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
Technology for Reflection & Metacognition
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. At the end of May we started discussing some tech options for final assessments. For a lot of our staff, their report card comments are due this week which means that they are working to finalize summative understanding with their learners and, for many of them, tech tools play a role in this task. While I’m discussing this at the end of the school year, don’t be fooled, the use of technology as a tool for reflection and metacognition should be… Read More
No Statistical Difference
On Mondays I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. *This article is a repost from 2017 When it comes to educational technology (ed tech) I find that it can be one of those ed topics that can become incredibly polarizing. You either find educators who are enthusiastically supportive of the implementation of various forms of ed tech or you find educators who will use ed tech if they have to but tend to stick with other materials and strategies that they are more comfortable with. Admittedly I fall into the… Read More
Defining Technology
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. This quote has stuck with me for a few years because I feel that, based on the generational gap between educators and students, that there is sometimes a disconnect between how we view technology. For many educators, it is still considered an “extra” or an “add-on”. For example: for THIS specific project we are summarizing our learning with a PowerPoint so we go to the computer lab for a SPECIAL activity we are adding a tech station as an option during… Read More
Technology Is Not Just A Tool
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. George Couros is no stranger to this blog and the work that both him and his brother, Alec, do in the field of education have influenced me greatly. While this week’s quote can be interpreted multiple ways (like when discussing social media) but I feel like this 2013 TEDx video clip does a good job at providing an overview of George’s perspective: I tend to gravitate back to this quote when introducing assistive technology with staff and this week is one… Read More
Media Literacy Week 2021
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. In honour of Media Literacy week, which runs from October 25-30, this week’s Mantra is: If you are new to Media Literacy Week, Media Smarts describes it as: “Media Literacy Week is an annual national campaign hosted by MediaSmarts and the Canadian Teachers Federation to promote digital and media literacy, with activities and events taking place in classrooms, libraries, museums and community groups from coast to coast to coast.” Media Literacy Week Resources Break the Fake resources Media Literacy Week newsletter Media Literacy Week Teachers Hub… Read More