On Tuesdays 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. Did you know that Manitoba is a Canadian leader when it comes to eSports? eSports (electronic sports) involves competition using video games and MVSD currently has an eSports presence at both Ecole Macneill, Mackenzie Middle School and the DRCSS (coming this fall). Today’s post has put together a trove of resources including: Why eSports? introduce yourself to the field and get an overview of what role it can play in education eSports PD accessible podcasts sharing… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Summer Holiday Tech Prep
On Tuesdays 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 pushing right through this last week of school for 22/23 and this week’s tech tip aligns with a section of our Year End Tech Checklist. I recommend turning on your automatic replies on your email indicating that you are in holiday. (I’ll include a tutorial below for those who operate within Outlook) If you previously had your work email on your Smart Phone or personal devices consider removing it for the break. Alternatively, you… Read More
Year End Tech Checklist – Part 2 – File Organization
On Tuesdays 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. Earlier this month I introduced the 22/23 Year End Tech Checklist and kicked off our implementation by looking at Learning Management Systems (LMS). As we progress through the month we are now shifting focus to digital file organization. Check out the video below for an overview of this topic: Now that you’ve watched the video you may notice some overlap between this section and the information shared out in January for Clean Up Your Computer… Read More
Year End Tech Checklist – Part 1 – LMS
On Tuesdays 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. The end of the school year means a very standard routine for educators: time to clean out your classroom! For many of us this includes removal of any unnecessary clutter that has accumulated, archiving and filing, revamping bulletin boards, and perhaps the beginning of an update to certain decor elements. Guess what? This should be happening digitally as well; especially with increased use of digital tools/files! When I taught at Ste Rose our secretary would always provide… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – PhET Simulations
On Tuesdays 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. One of the most challenging areas of the software side of my position is finding high-quality math and science programs that are aligned with our divisional strategies. When it came to this week’s Tech Tip I was actually shocked that I didn’t have a history of having this resource on the blog because it is actually something I have used extensively over the past decade. In fact, if you scroll through my (now archived) classroom… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Koalluh AI
On Tuesdays 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. At our most recent #ETMOOC2 session I was introduced to Koalluh AI by Krissy Venosdale. If this program is new to you, their website describes it as: “Personalized, differentiated, and engaging stories — powered by A.I. With Koalluh, teachers can engage even the most reluctant readers — students create personalized, just-right stories based on their interests!” https://www.koalluh.com/ You can also check out the video introduction below:
#TechTipTuesday – BYTE AI
On Tuesdays 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. If your newsfeed has been plagued with AI content but you are unsure of where to start, I definitely recommend BYTE AI! To introduce yourself to this tool check out the social media posts embedded below: I also went right to the source and asked BYTE AI, “How can teachers use BYTE AI in their classroom?” the response was as follows: There are many ways that teachers can use BYTE AI in their classroom! Here… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – CyberSafe Privacy Prodigy
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. May 1-7 marks Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) which is an annual event to raise awareness within the public sector and the broader community about the importance of protecting and respecting personal information. If you are curious about how to approach this topic with students, I recommend the Mincraft EDU module: CyberSafe – Privacy Prodigy! This module covers the following skills: Keep login information private Discuss real-world cybersecurity problems and how personal information can be protected.… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – TeachFlix
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. If you are wanting to include videos into your classroom programming but don’t know where to start, I recommend TeachFlix! Organized by Matt Miller and the Ditch That Textbook team, TeachFlix describes itself as: “Ever find a video for your students that’s just right? Perfect even? You show it to them (or they watch it on their own). It engages them. Makes them think. Starts really great conversations. A video can be the right tool… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – App Selection Considerations
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 I shared the quote that: “77% of apps in the “education” category are unable to provide empirical research that the tool will have a positive effect on learning outcomes” Kolb, L. (2017). Learning First, Technology Second. p. 164 So where does that leave educators who are looking for app options for their classroom? I strongly encourage you to visit yesterday’s post to see some of the research completed on the foundational skills of classroom… Read More