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
The “Hidden Curriculum” in Tech
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 was pulled from work I started earlier in the month as part of my Ph.D journey at U of R. To read the full version, visit THIS POST from October 9, 2021. The inclusion (or exclusion) of particular tech features can say a lot about what the values/accepted lifestyles are of the company producing the program. As an extension, educators should be aware of the tone this can set in their classrooms. How might you… Read More
What Should Students Share Online?
If you are reading this blog then you already know my stance when it comes to sharing online. I strongly believe that we have a large demographic of consumers and that our students need to be provided with opportunities to share online and develop a positive digital footprint. Unfortunately, I often hear of schools who feature guest speakers discussing the “dangers” of social media and threatening about how what students share online will haunt them in their future endeavors. While I do believe that these types of conversations, when framed productively, are important I don’t believe they should happen in… Read More
The Teacher Next Door
I am always in search of ways to assist our staff in accessing professional development in the area of ed tech. As I’ve grown in this position, and our teaching environment has changed drastically, this has taken multiple forms: in-person PD sessions for staff groups one-on-one or small group in-person PD sessions social media posts PD on the Potty monthly newsletters Tech Tidbit PD presented virtually over the noon-hour book studies As we progress through what is arguably a year for the record books, I continue to look for ways to strengthen our staff capacity. Last Wednesday during our monthly… Read More
Educate, Don’t Legislate
Today is the day Manitobans will be able to view the long-awaited Ed Review. Originally scheduled to be shared in March of 2020, this framework was delayed as the world shifted gears in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the new education minister, Cliff Cullen, has now stated that the review is ready to be made public (although there is no indication if the contents of this document were altered in response to the pandemic). If you have read my blog for some time you know that I don’t align with our province’s current leadership and I have previously shared… 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