Technology EdCamp Summary

On June 4th, NorthVanPAC in conjunction with the School District, hosted a Technology EdCamp for parents to help us gain a better understanding of how technology is used in schools by teachers to help students learn.

What we saw were numerous interesting uses of technology. From the use of blogging and writing tools to help communicate with students. The use of various creative tools, such as movie making and recording tools  to enable students to produce stories and documentaries on their learning. And finally to direct teaching aids that helped the students investigate different topics, such as math and science.

There were a wide variety of tools presented and each teacher had many different examples of different tools that they found helpful in their particular classrooms.

What was most interesting to me were the uses of creative tools, things like the use of MineCraft to present a discussion of architecture, or the use of animation tools by students to present different subjects. The ability to provide students with many different ways of interacting with their learning was very interesting and it is encouraging to see teachers incorporating this sort of creativity and flexibility into their classrooms.

The EdCamp Ended with an App Smackdown. Using an Airplay server to enable multiple ipads to connect to and show content on a large screen several different teachers were able to in quick succession queue up and demonstrate different ipad apps on the big screen for all to see. It was interesting to see the huge variety of apps they recommended but also to demonstrate how these tools can be used to discuss different ideas in the classroom.

Overall the feedback on the event, at which 32 parents attended, was that it was a very useful event and  we are hoping to be able to collaborate on more of these events next year.



After the meeting, Paul Clarke from Brooksbank Elementary shared their list of recommended Apps with us.

 1^st Priority Apps:

Pages

Keynote

iMovie

Comic Life

Starfall ABCs

Dictionary

PDF Expert

Explain Everything

Calculator

Toontastic

Timer

Garageband

2^nd Priority Apps:

Long Div

Long Mult

100s Board

Tens Frame

Bugs & Buttons

Subitising

Friends of 10

Measurement HD

Story Wheel

Glow Coloring

Scribble Math

Times Tables

3^rd Priority Apps:

Brushes

Mathboard

Pocketphonic

National Geographic World Atlas

Number Line

Silly Sentences

Rocket Math

Geometry 4 Kids

ABC Shape Puzzle

Little Patterns

Seasons!

Frames

Chess

Dino Diggers

2D/3D Sorting

My Story-Book Maker 4 Kids

iThoughts HD

Parkmath HD

Brushes

Mathboard

Art Rage

Free Apps:

Skype

Chirp

Twitter

Evernote

ABC Lite

Visual Poet

Doodle Buddy

Math Bug Lite

Puppet Pals

4 In A Row

Sorting 1

Sorting 2

Eyewitness (Guardian)

Edmodo

Change to BCCPAC Membership payments.

BCCPAC Memberships

North Van PAC encourages all PACs to complete their BCCPAC membership applications and will continue to reimburse PACs for the fees paid.

http://www.bccpac.bc.ca/news-blog/register-your-pac-now-20132014-membership

Due to some challenges with processing BCCPAC membership applications North Van PAC we have decided to change how we reimburse PACs for their BCCPAC membership fees starting next year. In the past we have paid BCCPAC directly for all applications they receive but some applications were missed this past year and those PACs were unable to vote at the AGM as a result.

For this reason North Van PAC is asking all PACs to pay their BCCPAC membership fees directly to BCCPAC and we will reimburse PACs for the expense on presentation of the receipt for their membership dues to our treasurer.

North Van PAC Meeting Dates 2013/14 (note changes)

North Van PAC Meeting Dates 2013/14:

At the May 2013 General Meeting it was decided that North Van PAC General Meetings will be held the 4th Wednesday of each month next year.

Meeting Location: 5th Floor, 2121 Lonsdale Ave.

Meeting Dates are as follows:
Oct 23, 2013
Nov 27, 2013
Jan 22, 2014
Feb 26, 2014
April 23, 2014
May 28, 2014

Annual General Meeting and New Executive

The 2013 North Van PAC Annual General Meeting was held Thursday May 23rd, 2013

May 23rd Public Meeting Minutes
2013 North Van PAC AGM Minutes

At the meeting a new PAC executive membership was elected while it was agreed that the specific positions could be left to be organized within the new group of members and that organization ratified at the 1st public meeting in Oct 2014.

A follow up meeting of the executive members arrived at a recommended organizational structure that to be ratified in October.

The new North Van PAC executive for 2013/14 will be:

Chair: Jane Lagden Holborne
Vice-Chair: Karen Nordquist
Secretary: David Whitehead
Treasurer: Joanna Woronchak
Registrar & BCCPAC Liaison: Debra Dennehy
Member-at-large (Program Facilitator): Mike Sexsmith
Member-at-large (Program Facilitator): Deborah Johnstone
Member-at-large (Website coordinator): Alexandra Best
Member-at-large (Outdoor School Liaison): Susanne Till
Member-at-large: Amanda Nichol


Congratulations and thank you to the new executive for your commitment to North Van PAC.