Every Wednesday 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. One of our programs that continues to be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic has been our divisional preschool program. Prior to spring of 2020, this program saw community members and their young families visit our school buildings to participate in in-person, hands-on preschool activities as part of our Kindergarten-readiness initiative. Given the ongoing public health restrictions… Read More
High Impact Leadership
Today our admin council, which consists of MVSD senior administration, school principals, and divisional coordinators, met face-to-face for the 3rd time since early 2020. This meeting not only addressed our regular admin council agenda but also allowed us an opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Treaty 2 and build in leadership development. As part of our PD we were presented with an article from John Hattie and had an opportunity to meet and discuss with our colleagues. The following are my own notes for reflection. Hattie, John. (2015). High-impact leadership. Improving Schools: What Works? 72.5, pp. 36-40. Transformational or… Read More
November ICT Newsletter
The Monday after Halloween… who is more tired – students or teachers?! 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.
Happy Halloween!
I have to admit that I have never been a huge Halloween fan. Candy? Yes please! But dressing up? Not so much… With that in mind, I do love participating in school events and always made sure to dress up as part of the school-spirit events going on in the classroom/workplace. Since my move to division office, I have tried to align my costumes to a technology theme. 2019 – Microsoft Word’s favourite assistant: Clippy! 2020 – A North American House Hippo (this fell on Media Literacy week so it played into both elements) This year I wanted to find… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Vicky Ogg
Every Wednesday 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 is Media Literacy Week and what better opportunity to highlight the great work being done by Vicky Ogg at Henderson Elementary (HES)! If you are participating in Media Literacy Week you may know that there are 5 key themes to focus on through the week and Vicky is well on her way to practicing ALL… 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… Read More
October ICT Newsletter
September has FLOWN by and we are now into my favourite month of the year, October! 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.
Follow Friday – Mackenzie Middle School
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. For the past two weeks the admin team at Mackenzie Middle School (MMS) have been working on their communication strategy; including the use of social media as a tool for transparency, communication, and community building. After careful consideration, it was concluded that the majority of their adult stakeholders utilized Facebook, and the launch of the Mackenzie Middle School Facebook page was live! Give them a follow to stay up-to-date on… Read More
WOW Wednesday – Dimitrius Sagriotis
Every Wednesday 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. Dimitrius and I joined MVSD together in 2019 and since our first meeting at divisional mentorship he has proven to be a life-long learner. At almost every school visit I attend Dimitrius has been quick to sign-up for a quick question or longer PD session to help refine his practice. A self-declared “tech illiterate”, he is always… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – PowerSchool Resources
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 MVSD we use PowerSchool as our Student Information System (SIS). This means that this platform is the go-to program for our staff when it comes to student records, assessment reporting, daily attendance, etc. There are many different elements of the program that are applicable depending on your role within the division. While this means that all stakeholders have easy access to the information that is needed for their position, it can also make PD… Read More