Microsoft Image Creator — Adult in Deep Educational Reflection
Moving Forward —
The opportunity to interact and hear from colleagues in the educational setting of the MEd Program was a little akin to getting on rusty bike. However, once I got into the flow of things it has become a very pleasant journey — No steep curves, no sudden drops and no scary surprises around the bend.
Microsoft Image Creator – Boat Approaching Massive Waterfalls
The group presentations certainly provided new knowledge and insights in regard to the topics shared. Seeing the different presentation styles and formats did offer the chance to emulate best practice. Observing and then using interactive tools such as Jamboard was a new experience on my end — of course, it also opened the doors to the vast array of interactive tools that additionally exist:
Looking forward to the next series of courses. A couple ideas are bouncing around in terms of ‘big project’ — however, if honest, nothing has really crystallized yet and this I anticipate will harden a bit more as the journey continues. Feeling this post running a bit light on deep reflection or concrete steps moving forward.
However, I really enjoyed the VLOG format used in my prior posts and I look to continue using this medium where possible in the coming weeks/months.
Old School versus New School – This is How I am Organizing & Engaging w/EDtech
For the first couple sessions, I fell back on what got me through CNC, SFU and UNBC — Print out the docs into hard copy form, place into three ringed binder then by the tried and true method of highlighting proceed to churn through the material. Luddite?
Thankfully, the old school method died a quick and painless death.
Why?
Well the new school came a walking by and lo and behold things have become way easier and time efficient. The introduction to Zotero for the compiling of source material and citations was a huge eye opener. The work around efficiently organizing the material is a work in progress, however, the tips and tricks session with Michael provided some much needed direction.
Screen Shot of My Current Collection/Organization of Files
The next Wunder tool was the inherent power of AI tools such as
I found these tools very useful for the quick summation of the many types and forms of technology literature. In tandem with Zotero I found the ability to engage with the amount of educational research a manageable endevour.
Old habits do die hard, so it has become a blended model of a little bit of old school (say 20%) and new school (80%.) However, the streamlined process of engaging research via relatively quick search and summations (AI assist), then some digital cataloging (Zotero) followed by a deeper dive to find interesting citations is (Zotero) is the obvious winds of change path moving forward.
Children Working with Technology Outside Beside a Lake – Thanks Bing Image Generator……..
Theme Identified? Looking back on the previous post; its apparent, I am bit all over the map and touched on several themes:
Theme 1: Q-Hut: How to use technology to get rid of old technology and other resources
Theme 2: Driving Sim: How to track the use levels of technology
Theme 3: Shelfed Items: How to track stored items that have been forgotten about
Theme 4: Wetlands: How to involve students (vision, creation, implementation) in non-standard projects/initiatives
Preamble & Comments: Starting to think about some of form of web-tracking capability to address themes 1 to 3
How to use technology to get rid of old technology – per Theme 1 above
Its an issue of concern that is seemingly growing year over year. Our SD91 Virtual Clearing House site is one cog in the wheel to tackle this issue. The platform allows schools to flag items prior to public sale for use in their respective schools. The goal is to hopefully reduce the flow of items to the landfill by increasing internal sharing in and then allowing the general public to bid on the surplus items as well.
No shortage of educational management software options when it comes to all ranges of student tracking and/or day to day school operations. However, in terms of inventory/resource management tools for schools, the search net needed to be cast a little wider to get a hit. Two for a cost, one free, and an option to create your own App via M365.
RE: How to involve students (vision, creation, implementation) in non-standard projects/initiatives?
The challenge on this front will be the search refinement process to find relevant literature. However, I found the literature below provided a couple highlights that may of value if I was to pursue this deeper.
Due to the rise of technical careers and increasing demand for job applicants with strong STEM backgrounds, integrating hands-on STEM into early education is especially demanding for teachers with non-STEM backgrounds.
Some schools in the district practice hands-on instruction, there are inadequate teacher preparation, insufficient hands-on instruction materials, and superficial understanding of hands-on instruction practices.
Site offers five online tools that encourage students to get hands-on experience with nature. The Journey North and Project Noah piece offered some insights about how to approach our outdoor learning centres, especially when it comes to students reporting their sightings and/or sharing pictures for various science based projects or missions across the world.
Its the proverbial “white elephant” problem, the sounds cool problem and lets do it anyway problem all wrapped up into a loose theme……..
What doth you mean by this Darren?
Well – my role is to provide career programing/resources to support innovation (aka technology in all its many facets) championed by educators across the district. With that has come many great successes and no shortage of less than ideal results – which few ever elect share by the way. Fortunately, risk taking has been supported and encouraged in my position, however, I am still saddled from time to time when it comes to resources (especially technology based ones) becoming very expensive dust collectors. Either due to the march of technology, poor rollout and/or the over centralization of expertise.
Join Darren on a multi-stop journey Click Here as he attempts to share/riff/juggle the concept of technology — its disposal, its envisioned purpose, and the roles students are intended to have along the way.
Good day, as the District Career & Trades Programs Coordinator for SD91 the reality of education technology in my context is simple, complex and multi-faceted all in one. I have elected to try a VLOG approach to add a sense of what that means vis-a-vie my role in our school district. I hope this one example, provides a degree of insight as to how I interface, support, coordinate and facilitate educational technology initiatives.
Lets Start with a Quick Clip of a Student…………followed by a couple pics
Welcome to the NVSS AVIATION PROGRAM – An Educational Partnership between: Nechako Valley Secondary School, SD91 Career Programs, SD91 Technology Department, College of New Caledonia, Transport Canada, Red Bird Flight Simulators, Royal Canadian Air Cadets and the Vanderhoof Flying Club.
Certainly looking forward to the coming challenge with all the associated parts of jumping into the game as it were — aka “back to school” or “Insert a million other adages”
Incoporating/understanding technology in the modern work place and its pace of change is duanting enough. Striving to align educational programs, initiatives and supports will be a challenge on a good day for jurisdicitons near and far. Looking forward to inputs from the many, far and wide to futher shape and refine my understanding and how it may be applied to my current practice..
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