Kristin Sward is currently a grade six teacher in the Chilliwack School District (33), located in the Fraser Valley of beautiful British Columbia. Before becoming a teacher she worked for many years at various jobs with the municipal government in Mission, B.C., where she grew up, but felt that her path was taking her in a different direction and found her true calling in the classroom. She has now been teaching for over seven years and loves the challenges and enthusiasm that her students greet her with each and every day.
For the last four years Kris has worked to effectively implement technology in her classroom. It all started when she was awarded the use of a trial kit of 15 iPods for six months in 2011. Though she never considered herself to be a 'techie', the use of that trial kit opened her eyes to the possibilities of improving student engagement and learning by introducing digital tools and resources in the classroom. Both she and her students learned a great deal that year and had a lot of fun exploring and sharing with the iPods, so much so that she has since championed the cause and helped to bring more technology to her school and support other teachers in implementing it in their classrooms. Students in her school from Kindergarten to grade six now have access to a variety of mobile devices, laptops and online tools and resources to help them explore and understand the world around them.
For the last two years Kris has been working towards her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership through Vancouver Island University. She has already completed the two-year OLTD (Online Learning and Teaching Diploma) program and is currently working her way through the final two courses in the M.Ed program. This website, along with the projects and lesson plans compiled within it, make up her Master's project. The process paper to accompany the project can be found under the tab labelled 'The Project.' (note that it is currently a work in progress, so only completed parts of the paper are there).
Kris' supporters and cheerleaders include her husband Tim, her kids Tristin and Sierra, her parents Brian and Sue and her dog Indy who has kept her company while she completed all of her classes and coursework, even though she wasn't supposed to be upstairs. She also owes many, many thanks to her principal and faculty supervisor Charlotte for all of her help on this exciting journey.
For more information about her OLTD journey, check out http://krisslearnsonline.weebly.com/
For the last four years Kris has worked to effectively implement technology in her classroom. It all started when she was awarded the use of a trial kit of 15 iPods for six months in 2011. Though she never considered herself to be a 'techie', the use of that trial kit opened her eyes to the possibilities of improving student engagement and learning by introducing digital tools and resources in the classroom. Both she and her students learned a great deal that year and had a lot of fun exploring and sharing with the iPods, so much so that she has since championed the cause and helped to bring more technology to her school and support other teachers in implementing it in their classrooms. Students in her school from Kindergarten to grade six now have access to a variety of mobile devices, laptops and online tools and resources to help them explore and understand the world around them.
For the last two years Kris has been working towards her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership through Vancouver Island University. She has already completed the two-year OLTD (Online Learning and Teaching Diploma) program and is currently working her way through the final two courses in the M.Ed program. This website, along with the projects and lesson plans compiled within it, make up her Master's project. The process paper to accompany the project can be found under the tab labelled 'The Project.' (note that it is currently a work in progress, so only completed parts of the paper are there).
Kris' supporters and cheerleaders include her husband Tim, her kids Tristin and Sierra, her parents Brian and Sue and her dog Indy who has kept her company while she completed all of her classes and coursework, even though she wasn't supposed to be upstairs. She also owes many, many thanks to her principal and faculty supervisor Charlotte for all of her help on this exciting journey.
For more information about her OLTD journey, check out http://krisslearnsonline.weebly.com/
Techie headshot: made using www.tagul.com