Technocrats+PLC

I attended the workshop "//Benefits and Challenges of Using Facebook to Support Learning"// which discussed the contraversy surrounding using Facebook as a learning tool. We did a four corners activity which allowed us to voice our thoughts on using Facebook in the classroom, and discuss various perspectives. The facilitators ran a Facebook information session during their first block for parents at their school to attend and it was quite successful. It turns out that parents have a lot of questions about Facebook, whether used in the classroom or not. As a teacher this was important to know, because the reality is that kids as young as 8 years old have Facebook accounts, eventhough it is technically against the rule of having to be 16 years old. As a teacher I need to be prepared to use social networking websites such as Facebook as a means of communicating with students or parents. The facilitators suggested having a private group open only to students in the class, as a place to discuss assignments, homework and as a place to share resources. Part of the workshop was skyping with a principal who works in a school board that promotes the use of social networking sites like Facebook in their schools - he address many of the concerns, misconceptions and skepticisms regarding the use of Facebook, but at the end I still wasn't sure about using it in my own classroom as a learning tool. In my mind, the only ways that it is useful can be accomplished on other websites, like blogspot or even twitter. I think that if I was encouraged to use Facebook in my classroom I would, but I wouldn't seek it out or request that we be allowed to use it because I just don't see the necessity, especially since my students will be under the recommended age - the targeted age- for Facebook. I chose this workshop to get a better idea of how Facebook could be used, and some answers to questions I had about using it. I think the workshop was sucessful in some ways, but ultimately I think it's still a very new issue and more time/experimentation needs to take place before I feel comfortable using Facebook as a learning tool. - Kathleen St.Louis

The PD I attended was the tech showcase in Hamilton. The workshop I attended which was most interesting was the //Benefits and Challenges of Using Facebook to Support Learning//. It was helpful to have the workshop instructed by students currently in the Bachelor of Education program from Hamilton who tried to implement Facebook in their school during their first block. They made us aware of the steps involved when trying to implement such a thing, such as having a parent conference night to make parents aware of the benefits of using such a tool and to give them a chance to ask questions. They began the workshop by displaying statements related to the use of Facebook and having participants move to either strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. This activity was a great intro to get us thinking about where we stand on the issue of Facebook being used in the classroom. The reason I selected this workshop was to get a better understanding of how exactly Facebook could be used to support learning. After sitting in on the workshop, I am still unsure of how it could support learning. I probably would use Twitter in the same way our tech class did before I ever were to use Facebook in the classroom. I do not see a real need for this type of technology tool to be used in instruction. However, during the workshop the presenters had arranged a Skype session with @markwcarbone a teacher from the Waterloo school board. He had discussed the benefits and protocols of using Facebook for instruction. If I learned anything from this workshop, it would be to use Skype in my classroom. It’s a great way to implement technology from a personal viewpoint. I could imagine students Skyping with students from another school to see what their school is learning. Could this be another way to co-teach? ALEXANDRA COTRIC

I attended the tech showcase in Hamilton. One of the workshops that I attended was //Support and Enhance Visual Thinking and Data Literacy with Kidspiration® and InspireData®.// I thought this was an excellent workshop. Kidspiration is a program desgined for grades K-5 to assist with literacy, and numeracy. It is full of fun activity for the students to enjoy while learning. InspireData is for older grades, 4-12. It is a program that helps students graph and chart information they have gathered. My favourite part of the workshop was learning about WordQ 3. This is a program to assist students in literacy. The features of this program include; word prediction, spoken feedback, speech recognition, and also builds individualized vocabulary. I will definitely be using WordQ 3 to help ELL students, or student who struggle with writing. I think that the use of technology should be embraced in the classroom. I see WordQ 3 has being an excellent resource, and has the potential to make a big difference in helping students. It also is great for the teacher, because it requires minimal supervision, and therefore the teacher can help other students, and not have to concentrate all her time helping one student. Celeste Harrison

The topic of the tech showcase I went to was the new media literacy. This showcase focused on what new media literacy is, and methods of implementing it into the classroom. I picked this showcase as I felt that it would discuss some topics in regards to the new educational direction the classroom is headed. I feel that many of the course subjects will be taught in extremely different ways in the next 5 years and keeping on top of the technology tend in literacy is important as a future educator. This showcase was practical for teachers as they outlined the assumed direction the English literacy program might be headed in terms of technology, media and future career’s for the students currently in elementary schools. As teacher can implement many of the suggestions in the showcase through teaching appropriate research technology techniques, critical media awareness and using the resources available to teach some traditional concepts. New media literacy also emphasized the importance of multitasking. Students will move between multiple sites in order to gain information. Thus they suggest teachers implement teaching strategies on how to correctly sort though important and scan literacy in effective manners. I personally enjoyed this workshop as I feel that it had many practical areas for future teachers. As technology grows, I feel that the education system is standing still. It was nice to have advice on how to advance education to fit with the students personal experiences.

Keri Harrison



__ On February 4, 2011, I attended the professional development session with Jim Giles. The focus of his presentation centred on classroom management techniques while ensuring teaching by a means of student-centered methods. He taught us, as teacher candidates to select activities that invite students to participate, instruct lessons they are actually interested in, and keeping students motivated to their own learning. Truly, this is a great teaching method for teachers to use today. Every class has that student that asks "when am I ever going to use this in my life" or "why does this even matter to me?" Giving students what they want to learn can avoid these redundant questions and benefit their learning. Jim Giles discussion was extremely informative and enjoyable to be a part of. Some of the stories he told were heartfelt and motivating; the strategies he discussed will be beneficial to my teaching career in the classroom. I am truly glad I attended this presentation and would definately take the opportunity to listen to him speak again. __


 * Shannon-Lee A.**



I attended the workshop on classroom management techniques, hosted by Jim Giles. The main idea he was trying to get across was that teachers have the ability to meet all of the curriculum requirements for each subject by using student-centered methods. This involves selecting activities that students are interested in, which in turn, will motivate the students to stay engaged and on task. He made it very clear that it is possible for all teachers to use this student-centered technique, and inspired me to employ these ideas in my own classroom. It makes logical sense that students will become less motivated to learn if they are learning about topics they are not interested in. Additionally, I remember being a young student and constantly wondering “when will I ever use this in my life?” In using topics that students find interesting, they are better able to relate it to their lives and ultimately able to make real world connections. When students understand the purpose of their learning, they will learn more and apply it more frequently in their lives. One of his examples was to have the students plan their dream trip. This trip ended up being the theme of the year, as students added to their trip plans each week. The tasks they completed were related to all curriculum subjects. For example, they made a budget for their trip which linked to the math curriculum and completed research on the area to ultimately make brochures, which was linked to the language arts curriculum. I definitely would like to use this in my classroom. In my next teaching block I am teaching fractions in mathematics to a grade one class. Instead of using a direct instruction strategy, I can use some of the problem based learning that Jim Giles discussed, and have students plan a their ultimate birthday party that will include them determining how many ways they will need to cut the cake so that each person can have a slice. I could also use questions such as, how much cake will be left if only 4 people have cake. This is a more interesting way to introduce fractions than to draw them on the board and talk about half an apple, or 1/3 of a cookie. In all, Jim’s presentation was inspiring and informative. It would be worth the time to go and see any of his presentations.

-Ashley Pitre

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STACI WEINBERG The workshop i attended was about SUMS math. it was two ladies who showed us how to do problem-based learning in the classroom. i found it to be an extremely effective workshop that i will definetly be using in my classroom. the speakers were very knowledgeable and the workshop was hands on and therefore extremely engaging. They had a lot of handouts and resources for us to use and alloud us to actually do a work problemt hat they would give to students. at the end of the workshop we did a bandshow with out work and in full it was demonstrated to us how a full math lesson can be taught using sums and problem based learning. i really enjoyed this workshop and would love to go to a more extensive pd about sums and mathematics. Oddly enough on my first day at my placement the entire staff was having a SUMS workshop so i got to see it in action, i found the ladies who came to teach me more effective than the ones at the school but all in all it gave some great ideas for teaching in placement and how to properly use problem based learning in math which was a concept i was uncomfortable with before. here is my fabulous picture...



Kayla Pranger

The workshop that I attended was the Classroom Management workshop presented by Jim Giles on Friday, February 4, 2011. Jim Giles had an excellent presentation and highlighted a number of essential topics and issues regarding classroom management. He was extremely engaging to listen to. In particular he discussed the key elements for classroom management, suggestions for building a positive relationship with students and helping them to belong and feel significant in your classroom, the nine categories of modifications while teaching, etc. As a future teacher I found all of the material discussed very relevant and important for my future teaching career. One of the most important things in teaching is classroom management. It is how you get to know your students, how you adhere to their individual needs, and how you optimize the learning environment for your students so that everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. I chose this workshop because I found that almost every part of your teaching revolves around classroom management. I also found that a number of the strategies discussed in the workshop were extremely helpful to me and are things that I would definitely use in my classroom. For example, something as simple as greeting your students every morning in order to show them that you care, to find out whether their are any problems early on in the day, to see how the children's evenings and mornings went, etc. This allows the teacher to get a start in creating their classroom management from the very beginning of the day. Although technology was not specifically used in the session, obviously it would fall into good classroom management in your teaching. A part of classroom management is providing multiple methods for learning. Technology is one way to do this and should be embedded throughout your program.



Alex S.

Since I was unable to attend the Tech Showcase I attended the Building Futures Workshop on Thursday, January 20, 2011. The topic highlighted for one of workshops I chose was "Safe and Healthy Learning Environment", presented by Gerry Treble (pictured below). Mr. Treble discussed various topics such as bullying in schools, healthy lunches, and new policies regarding the sale of food in the school. As a classroom teacher I would use this information to abide by the Ministry's healthy eating practices, and use the information to help inform students of these practices. I would educate students about healthy choices and alternatives for their lunches. I would discuss the implications of bullying and how to address situations in which students feel they are being bullied. I would use this knowledge to make students feel like they are an important memeber of the school community. This information is also very useful for the health (healthy eating and safety) aspect of health and physical education. One reason I selected this presentation was out of personal interest. I thought it would inform me of ways to keep students safe and happy in the school setting, making me more aware and conscious as a teacher. Unfortunately it just seemed to cover everything that was discussed in a school council meeting I attended.



Leila Younes On Friday January 28th, 2011, I attended the Teaching with Technology workshop at the Hamilton campus. The specific workshop that I have chosen to write about is Serious Gaming and the teaching of critical and historical thinking skills. During the presentation the speaker, Michael Clare highlighted the importance of catering the curriculum to the students and the misconceptions of gaming and play in the classroom. He explained that if the games are suitable for the age level and coincide with curricular expectations, gaming can be used as an effective instructional and educational tool in the classroom. Michael Clare was a firm believer in learning through doing and he allowed us much of the time to try out the different educational websites and explore them on our own. I strongly agree with Michael’s philosophy and strategies in education and I can definitely see myself using them in my own classroom. It is no secret that through “doing” students learn best nor is it a secret students will perform better in activities that interest them. Our job as teachers is to facilitate their learning and cater it to them. Following instructional periods, or a class in which we review the historical context of a certain time frame, I would have the students try out a website provided to us by Michael Clare and allow them to in some degree experience what happened back then. Following this, I would have my students reflect in small and large groups about what the experience provided to them by the game has meant, and what they learned as a result. Then I might have them write their own personal reflections to help develop their literacy by yet still using a topic of interest and meaning to them. I chose this workshop because I want to make learning fun and meaningful to my students and I knew that “gaming in the classroom” was a wonderful place to start. The concept of gaming is something that will also help bring the male classroom population into the classroom and it will entice them to be active participants in their learning.





During the tech showcase I was able to attend three sessions. Of the three, I have chosen to write about the session entitled, “//Serious Gaming and the Teaching of Critical & Historical Thinking Skills” which// was presented by Michael Clare. The main topic discussed was the importance of implementing the use of computer games in the classroom. Mr. Clare discussed the multitude of negative attitudes that many educators have towards the use of games in the classroom as well as the fact that most see gaming as wasting time and as something that should only be used when bored. He explained that games should be seen as learning opportunities as they enable students to develop problem solving and strategizing skills. Michael Clare emphasized the importance of teachers using games in the classroom as it causes incidental learning. During the presentation, he had all of us try out one of the games and while we were playing the game, he asked us to look around at everyone attending the session and see whether we noticed anything. Something that was noticed by everyone was the fact that we were all engaged in the game and despite the fact that we were talking to one another; the conversations all revolved around the game as well as what we were doing in the game. Thus, I would like to implement gaming into my classroom so that my students can learn incidentally. Michael Clare also suggested using games not only as a means of summing up a unit but as a way of introducing the topic/unit. He explained that if a game is used at the beginning of the topic/unit, it will enable students to build their schema about that topic/unit. I found this to be a great suggestion and a strategy that I would like to implement because this will enable my students not to feel as lost about a topic as they would have already made some kind of connection to it. I have always been interested in finding ways of implementing the use of computer and video games into the classroom. I find it extremely remarkable that many students (especially boys and those who have been deemed “ADHD”) are able to spend hours upon hours playing video games and remain completely attentive to the task at hand but are unable to focus for five minutes on an assignment given to them in class. What is it about gaming that captures a person’s attention so much that they are able to lose track of the length of time that they are spending on it? Thus, I want to be able to implement “educational gaming” into my classroom so that my students will be so completely engaged in the game that they do not even realize that they are learning.
 * Mary-Beth Joseph**

Drew Macpherson __

I attended the learning through online gaming session ran by Mike Clare. Funny thing was I have known Michael for over 20 years as a rugby referee, new him as a teacher, but had not seen him for over seven years. The topics highlighted where I lot of fantastic online games which can be used as a tool for teaching, as well, some strategies to identify what is a good or bad online gaming resource. Some of the positive games were [|http://www.3rdworldfarmer.com] a fantastic game that can be used to teach economics, social studies, politics, civics, as well as diversity. [|http://costoflife.ning.com] [|http://www.historycanadagame.com] this game based on the platform of the popular civilizations series was quite intriguing, especially as my grade 6 son loves the civilizations games. [] This may have been my favourite as it portrays a real-time government balancing public policy with environmental and economic pressures, I found it totally engrossing, but I believe this could be used as early as grade 3. I would feel totally comfortable using many of these key resources as instructional tools as they exemplify all the characteristics of performance task exercises can become very engrossing with opportunities for group or pair share learning. I chose this presentation for one reason, as the father of an 11-year-old boy, I am constantly fighting the battle of weighing is on time gaming with that of school priorities. We all must see the attractiveness of computer-based games to youth, so rather than fighting against it, I feel it more useful to have it as an ally.


 * Alexis Orgera**

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I went to the workshop on //Support and Enhance Visual Thinking and Data Literacy with Kidspiration® and InspireData®//. The speaker also introduced us to the software Word Q 3. I choose this seminar because I was not familiar with this software and my plan to have a very technologically oriented classroom. =====

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Kidspiration is a software program that helps students “understand words, numbers and concepts” (http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration). The software is primarily for K-5 students and it helps them with reading, writing and math concepts. Kidspiration has three views – picture, writing and math. The software promotes using visual learning techniques to help students clarify and develop their thoughts. =====

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InspireData is a software program that is geared towards grades 4 – 12. InspireData is to “investigate, analyze and represent data and information in dynamic graphs and charts” (http://www.inspiration.com/inspiredata). The most interesting thing was student can make up e-surveys, adjust the variables and post their survey for people to answer. =====

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We also gained insight on the program WordQ 3, which “intergrates word prediction, spoken feedback and speech recognition” (http://www.wordq.com/cgi-bin/download/step_1.pl?fid=1281631399). This software works over other software. The user is able to hear, see and write their thoughts on the screen. WordQ 3 is a program that learns from their user and builds a vocabulary specific to the user. WordQ is a great product to use for ELL students. =====

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Kidspiration, InspireData and WordQ 3 are great programs to incorporate into a classroom. I would definitely incorporate Kidspiration in literacy and math to introduce a unit or while learning a specific concept. InspireData could be used to motivate the students in conducting surveys and involving the entire school. WordQ 3 is a program I would use for students who have a difficulty with organizing their thoughts into coherent sentences or for ELL students. =====

_ __** Tyler Goode **__ I attended the serious gaming and the teaching of critical & historical thinking skills workshop lead by Michael Clare first at the tech showcase. The workshop focused on the attitudes teachers and parents have towards video games and how choosing the right games and implementing their use properly can add to effective teaching. Another focus was also the development of "The History Game Canada". Using the civilization 3 game engine, Clare, and the team he was apart of created a truly Canadian game, which takes actual events from our history and puts them into a form where students/gamers can actually be or change history. The great thing is the game is completely free. As we saw with our edublogs. Games can really add to learning. Students are spending more and more time playing games for fun and these games are teaching them problem solving skills, so why not take that model and apply it to classroom learning. One way I'd use video games( the history games Canada )in the classroom would be for the grade 6 first nations/early explorers unit social studies unit. I would divide the class into the different parties: English, French, First Nations. Then I would have the groups play the game. During the game they would be expected to keep a journal of their observations. After the game, I would bring the class together for "pow-wow" to discuss the problems each group faced and solutions they found. The reason I choose this workshop section was that I would classify myself as a mildly serious gamer and I was very interested in how you could incorporate one of my passions into authentic learning for my students. After the section I can really see a couple of different uses for games in the classroom that I want to incorporate in my junior plus grade classes. The workshop was very interesting as it was suggested participants bring their laptop to follow along and play the games suggested in the class. Sadly the main focus, The History Game Canada, has not been released for MACs yet so I was not able to try it out but I have played civilizations so I can imagine how fun and interesting the game could make Canadian early settler/first nations more interesting and bring it to virtual life.



I attended the Creating Digital Culture with HyperStudio session at the Tech Showcase on Friday. HyperStudio5 is a multimedia authoring tool that blends graphics, text, animation, video and sound. The session was intended to introduce us to the program HyperStudio5(TK), to teach us how we could use it in our classroom for various lessons/projects(TCK), and how best to use the software as a teaching tool(TPK). They emphasized the fact that students need to be taught to use the program and be given guidelines to get the most out of the program, rather than just set free to play. I see two appealing aspects to this program. One is that it would be a great tool in your classroom to incorporate technology into student projects, so that you are teaching with technology. Students can work together, or in groups, to share the information they are learning by creating images, text, video and audio, and incorporating it into one presentation. The other way I think this would be particularly useful in the classroom is that you could create your own interactive program for students to use to explore and learn information. It could include text, video, audio, and links to webpages(and more) that students click on for students to be actively engaged in their learning. Originally I signed up for the session because they said they would be providing a free copy of the software for us to have, and I like free stuff, but I got so much more out of the session than just a free piece of software. One thing they talked about in the session that struck a cord with me was the idea that computers are not part of schools just for students to play around with, students need to be taught, and instructed to use computers for educational purposes. The computers are not there to do the teaching, or supervising, for us. We need to make sure that students are using them effectively, and there is a purpose for what they are doing. This program is one way to do that, but it is important to remember no matter what program you are using. I would encourage people to see if HyperStudio is available in their placement, and see about incorporating it into their teaching. I was so impressed yesterday with what HyperStudio had to offer that I am using it to create my philosophy of education. I was originally going to make a poster, but I love the interactive nature of HyperStudio, and the ability to integrate creativity and technology. As soon as I know what I am going to be teaching in my block, I would love to make an interactive presentation for my students to explore. Rachael Verbruggen (And yes I did wear my Google shirt special for the Tech Showcase)

Sandra Ross-Gowans I attended the HyperStudio5 workshop at the Tech Showcase on Friday 28th, 2011. I was impressed on the many features this program has to offer. It had features similar to paint, audacity, movie maker and more all in one program. With a click of one button you can easily record yourself with voice. I was so amazed how easy it looked to use. You could add text, animation, music, and video links so easily. I was surprised how many free images there were within the program itself. The presenters showed us how to use these various features and then showed us how they used the software in the classroom with various samples of students work. I was surprised by what the students could do with this program, even at the primary level! When students are taught how to use the different features of the program properly they can create some interesting pieces of work. One student created an interactive game using pizza and adding voice to words when you clicked on them! I chose this presentation because I wanted to view a program that could be used in the classroom to help students with creating assignments/projects while keeping students engaged in the activity of learning. This is a great tool for teachers to integrate other subject areas in the computer class and a way for students to learn a variety of computer skills other than just playing games. They will use higher level thinking and their imagination when they are creating their own games or presentations. I will enjoy learning this program on my own now that I have a copy of the software. I am not sure if the school that I will be at in my next practicum will have this program, but if they have a similar program, I am going to learn it because it’s a great way to engage the students while at the same time expanding their computer knowledge. Teachers need to make learning exciting and meaningful and this program is one way of obtaining that goal.

I attended the OERB presentation at the technology show. OERB stands for Ontario Educational Resource bank where students and teachers can access over 23,000 k-12 resources. It is a shared library where information is always added. Some of these resources include entire units, individual activities (lessons), engaging content, assignments, quizzes, rubrics, interactive learning resources, and videos. Teachers can use this information in several ways for instructional purposes. An example that we did during the lecture was look at a video on mitosis. This video gave a step-by-step example of how mitosis works. It also gave instructions on an activity (game) looking at slides by dragging them underneath the microscope. The students were then able to determine what was shown. These interactive learning resources give instructions, but also lets students explore on their own. The lesson plans that are found also give a step-by-step direction for the teachers to lead their class throughout the activity. One thing that I found very interesting is that you can give your own students the code of the lesson, and they can log on and do the activity in class or at home for homework. This is great because it gives the teacher a chance to have differentiated instruction. One reason why I chose this presentation is because I think this site would be very beneficial for my second block. I can find lessons for my grade one classes, and I can make it my own. It saves a lot of time when trying to plan. I find it great that teachers are willing to share their lessons and work together. This site would also be very beneficial for teachers who are just starting their career, especially when it is their first time creating unit plans on their own without help. Teachers need as much support as we can get to make learning fun for our students. ** Julie Chedore ** 

Amy Poirier

At the technology showcase I attended three fantastic workshops that helped me learn a lot which include: Tech to Teach Welcome to the New Classroom, A Gold Mine for Teachers The Ontario Educational Resource Bank, and Assistive Technologies. The workshop that stood out the most for me was the Assistive Technologies. This workshop provided an overview of Ministry-licensed, board-licensed, and free software programs to assist students with special education needs with reading and writing. It highlighted the various types of software that can be used and the use of adaptive equipment (e.g., switch, intellikey keyboard) to assist students who are not able to use a regular keyboard or mouse. This workshop stood out the most for me and I decided to pick this one because in my practicum I had a student who was not able to read or write but I did not see much use of technology to assist this student. He merely traced what was scribed for him or looked at the pictures in a book. I also chose this workshop because it is apparent that more than ever, children are entering school with various learning difficulties and I want to be able to have all the necessary tools to assist these children with the success of their school careers. Some of the programs we looked at were: Write Out Loud which is a word processor students can use that gives immediate speech feedback; Co:Writer which helps generate possibilities for the word the student is thinking in order to help them overcome mechanical barriers to convey their ideas; and Clicker 5 which enables students to write whole words or phrases and can easily be tailored to the students learning level. We were also given the opportunity to view how switches can be used in the classroom to assist students who are not able to use a regular keyboard. The student is required to tap the switch in order to move to the next screen in a story or in order to choose their answer. I can definitely see myself using the software and adaptive technology in the future as a teacher because it has demonstrated to be very effective in the Peel District School Board. I will use switches for students who are not able to write and I will use the programs for students who are not able to read or write to aid them in their learning. This software and technology is a definite need in society for instruction because it may be the only way for some students to get the proper instruction they need in order to be a part of the classroom, especially for the student in my practicum. I think more schools should implement this software and adaptive technology to use with students who have learning difficulties that way they have equal opportunities to succeed. The presenter Marianne Fenner did an excellent job displaying the available technology and it was a privilege to be a part of her workshop! 

__ Nevine Sadik

I enjoyed the tech show very much. I believe that Education department should support the use of technology as this is very essential in preparing teachers to be chosen for new job posts by different boards.

I attended a session for the smart board and to my surprize I found out that I can edit and modify what is in the smart exchange web site for my own use. I also realize that I can create very interesting lessons and activities for my students. I now know why they call it SMART board, the examples given in the session were very usful and the most interesting part was touching the screen and actually manipulating some of the screens to explore the different aspects of creating yur own lesson plan.

I hope that Education department add more of these sessions. Different board supply similar sessions to their own teachers. I think the use of technology is going to be a valuable asset for all student teachers who attended the 4th of Feb. tech event



The workshop that I attended was “Storytelling in the Classroom” and was presented by Cathy Miyata. The topic that was highlighted was the storytelling presentation process. Cathy discussed how presenters of stories use different strategies to make their stories engaging and interesting to the audience, such as tone of voice, and the use of gestures. A classroom teacher could use his information to help children develop presentation and interpersonal skills which would help improve how students interact together, present information and present speeches. By improving children’s storytelling abilities you are also teaching them how to expand their creativity. As a teacher I can use storytelling in my classroom and include the use of technology. For instance, there are many fables, stories and recorded stories online that the class can enjoy. Also, as a teacher you may ask your students to storytell to their peers, record the story on the computer using a microphone or webcam and post it to the class wiki so that other students can download it or watch it later. To expand upon this, you could also have your students brainstorm their stories first on inspiration and make a digital storyboard before. The one reason for selecting this presentation is that teaching students the strategies that are needed in order to complete an engaging storytelling session gives students opportunities to present, learn interpersonal skills, and use their emotion, tone, and gestures to expand their creativity. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; overflow: hidden;">

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 0px; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; overflow: hidden;">-Juliana Marentette