One of the best parts of May is definitely the Riding the Wave conference running from May 11-12. Situated in beautiful Gimli, Manitoba the 2023 theme is focused on, “unleashing your creative potential”, and will feature keynote David Usher who will be speaking to Creative Thinking: The Power To Navigate Disruption. This year I am presenting during two of the breakout session slots as well being able to serve as a learner while I take in 4 sessions. The following post is a summary of my experiences: Broadcast Your School News Live on YouTube “In the R360 Broadcasting Club, students in Grades 5-12 read… 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 flyers 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 flyers 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
Teach and Learn in a Digital World 2023
I’m kicking off my Spring Break with a roadtrip to Regina to take in the Teach & Learn in a Digital World Conference! Hosted by the University of Regina Faculty of Education, this 3-day hybrid event is designed to, “equip you with the knowledge, skills and confidence to implement digital skills in your classroom.” I am attending as both a participant and presenter and want to extend my thanks to Dr. Ehsan Akbari for asking me to join! The following post is a summary of my experiences: Masters of Makerspaces: Perspectives from Teachers in the Field “Join us for a… Read More
Follow Friday – Riding the Wave Conference
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. As we head into Spring Break I want to make sure that Riding the Wave is on your radar because it is a FANTASTIC learning and networking event and a great way to build your ed tech goals in alignment with your plans for the upcoming year. Situated in beautiful Gimli, Manitoba the 2023 theme is focused on, “unleashing your creative potential”, and will feature keynote David Usher who will be… 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 flyers 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 flyers 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
March 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. March 2023 ICT Newsletter by Kirsten Cali
Assistive Technology is for Everyone
Every Monday I share a different ed tech quote on our Thompson Classroom social media pages for our staff to consider. Today is one of two division-wide professional development (PD) days in MVSD which will see all school-staff participate in a variety of training sessions hosted at Grandview School. Held virtually for the past few years, this is the first time we will be together face-to-face since 2019. My role will see me working with our middle- and senior-year educational assistants (EAs) in the area of assistive technology. The presentation, which was used in conjunction with live demos, can be viewed below:… 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
Throwback to BU!
I am very excited to share that tomorrow I will be back at Brandon University (BU) taking part in their pre-service professional development series through the Faculty of Ed. BU holds a special place in my heart as I not only hold my B.A, B.Ed, and M.Ed from here but I also lived and worked on campus for five years from 2007-2012. This will be my 5th formal presentation at BU with previous guest speaking roles taking place as part of the Internet for Ed (#I4Ed) B.Ed class, formally taught by Mike Nantais. I took a quick trip down memory… 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