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Dear Thought Leader,
Publisher Vodcast Welcome
 Welcome to the May
edition of the MindShare Learning Report--Cross
Canada Provincial Spotlight on Ontario.
What a month for
educational technology in Ontario and across the Canadian landscape. The
Ontario Minister of Education speaking about 21st Century learning
skills and a technology boom, and the Ontario School Boards' Association
releasing a report on ICT, "What if? Technology in the 21st Century
Classroom"--The stars appear aligned for Ontario to make serious strides in
addressing the needs of the 21st Century learner. The engaging Minister
of Education, Kathleen Wynne offers her deep knowledge and balanced
perspective on ICT for Ontario schools. However,
the most significant news-Minister Wynne plans to reinstate funding for
previously announced cuts to classroom resources and suggests better
procurement practices will mitigate the impact.
MindShare Learning is
pleased to be taking the international stage, hosting "Celebrating Canadian EdTech
Innovation" networking event at the Canadian Embassy in D. C. in
conjunction with the NECC conference, June 29th. Sponsors include SMART
Technologies, CeLEA, Government of Canada and ISTE.
The following are just a
few highlights in this issue:
- The exclusive podcast interview with
Ontario Education Minister, Kathleen Wynne;
- An exclusive podcast interview with Mark Bailey, trustee in the Upper Grand District
School Board, and chair, Ontario Public School Board Associations education
program and information technology ad hoc steering committee that recently
released, "What if? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom.";
- Learn
about the over $2 Billion in spending and funding opportunities across
Canada in both K12 and HED;
- A podcast interview with Professor Ken G. Waller, M.A. ITeach
Laptop Learning Program Coordinator, Faculty of Education - Nipissing
University.
Congratulations to our very own Mitchel N. Townsend HED Editor on his acceptance into the University of Calgary's Doctoral Program in Educational Technology.
Special thanks to our
generous sponsors who represent some of the very best technology solutions to
enhance student learning and achievement. We are also pleased to welcome our
new clients, Xoolon and Tech4Learning. We encourage you to checkout their wares as you
plan ahead for your coming academic year.
Until next time,
be sure to walk the digital talk!
Sincerely,
 P.S. Watch for next month's Cross Canada 21st Century Provincial Spotlight on British Columbia!
Robert Martellacci, M.A. EdTech
Publisher & Managing Editor, The MindShare Learning Report™
President, MindShare Learning™--Strategic Marketing Solutions
 Before printing think about the Environment. Avant l' impression, il faut penser � l'Environnement. |
Quotes of the Month
"...we are really looking at a technology boom right now and a qualitatively different way of relating to technology that our students are experiencing."
During podcast interview with Robert Martellacci, Publisher of The MindShare Learning Report
"This is our opportunity to ink the future of digital technology in
education."
Bill Hogarth, Director of Education,
York Region District School Board,
Blueprint for Change Symposium Keynote,
Bill
Crothers High School, April 29, 2009 |
Cross Canada 21st Century Provincial Spotlight on Ontario
Our April 2009 issue
features our new Cross Canada Check-up Provincial Spotlight Series in an effort
to share regional trends and success stories across our vast Canadian landscape.
After insightful interviews in the last two issues first with Minister Dave Hancock from Alberta and then Kelly Lamrock from New Brunswick we now focus on Canada's largest educational system with an interview with Minister of Education Kathleen Wynne.
We hope you
enjoy this month's provincial spotlight on Ontario.
About Minister Wynne
Kathleen Wynne was sworn in as Minister of Education on
September 18, 2006, and again on October 30, 2007.
She was first elected to the
Ontario legislature in 2003 and served as the Parliamentary Assistant to the
Minister of Education and to the Minister of Training, Colleges and
Universities. Prior to this, she served as a public school trustee
in Toronto.
- Podcast Interview with Ontario's Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne -
(Interviewed by Robert Martellacci, Publisher of the MindShare Learning Report)
Quick Tech Facts About Ontario
Ontario is Canada's leader
in ICT, accounting for half of the country's ICT activity and 70
per cent of its ICT research and development.
Ontario has 249,000+ people working directly in the IT industry.
Ontario is home to 5,500+ innovative IT companies , ranging from
home-grown global giants like Research in Motion, Open Text, Mitel
Networks, March Networks and Cognos (an IBM company) to foreign
multinationals like IBM, Alcatel, Cisco Systems, Dell, Microsoft,
Siemens and Motorola.
Ontario's IT industry includes leaders in every sector
from telecommunications to software development and services; digital
media to microelectronics.
Ontario's IT industry is clustered in 3 areas: Greater Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo. These three areas account for 5500 jobs ranging in areas from digital media and Internet to telecommunications, networking, microelectronics and wireless technologies. Total IT revenues top $50 Billion.
Ontario established The Centre of Excellence for Communications and Information Technology which is focused on fostering
innovation in this vital area for Ontario's prosperity.
The Centre works with industry to solve problems, engaging the brightest
minds at Ontario's universities and colleges in the challenges faced
by businesses.
Ontario boasts world class universities that provide IT employers with top notch talent including the world renowned University of Waterloo:
"Just in terms of scale and focus on computer science, Waterloo stands
out . There are many years when Waterloo is the university that has the
most people (at Microsoft) of any university in the world . Waterloo has always been in the top five every year."
Bill Gates, Microsoft (source)
Source:
Exclusive podcast interview with Mark Bailey, trustee in the Upper Grand District
School Board, who also serves on the Ontario Public School Boards' Association
education program and information technology ad hoc steering committees.
 The May 2009 issue of the MindShare Learning Report Cross Canadian spotlight
is focused on Ontario. The interview with Mark Bailey was a follow-up to his
committee's report, "What if? Technology in the 21st Century
Classroom," which generated quite a buzz in the media.
Vodcast Interview
with Anita Townsend, Principal of Curriculum, Simcoe County District School
Board at The Learning Partnership Technology Mini-Summit.
 The Learning Partnership Round Table on Technology Mini-Summit featured this topic: "Online Communities for Professional Development - The Key to
Successful Technology Integration in the Classroom?"sponsored by HP, April 14, 2009
In the past several years, the province has offered several funding programs
to connect Ontario schools to the Internet and provide ICT hardware resources.
These included Technology for Schools (1995), the Ontario Network
Infrastructure Program, Connecting Schools and each other to the
World (1999-2000), and the Technology Incentive Partnership Program
(1996-98). Presently, most funding for technology is provided to school
boards within the provincial grant formula. School boards make allocations
to support their own ICT planning and projects.
Connect Ontario
The Connect
Ontario program, as a part of Superbuild,
has been active in providing broadband connections within the province,
with a renewed focus on rural
and Northern regions (COBRA). This is a wide-scale project,
focused on provincial economic growth and development. Included in its goals
is the provision of the infrastructure for e-learning and access to knowledge
resources and learning services.
eLearning Ontario (ELO)
The main provincial hub for technology initiatives in K-12 is the eLearning Ontario web portal (ELO), "[a] provincial
initiative to enhance learning, teaching and parents' involvement
in their children's education through information and communications
technology. ELO is an office of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry
of Training, Colleges and Universities, and the Community Services I &
IT Cluster.
Curriculum Services Canada
Curriculum Services Canada (CSC) is the Pan-Canadian standards agency
for quality assurance in learning products and programs. Curriculum Services Canada is a
not-for-profit and provide services including development,
implementation, evaluation, and accreditation of teaching and/or
learning resources, and the delivery of web-based professional learning
opportunities across Canada and internationally. CSC works
closely with the Ontario Ministry of Education and many of its
initiatives related to curriculum and to student success
Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Council (OSAPAC)
The
Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee (OSAPAC)
advises the Ministry of Education "on the acquisition of provincial
licenses [for educational software] for publicly funded schools in Ontario.
Ontario Education News
What If? Technology in the 21st Century
Classroom
CNW | 28/04/09 On Wednesday, April 29, 2009 the Ontario Public School Boards' Association (OPSBA) is releasing a Discussion Paper entitled: What If? Technology in the 21st Century Classroom. As school trustees we
want to engage the province in a meaningful focused discussion about
classrooms of the 21st century. We want to be part of developing a provincial vision
and strategies that will make all our classrooms connected and relevant.
Wired to learn: Inside Lawfield classroom 213Wikis, blogs, Twitter, podcasts: the students in
Zoe Branigan-Pipe's Grade 5 class at Lawfield elementary use the kind of
cutting-edge tools that set them apart from anyone unfamiliar with the
collaborative, interactive applications people now call Web 2.0.
More technology, fewer textbooks touted for kids
Outside school, students are totally
wired. Inside, they "power down." But schools risk turning off a generation of learners if they don't use
technology to keep them interested, warns a paper to be released today by the
Ontario Public School Boards' Association.
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Funding Opportunities of the Month
Ontario budget commits over $1 billion for PSE
CNW| 30/04/09
Colleges
Ontario, which represents the province's 24 public-funded colleges, says the
2009 provincial budget is good news for the college sector, its students and
the economy.
Budget
2009 keeps Alberta working with infrastructure spending, continued low taxes
and support for skills training
Alberta | 22/04/09
Budget 2009 provides a total of $104 million this year for innovation,
research and technology commercialization initiatives, plus $76 million to
support apprenticeship technical training. The government will
maintain the 7,000 apprenticeship technical training seats that have been added
since 2006-07 in response to increased apprenticeship registrations.
NRC, DND Collaborate on High-Tech Training Tools for Troops
The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of State for the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), on behalf of the Honourable Gary
Goodyear, Minister of State (Science & Technology) and the Honourable Peter
MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway, is
in Fredericton today to announce the signing of three landmark collaborative
research projects between the National Research Council (NRC) and the
Department of National Defence (DND).
"This research collaboration will create new software
technologies that will provide our troops with access to the best training
tools possible," said Minister Ashfield. "The Government is investing
$5.1 billion in science and technology this year alone in Canada's Economic
Action Plan.
More on Funding Opportunities...
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K12: Headlines
TLP NTIA 2009 National Technology Innovation Award Winners
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K12: Upcoming Events
Event: ....... Manitoba Association for Distributed Learning and Training Conference
Date: ......... May 7-8, 2009
Location: ... Red River College, Winnipeg, MB
Event: ....... AAESQ/QESBA - Association of Administrators of English Schools of Quebec and the Quebec English School Boards Association Conference
Date: ..........May 21-23, 2009
Location: ... Hilton Quebec, Quebec City, QC
Event: ....... The Sixth Annual International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Computing, Networking and Services
Date: ......... July 13-16, 2009
Location: ... Toronto, ON
Event: ....... Blackboard (Bb) World '09
Date: ......... July 14-16, 2009
Location: ....Washington, DC, USA
Event: ....... Pearson's 5th Annual Celebrating Literacy Conference
Date: ......... August 17-18, 2009
Location: ....Pearson Convention Centre, Brampton, ON
Event: ....... ABEL Summer Institute - ABEL Members/LC Members
Date: ......... August 24-26, 2009
Location: ....York University, Toronto, ON
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K12: Ask a Teacher?
Timothy
Gard, M.A., B.Ed., has had over a decade of hands-on involvement with
students and teachers in information and communication technology. He
loves innovative ideas and taking risks, integrating technology across the curriculum
and engaging students in the ever-changing world of technology. He
currently teaches media literacy and technology at Ecole Sir Adam Beck J.
S. in the Toronto District School Board.
Q - Are there opportunities to collaborate globally with educators?
As teachers integrating
technology across the curriculum we're always looking for ways to extend our
students' experiences internationally so as to expand their horizon and give
them a global feel - removing the boundaries in a borderless world so to speak. This is
done quite easily with the various tools that are available to us from Web 2.0
tools to the myriad of cloud computing options that keep floating our way. And
we don't have a problem searching for these opportunities simply because we
know how it changes our teaching, and engages and empowers students to learn
and grow regardless of ability - ICT becomes the great leveler. But what about us?
What about educators wishing to connect and share professionally with colleagues
across the world? Are there the same opportunities? Well, yes and no.
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Green IT
Faronics wins Scholastic Administr@tor 2009 Best in
Tech for Network Security award
FMedia 30/04/09
Great
news for Faronics! Today we won one of Scholastic Administr@tor's 2009 Best in
Tech for Network Security solutions awards. Scholastic Administr@tor is trusted
by 85,000 of the nation's top administrators to provide insight into the best
education solutions and the most effective technology and leadership
strategies.
5th World Environmental Education Congress Conference
Montreal, QC 14/05/09
The vision for this World Environmental Education
Congress is Earth as our common home. Caring for this household, in which all
life exists, calls for strong ecological identity, solidarity, and sound action
at this critical period of the Earth's history when we need to profoundly and
urgently realign human endeavour within the capacities, limits, and systems of
our home.
Backgrounder
- Greening Ontario's Schools
CNW 21/04/09
A
$550-million, two-year investment will help make schools more energy efficient,
while supporting a stronger and greener economy and creating and sustaining
over 5,500 jobs.
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Web 2.0 Technology Spotlight
Welcome to the NECC Ning Network, designed to help you connect to like-minded NECC attendees and individuals and extend the conversations.
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Higher Education: Introduction
Welcome
to the May 2009 Issue of the MindShare Learning Report, Canada's Premier
Education
and Technology eMagazine.
The
Higher Education Headlines section contains several articles describing Canada's
Colleges and Universities embracing technology, applying technology in
innovative ways, and Desire2Learn's latest response to Blackboard in their
ongoing
patent infringement dispute.
The
Ask a Professor Section features Professor Ken G. Waller , M.A. ITeach Laptop Learning Program Coordinator, Faculty of Education, Nipissing
University in Ontario. In an
exclusive three part podcast interview series Professor Ken G. Waller discusses the
iTeach Program at Nipissing University, Constructivist Learning and Teaching
Theory, and how Nipissing is preparing Canadian students to excel in the 21st
century knowledge-based global economy.
The
Research and Tech Tools Section continues to illustrate a wide variety of
Research, Reports and Tools that will augment the already growing inventory, in
your Tech
Tool
boxes. This month there are several important
resources to choose from.
The
GreenIT Section sponsored by the award winning Faronics Company, is an emerging
area of importance, and through our collaborative partnerships we continue to
bring you the latest Research, Information and Conferences. What is your
EarthEcho?
From
the team at the MindShare Learning Report, thank you for your continued
readership, let your voices be heard and your needs be met, by giving us
feedback in the form of comments,
critiques and suggestions.
This
is the only way we can exceed your expectations
each and every month.
Enjoy
this month's issue.
Mitchel N. Townsend, M.A. EdTech
MindShare Learning Associate
Editor, Higher Education
 Before printing think about the Environment. Avant l' impression, il faut penser � l'Environnement. |
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Software Review: Aegom Middle School Mathematics Suite for SMART Notebook
 Timothy
Gard, M.A., B.Ed.
What's in a
Notebook? Well, for starters, it really depends on how much time you have on
your hands! And if you're a teacher, the answer is most definitely rhetorical. Of
course, I'm not talking about any ordinary paper notebook that you can pick up at
any old school supply store. I'm talking about the award winning SMART
Notebook, the software that comes with SMART's ubiquitous interactive whiteboards
and provides the content and functionality that makes the SMART Boards come to
life, so to speak. What's in an Aegom Middle School Math Notebook? Lots!
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21st Century Global Spotlight
Exclusive Podcast Interview with Dr. Don Knezek, CEO, International Society for Technology in Education About ISTEISTE is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
supporting the use of information technology to aid in learning, teaching of
K-12 students and teachers. ISTE is the organizer of one of the world's
leading K12 EdTech, NECC which incidentally celebrates its 30th anniversary
this year, taking place June 28-July 1st, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
Martin Spence (CEO, Xoolon) and Robert Martellacci (Publisher of MindShare Learning Report)
MindShare Learning recently hosted Martin
Spence for a series of strategic meetings in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
to explore piloting and sponsor opportunities for Xoolon's leading-edge
fitness and sports management software.
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Higher Education: Headlines
Negronte: Future computers will have common sense and understanding
York U 01/05/09
Four predictions by the MIT guru and a program that's changing the world.
YouTube creates page for PSE content
YouTube EDU| 30/03/09
YouTube has unveiled a new section called YouTube EDU, a hub for material
submitted by colleges and universities.
Desire2Learn Receives U.S. Distance Learning Association Award
D2L | 29/04/09
USDLA recognizes Desire2Learn for excellence in distance education and innovative eLearning practices.
United Nations Opens World Digital Library
In the
latest and perhaps broadest effort to provide instant access to scholarly
resources, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization today inaugurated its World Digital Library,
a Web site that allows visitors to browse through a trove of artifacts spanning
the history of civilization. |
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Higher Education: Upcoming Events
Event: ....... 2nd Annual Canadian Network for Innovation in Education (CNIE)
Date: ......... May 10-13, 2009
Location: ... Ottawa, ON
Event: ....... Discovery '09: Future ReadyDate: ......... May 10-11, 2009 Location: ... Toronto, ON
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Higher Education: Ask a Professor  Professor Ken G. Waller, M.A.ITeach Laptop Learning Program Coordinator
Faculty of Education - Nipissing University
Ken is a former high school teacher (taught
for 13 years with the Near North District School Board);
nine years with the Nipissing Alternative School creating and delivering
"non-traditional" programs for youth enrolled in grades 10, 11 and
12; several years of experience teaching in summer "residential
programs" (e.g., Eco Camp, Outdoor & Adventure Leadership) at the
Canadian Ecology Centre; also taught at FJ McElligott and Chippewa Secondary
Schools.
Professor Waller's teaching
duties at Nipissing University are anchored in the field of educational
technology guiding new teacher candidates from the Junior, Intermediate and
Senior Divisions (Grades 4 to 12) through a series of learning activities
intended to provide "constructivist" experiences allowing each
participant a series of opportunities to "test drive" technology as a
classroom resource to support teaching, learning and student success. iTeach Program information site
Three-part Exclusive Podcasts with Professor Ken G. Waller:
In this exclusive MindShare Learning Report
Podcast Interview Professor Ken G. Waller discusses Nipissing Universities
iTeach Program in Podcast #1, His Constructivist Learning and Teaching
Philosophies in Podcast #2 and Preparing Canadian Students for the 21st Century
Global Knowledge Economy in Podcast #3."
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Career Opportunities
K-12
Position: District ICT Support Teacher
Location: Lakeland Catholic Board of Education No. 150
Position: Director of Education
Location: Simcoe County Board of Education
The
Simcoe County District School Board is currently seeking a new Director of
Education. Please click on the link above to view the job posting.
Higher Education
Position: Dean, Faculty of Education
Location: Queen's University - Kingston, ON
Janet Wright &
Associates Inc.
174 Bedford Road
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2K9
Fax: (416) 923-8311
E-mail
Position: Manager Business Systems, Information Technology Services
Location: York University - Toronto, ON
Information
Technology Services provides critical I.T. support and services to all units
within the Division of the Vice-President, Finance and Administration.
E-mailIndustryPosition: Pearson is currently recruiting for a Territory ManagerLocation: British Columbia
Pearson
is an international media company with world-leading businesses in education,
consumer publishing and business information, focusing on education in the
broadest sense of the word. It has more than 29,000 employees based in 60
countries, including 650 people in three locations across Canada.
Position: Business Analyst
Location: TBA
Etraffic Solutions is
a privately held North American elearning company. The company provides
organizations with learning solutions that engage the learner through stunning
visual design, customized content and software tailored to meet specified
needs.
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ISTE Director of Education Technology and Building 21st Century Schools
THE Journal 09/04/09
In a time of economic struggle, teachers and their
schools may often feel they're fighting a futile battle, not only to educate
their students, but to keep their students and themselves current and
competitive in the seemingly ever-changing demands of both the domestic job
market and worldwide marketplace of ideas.
Teachers Driving Web 2.0 Use in Schools says National Research Survey
Heller Reports 06/04/09
While many stakeholders are involved in developing policies on
the use of Web 2.0 technologies in K-12 education, new research suggests that
teachers are the most important group driving adoption. This is a major finding
from a national research survey of more than 500 district technology directors.
The survey was commissioned by Lightspeed Systems Inc., a leader in network
security and management software for schools, and Thinkronize Inc., creator of
netTrekker, America's number one educational search tool, with support from
Atomic Learning.
Six Technologies Soon to Affect EducationeSchool News 04/04/09
New report describes the emerging technologies
that will shape K-12 education in the near future.
More Research and Tech Tools... |
Bits and Bytes
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi
Title: Ghandi 6x
Artist: Solomon Gill
Grade 12 student, St. Martin's Secondary School, Dufferin Peel District School Board
Part of a recent art show at Mississauga City Hall.
Selected winner of the Martellacci family art exhibit contest
Reflections
on Winning the HP MindShare Learning Contest, Rob Cotey, teacher, Markville
High School
An
interview with teacher Rob Cotey, who collaborated with his colleague, Mark
Melnyk and his students to submit a winning video as part of the HP MindShare
Learning Contest. The interview took place while at the YRDSB Blueprint for
Change conference, April 2009
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MindShare Musings... Hosting
our first ERDI Canada panel was definitely one
of the Spring highlights for the MindShare Learning Report team in Winnipeg,
Manitoba last month. Our objective was to get a national perspective from
district level education leaders, and to help shape our roadmap for the future.
Our focus group sessions were most engaging and yielded valuable results for us
to seek further validation from our advisory board later this month when we
present our findings. Through this rigorous process, we are demonstrating our
commitment to innovation to meet the evolving needs of our customers.
We
are pleased to welcome two new advisory board members to the MindShare Learning
Report team for 2009/2010. Jamie McNamara, Superintendent of Schools, St. Thomas Aquinas Roman
Catholic Schools in Alberta. Jamie brings a 21st Century tech savvy
perspective as a senior school district CEO to the team. Award-winning principal, Cheryl Paige, Joyce Public School, Toronto District School Board,
rounds out the team for the coming year. Ms. Paige's leadership skills in
nurturing prime minister award winning teachers and cutting-edge classrooms,
keeps her school busy with visitors.
Special
thanks to Dr. Paul Sparks, Co-Director, Pepperdine University's Master's in EdTech
program for his guidance and support during our first year of operation.
It
was great to catch-up with Marty Keast,
president, Pearson K12 and a MindShare Learning Report advisory board member,
while out in Winnipeg at ERDI.
Outgoing
ERDI Canada founding partner, Lyle
MacLennan, was recognized for his valuable contribution to the organization
over the years. I want to personally thank Lyle for the opportunity to team up
with him on various projects as he was a pleasure to work with. The good news is that Lyle has shifted gears
slightly to focus his efforts with Synrevoice Technologies and other
initiatives as he enjoys semi-retirement life.
It
was great to catch-up with Marko C�t�,
frontrow, Territory Manager in Eastern Canada, while at the Winnipeg airport.
Sounds like he's doing some excellent work in the east. Thanks for making my
flight delay a pleasant one!
Speaking
of ERDI, congrats to long time ERDI member and Apple consultant, Dr. Robert Kennedy, former Director of
Education in North Bay area school board, who joins the ORION board of
directors. Bob served as President of the Canadian
Association of School Administrators and the Ontario Public Supervisory
Officers Association.
Congratulations
to our friends at Vancouver based Faronics-- winners of Scholastic
Administr@tor 2009 Best in Tech for Network Security award.
Doug Doherty, Canadian Sales Manager
for netTrekker, they now have a Group in netTrekker Village for collaboration among
users of netTrekker in Canada. Join, share, and enjoy! Please invite others to
join as well.
Congratulations to our very own, Mitchel
N. Townsend M. A., MindShare Learning Report HED Editor, who was recently
accepted for admission into the University of Calgary's Graduate Division of
Educational Research, prestigious program of Doctoral Studies in Education
Technology. The program will commence in
July of 2009. The good news is that we're not losing Mitchel and look forward
to him sharing his augmented expertise with our readership.
"I
am very pleased and excited to be accepted into the University of Calgary
family. The program will definitely be a
challenge but one that I have been looking forward to for many years. As an international student it made perfect
sense to attend a world class Canadian school where they cultivate the best and
the brightest," states, Mitchel Townsend.
From my alma mater.....Inaugural Dean named at York University.
Professor Martin Singer, a veteran
academic administrator and sinologist, has been named the inaugural dean of
LA&PS. Dr. Singer comes to York from Montreal's Concordia University where
he has been a professor since 1972. He served Concordia as provost, dean of the
Faculty of Arts & Science, director of the Council for International
Academic Cooperation, and chair of the History Department.
Special
thanks to Karen Ritcey and my
friends at Apple Canada for the opportunity to test drive the latest MacBook Pro. I look
forward to sharing my thoughts and experience using this impressive looking
technology over the next few months. Also on the Apple front, MindShare
Learning will be exploring iTunes as
a vehicle to expand the reach of MindShare Learning recorded podcasts.
Here's a very cool
report that was recently released by the folks at Project tomorrow in the U.S.
One of the highlights--Students suggested what the ultimate digital textbook
should include: -
The ability to
personalize their book with electronic highlights and notes (63 percent)
-
Quizzes and tests
for self-evaluation (62 percent) or self-paced tutorials (46 percent)
-
Access links to
real-time data such as NASA, Google Earth (52 percent)
-
Links to
PowerPoints or class lectures that support textbook content (55 percent)
-
Games (57
percent) or animations and simulations (55 percent)
-
Links to
videoconferences (30 percent) or podcasts from subject experts (34 percent)
To access the full report, go
to here:
The York Region District
School Board, HP sponsored, "Blueprint for Change" symposium held last week at the new Bill
Crothers High School was extremely well attended. Bill Hogarth, Director of Education inspired the audience with a
vision and passion to explore and embrace 21st Century learning
skills. "This is our opportunity to ink the future of digital technology in
education." Stated Mr. Hogarth in his keynote address to an audience made up of
students, teachers, administrators and industry representatives. I would be
remised if I didn't mention one of the highlights of my day which was
interviewing one of Canada's legendary track stars, Olympian, Bill Crothers, former Chair of the
Board, and current trustee in York Region and school namesake. Also, in
attendance was Loralea Carruthers,
trustee and vice-president, Ontario Public School Boards' Association. I got
the heads up from Loralea on the release of the "What if? Technology in the 21st
Century Report," commissioned by OPSBA.
The positive energy and momentum is definitely building in Ontario
amongst key stakeholders to raise the bar in preparing students for the
essential skills to succeed in the 21st Century global economy.
On the strategic marketing
services client front, MindShare Learning is pleased to welcome Xoolon and
Tech4Learning. Martin Spence, CEO, Xoolon.com UK was in town recently for a series
of strategic meetings to explore pilot and twining opportunities utilizing
their very powerful fitness and sport monitoring online software for education.
Nita Seng, VP of Sales, Tech4Learning, is also looking to expand beyond the
U.S. We are currently piloting their suite of creativity tools based software
in Canada to gage its viability in Canada. Early reports suggest their
award-wining software has great potential to fill a void in Canadian schools. Please
drop me an email if you're interested in exploring either solutions for your
school, or district.
MindShare Learning is pleased
to welcome Aislinn Malszecki to the
MSL Report team as a New Media Specialist. He will be graduating next month
with a specialized honours B.A. from York University's Communication Studies
program. Congrats Aislinn and welcome to our team! Please feel free to drop
Aislinn a note ( email), if you're interested in exploring strategic marketing
opportunities.
If you have a success story or nuggets of news to share, please don't
hesitate to drop me an email.
Robert Martellacci, M.A. EdTech
Before printing think about the Environment. Avant l' impression, il faut penser � l'Environnement. |
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Advisory Board Members
The MindShare Report is grateful of the guidance and support provided by our esteemed advisory board. Members include:
-
Dr. Greg Malszecki, Department of Kinesiology & Health Sciences, York University
-
Dr. Ron Owston, Director, Institute for Research on Learning Technology, York University
-
Cheryl Paige, Principal, Joyce Public School, Toronto District School Board - Jamie McNamara, Superintendent of Schools, St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Schools, Leduc, Alberta
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Joni Turville, B.Ed, M. Ed (Instructional Technology), Educator, AISI Coordinator, St. Albert Protestant Schools
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Timothy Gard, B. Ed. M.A., Educator - Media Literacy & Technology, Toronto District School Board
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Cathy Phillips, M. Ed., Director, Round Table on Technology, The Learning Partnership
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Ron Sedran, MD, Equity Capital Markets, Canaccord Adams
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Marty Keast, President, Pearson Learning K-12 Canada
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David Marsi, AVP, Learning & Development, Invesco Trimark
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Chip Fesko, Sr. Director of Advertising & Strategic Alliances, George Lucas Educational Foundation, Edutopia Magazine |
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About Us
The MindShare Learning Report team is made up of the following individuals:
About The MindShare Learning Report™ -- Canada's Premier Educational Technology eMagazine.
Our mission is to transform education by sharing knowledge of 21st Century innovative best practices and success stories in the Canadian education market space and beyond. We harness the power of Web 2.0 technologies to feature engaging Vodcasts, podcasts, polling, Canadian educational technology news headlines & upcoming strategic industry events in the K-12, Higher Ed and corporate eLearning market segments. Other elements of the MSL Report eMagazine include: successful practices, ask an educator, ask a professor, research & tech tools, GreenIT and career listings, to support educators and educational technology providers in maintaining a pulse for emerging trends in Canada. http://www.mindsharelearning.com/report
Annual subscriptions to the MindShare Learning Report can be purchased at $99 CDN
About MindShare Learning
MindShare Learning is a privately held company based in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. Its hallmark is providing strategic marketing solutions to learning & technology solution providers in the K-12, HED and corporate learning markets, to support new market expansion and revenue growth. MindShare Learning's partial client list includes: Adobe (Macromedia), Blackboard Inc., EPSON, RM PLC UK, Softease Ltd. UK, THINKronize (netTrekker), IMSI (ClipArt.com), CERC (Canadian Education Resources Council), Tech4Learning, Xoolon, NECTAR Foundation and ERDI Canada. http://www.mindsharelearning.com | |
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