James has been busy meeting up with his counter parts at RÉCIT AGE and with the francophone sector at RÉCIT FP to share what he is working on and find out more about their projects.  Here are some of the highlights:

The provincial gang of RÉCIT FP and VT techno pedagogical consultants recently had their bi-annual Table nationale meeting where they share different technology integration projects.  Some of the highlights:  a digital platform for stage, accessible by teacher, student and stage host; good practices in hybrid learning in VT, and looking at LMS data to create better learning situations.  Some really great ideas, and it is great to be able to see what is happening in other Vocational Centres in Quebec!  Great stuff!  The meeting was recorded and will be available on their Youtube channel shortly.

Click here to see the RÉCIT FP youtube channel >>

Smart iQ

James participated in a couple of training sessions by a Smart software representative about their new iQ interface and Lumio, the online cloud-based teaching and learning platform.  He is developing some workshops on how to integrate these tools into VT, and stay tuned for some collaboration workshops with the Voc Talk café in the next school year!

Click here to visit the Smart Software website >>

Social Integration workshops

On Wednesday, May 18, James will be attending a half-day event for the adult general education and vocational sectors on SI (social integration) SVI (sociovocational integration) in employment, stage and volunteer settings.  This workshop is open to the public - if you would like more information, click on the link below.

QACVE conference May 19

Sometimes we get seduced by the bells and whistles of the technology tool and we forget the real-world application.  It would be nice if a tech tool in teaching came with a sticker that indicated what learning level the student would experience using the tool.  Well, check out his workshop at QACVE on Thursday, May 18 on Bloom’s taxonomy applied to ICT and get a better understanding of the different cognitive loads that these tools ask of our students.  Cool (digital) beans!

Click here to read more about QACVE 2022 >>

Workflow software

In the carpentry program at CVCEC (Chateauguay Valley Career Education Centre), James has be working on a series of videos showcasing the work of two VT teachers that have integrated visual workflow software on a mobile device into their carpentry labs. Jovan Mercier and Alexandre Lavoie, teachers in DEP Carpentry, have teamed up with VKS Software Systems to create a support system for project-based learning.  The students are responsible for their learning by using this software to follow along with annotated images and checkpoints, freeing up the teachers to focus on difficult areas and targeted support.  Awesomesauce!

Assistive technologies

With Avi Spector at RÉCIT AGE, James is working on a workshop about immersive reader assistive technology and how to use it in VT.  Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

After-ACE & Voc Talk café

Once a month we will be showing one of the recorded workshops during the Voc Talk café.  Grab your lunch and join into our Gathertown space to experience the spirit of the ACE conference by watching one of the recorded workshops in the ‘virtual cinema’.  On June 9 from 11:30 -12:30 we will be watching the great conference by Marc Gariépy and Karine Jacques on student feedback within the digital world.  Come join in!

Tech question?

Do you have questions about integrating technology into your teaching?  Are you curious about how to use tech tools?  Need a hand to figure out some tech stuff?  Contact James!  You can connect with him for 15 minutes, or an hour - no question is too small or large!
 

Microsoft Lens

Today’s teaching tip comes via your cell phone!  Have you ever taken a picture of opening hours of a restaurant, instructions on how to put together a shelving unit, or notes on a whiteboard after a brainstorming session?  Well, did you know that with your Microsoft Office 365 account,  Microsoft Lens has a function where it will recognize text and translate it directly on the image?  It will also pull out the text and put it in a document - a great way to get students to collaborate in person and render their work accessible digitally!  Would you like more information on how to use it?  Give James a shout!