12 September 2018Jen Giffen, Digital Literacy Resource Teacher, York Region District School Board
This guest blog was originally posted on Jen's personal website, Virtual Giff.
My son, who is in the third grade, hates homework. His biggest anxiety in returning to school this year was that he would get a lot of homework. I also hate homework, especially in primary. So last night, when we had to sit down to write a 2-4 minute script for an All About Me project, I was dreading it. Then I realised, I could make this so much easier on him. I spent all this time training teachers on Google tools, why not train my own kid?
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15 August 2018Andrea Ferrero, Co-Founder, Pockets Change
This week we have another guest blog post from Andrea Ferrero the co-founder of Pockets Change.
“Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” It’s a strong statement from one of my education heroes, Rita Pierson. She understood deeply what many of us do, that relationship building is crucial for powerful learning to happen. As we head back to school, our kids are navigating new routines, new subjects, and new friendships. We can ease back to school blues and first day jitters with ice-breakers and get to know you games, but these activities also present a unique opportunity to begin building learning profiles with our students.
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23 July 2018Andrea Ferrero, Co-Founder, Pockets Change
This week we have another guest blog post from Andrea Ferrero the co-founder of Pockets Change.
Summer is in full swing! Finding space for reflection and professional growth can seem like one more task to squeeze into busy, warm days before heading back to school. That’s where tech can help, offering bite-sized personal PD for you to explore at your leisure. Whether you’re traveling or staying in to recharge, tech tools offer an easy way to find new ideas and connect to vibrant communities. Check out some new ways to inspire playful and creative professional exploration!
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13 June 2018Kristine Scharaldi, Education Consultant
This week we have another guest blog post from Kristine Scharaldi, an education consultant and instructional coach with a specialization in the fields of educational technology, Mind-Brain-Education, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and 21st Century Skills/Global Education.
Summertime learning does not have to look like school learning to be valuable. Instead of working through a packet of worksheets, kids can spend time doing activities that they are interested in while developing literacy in authentic ways. The freedom and flexibility that summer brings opens up added possibilities for informal, exploratory, and playful learning. Here are suggestions to encourage students to continue reading and writing while in “summer mode”.
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05 June 2018Kasey Bell, Shake Up Learning
This week we have a guest post from Kasey Bell from ShakeUpLearning.com. Kasey Bell is an award-winning digital learning consultant, speaker and blogger with a passion for technology and learning. Kasey offers engaging staff development for all levels of educators, specializing in training, presentations, keynote speaking engagements, and consulting.
Dynamic Learning is all about going BEYOND the traditional bounds of the classroom and the class day. Going "Beyond the Tools" is one of the five characteristics of the Dynamic Learning Framework.
Think beyond using digital tools to complete only traditional assignments such as papers and reports, or simply reading a digital version of an article. Use digital tools to do NEW THINGS, things that are not possible without technology.
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25 May 2018Andrea Ferrero, Co-Founder, Pockets Change
This week we have another guest blog post from Andrea Ferrero the co-founder of Pockets Change.
When did you last get lost in a story? Maybe it was skimming an article online or spending an afternoon buried in a book. Whether for a few minutes or a few hours, reading has the tremendous potential to capture the imagination, inspire ideas, and build new understanding. Each May, “Get Caught Reading Month” encourages us all to take a little more time to explore and enjoy stories of all forms. An excellent kick-off to summer reading, this nationwide celebration was started in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers with a simple goal - remind readers of all ages the power, potential, and pure joy of reading. So, don’t miss out, check out ideas on how to celebrate in the classroom and beyond!
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