10 Day Challenge

Key learning or key learning's?  It's really, really challenging for me to pick just one!  Throughout the PQP Part 2 experience, I gained considerable insight from the conversations and informal learning that happened from the knowledge, trust, and overall sharing from the group.  If I had to be completely honest, I learned very little from 10 day challenges.  Now, before you read too much further and you think that perhaps sounds conceited, or you think that I don't have the stance of a learner, let me explain!

My current role in my school board is Technology in Learning Consultant.  This means that from the Ministry of Education's viewpoint, my role includes these responsibilities and scope as both the TELT Contact and DeLC position.  My job is to work collaboratively with various groups and stakeholders to support equity of access and use of the VLE by students and educators for the implementation of blended and e-learning. This occurs within the context of transforming of learning and teaching in the physical and virtual classroom enabled by technology for innovative opportunities that expand what, how, when, and where students and educators learn.

My TELT position (Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching Contact) position is responsible for fostering a culture of co-learning and collaboration in a culture of change. As a leader of technology enabled learning and teaching I:

• develop a shared understanding of the enabling role of technology in expanding how, when, and where learning takes place;
• support innovative teaching practises enabled by technology to more precisely engage and address the learning needs of all students;
• build individual and collective capacity through ongoing professional learning for educators;
• facilitate the development of resources in school boards to support technology enabled learning and teaching;
• provide equity of access and use of the VLE by students and educators for the implementation of blended and e-learning, Homework Help, and the digital resources and tools provided by the ministry;
• communicate pertinent information from the ministry related to the work and learning being done in the school board related to technology enabled learning and teaching.

As our board's District e-Learning Contact (DeLC) I provide technical expertise and support for the infrastructure of the VLE with a pedagogical lens. The DeLC is primarily responsible for the management of their board’s Org.

The duties may include but are not limited to:

• managing courses, course shells and course components as well as user enrolments - including scripting and automated nightly processes
• managing users - creation, enrolments and access through roles/permissions, nightly importing and manually processes
• branding and layout of the ORG log in page, homepage, course shells, navigation bars and themes
• configure, support and maintain all 3rd party ORG integrations , branding and customizations
• knowledge of school board information systems to work cohesively with your board’s VLE, through various automated nightly scripts and processes
• support equity of access and use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) by students and educators for the implementation of blended and e-learning, professional learning, and digital resources and tools provided by the Ministry.
• managing the various default setting ORG variables which affect the VLE look and feel, user experience and impact usage
• work collaboratively with Board assigned TELT Contact to develop their ORG to meet the needs for staff and students.
• support monthly vendor updates by testing various enhancements and fixes, using the school board assigned Test and Production ORG

To see a complete list, you can visit either of these links to really describe what a TELT or a DeLC does.

So, taking all that learning from TELO, as well as my own professional learning, including being an ISTE member, attending the ISTE conference for the past three years, being involved with the Bring It Together Conference, the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario, and the Connect Conference, as well as presenting with and for Ontario Teacher's Federation at the Pedagogy Before Technology Summer conference, I feel that I am truly well versed in this particular area.

So, again, that leads me to the learning that happened.  As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, much learning came from the conversations and rich discussion that happened due to our cohort being from three Catholic School boards.  It was interesting to see our similarities, differences and I truly value understanding how other schools or boards do a variety of things from the tools and resources that they have available to them.

However, I'm wondering about the model provided and question if there could be multiple pathways or entry points for these challenges?  I truly felt this way in part one of the 10 day challenge, and felt somewhat like this was needed in part two of the challenges.  Is there a way to include Technology Enabled Learning Ontario in the challenges?  Or by diving into any of the professional learning modules that are available already to educators and staff in the province of Ontario?  A little voice and choice to ensure that everyone is gaining new and pertinent information is critical to moving lead learners forward.  Just my food for thought.
















Both of these roles work

Back from a Detour!

I start out with the best intentions and then before you know it, I've taken a turn left when I thought I was going right and then bang - it's been a whole year plus since my last blog post.  A lot has changed in that year.  I completed my first year as the Technology in Learning Consultant for my board, which was filled with learning experiences that left me feeling both exhilarated and defeated.  I'm glad it was more the exhilarated portion than the later, but new learning and new positions are tough, rewarding, and exhausting!  I am someone who seriously loves to learn.  I love to know more about pedagogy and how I might work to meet the needs of the students I am lucky enough to serve.  So, with that all said, I bring it back to my detour and to say that I'd like to get back onto this road of learning and sharing. 

Building Relationships

For those of you who don't know me in the physical face-to-face setting, I'll let you in on a little secret about me... I'm a huge lover of TED Talks!  (Not the kind of secret perhaps that you thought I'd share, but it's true.)

TED talks inspire me daily, usually on my commute to and from work (don't worry mom - it's Handsfree and BlueTooth worthy). Often they'll bring me to some sort of emotional state where I'm revved up and excited to venture onward or they even leave me with tear filled eyes and questions that linger long after a talk is through.

One of my all-time favourite TED talks is by Rita Pierson, a teacher for 40 years, who once heard a colleague say, "They don't pay me to like the kids."  Her response: "Kids don't learn from people they don't like."

Rita's TED Talk

I couldn't agree more with Rita.  Have you ever had to "learn" from someone you don't like?  The experience is unpleasant, the lesson most likely, not something that you can quickly recall, and when brought up again feelings of dislike or negativity most likely arise.  That's at least how I feel.

So, I'm blessed to have a new job, in a new role, and am learning new names and faces each time I turn another direction.  I am really trying to work on building relationships, making connections with others on a real, human, and personal level.

If I can take one thing from Rita with me as I begin this year, it's to remember this: "People, kids, adults, parents, ____________, don't learn from people they don't like."  

Today when I was invited into a grade six classroom to work with students who I knew nothing about before entering their room, I looked around and tried to make my nerves calm down.  I tried to make eye contact.  I asked for student names, I tried to go back and forth and use those student names and again, tried my hardest to connect my learning with their learning so that we could have a shared path, working towards building a tiny little fragment of a relationship.

As I continue to work on learning how to build intimate, meaningful relationships with both staff and students, here are just a few of the resources that I'm using to build my backpack of tools to grow and learn.

Today's focus was on just #1.  Tomorrow's and the next days will probably be too!

P.S. They were from my PLN on Twitter!  Thank you @JeffHiserBL (Jeff Hiser) for your post!

Here's the active link to 22 Ways to Build Relationships for Educational Success

What are some ways you intentionally build relationships with others?  I'd love for you to share!

The First Blog Post

This blog, inspired by my friends at Simcoe County District School Board, who's blog titled, "194 Days of Learning in SCDSB" was just what I envisioned would help BGCSDB grow their sharing of knowledge of all the great learning taking place.  Then, to give it my kick, I thought that before I begged and pleaded with others to share their knowledge, I had better walk the talk and do that myself.  This space is just that, a spot to share the good, bad, and ugly (sometimes it is not too pretty looking) of my learning journey with each and every one of you.  And finally, just so we're all on the same page, all of the sharing I'm about to put out into the world, is through my lens and does not necessarily reflect the values and views of my board, unless of course I state that!

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