A findings from a recent study by MediaSmarts reveals a very alarming (but not surprising) trend among young Canadians.   After all the examinations and waves of useless information is pushed into their brain (only to become useless) in two hours our students will still not have learned any truly useful skills needed--digital citizenship and … Continue reading →

I have come across this THINK acronym before (below). And each time I find myself asking if this poster best represents students the repercussions of an all-too-common-moment of indiscriminate social media sharing: Are dumbing things down, too much for our kids? Are we simplify a very complex issue for our students? If so, should we … Continue reading THINK: An Oversimplification →

According to the infographic below, incidents of cyberbullying are increasing at a prodigious rate.In a recent student technology use survey conduct at L.V. Rogers Secondary, 44% of 553 respondents indicated that they had 'not learned' or 'covered' online safety, privacy, cyberbullying, and the digital tattoo/footprint. If our students are not learning these essential and necessary digital … Continue reading Cyberbullying: Big Than We Think →

This is a topic of conversation that frequently arise when others learn that I am a librarian. And of course, the standard reply has always been consistent: the answer is purely personal and subjective. Or is it? While it is interesting to note that a year and a half ago Amazon announced their Kindle ebook sales … Continue reading Do Digital Books Acutally Rule? →

So after 244 years in the 'knowledge' business, the Encyclopedia Britannica has decided to shut down its printing division and focus on its online presence. But that may be more difficult that first thought, according to Open-site.org/wikipedia...Facing the realities and the stiff competition from Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Britannica will now focus primarily on their online … Continue reading Wikipedia vs Britannica: The Results Are In! →

Every now and then I could be accused of underestimating our youth. I mean, the levels of compassion and empathy (or outright detachment) that our students seem to purport continues to befuddle educators. After all, I'm a teacher that recognizes that bullying--no matter what our community says-- (online and off)--has its basis in a lack … Continue reading Rocking Off the ‘Youth’ Stereotype →

If there's one person in your (or your kid's) school that has a strong level of technology expertise and experience, it's probably the teacher-librarian.School Library Journal recently released the results from last year's school technology survey and in most schools teacher-librarians play an elemental role.And if your school doesn't have a teacher-librarian...? It may be time … Continue reading Who’s The Tech Leader at Your School: Odds Are It’s The Teacher-Librarian →

During the final week of classes this month, I had an opportunity to discuss with our Grade 9 Health and Career Education (HCE) classes the importance of reflecting on their use of social media while on the holiday break. And yes, there was consistent acknowledgement that most would (with increasing frequency) immerse themselves in their … Continue reading Location Settings: Helping Students See the Bigger Picture →

It has been nearly eight months since 17 L.V. Rogers students returned from their reciprocating trip to Fort McPherson, NT as part of the YMCA Youth Exchanges Program. The students also gathered pictures and hundreds of hours of video in order to share their learning from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Here's the story of their experiences that … Continue reading Learning Beyond the Classroom →

Last month, CIBC Chief Economist, Benjamin Tal, commented that students entering post-secondary institutions are not choosing wisely their intended field of study. He also noted that there are some degrees that give students more bang for their buck when it comes to employment and even earnings. And his biggest observation from a recent statistical analysis … Continue reading Rate of Return…The New Educational Shift? →