What’s the one or two questions I get asked a lot from teachers and administrators? “Where do you get copyright free images to use for online platforms like blogs or in presentations like powerpoint. What types of images work better than others.” Images are extremely important especially in this increasingly visual world. They can serve to…
Our Must Have List of Apps for iDevices
Since ipads and ipod/touches hit the district, I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked what apps are great. I wrote about this previously (Apps) using the lens of “Relevance, Thinking Skills, Sharing and Usability” (adapted by Tony Vincent; Kathy Schrock). Another layer may be to connect the app against the SAMR model (a…
One Word for 2015
A new year offers a flurry of activities. Like a book, the pages begin anew ready for anything you place upon it. For those of you who have a New Year’s resolution, plans go into full swing to make it happen. You might broadcast it to your family or quietly commit to take those first steps….
Where the Intersection between Talk and Courage Meet
Created with Tagul.com We’ve been working and editing our Digital Citizenship (curriculum dare I say) for a bit now (squeezed in between all the other projects). And I’ve returned to the same conclusion I had at the beginning of this journey. The only thing that is really different is that we access an online environment…
PSA Day – BLOGATHON
As a professional, reflection takes up a large part of our lives. Active choices stem from reflective moments steering our professional learning. Ultimately that learning reflects back into our classrooms with students. We were privileged to spend Friday with a group of K-12 teachers and student teachers at Burnaby Central. Titled “Blogathon“, it provided an…
Engage in the Experience – Professional Learning
As we organize our teaching/learning environments, it is important to hold time to learn ourselves – to challenge ourselves to engage with new ideas, to seek out new opportunities in professional learning, and to reflect how they relate with personal beliefs. This is about connecting to what is important. Only then can we bring powerful…
Welcome Back!
This year’s start was a bit later than anticipated. None the less, every ‘start up’ is a great time filled with anticipation. Anticipation of meeting new people, new colleagues, new and returning students, new buildings or rooms and yes admittedly some anxieties. If you’re anything like me, I always buy a new pen to celebrate new…
Voice and Choice – Teachers & Students Ring Out
From time to time we continue our focus on sharing practices in SD41 that create community and build connected stories using our blogs. On the Cariboo side of the city, resides Armstrong teacher, Jude Comeau. Her blog called Division 11’s Class Blog-Learning One Byte At A Time, is a hive of connected learning. Her purposes are…
Blending Environments – Digital Citizenship is Participation
“Stop at the curb. Take my hand. Look left, look right and look left again.” Remember this? I remember this as if it was yesterday. Many of you are recalling when you first started teaching your children the rules of the road. I don’t ever recall saying the streets are too full of danger so we…
An Audience of One is No Audience At All
“Students need an authentic audience.” You’ve heard this statement before. Given the vast array of opportunities, you would think that this is easy. But any number of bells are ringing in your head and you recognize it’s not that simple. Consider questions like “who will be the target audience – parents, peers, people across the…
Who’s Telling Your Story If You’re Not?
Storytelling is as important today as years past – perhaps more so. There are many competing forces and it is challenging to capture audience’s attention. Questions to consider might be “What is your story? Who is telling your story? How are you telling it? Is it getting to the audience you wish?” Answers will differ…
Digital Citizenship is Minimal Requirement – We Need Digital Leaders
Digital citizenship is a topic that is gaining a dizzying momentum. The range of tools and environments continue to pop up at rates that far outstrip our ability to understand the new territory, much less navigate it. It is one thing to be able to orient yourself through a new environment like a holiday drive…
In-Between the Cracks – Questions Spark Genius
Have you ever looked at a dandelion? I mean really looked at it from all facets? OK so you have to crouch down, let your imagination flow, and ignore the stares that will obviously come. In a little while, you’ll get a stream of questions from a group peering over you, “What are ya lookin’…
Time On Your Hands?
Have a bit of time on your hands? And you’re ready for some ideas to tweak your curiosity? Here’s the latest Newsletter – April, packed with articles, tips and gems to ponder over. Click here.
Dialogue With A Twist
How would you create opportunities for students to practice dialogue? Perhaps it’s talk between two people or two characters in a book or a conversation between you and yourself? MMhh…now that would be interesting. A bit of reflective action produced in video format. And practicing a host of literacy elements to boot. The tool you…
iPad Apps that Enhance your Language Arts Program
Joined by a group of enthusiastic K-12 teachers and principals, we explored a number of apps at our District Pro-D session on February 21st. The feature story was Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin. After listening to the story and the oh-so catchy song, we used a strategy called Milling…
Digital Learning Day – Feb 5
The days of January have been whizzing by, partly due to the start of another term and partly due to our wonderful west coast weather. Having some sun certainly invites a bit more energy in the steps as well as some hopeful signs of spring just around the corner. We are hearing about so many…
Digital Citizenship
Happy new year. Like all new years, it is a time of anticipation and new beginnings. Especially with all the technological changes that our students have at their fingertips. While they may be really comfortable at texting and bouncing from one interchange to another, there is a significant difference when using technologies for organized multiple purposes. Powerful…
App #10 of “10 Apps to Countdown Season”
App #10: Partner a beautiful image that you’ve drawn or photographed with interactivity and you’ve got Thinglink. These rich interactives provide another way to curate and organize information. I’ve written about this before using the SAMR Model as an example (developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, Ph.D) and also here where I was participating in CLMOOC. Thinglink offers interaction tools that tag photos or images…
App #9 of “10 Apps to Countdown Season”
App #9: In our effort to highlight the SAMR Model of integration of technology, we’ve been considering what activities might fit into Redefinition (technology that allows creation of new tasks, previously inconceivable). What activities might have significant impact to student outcomes? The “tell your story” concept remains one of the powerful ways we have to teach others, to increase audience,…