My children on devices (posted w/ consent)

Workshops for Parents

As a parent of two girls, I traversed the challenges and opportunities of devices in childhood like everyone else in real time. I coined the term digital hygiene to address the approach and strategy with introducing powerful devices in the hands of children. My professional opinions are aligned with parent educators, as evident in the media article, “A sample media coverage Parenting in the Age of iPads.” I have published on the role of the Internet in supporting parents as well as per my article published with UBC Nursing on E-Support for Parents of Infants and Toddlers, where I was moderator of a parent group in excess of 100 members.

Workshops for Children and Youth

It is not acceptable to simply avoid discussing the internet nor is it appropriate to simply hand young children devices without supervision. My philosophy is not to scare children and youth away from the internet and social media, as I find strategies of deception harmful to the trust we wish to inspire in children and youth for those responsible for them. If we wish to curb cyberbullying, then I don’t see modelling deceptive following and “gotcha” reveals as an appropriate strategy if our goal is to seek authentic responsible behaviours developed in children and youth. I believe in restorative practices, where possible.

Workshops and Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers, Admin, and IT Staff

I teach hundreds of preservice teachers every year in a core course in our teacher education program and have given workshops on professional development days and provincial conferences. I have chaired committees of IT personnel at the post-secondary level and believe we need more educator-IT communication as well. It is my belief that more innovative strategies can be designed to facilitate digital, networked, and open learning for teachers, administrators, and IT staff over a longer period of time, which can be both in person and/or online. I have supervised MEd cohorts in face-to-face, multi-access, and online modalities (via video and asynchronous) that span the province ranging from urban to rural and feel that such community-building would be a rich option to provide in addition to or instead of a traditional keynote or professional development day. I have also chaired Edcamp events (K-20) that were co-located between UVic and SFU, but also online, which was the first online and K-20 Edcamp globally. I would be happy to facilitate more creative and innovative professional development, but I would also welcome providing ongoing 1-1 mentoring for a senior administrator in developing their digital, networked, and open literacy as they may be seeking to start small before expanding transformative practices to an entire organization.