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Top 10 Issue #288, December 10, 2021                                       Back Issues click here
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This Week in Canadian EdTech MindshareTV with Dr. Andy Hargreaves on his new book Well-Being in Schools: Three Forces That Will Uplift Your Students in a Volatile World

Dear Thought Leader, 

 

A very early start to my day was surreal for me as I boarded my first flight in almost two years on my way to Florida to meetup with EdTech leaders. I felt I needed to get back in the saddle to connect, learn and share, not to mention a little R&R too! My family wasn’t fully on side, which I can appreciate, however, I did my ‘homework’ and feel totally confident with all the safety measures in place. Having said that, a 2-hour ticketing delay almost convinced me that it was a sign for me not to go!

 

Despite the minor glitch in travel plans, I’m really glad I made the flight. And how cool is it that I write this note in flight at 30,000 ft and work with my team back in Toronto to share our eMag before I actually land in Florida! It reminds me how fortunate we are to have the tech tools to work & learn. And Kudos to innovative spirit of educators who engage their students to be the next generation of digital aware and savvy citizens.

 

As we attempt to achieve a sense of normalcy in our lives, we must remember and respect that everyone is at a different place. It’s also vitally important that we not use the pandemic as an excuse not to act. I’ve seen some examples of this where people have gotten too comfortable at home to venture out to a meeting, or event.

 

When I look at the courageous teachers & students, who are back in school, I’m inspired and feel we need to do our part in supporting and nurturing your efforts to help all students thrive. It truly takes a digital village to raise a child in the 21st century.

 

I was elated to see on social media stories and images of students engaged in Coding and STEM as part of Computer Science Education Week that wraps up today. Kudos to the Alberta Teachers Association for making one of my first EdTech conference ever attended ATLE happen, albeit online.

 

Issue Highlights:

  1. Dr. Andy Hargreaves 'Sneak Peek' MindShareTV podcast on his new book, Well-being in Schools is timely and worth a listen from a global education expert. Incidentally, this book numbers 32 for Dr. Hargreaves! 
  2. Must read Harvard Business Review Article, Rebuilding Relationships Across Teams in a Hybrid Workplace. 
  3. Join us this Wednesday as I’m honoured to moderate the 10th Anniversary C21 CIO Alliance National Webinar Series concluding session for 2021 with a lens on Future Proofing learning in K12 education. What’s working. Lessons learned, EdTech acquisition processes redefined and how are we protecting our students from a data safety and security perspective.
  4. Next Friday we’re thrilled to team up with EdWeb for a Holiday Party Book Launch on the Future of Digital Publishing. All members of our community are welcome to join in as the virtual stage is set with a 3D Holiday flair!
  5. Looking ahead January 2022, we are thrilled to be hosting our 23rd CanAm EdTech Celebration of Excellence meet up at the Future of Education Technology conference FETC in Orlando, FL as media partners. We are working on a Canadian pavilion with the Canadian Consulate. EdTech’s please drop me a note if you are interested in participating asap as timelines are very tight.
  6.  My recent MindShareTV episode with SMART Technologies, Giancarlo Brotto and Alek Kolga, both former educators, provided a glimpse into the classroom of the Future today and how school districts are adpoting their latest tech tools designed with teacher in mind. 
  7.  FETC in Orlando, FL is just around the corner, January 25-28. Register now and receive 10% off. We are once again honoured to be strategic media partners, hosting our 23rd CanAm Celebration of Excellence Meetup on January 27th! 
It’s not too late to share your nominees for our 21 leaders in EdTech for 2021! Simply DM your suggestions!
 

I hope you enjoy this week's Top 10 curated news stories that really provide a national lens and pulse for some of the incredible innovation happening across our vast Canadian landscape and beyond. 

 

Special thanks to you, our loyal readership, our team, board of advisors and valued partners, who enable us to share and stay connected with you on a weekly basis through our growing community.

 

Please do connect with us to share news, suggest a MindShareTV podcast guest, or inquire about our strategic consulting services.

 

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to get outdoors!

 

Until next time, stay healthy, stay safe and keep the learning curve steep!

P.S. Checkout the Inspiring Wacom Recorded Spotlight Presentation from the Canadian International EdTech Leadership Summit Featuring Dave Bolton and Sam Cary! 
 
Robert Martellacci, M.A. EdTech
President, MindShare Learning Technology™
Chief Digital Publisher, The MindShare Learning Report™
Founder, MindShare Workspace
CEO & Co-founder, C21 Canada™

Follow us on Twitter @MindShareLearn
robert@mindsharelearning.com
https://mindsharelearning.ca/

Coming Soon! Schools of the Future Challenege Launching
February 2022! New Partners Welcome!
This Week in Canadian EdTech MindShareTV podcast w/ Giancarlo Brotto and Alek Kolga, SMART Technologies on Emerging Trends and Solutions School Districts are adopting across Canada
RECORDED 12th CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL EDTECH SUMMIT SPOTLIGHT SPEAKERS

Quote of the Week  

 
“Canadian students fair poorly when it comes to discerning the credibility of online information, but can be taught simple skills to do better."
 
- Digital Media Literacy Gap Report. Read full story, item #2
Featured Book of the Week 
This timely resource for teachers, leaders, and policymakers provides breakthrough insights into how to improve students' well-being in schools.
 
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, students' well-being was an increasingly prominent concern among educators, as issues related to mental health, global crises, and social media became impossible to ignore. But what, exactly, is well-being? What does it look like, why is it so important, and what can school systems do to promote it? How does it relate to student achievement and social and emotional learning?
 
World-renowned education experts Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley answer these questions and more in this in-depth exploration of the underlying ideas and research findings related to well-being, coupled with examples of policies and implementations from around the globe. 

K-12 Top News Stories 
1. Ozobot Brings Learning to Life with MetaBot™ -- the First Free Educational Augmented Reality Robot
 
prnewswire.com, December 8, 2021
REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Dec. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ozobot, global leader of programmable robotics and STEAM-based learning solutions for K-12 education that empower the next generation of creators, today unveiled its newest innovation - MetaBot™ - the first free augmented reality (AR) robot for education. MetaBot™ is an interactive learning experience that enables all children to build coding literacy and create with technology in any environment using a single smartphone or tablet.  
2. Simple skills boost students’ ability to spot misinformation, Canadian study finds
civix.ca, December 2, 2021
Canadian students fare poorly when it comes to discerning the credibility of online information, but can be taught simple skills to do far better.

This is the good news/bad news conclusion of a national study of 2,324 middle- and high-school students, the first of its kind to look at what Canadian students actually do when asked to evaluate the trustworthiness of online sources and claims.
 
Findings are detailed in “The Digital Media Literacy Gap,” released this week by CIVIX, a Canadian civic education charity that takes political events and turns them into teachable moments that bring democracy alive in the classroom.
3. Post-Secondary Students Save Millions Through Investments In Open Education Resources
saskatchewan.ca, December 8, 2021
The Government of Saskatchewan is investing $250,000 to support the continued development of open education resources at the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
 
"Open education resources provide students with accessible, free resources to support and enhance their learning experience," Advanced Education Minister Gene Makowsky said. "More than 85,000 students have benefited from government's investment in open education resources programming."
4. CBE plans to use $8M of capital reserves to cover 'essential' costs of opening new schools
Social Sharing
 
cbc.ca, December 8, 2021
The money will go toward necessities like computers and Wi-Fi networks. The Calgary Board of Education plans to use $8.6 million from its capital reserves in order to properly outfit five new schools opening soon. 

 

Four of the new schools — Auburn Bay Elementary, Auburn Bay Middle School, Mahogany School and Skyview Ranch School — are scheduled to open their doors to students next fall, while the long anticipated North Calgary High School is scheduled to open in 2024-25.

5. 3 AI Trends to Watch in K–12 Educational Technology for 2022
 
edtechmagazine.com: December 8, 2021
The use of artificial intelligence is growing rapidly in school districts, showing up in programs and software models that support everything from storytime to security.
 

There’s no question the COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to everyday life. But it has also spurred rapid growth in technologies that aim to make everyday life simpler, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.


C21 Canada Spotlight

Post-Secondary Top News 
6. TikTok teaching? U of T researchers study the social media platform's use in academia
utoronto.ca: November 16, 2021
In a bid to shine a spotlight on their research and make it more accessible, academics around the world are following in the footsteps of their students and taking to TikTok to share videos. 
 
The trend is being highlighted by a team of researchers at the Knowledge Media Design Institute (KMDI) at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information. The researchers looked at the different ways academics, educators and scholarly communities are using TikTok, the popular social media platform that specializes in short-form user-generated videos, to share knowledge – from Gothic architecture explainers to weight loss tips.
7. Investment leverages $170M to accelerate innovation
alberta.ca, December 6, 2021
An investment of more than $22 million through the Alberta government's Research Capacity Program will support research infrastructure and technology development at the University of Calgary. 
 
The Research Capacity Program funding will be provided to the University of Calgary over four years and will help build the facilities and infrastructure needed to support 11 research projects that will attract new talent and investment to the province.
8. A people-first approach to technology: A look at Dal's New Digitial Strategy 
dal.ca: December 3, 2021
Construction of a new 40,000 square foot Centre for Excellence in the Sciences at The King’s University will move forward thanks to a gift of $20-million from an anonymous donor. The landmark donation, the largest gift in King’s 42-year history, allows the institution to build on its strong academic reputation in the natural, health and social sciences.
 
The Centre will include beautiful common spaces, purpose-built teaching facilities, leading technology and laboratories that enable the university to further place student research at the heart of its academic programming.
9. Carleton University and CAE Strike High-Tech Research Partnership
newsroom.carleton.ca: December 6, 2021
Carleton University, a leader in information and communications technology and high-tech company CAE have established a research partnership that will advance innovation, talent development and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) in simulation and immersive environments, with a focus on advancing health technology, as well as other areas of common interest in science and engineering.
 
The three-year partnership will see Carleton researchers and students collaborate with CAE researchers and engineers to develop state-of-the-art technology and applications related to health care, green technology, advanced learning management solutions, immersive environments, cybersecurity, modeling and simulation, as well as computational intelligence technologies for training and operations in the aerospace and health care sectors.
10.Rebuilding Relationships Across Teams in a Hybrid Workplace
hbr.org: November 10, 2021
As people slowly return to some form of hybrid workplace, bonds that tie them to one another must be rebuilt. Over the past 18 months, most organizations have experienced some degree of fracturing as social connections and cultural cohesion have been strained. The challenges of remote work, dramatic uncertainty, the clumsy process of figuring out what returning to the office could look like, and the mass exodus of workers fed up with cultures that make them feel devalued have all served to threaten a sense of community. On top of all that, most of our remote work interactions have been with our immediate colleagues and focused largely on the tasks at hand — research from Microsoft suggests that cross-functional collaboration went down by 25% as interactions within groups increased during the pandemic.
Events 
Virtual Holiday Book Launch: Publishing in the Digital Age
Decemeber 17, 2021                           
FETC Conference 
January 25-28, 2022                           
ICTC-CTIC Horizon: 2022 Digital Future Summit
February 1-2, 2022                           
Cosn 2022
April 11-13, 2022                           
ISTE Live 2022: Empowering Educators. Elevating Equity. 
June 26-29, 2022                           

Parent Corner 

Parent Teaching Resources 
1. Parent Tool Kit: What parents can do to help their child succeed in school
 
This Tool Kit is for parents of Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 students. Research shows that learning at home is one of the most beneficial ways to help your child succeed. 
2. Celebrate Hour of Code With These Activities!
 
Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science and has grown into a weeklong event involving millions of people from around the world. Many organizations, from Disney to Khan Academy, have joined Code.org to offer activities centered on coding and computational thinking.  
3. Gift guide for kids: Simple, inspiring ideas to get them exploring STEM
 
Ignite curiosity and wonder this holiday season with these simple, inexpensive and environmentally friendly gifts that will get young children, aged 4 to 8, excited and engaged in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). These ideas can also be adapted to suit other ages.
 

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About Us
 

The MindShare Learning Report team is made up of the following individuals: 

Robert Martellacci, M.A. Ed Tech., Chief Digital Publisher

Dr. Ron Owston, PhD., Research Associate, University Professor Emeritus, Former Dean of Faculty, York University 
Chris Kim, PhD., Research Associate, Software Engineer, software studio, Fresco Industries

Timothy Gard, B.Ed., OCT, M.A, Chief Learning Strategist 
Hanan Mousa, M.B.A, B.C. S. Digital Media Specialist

Ivana Zelich, Digital Media University Intern
MindShare Advisory Board 

The MindShare Report is grateful for the guidance and support provided by our esteemed advisory board. Members include: 

Laurent Burman, M.B.A., Chief Commercial Officer, Sound Commerce 
Kevin Custer, Founding Principal, Arc Capital Development 
Chip Fesko, Principal, Chip Fesko & Associates
Ian Fogarty, Educator, Riverview High School | MindShare National Video Challenge Award Winner 
Dr. GuyTetrault, Award Winning Sun West School Division, Director & CEO  (Retired)
Michael Furdyk, Co-Founder, TakingItGlobal 
Dr. Eric Hamilton, Associate Dean of Education, Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology 
Maxim Jean-Louis, CEO, Contact North/Contact Nord, 
Gary Kern, Principal, St. George's School 
Dr. Susanne Lajoie, Professor, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University 
David Marsi, Senior Manager Training Initiatives, ScotiaMcLeod  
Mirella Rossi, Superintendent of Education, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board
Sandra Chow, Award Winning Teacher, Toronto District School Board (On Leave serving as a Director of Technology & Instruction at a School in China
Ron Sedran, MD, Equity Capital Markets, Canaccord Adams

About The MindShare Learning Report™   Canada's Learning & Technology eMagazine

Our mission is to provide insight and inspiration to K12 and Post-Secondary education and industry leaders by sharing the latest trends and innovative best practices and success stories in the Canadian education market space and beyond.

Editorial content for the monthly issue is due the third week of each month. 
Please forward your news releases as web links to 

info@mindsharelearning.com 
Advertising opportunities are available, please contact, 
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Consulting opportunities are available, please contact: 
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Annual subscriptions to the MindShare Learning Report can be purchased at $99 CDN

About MindShare Learning

MindShare Learning is Canada’s leading EdTech strategy, news and events media company. We counsel education and technology leaders in understanding the emerging needs of learners to succeed in the 21st Century global knowledge-based digital economy.

 

 

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