Here We Go Again!

Here We Go Again!

Hey EC&I 834,

Here we go again with another masters course!  I am excited to learn more about online and blended teaching and learning, as it is currently super relevant and applicable!  This will be my 7th masters course and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Who Is This Guy?!

My name is Bret McMann and I grew up in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan – best place in the world to live!   I completed all my K-12 education there and then went on the University of Saskatchewan where I attained my Kinesiology and Education degrees, while also playing 3 years of CIS football for the Huskies on the defensive line.  Since finishing playing football, I have become very active in coaching.  I have spent time coaching minor football, high school, provincial teams and most recently coaching for the Regina Thunder of the CJFL!  My wife and I have called Regina home since 2016.

https://foamlake.com/ 

I currently work for Regina Public Schools.  I am in my 7th year of teaching and I teach grade ⅞ at Harbour Landing School in the south end of Regina.  Grade ⅞ is a new grade placement for me this year.  The majority of my career has been spent teaching in the grade 4/5/6 areas previous to this school year.

Over the Christmas break, my wife and I  recently became parents!  We welcomed 0ur son Jenyr, was born on December 18, 2021 at 6:29pm at Regina General Hospital.  He was 6lbs 11 oz and was 51cm long.  It is crazy that he is already a month old (today) and is growing like a weed!

Last semester, EC&I 831 (Social Media Education) required us to undertake a major digital project and I chose to focus on learning more about parenting and pregnancy so I was able to connect with my wife and understand what she was going through, understand what was happening to our baby as he grew and developed over the nine months and to help with some initial parenting tips and tricks!

Goals for EC&I 834

  • Online course design.  Now that I am teaching grade ⅞ I feel these students are much more capable of self-directed study online.  I have tried (and failed) to implement some sort of online course in previous years, but that was hindered due to grade level as well as my uncertainty on how to design and implement an online course or a component of an in person class effectively.
  • Become accustom with Blended Learning and what it ecompasses.  I really have no idea what a blended learning/classroom looks like.  As the pandemic continues, this may be an area that would be beneficial to have in my teacher toolbox.  
  • Apps/Online resources.  As the technology boom continues and more apps/resources become available to education, I would like to become more accustomed to implementing and using these in my online or blended classroom.  I would also like to become more aware of the privacy/confidentiality that goes along with using these apps/resources as this remains to be one of the biggest hurdles keeping me from using these in my classroom.

Cheers, 

Bret

6 thoughts on “Here We Go Again!

  1. I had no idea you are from the Foam Lake area, I have a few friends from Foam lake and my husband grew up in Wishart – you two probably had the same driving instructor!
    Your son is incredibly cute – I can’t believe how quickly time flies – it feels like yesterday that you announced his birth on Discord – congratulations!
    I to am very interested in apps/websites that can be used for online or blended learning – and am very interested in the privacy/confidentiality concerns associated with each app/website.

  2. Hey Chris,

    Thanks for taking the time to read and leave a comment! It sure is a small world, and most likely we did have the same driving instructor – fairly confident she was the only one in the area!

  3. Good thing I left that spot in the 7/8 classroom at Harbour Landing. Harbour Landing is graced with a great teacher, coach and mentor for those students.

  4. Bret,
    I grew up just down the road from you in Wadena. Our family still enjoys summers at Leslie Beach! Thanks for sharing your learning goals. I am trying to figure out how to set up a successful blended learning practice as well for my Grade 4 students. They are getting more proficient at using their devices but it still makes me nervous how well they would navigate things at home if we were to have to move to remote learning!
    Congratulations on your son! Looking forward to learning with you this term.
    Kendra

  5. Hi Bret,
    Thank you for sharing your goals along with your previous learning in your social media class. I love how you wanted to learn more about pregnancy and parenting! I’m sure your connection to your wife and son will be stronger for it. Your son is super cute and sure does fly as you watch them grow and learn. I appreciated how you shared your frustrations with your previous attempts at online learning and wish you success with your 7/8 class this year. I’m sure you will learn about many useful tools an
    tips in this class. I look forward to learning alongside you throughout this class.

  6. Hi Bret,
    Thank you for sharing your goals along with your previous learning in your social media class. I love how you wanted to learn more about pregnancy and parenting! I’m sure your connection to your wife and son will be stronger for it. Your son is super cute and sure does fly as you watch them grow and learn. I appreciated how you shared your frustrations with your previous attempts at online learning and wish you success with your 7/8 class this year. I’m sure you will learn about many useful tools an
    tips in this class. I look forward to learning with you in this class.

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