*This post is a modified version of one shared at the start of summer holidays. 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 2020 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. Given our current pandemic-environment which sees our teaching scenario changing fairly consistently (face-to-face teaching, hybrid teaching,… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Code.Org
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. This week is Computer Science Education Week so naturally, this week’s tip is focused on coding! Computer Science Education week is a perfect opportunity to build in activities that introduce learners to the field of computer science, strengthen computational thinking skills, and encourage creativity in the digital space. Last year MVSD spent the full Computer Science Education week hosting Hour of Code events (see video below for some highlights): This year our ability… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Remote Learning Back-Up Plans
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. Yesterday there was a province-wide internet outage in all school divisions that are hosted through MERLIN. While they did a fantastic job of addressing this large-scale concern quite quickly, it did mean that most educators were without internet access for at least half the day. What would have been an inconvienance last year was now a major concern for schools and families as we now have a significant amount of students engaged in… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Custom Cursor
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. Accessibility is key both in the classroom and when teaching remotely. Whether you are projecting onto a screen or sharing your view via a video call it can be difficult for participants to track the moves of your cursor. For someone in my position, who does a lot of tech training sessions, having participants understand what I am doing and where I am clicking is essential! By changing to a custom cursor your… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences
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. November brings about the first round of report cards in Manitoba and, traditionally, this has also meant an open opportunity for parents/guardians to visit the school and discuss student progress with their teacher(s) face-to-face. However, admist the Covid-19 pandemic, having multiple visitors in our school buildings is not ideal (and in some cases not possible). As such, virtual options have been built in for families with connectivity. For those with access, these tools… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Blended Learning Practice MOOC
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 the summer one of colleagues from Manitoba Ed recommended I participate in the Blended Learning Practice MOOC. This massive open online course is, “an introduction to blending technology and distance education teaching strategies with traditional, in-person classroom activities”. This four-week, FREE, course is accessible and provides practical supports for K-12 educators (and planning teams). I enjoyed this course quite a bit and have shared their open textbook regularly with our staff as… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Stopping Fake News
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. As October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, all of the tips shared this month will tackle common cyber security concerns (both student-related and work-place related). You can check out the other Cyber Security Awareness Month posts here: Has my account been compromised? Password habits teachers should break Protecting yourself from phishing emails This week’s tech tip serves double duty as it is also Media Literacy Week! These areas heavily overlap as our media and digital literacy… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Protecting Yourself from Phishing Emails
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. As October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, all of the tips shared this month will tackle common cyber security concerns (both student-related and work-place related). You can check out the other Cyber Security Awareness Month posts here: Has my account been compromised? Password habits teachers should break What is a Phishing Email? Phishing emails are fraudulent messages designed to obtain sensitive information such as financial information, usernames, or passwords. These emails often include links which sends… Read More
Password Habits Teachers Should Break
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. As October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, all of the tips shared this month will tackle common cyber security concerns (both student-related and work-place related). You can check out the other Cyber Security Awareness Month posts here: Has my account been compromised? Last week’s Tech Tip Tuesday shared how to check if your email address has been used on any websites where there has been a security breach. If this check reveals that… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Cyber Security Awareness Month
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. As October is Cyber Security Awareness Month, all of the tips shared this month will tackle common cyber security concerns (both student-related and work-place related). Almost everything online is now asking you to create an account using your email address; I can’t even read the online articles from the Winnipeg Free Press without creating a “free” account to gain access. It is no surprise that one quickly loses track of just how many… Read More