We work with schools every week that tell us about the growing challenges and numbers of students with learning needs in their classrooms. nd most of us know about the incredible digital tools and strategies that aree out there now, BUT we often miss passing this training and upskilling onto our Teacher Aides and Learning Assistants. Mark and Bex chat with Nic Ward, an LA at an Auckland primary school who knows firsthand the benefits of regular and timely digital training and professional learning and the impact this has  on her students.  

Show Notes:

1. Using Technology Better – upcoming events
https://usingtechnologybetter.com/events/
2. Certified Digital Teacher Aide Course 2023
https://utb.fyi/cert-digital-aide
3. Mote
https://www.mote.com/
4. Text Help
https://www.texthelp.com/en-au/products/read-and-write-education/
5. Bear IOS and Mac App
https://bear.app/ 

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

Engaging our students has become a real challenge in a post-COVID, media-filled world. We talk to Jo Mclntyre-Brown about her passion for Steam learning and sustainable enterprise programs. If you’re looking for a way to enrich your classrooms with authentic real-world problem-solving or want to help your teaching team get started with some simple design thinking challenges, here are some ideas to get you started. 

Show Notes: 

1. Manurewa Intermediate School – Youtube Channel
2. Using Technology Better – upcoming events

 

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

How do we keep up with the developments of AI and all the new tools coming our way? Mark and Bex dive into the latest trends and also some concerns we all need to be across as leaders in schools, they explore how our wearable tech can keep us saner, fitter and better in general and they also share a small but meaningful update for the Flip tool that will help facilitate better conversations with your students.

Show Notes:

1. Canva
2. Opus Clip 
3. Unesco ChatGPT User Guide for Higher Ed
4. AI detector tools - article AI and ChatGPT cheating allegations at Cambridge and Pukekohe High outrage parents of top students
5. AI Dilemma presentation  Tristan Harris, Aza Raskin
6. Kidnapping story in Phoenix US
7. Well Being tools - the role that smart watches can play in our overall health
8. Flip has comments and now threaded comments https://twitter.com/MicrosoftFlip/status/1653493634581385216

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

When was the last time you had a refresh of the tools, processes and culture of your school’s communication plan? There are so many ways we can be more efficient and build a better team culture. This week Mark and Bex give you a process and some practical tips to overhaul your internal communication practices. 

Show Notes:

Future Now Leadership Summit NZ 2023

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

In this episode, we explore the differences between coaching and mentorship. While both are powerful tools for personal and professional growth, they have distinct approaches and outcomes. We dive into the characteristics of each, including the level of structure, guidance, and relationship-building involved. Our guest speakers share their experiences and insights on when coaching or mentorship may be more appropriate and how to best utilise each to achieve your goals. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, this episode will provide valuable insights on which approach may be right for you.

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

Schools are bombarded with an increasingly complex set of needs and responsibilities. As leaders, our response, far too often, is to overload our teams with another meeting. This week Mark and Bex unpack 5 ways to organize your meeting structure and content in ways that optimize efficiency while building a great culture at the same time. In the ‘Making Waves’ segment, Bex shares the challenges of our modern world that can lead to the fear of silence or ‘Sedataphobia.’ She explains how this habit is doing more harm than good and some ways we can lean into the habit of creating mental space.

Check out these resources:

Apps for Collaborative Docs
1. Notion
2. Google Docs
3. Microsoft Word

Apps for surveys and engagement
1. Mentimeter
2. Slido
3. Poll Everywhere

Apps for Mind Mapping
1. Mindmeister
2. Jamboard
3. Miro

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

It’s never been more important than ever for school leaders to take an active part in connecting their families and wider community together. Schools are often the main point of contact for people now and Mark and Bex unpack some practical ways we can bring people together. Mark also shares a digital tool he’s started using that can help leaders and teachers get some organisation out of the chaos of their professional and personal lives. 

Check out the resources mentioned in this episode:

1. Notion link
2. The Better Mindset Podcast Episode 8

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

Have you heard or read about Augmented Reality? If you have, are an educator and don’t really care, this is the episode for you! Paul Hamilton, UTB’s resident AR expert tells us why AR is becoming such an engaging and relevant tool for students and the impact it’s having in so many industries around the world. Bex also shares some practical tips for how she’s overcoming imposter syndrome and the team also share some ideas for how schools can build a closer community through the use of social media. 

Check out these resources that we've mentioned in this episode:

 - Future Now Leadership Summit NZ 2023 

- Twitter Account – Paul Hamilton 

- Manurewa Intermediate – Youtube Account example 

- Blog Post – Effective Social Media Policies 

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

STEAM Learning can be challenging for teachers when they’re over a single lesson, a week or even a term. How does a teacher continue an authentic, engaging and multi-award winning STEAM project for 5 years? We talk to Myles Webb, a teacher and DP in New Zealand who has some practical advice for schools wanting to make a meaningful impact on their students and community. Mark and Bex dig into ways we can approach teacher burnout with a fresh perspective and Rachel shares some new features inside Canva, the graphics, multi-media tool that teachers can access with a free premium account! Listen to find out how.  

Show Notes: 

 - utb.fyi/steamleader 

 - https://soundluresnz.blogspot.com/ 

- Twitter Account – Myles Webb 

- Canva – Education Accounts 

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.

Every leader, whether you are leading a school or your classroom, has faced those people on your team who cause disruption and lower the overall temperature. We can get trapped in a spiral of avoiding and judging them. Mark and Bex dive into some effective and practical steps for identifying and overcoming, even enhancing your team through the help of these kinds of people and mindset. Richard, one of the UTB trainers, also has his best attempt at convincing severe spreadsheet avoiders why these tools can be an asset in your classroom and schools.  

Here are some of the resources we've mentioned in this episode:

1. Good to Great – Jim Collins
2. UTB Online Excel Courses
3. UTB Online Sheets Courses 

We post every week and would love to have you keep up with us. If you know someone who would get value from these episodes, hit the share button and let them know. Lastly, if you have questions or anything to share with us, email us at [email protected]. You can also contact Bex at [email protected] to find out how you can get free PD in your schools (NZ) or follow us on Instagram at @usingtechnologybetter or on youtube.com/@utb

We’d love to hear from you! See you next week.