*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina In December of 2022 I officially completed the required course work for my Ph.D program at the University of Regina! (If you are interested in looking back at some of that work you can check out the “university” or “ECI388” tags on this blog). With that component completed, the next stage of this journey involves the formation of a committee which will review my preliminary research proposal. Once approved the committee will then assign me three questions. These questions, which will expand… 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
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
Programmed Oppression
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina Critical theory, the legacy of the theoretical work of the Frankfurt School, is centered on changing the circumstances of the oppressed. Giroux (2009) explains that critical theory in education, “…enables educators to become more knowledgeable about how teachers, students, and other educational workers become part of the system” that is emphasized through organizational practices, messages, and values; often referred to as the hidden curriculum. In the realm of educational technology, the pervasive school of thought has seen the inclusion of technology in… Read More
EC&I 833 – Summary of Learning
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina This narrative summarizes my learning experience through the course as portrayed through the lens of one of our first readings, 5 Things You Need to Know About Technological Change by Neil Postman. Media Overview: Title slides generated through Canva Narration recorded using a Snowball microphone Video editing completed using WeVideo Stock video clips and audio used through WeVideo Applicable References -Postman, N. (1998). Five things we need to know about technological change. Recuperado de http://www. sdca. org/sermons_ mp3/2012/121229_postman_5Things. pdf. -Zhao, Y., Gaoming,… Read More
Access to Augment, Virtual, & Mixed Reality Tools
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina Class VR Within our division we have two class sets (8 headsets each) of the Class VR headsets that are accompanied by a subscription to the teacher management and curriculum dashboard. This virtual reality tool is specifically designed for education; a demo video from YouTube is included below for your review This would be the VR tool that I have the most experience with but it is purely from an instructional standpoint as I do not have my own students. This experience… Read More
Coding and Makerspaces in MVSD
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina MakerSpace Resources Within our division we do not have any school buildings with spaces that are officially designated as Makerspaces. However, we have elements of “maker culture” in every school space. This includes: curriculum-focused spaces for classes such as home-economics, wood-working, design, art, and more library work spaces with a variety of loose-parts student common spaces with supplies such as lego, magnatiles, devices, loose-parts, etc outdoor classrooms with loose-parts sourced from the local environment classroom-based creation stations/centers (especially common at the K-Gr… Read More
Assistive Tech
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina The following is a presentation I put together while training on Assistive Tech in our school division: Parkland Clinicians by Kirsten Cali Assistive Tech Resources to Support Your Learning & Future Classroom Use Leveling the Playing Field with Microsoft Learning Tools “This study was designed to evaluate whether Microsoft Learning Tools is useful for enhancing reading and writing instruction and learning. Four 4th grade and four 6th–12th grade teachers from Bellevue School District in Bellevue, Washington participated. We interviewed them and analyzed… Read More
Timestamp 2:48… & My Hyperfixation on Multi-tasking
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina Is the Internet really a productivity tool or merely an endless series of distractions? I have to admit that I did NOT make it through this video before I picked up my phone… I know… not a good start. I am someone who has a multi-screen set-up in my office as well as additional tools such as my phone or tablet within reach as well. It is not uncommon for me to have a double-digit amount of tabs open (across multiple screens)… Read More
♫ techy ways…. I need The Cloud to play ♫
*This post has been written as part of my journey as a Ph.D student through University of Regina This week’s blog post prompt includes the following: Postman wrote: “…We now know that “Sesame Street” encourages children to love school only if school is like “Sesame Street.” Which is to say, we now know that “Sesame Street” undermines what the traditional idea of schooling represents.” In a blog post, unpack the implications of this quote, particularly the idea that Sesame Street undermines traditional schooling. I would like to start off by saying: OUR PRACTICES SHOULD UNDERMINE TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING (yes, I do… Read More