From the Mall to Discord: Our Transforming Third Spaces
“Let’s all go to the mall!” A common refrain in my ’90s childhood. From catching up with my friends at the food court, flipping through racks of CDs, and spending all my change at the arcade, my small-town boredom was often alleviated by strolls through the Frontier Shopping Centre. Fast-forward to the early 2000s: College…
Learning Project: Update 4: Searching for Community
As a recap, below are the goals I set for myself for weeks 5-6 in my original learning project blog: WEEKS 5-6: Character Development and Story Refinement Focus: Improve characterization and storyline Tasks and Resources: Wattpad (Writing Community): Explore online children’s stories for further inspiration and – gulp – share some writing to receive peer feedback. Goodreads…
Learning Project: Update 3: Fresh Eyes, New Edits
As a quick recap, here is the schedule I set for myself in my original learning project post… WEEKS 3-4: Develop Writing Skills and Structure Focus: Storytelling techniques, structure, and drafting format Tasks and Resources: Write! ProWritingAid: The Storyteller’s Toolkit (Editing Tool): Online writing assistant site (initially free) that helps with grammar, readability, and finding…
Learning Project: Update 2: Children’s Writing Foundations 101
Reflection: Returning to that Ol’ Written Word Magic As I’ve been deep-diving into my learning project – writing and maybe (gulp!) publishing a children’s storybook – I’ve felt that old magic return. There’s just something about children’s stories, the simple yet beautiful turns of phrase; the vivid illustrations tapping into boundless imagination. Growing up as…
Phones Down, Heads up: The Duality of Saskatchewan Schools’ Cell Phone Ban
For the last 16 years, I’ve worked for the same small Catholic school division, and during that time, I can’t recall its elementary schools not having a strict cell phone policy. Even before the recent Saskatchewan cell phone ban, my division strictly enforced the same policy: One strike, warning; two strikes, office for the day;…
Learning Project: From Scribbles to Storybooks
Contextual Preamble…and I do love to (r)amble Since I first read the assignment description, my learning project has fluctuated between two choices; thus, this post is less timely than my usual routine. Initially, I was drawn to learning American Sign Language (ASL), something I have dabbled with using the Lingvano app since I unexpectedly woke…
A Tale of Two Social Medias
Ah, social media… It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of AI, it was the age of misinformation, it was the era of access, it was the era of isolation, it was the dawn of creativity, it was the rise of filters, it was the season…
That’s a Wrap: Major Project Finale: Gr. 7 Cross-Curricular Digital Citizenship Unit
After a few bumps along the path, my major project is complete (although I foresee future adjustments as I continue to implement it in different classrooms). My intent with this project was to test it as I created it, because – as I’ve said a thousand times – there are no truer critics than middle-years…
Major Project Update 5: ePortfolios Overview
Last week marked the first full week I was absent from my class. Handing the reins over to someone else has been difficult, especially as this includes the implementation of my major project digital citizenship lesson plans. Of course (looking on the bright side), if there’s a wrinkle in my plans due to a lack…
Major Project Update 4: Digital Safety Co-Created Checklist
In the whirlwind that was last week (full disclosure: I had surgery and will be off work till after Christmas break – boo!) I failed to provide a final update for my digital citizenship lessons with my students. My sub will continue on my lesson plans, but I feel the absence of seeing the pros…