Dear MindShare Learning Community Members,

Today, on National Indigenous Day, we honor the rich cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples across Canada and beyond. 

Our team is thrilled to bring you the latest edition of the Canadian EdTech MindShare Report, Issue #339. We have a number of BIG news highlights to end the week!

In this special ISTE Preview edition, we feature an array of exciting sessions and opportunities to connect with innovators in educational technology:

Highlights:

1. Unboxing EdTech Podcast: Featuring Dr. Paul Darvasi

Don't miss our latest episode of the Unboxing EdTech podcast with Dr. Paul Darvasi, Chair of the Serious Play Conference at TMU. Watch Here

2. Recorded Webinar with Committee for Children on Social-Emotional Learning

In case you missed it, catch the recorded session to understand the critical role of SEL in today's educational landscape. Watch Here

3. Announcing Keynote Presenters>>15th MindShare Canadian EdTech Summit

We are thrilled to announce Three keynote presenters for this year’s summit. Don't miss out on our Super Earlybird registration! Read More | Register | Sponsorship Opportunities | Speaker Opportunities

4. ISTELive24 in Denver

Join MindShare at ISTELive24 for our 29th CanAm VIP Celebration Event. Stay tuned for live updates from Denver. Register for ISTELive or Online | RSVP Here

5. Collision Conference Recap

Grateful for an insightful session on 'Navigating the AI-Inspired EdTech Ecosystem in Canada & Beyond!' Special thanks to our esteemed presenters: Ramy Ghattas, Nesmith Chingcuanco, and Katina Papulkas. 

6. Announcing the Winners of Canada's Schools of the Future Contest!

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 16th Canadian Schools of the Future Student Innovation Contest! Congratulations to:

• St. Albert Learning Centre for their innovative project on sustainable energy solutions.
• Caledonia Regional School for their groundbreaking work in robotics and AI.
• St. Gregory the Great for their creative approach to integrating virtual reality in education.

These remarkable students have demonstrated outstanding creativity, innovation, and dedication to advancing educational technology. We celebrate their achievements and look forward to seeing their projects shape the future of learning. Special thanks to our valued sponsors for providing the 'Classroom Makeover' prizes!

7. Featured GenAI Tool: Pear Deck Learning

Explore Pear Deck Learning, an innovative ecosystem providing real-time feedback and differentiated instruction to keep students engaged and excelling. Learn More

8. Research on AI in K12 by the Walton Foundation

Discover how AI is enhancing efficiency and productivity in classrooms, helping students stay engaged and learn faster. Learn More

9. Book of the Week: Brave New Words by Salman Khan

Dive into Salman Khan's vision on how AI and GPT technology will revolutionize education. Email

ISTE Preview Sessions:

Monday:

• 10:30 AM: The Generative Age: An AI Symposium - Room 111/3
• 2:30 PM: Debugging Creativity & Imagination - Innovation Arcade: AI Classroom

Tuesday:

• 10:30 AM: Creativity Playground - Playground B
• 2:00 PM: Innovation Slam: The Best Generative AI - Bluebird Ballroom 3GH
• 4:00 PM: Lift Student Voice Through Podcasting - WeVideo Booth #2200

Wednesday:

• 8:30 AM: Empowering Leaders to Adapt to the AI-Driven Future - Room 103/5
• 11:30 AM: Breaking Bias: AI/Media Literacy in the Generative Age - Innovation Arcade: AI Classroom
• 1:00 PM: Unboxing Umety Classroom 3.0 with Mindshare. Exhibit 624. Register to Qualify and Win a VR headset with the Umety Classroom resources! 

Top News Stories:

K-12:

1. ISTELive 24 Preview: Join us from June 23-26 in Denver.
2. Best Buy Canada’s Teen Tech for Tomorrow: Improving tech equity in Canada.

Post-Secondary:

Feel free to drop me a note with your inspiring news, research, careers, and upcoming events. We love to hear from our much valued community! And, please do share this eMag with a colleague to help nurture continued innovation across Canada and beyond! 

On behalf of our team, we are grateful for the growing MindShare Learning community we are nurturing across Canada and beyond (over 25 countries receive our eMag!). Special thanks to you, our board of advisors, partners, and our team who continue to inspire me every day!

Stay connected and continue to lead innovation in education!

Until next time, stay healthy, stay safe, and keep the digital learning curve steep!

We’re thrilled to introduce you to ISTELive 24 – one of the world’s most comprehensive and influential edtech events! This conference offers you an unparalleled learning experience, no matter where you are on your journey to leverage technology to transform teaching and learning. 

TORONTO, June 5, 2024 /CNW/ - As K-12 education institutions grapple with rapid technological advancements and increasing demands for digital transformation, schools are under pressure to modernize their operations to remain relevant and effective, as well as to meet the evolving needs of students and educators. However, balancing the need for cost optimization in a constrained environment while investing in technology can be challenging. 

Starting next school year, students will have limits placed on their personal mobile devices, which officials say can harm student achievement and their mental health.

"The use of cellphones is of significant concern and additional measures should be taken to limit cellphone use in our classrooms," said Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides during a conference in Calgary on Monday.

A Grade 9 student from Edmonton is headed to NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. 

A team of five Avalon Junior High School students were selected by the Edmonton Public Schools board as a semi-finalist of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). But among them only Samantha Luchkow will present her findings on July 1, to more than 100 participants from the United States and Canada. 

A growing number of organizations collect information about every aspect of their operation with the intent to convert it into a value-added business advantage. They often arrive at the question, “What do we do with all this data?”

That’s where Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Digital Integration Centre of Excellence (DICE) comes into the picture.

A team of researchers based at the University of Waterloo have created a new tool – nicknamed “RAGE” – that reveals where large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are getting their information and whether that information can be trusted.

Conestoga’s Virtual and Augmented Reality Lab (VARLab) was recently named in an international report that profiles key trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the future of teaching and learning.

The EDUCAUSE 2024 Horizons Report identified Conestoga as a post-secondary institution that incorporates educational practices with technology in meaningful ways, focusing on VARLab projects as examples that support mental health and well-being for students.