Whenever we think of Digital Citizenship, ‘internet safety’ always seem to pop up as the first area of concern. While this may be true, we would like to consider that this topic is nothing more than offering our students opportunities to make critical choices with their behaviours (whether they are online or face-to-face). One consideration…
Category: Innovative Teaching & Learning
When We Communicate
Technologies have offered many opportunities to communicate. The internet is a source of information and social connections. What used to be held to a select few, can now be used to amplify your voice. This is unlike London, England’s Hyde Park “Speakers Corner“, but an instantaneous sharing to the world of anything you post. For…
“Citizenship” is Everyone’s Business
February 1st is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, the day before Groundhog Day, the day (1920) of the newly established Royal Canadian Mounted Police. But more importantly, it is the official launch of our Digital Citizenship Initiative (K-7). While some may hone in on the word, “digital” implying that it is…
Launching K-7 Digital Citizenship Districtwide
Launches are always exciting and this one was all that. How can you not feel the energy being in a room filled with school teams engaged in conversation and laughter. And not to forget our very own Chef Wade catering the event made it even more inviting. Digital citizenship is everyone’s responsibility. Earlier in the…
Our Top 20 iApps Recommendations for 2017
You might have guessed that in the last post, I was aiming for my top 20 apps for iDevices but ended up with only 14. It was incredibly challenging to filter the apps out of 800 on my list (yes you read correctly – 800 of the best). Well, I have finally chosen the last six…
Hour of Code
This week (Dec 7 – 13) starts an international phenomenon – The Hour of Code. In celebration of Computer Science Education week, this worldwide event (more than 4400 in Canada and across 180 countries) offer an opportunity for teachers and students to dabble in computer coding and demystify the basic workings of video games and…
New Curriculum – Uncovering the Layers
Our teachers are risk-takers! This is not said lightly. From each of our staff development collaborative learning teams, districtwide Learning Together sessions, Communicating Student Learning initiatives to school-based pro-d, we’ve been tinkering with the big ideas, competencies, and assessments. To capture some of these journeys of learning, our blog is documenting some of the work…
Dabbling in the New Curriculum
We’ve set sail on a new course, dabbling and unpacking the new curriculum. We have many questions and unknowns. The one thing we do know for sure as collaborative communities, we support each other, we grow together and we learn together. And we’re not afraid to ask questions, really big questions. Feel free to join along as we…
Our Unsung Heroes
There’s a group of educators that are the unsung heroes in our buildings. They hear endless numbers of issues and frustrations from all corners of the woodwork. They work tirelessly to troubleshoot a sometimes impossible list of scenarios from the simple “did you plug it in?” to the complex workflow. They are 21st century problem-solver…
Stories Told: Risk-Taking and Connected Relationships
We left off last year with celebration events for all of our teams. Many things stood out from those gatherings: risk-taking is built on trust, possibility thinking and time to ruminate, ideas start from what we know (a launch page), integration of purposeful technologies requires focused play, assessment is not an afterthought, articulating clear goals…
On the Geeky Side
If there’s one thing you can count on in Learning Technologies is that change is a constant. No longer can you rely on getting comfortable with only one tool; before you know it another version or upgrade is available. Even worse is when your favourite resource has been shelved and you’re on the hunt for…
Reflections: An EduStory
It was a month of celebrations, of learning journeys that finished but really only just begun. Our ImagineerTech, pilot ePortfolio and Partners in Inquiry groups gathered for celebrations of caring and sharing. There were shared “aha moments” in implementing an inquiry process and watching it unfold with students. But it was the reflective process that…
Where and How of Using Images to Enhance…Sparking the Learning
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…
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…