Every Friday I share what I believe to be a notable person/organization/school on our social media pages to assist our staff in the development of their online Personal Learning Network. I am thrilled to share that our division now has their very own Minecraft Student Ambassdor organization through Ecole Macneill. This group is comprised of students at the elementary level who are interested in the Minecraft program and work under the supervision of a staff member who has completed the Minecraft Student Ambassador sponsor program through Microsoft. Our students, through this program, have: investigated climate change through the Frozen Planet 2… Read More
PD on the Potty
Near the end of 2019 I implemented the idea of PD on the Potty following a podcast from Kasey Bell. This alternative method of professional development sees the inclusion of fliers placed in staff washroom facilities. Depending on the month these may include: divisional tech reminders upcoming PD opportunities tips & tricks program reviews social media recommendations and more! Not only do these fliers allow you to have a captive audience but they can provide a bridge for staff members who have technology as a barrier in their practice [for these individuals, emails, social media posts, digital resources, etc are inaccessible]. Here… Read More
December ICT Newsletter
With the start of a new month comes a new monthly ICT newsletter. These newsletters are designed to serve as an outreach to all MVSD staff and provide: general ICT updates (software changes, divisional ICT timelines, tech-themed holidays) upcoming PD for the month tech tips divisional highlights These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared out through our social media pages and divisional website. December 2022 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
WOW Wednesday – Henderson 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. Right now if you walk into Henderson Elementary the first thing you will see is technology in the form of a beautiful welcome station featuring a large-screen display and speakers. This display showcases a variety of information including: welcome messages photo introductions of building staff announcements student highlights student and caregiver educational tips This is a great way… Read More
Happy Halloween from a Social Butterfly
Who doesn’t love a good tech-themed Halloween costume! Since joining the MVSD team as Coordinator of ICT I’ve tried to ensure my costume aligned with my role and, if I do say so myself, I think I’m on a roll. So far my costumes have included: 2019 – Clippy MVSD was right in the middle of their transition to Office 365 so a Microsoft-themed costume was perfect! 2020 – A North American House Hippo Halloween fell on Media Literacy Week and their theme of “Break the Fake”, which included a House Hippo mascot, was just too perfect. Plus what Canadian… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Goose Lake High
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. This week I would like to highlight a brand new upgrade to our high school in Roblin, Goose Lake High: a new PC computer lab! Over the summer months the school renovated their old lab space and purchsed 25 new desktop stations for use in their Grade 9-12 classes including ICT and computer science. This addition brings the… Read More
Follow Friday – GP Trojans
On Fridays I share what I believe to be a notable person/organization/school on our social media pages to assist our staff in the development of their online Personal Learning Network. Gilbert Plains Collegiate has been active on social media via Twitter for many years but has recently given their online presence a refresh with a new Facebook page. Their new Facebook page, GP Trojans, is being used to highlight school events like: field trips extracurricular activities school updates examples of student programming community outreach events like fundraisers Their page allows them to reach a new group of stakeholders; I encourage you to follow… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Alyssa Watson
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 would like to shine a light on Alyssa Watson from Ethelbert School. During a recent school visit I had an opportunity to visit her classroom and briefly visit during her lunch break. Her class has access to a class-set of tablets which are individually assigned to students to: increase accessibilty (they stay on student desks unless they… Read More
October ICT Newsletter
With the start of a new month comes a new monthly ICT newsletter. These newsletters are designed to serve as an outreach to all MVSD staff and provide: general ICT updates (software changes, divisional ICT timelines, tech-themed holidays) upcoming PD for the month tech tips divisional highlights These newsletters are sent out to staff via our divisional email but are also shared out through our social media pages and divisional website. October 2022 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
WOW Wednesday – Whitmore Social Media
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. With the 22/23 school year in full swing I am always so pleased when I happen to see one of our school accounts come back across my social media feed after a summer break! Whitmore School is an excellent example of this as they maintain a Facebook account to connect and share with caregivers and the broader community.… Read More