On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Final report cards will be sent out in less than three weeks and, for our high schools, graduation events start as early as next week. With this in mind, our schools are in final assessment mode. For some, this looks like the completion of final projects and observations while for others this means final exams. I don’t want to pick on high schools but I find that when it comes to “final exams” there continues to be an unspoken routine stepped… Read More
Educational Apps – Challenges
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. One unseen benefit of the Covid-19 pandemic is that the use of technology in education has increased at a far higher rate than if our traditional classroom model was still in place (Nantais, M. et al., 2021, p. 34). The switch to remote learning has placed all educators, students, and families in a position where they are required to modify their existing practices and learn how to use digital tools in new ways. However, an increase in the use of online… Read More
National Robotics Week ’23
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Next week, April 8-16, plays host to National Robotics Week or “Robo Week”. This event is self-decribed as: “The mission of National Robotics Week (RoboWeek) is simple — to inspire students in robotics and STEM-related fields and to share the excitement of robotics with audiences of all ages.“ A promotional video for the 2022 event is embedded below: To help prepare staff for this event I am spending the whole week sharing robotics tips, tricks, and highlights to help ensure they… Read More
Technology NOW – Don’t Wait for the Future
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Almost a full year ago I shared the quote, “Technology is not technology if it was invented before you were born“. Since that time, the rise of AI programming has increased rapidly and the coversation surrounding platforms such as Chat GPT have inundated the education world. The quote of the week, shared in the graphic above, was created by Chat GPT. In the past few weeks I have been immersed in this topic as I have: refined resources and supports for… Read More
Fair Dealing Week 2023
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
Pedagogy Driven Tech
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. As we approach the end of the first month of school I think it is important to take a moment to step back and reflect. September is always a whirlwind for anyone involved in education and it can be easy to get swept up in the demands of: student needs, caregiver needs, classroom goals, school goals, divisional goals.. and the list goes on and on. However, it is important to remember that everything we do in the classroom should be done… Read More
The Role of Administrators in Ed Tech Integration
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. With this week playing host to our divisional admin council meeting I wanted to focus on a quote geared towards school and divisional leaders. The following is a repost of a 2017 post entitled, The Role of School Administration in the Success of ICT Program Implementation: Traditional vs. Distributed Support Models. An administrator’s role in their building or district is becoming increasingly complex as today’s education system involves multiple stakeholders and programming needs. One such role includes the development and implementation… Read More
National Video Games Day
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. With today marking National Video Games Day I couldn’t think of a better quote than this one from Melissa Burns. Did you know that Manitoba is a Canadian leader when it comes to eSports? eSports (electronic sports) involves competition using video games and MVSD currently has an eSports presence at both Ecole Macneill & Mackenzie. Today’s post has put together a trove of resources including: Why eSports? introduce yourself to the field and get an overview of what role it can… Read More