessment in the Age of AI
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. I don’t know about you but AI-assisted content creation programs are ALL over my online feeds this past month. The big one was Chat GPT (which I wrote about last week) and now the Magic Writing feature within Canva. Understandably, the education world is now trying to find where these programs fit within their current model. So what do you need to know? What are AI-Assisted Programs Programs such as Chat GPT, Canva – Magic Writing, Dall E-2, etc can be… Read More
The Online Village
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Over the past two decades, teachers have increasingly turned to social networks to create and grow their professional learning networks (PLN). A professional learning network is a group of educators who come together to share ideas, resources, and support each other in their efforts to improve their teaching and better serve their students. In some schools, teachers have dedicated planning time in their schedule to meet with an in-house PLN that may consist of a teaching partner or grade-group but for… Read More
How Are Using Social Networks?
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. I went back and forth quite a bit on which quote to include this week. With the onset of #TweetTheHalls starting on Thursday I wanted something that spoke to the fact that the connections that can be made in the online space can be immensely valuable. Yes, Twitter is an example of a social network but it is so much more than just a place to share out posts and find resources. I joined Twitter in 2012 and I have befriended… Read More
Are Schools Changing?
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. The first quarter of the 22/23 school year is coming to a close with many schools focusing this week on the distribution of report cards and parent-teacher interviews. Not only is this a time to ensure that students and families understand where one’s current understanding is as it relates to curricular content but it should also be a time for school teams to reflect on their practice. Speaking from a tech perspective this could include things like: how are we sharing… Read More
Are You Part of the 33 Million?
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. As we get closer to our first formal reporting period in Manitoba it is also an important time to reflect on the communication strategy you are utilizing at a school or classroom level. Schools are working to share their plans for parent-teacher conferences and important upcoming dates such as: report card deliveries meeting times winter concerts While traditional strategies such as school newsletters, student agendas, and email groups continue to be utilized. New additions such as social media can also play… Read More
The STEM Mindset
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Tomorrow, November 8th, will play host to STEM Day so I wanted to make sure that I kick-off the week with some thoughts to get us started: If you are looking for STEM Resources, tomorrow’s post will be FULL of links to explore! In the meantime, check these out: Engaging Elementary Students in STEM Learning MVSD Tech Kits
You Think Halloween Is Scary?
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. How many Terms of Service agreements do you think you have clicked, “I Accept”, on as part of the requirements of accessing a digital service? How many times did you actually read the full agreement before selecting, “I Accept”. If you did read it all (good for you), did you understand everything? Terms of Service (TOS) agreements are notoriously difficult to understand and, although some platforms have made their information more accessible, most are full of jargon specific to that field.… Read More