What better way to kick off the school year then with high-quality, inspiring, professional development! Last spring, MAETL reached out to various ed tech committees across Canada who were doing similar work to our organization and, through this outreach, we connected with ATLE out of Alberta. Our friendship was solidified when they sent a fantastic group out to the Riding the Wave conference in Gimli in May and it was decided then and there that we could reciprocate a visit to their Convergence conference in October. Myself and Troy Sigvaldason (MAETL VP and IT-extraordinaire) are taking in the conference, as… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Microsoft Educator Center
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. With MVSD being a Microsoft EDU division, one of the reminders I send out every September focuses on the Microsoft Educator Center (aka Microsoft Learn). This is a FREE online community platform in which educators can participate in Microsoft-based professional development, connect with other educators, access virtual field trips, find shared resources and more! With so many topics to choose from, this is one of my go-to resources to share with educators who are looking for support… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Bethany Brade
On Wednesdays I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Everyday our staff are using tech in new and exciting ways, are learning new skills, and are sharing ways in which ed tech is assisting them in their practice. A HUGE shout out to Bethany at Goose Lake High (GLH) who ran with the content they learned at our past mentorship PD and was quick to book a school visit for the GLH Grade 9 ICT classes. I am so thankful that the invitation was extended to visit for the day this Tuesday so that I could… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Gilbert Plains Elementary
On Wednesdays I highlight some of our amazing MVSD staff on our social media pages. Everyday our staff are using tech in new and exciting ways, are learning new skills, and are sharing ways in which ed tech is assisting them in their practice. I am very excited to share that Gilbert Plains Elementary has expanded their Minecraft EDU deployment! Minecraft is now available in their dedicated lab space, as well as on student laptops and compatible tablets. Exploration with Minecraft EDU has been lead by Megan Porter and allows for: student choice for creation and assessment options, as well as during… Read More
Year End Tech Checklist – Part 1 – LMS
On Tuesdays I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. The end of the school year means a very standard routine for educators: time to clean out your classroom! For many of us this includes removal of any unnecessary clutter that has accumulated, archiving and filing, revamping bulletin boards, and perhaps the beginning of an update to certain decor elements. Guess what? This should be happening digitally as well; especially with increased use of digital tools/files! When I taught at Ste Rose our secretary would always provide… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – CyberSafe Privacy Prodigy
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. May 1-7 marks Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) which is an annual event to raise awareness within the public sector and the broader community about the importance of protecting and respecting personal information. If you are curious about how to approach this topic with students, I recommend the Mincraft EDU module: CyberSafe – Privacy Prodigy! This module covers the following skills: Keep login information private Discuss real-world cybersecurity problems and how personal information can be protected.… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Digital Tools for Student Portfolios
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. In Manitoba, March is a whirlwind month for educators. We start off strong with a mix of weather systems, jump right into a time-change, and hit the ground running to complete report cards and book parent-teacher interviews before spring break! One of my favourite methods to assist with this is the implementation of student portfolios. Student portfolios can be a fantastic practice in the classroom as they: develop student metacognition selecting exemplars reflecting on their… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Microsoft Quick Guides
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. I am always looking for different ways to share about the various tools available within the Microsoft Office 365 suite. As a Microsoft division, these tools are readily available to our staff, students, and community caregivers but I acknowledge that we are all inundated with SO MUCH information that it can be hard to keep it all organized. I came across Miss Aird on Twitter recently and was immediately drawn to the Quick Guide posters… Read More
BYTE 2023
On Friday I spent the day in Portage la Prairie for the 19th annual BYTE conference. I know I say this every year but… this conference is always a highlight of my year as it represents my first ever speaking event and, a full decade later, I am thrilled to still be a part of this fantastic event. If you weren’t able to join the event in person, and even if you did, I recommend scrolling back on Instragram and Twitter as many participants and presenters shared their learing throughout the day. You can find applicable posts by following the… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Out of Office
Every Tuesday I share a Tech Tip on our social media pages to assist our staff in their use of technology as it relates to their role. We are only a few days away from the end of 2022 and a well-deserved winter break for those involved in education. Teacher’s tend to have their, “teacher-brain”, on all the time and sometimes have challenges stepping back and finding time for themselves. Trust me, you will be a better teacher if you take the break for yourself. Relax, recharge, and engage in activities that bring you joy. I recommend turning on your automatic replies… Read More