Introduction Educators are ill-equipped to analyze educational technology to determine suitability for their programming. The Covid-19 pandemic, and its resulting influence on educational programming, has accelerated the rate at which educators integrate digital tools into their programming (Nantais, M. et al., 2021, p. 34) but Latchem (2013, p. 384) warns that, “educators need to resist the urge to jump at new ideas without thinking of how its implementation can be maximized, what problems may arise, and how sustainable the tool will be for students down the road”. Johnson, Riel, and Froese-Germain (2016, p. 43.) found that 45% of surveyed Canadian… 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
Assessment, Evaluations, & Use of Data
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship. TPACK Leadership Diagnostic Tool: Guidance for Teacher Education Toward Technology Infusion Presenters: Dr. Arlene Borthwick, Jeffrey Carpenter, Dr. Jon Clausen, Elizabeth Finsness, Dr. Kevin Graziano, & Mary Herring Overview: “This session highlights the JDLTE Outstanding Research Award Paper entitled, “TPACK Leadership Diagnostic Tool: Adoption and Implication for Teacher Education Leaders.” JDLTE recognizes one article from the prior volume year with the highest possibility to advance the field of teacher education. Authors will provide the background that lead to the tool’s development and discuss how institutions have… Read More
What I Learned As A Remote Student
On Friday 1000s of Manitoba teachers took part in #MTSPDDay which was primarily hosted via distance and online methods. It is my hope that we all use this opportunity to not only take back new content understanding to our practice but to also reflect on what it is like to be a distance student. I have personally been a distance student since September of 2013 when I started by M.Ed program through Brandon University. While this stage of my learning journey concluded with my graduation in 2018, I have continued to spend time as a distance student as I completed… Read More
What is Blended Learning? -Blended Learning Practice MOOC Wk 1
The following post has been completed as part of my personal reflection as I work through the Blended Learning Practice MOOC ; a partnership between Commonwealth of Learning and Athabasca University. Any images, tables, or direct quotes (as indicated with the appropriate formatting) are provided from the specific course or webinar and can be credited to: Blended Learning Practice MOOC. (2020). https://www.blpmooc.org/ This week not only saw the start of the ISTE Summer Learning Academy but also Week 1 of the Blending Learning Practice MOOC. This “massive open online course” was originally introduced to me by a colleague in Manitoba Ed who knew of… Read More
#MantraMonday
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: Ed Tech Quote. (2020). Uploaded by Kirsten Thompson. Available online at: http://fishbowlteaching.blogspot.com/ Last week I encouraged us all to carve out some time to reflect on experience of distance instruction. For many of us, the suspension of classes led to the implementation of: – new tech tools – different content delivery practices – different assessment methods – new curation/organizational structures – and much more! One topic that I have had an opportunity to discuss and write about in the… Read More
TPACK – Tech Integration Series
*This post has been written as part of my journey through my Master’s Degree in Curriculum & Planning through Brandon University This post is Part TWO of a four-part series titled Model Mayhem where I am exploring and critiquing different models of tech integration. For each model I will provide a general overview of the model, what it might look like in a classroom setting, and attempt to critique the pedagogical theory and foundations behind the model’s development. The first model of the series was the SAMR model, a four-step model of tech integration designed to improve student… Read More
SAMR – Tech Integration Series
This post is Part ONE of a four-part series titled Model Mayhem where I am exploring and critiquing different models of tech integration. For each model I will provide a general overview of the model, what it might look like in a classroom setting, and attempt to critique the pedagogical theory and foundations behind the model’s development. The first model of the series is the SAMR model, a four-step model of tech integration designed to improve student outcomes, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura . _______________________________________________________ GENERAL OVERVIEW The SAMR Model. (2015). Uploaded by St. Patricks College. Available online… Read More
Model Mayhem – Tech Integration Series
Lets face it, technology is not something that is going away. As technological advances adapt at an increasingly fast rate and the world becomes more interconnected it is our role as educators to provide our students with the necessary skills to be successful in a society that we can really only begin to imagine. We can look amongst our colleagues and, like most aspects of education, we see people at various ends of the spectrum. This discrepancy can be attributed to any number of factors: age, education background, personal interests, comfort level, work experience, and the… Read More