Month: September 2014

OCLMOOC Week 1: School Counsellors joining in and you can too

Published on by SSpellmanCann2 Comments

 

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Check out attribution in Haiku Deck here

If you have been thinking about joining in #oclmooc, but have been a little hesitant then you need to read Paul Signorelli ‘s post on our first session with Dave Cormier, I am positive it will peak your interest. It is fabulous . You can find it here. I love that Massive does not neccessarily mean big. It means “Massive Potential”. I would add that Mooc’s have the massive potential to make a massive difference for you. Here is the archive to last nights session.

The Possibilities Are Endless.

I am so happy to see School Counsellors joining us in this Mooc. @bridgethelms , @c_morton,  @tmscounselor, @BriseboisJoanne and @HelenMacKinnon2

The wonderful learning from Moocs transfers into what we do with students. We learn and they get the benefits of what we learn through connecting in this positive way. Even if you are not an educator Moocs can make a difference.

I am so pleased at how quickly @gailmwhite8 ( a lifelong learner extraordinaire) who is joining a cMooc for the first time has jumped into the learning. I look forward to seeing her growth in the month ahead and learning along with her and you.

If you or anyone you know is interested in the Open Connected Learning Mooc you can still join in. Check out this smore here for how to connect and for more information on why I love Moocs click here by Verena Roberts.

I look forward to connecting with you in one of our communities . Check out our calendar and our google plus community here and share your learning. We look forward to it.

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If you want to know ” Who Matters?”  click below:

Who Matters ? 

New To Blogging and Twitter for OCLMOOC

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When I thought about starting a blog I must say I was very scared. I was scared of making mistakes. I was scared no one would want to read what I had to say. I was just plain scared. Fortunately all the encouragement and support I got in ETMOOC made a huge difference.

I must admit I did not watch tutorials on youtube when I first started blogging, but I believe they would have been very helpful. Here are a few: Video Tutorials on blogs and twitter .

Here are some basic instructions that might be helpful:

1. Go: Yes go … do it … go to wordpress.com or any other platform you want to use. I went to wordpress and stayed there because it is easy at least for me to navigate.

2. For those of you new to blogging click on the coloured words and that will bring you to a link that usually goes where you can find more info. on that word. I did not know that when I first started blogging.

3. Click on sign up. Yes , I knew you could do it!

4. Enter all the information they require.

5. Go to your email and activate your account. 

This is a great start . Remember your blog address (url) cannot be changed, but the blog’s title can be changed anytime.

  • Start writing , even if it is only a little at first. 
  • Press the publish button. I know it can be scary, but you can edit even after you publish. I still do all the time.
  • Your #OCLMOOC participants will encourage, support and comment on your blog.
  • Encourage others to help you and comment on their blogs.

Enough for today HAPPY blogging !

 

Digital Citizenship … It Matters … OCLMooc

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made with  @HaikuDeck  by Susan Spellman Cann

Why does digital citizenship matter so much? For me it matters because students matter and really when it comes down to it my family matters. I want to be a good role model for them. I want to leave a positive legacy one they can be proud of. Do I make mistakes? Of course I do, but I want to make a difference for my students and my own children and the only way to really understand what being a good digital citizen meant was to dive in and learn online and so it began in #ETMOOC .

A little over two years ago I did not blog, vlog, tweet or know what a google hangout was and now I get the privilege to be a co-conspirator in an Open Connected Learning Mooc #OCLMOOC. It will be an amazing experience for Alberta even though it is open to the world.

In week 2 of #oclmooc you will be exploring digital citizenship we hope you step out of your comfort zone and step into “Awe”

As an educator I want to understand everything I can about digital citizenship. Here are a few places to start thanks to @courosa Click here: Digital Citizenship resources by Alec Couros .

If you’d like to see what others are saying about digital citizenship check out #DCMOOC ‘s blog hub by clicking here: Digital Citizenship Massive Open Online Course blog hub.

To hear a students perspective click here: Paige Woodards blog .

Here are a few curated resources on Digital Citizenship:

I love this video by Shots of Awe, hopefully you got to see one of his videos in Week 1 of #oclmooc

Feel free to post any resources you have on digital citizenship in the comments below.

I look forward to our discussions in #OCLMOOC .

School Counselling Apps you can use

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1. Anxiety: Have your students been struggling with anxiety?  MindShift by AnxietyBC, is a mobile app designed to help teens and adults cope with this problem.

2. Conversation starters : Conversation Starters is an app to get the conversation going and could be used in a a group small or large.

3. Haiku Deck : An i pad app you can use to create stories with and for students. Here are some for School Counsellors:

4. Flipboard : Flipboard is a great way to collate information you want to share in a visual way. Here is one of mine called Lessons for New School Counsellors

5. Stress relief : Breathe2Relax is an app that will help students. It is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing.

6. Toxic thinking : A great app for students. Toxic Thinking app is an app that explains what toxic thinking is as well as listing triggers and appropriate actions.

7. Who’s Frank? :An anti-bullying app designed by Mount Royal University in collaboration with MRU and Bishop Carroll High School’s movement against anti bullying . Who’s Frank Anti- bullying app . See more here: #whosfrankyyc .

There are so many great apps to use. Please share your favourites in the comments below.