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 the field of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow and become more integrated into the platforms we are using I wanted to ensure that our staff had a place to go to find out more. If you remember back to one our AI-themed Mantra Monday posts in March, I shared that the first step for educators should be to inform themselves on the programs that are available. In response, I have been refining a… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – VEX VR Robotic Playground
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. Next week, April 8-16, plays host to National Robotics Week or “Robo Week”. For those that are new to the field of robotics it can seem overwhelming, especially if you feel unequipped. “I don’t have robots for my students!?” With budgetary constraints and logistical challenges it can be hard to get the supplies necessary to feel prepared to participate in Robo Week. While your options may include loaning a Tech Kit from the PD Resource… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Out of Office
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. Spring is officially here, despite having temperatures in the -30C range this week! As we wrap up the third week of March I know that students, and teachers, have their eyes toward Spring Break. However, teacher’s tend to have their, “teacher-brain”, on all the time and sometimes have challenges stepping back and finding time for themselves. Trust me, you will be a better teacher if you take the break for yourself. Relax, recharge, and engage… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – PowerSchool Portal
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. Here in Manitoba we are moving towards spring assessments for our K-8 educators and learners. Component A.3 of our divisional Student Assessment Procedure indicates that: All members of the learning community, students, educators and parents must be actively engaged in assessment, in order to develop a common understanding of the classroom assessment and evaluation process. MVSD Student Assessment Procedure, Section B, Part A.3 One tool that can be used to increase assessment engagement is through the parent/student… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Digital Tools for Student Portfolios
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 Manitoba, March is a whirlwind month for educators. We start off strong with a mix of weather systems, jump right into a time-change, and hit the ground running to complete report cards and book parent-teacher interviews before spring break! One of my favourite methods to assist with this is the implementation of student portfolios. Student portfolios can be a fantastic practice in the classroom as they: develop student metacognition selecting exemplars reflecting on their… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Microsoft Quick Guides
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. I am always looking for different ways to share about the various tools available within the Microsoft Office 365 suite. As a Microsoft division, these tools are readily available to our staff, students, and community caregivers but I acknowledge that we are all inundated with SO MUCH information that it can be hard to keep it all organized. I came across Miss Aird on Twitter recently and was immediately drawn to the Quick Guide posters… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Fair Dealing Week
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. February 20th kicked off Fair Dealing Week 2023 which runs through to February 24th. The Fair Dealing Canada website describes this legislation as follows: “Fair dealing recognizes that certain uses of copyright protected works are beneficial for society. By placing limits on instances where copyright owners can require payment, fair dealing leads innovation, to the creation of new works and new scholarship. The Supreme Court of Canada increasingly refers to copyright as providing a balance between the… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Access FREE Coding Workshop
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 year the BYTE Conference has expanded their offerings to not only include amazing PD for educators who attend the conference but also offer resources for those who are unable to attend and will be in their classrooms with students. Through a partnership with Cobblestone Collective, BYTE is offering a workshop designed to get students and teachers problem solving, using computational thinking, debugging, getting creative and having fun! If you haven’t used CS First before,… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Disinfecting Technology
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 January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! Keeping your device(s) clean and disinfected not only helps ensure that you are healthy but it can also help ensure your device is free of debris and running optimally. However, devices can be picky about how they are cleaned so you want to make sure you do so in a way that aligns with the specific… Read More
#TechTipTuesday – Naming Files
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 January is recognized as Clean Up Your Computer Month all of this month’s tips will be dedicated to this topic! When I was in the classroom I worked with Grade 7-12 in the areas of social studies, science, math, and sometimes areas such as art, health, or resource. As you can imagine, this meant I had A LOT of digital files that spanned a wide range of topics. Finding a way to organize my files was… Read More