Usually when I write about conferences, that's the only part of my blog post. However, since there's been so many things going on that I haven't been able to write about, I thought I'd make it a combo affair. (Plus, I'm trying not to be too predictable. As I took photos on Saturday of the ECOO conference planning team, they said that they knew they'd be able to find it on my blog on Monday because they were sure I'd be writing about this conference!)
ECOO Dream Forward STEAM Ahead
2026 Conference
Saturday, March 28, 2026
9:00 a.m. - Keynote Panel: Human Centered Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI with Amon Sahota, Heidi Siwak, Tim King and Cal Armstrong
Summary (from program description): AI, like earlier waves of edtech, gives us a chance to rethink pedagogy and extend what great teachers already do well. Yet the last decade of digital adoption has often chased efficiency and scale instead of learning, contributing to stagnant or declining outcomes and growing distrust of classroom technology.
As AI becomes ubiquitous, Ontario educators face a critical choice: will we use it to automate teaching and deskill the profession, or to amplify human relationships, feedback, and hands-on learning—especially when resources are scarce?
3 Key Points:
1) When talking to different stakeholders, you hear different reactions. Parents and students (in general) are worried about the future and the lack of jobs. Teachers and technology folks (in general) are excited. We need to take control of the tech.
2) Everything that is assigned in most courses can be done by AI. It's cruel to ask teachers to just "design something that's more engaging" or "make your assignment AI proof". It's about examining the process, rather than the end result - even in math.
3) There is a need to reestablish trust among teachers and students, as shared by I-Think participants.
So What? Now What?
I wish I took notes! I had a chocolate muffin, an apple juice, the conference schedule and my phone in my hands, so I didn't write down all the great things that were said. I felt myself nodding often or leaning over to my seatmate, Neil Andersen (who was also my carpool driver) to comment on what was said. I think it was recorded, and this would be a talk I'd re-listen to if given the chance.
Media Artifacts:
10:15 a.m. - Exploring Indigenous Perspectives in the Arts with Sarah Merritt, Bridget Rowe, and Aaron MacDonald
Summary: (taken from program description) In collaboration with HCDSBs Indigenous Advisor, Sherry Saevil, this session aims to provide students with opportunities to create, present, and analyze art across diverse disciplines, including integrated productions that explore and reflect First Nations, Métis, and Inuit perspectives and cultures. Disciplines include dance, drama, installation and performance art, media arts, music, storytelling, functional art, and visual arts. Aligned with the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations, this session provides students an opportunity to honour and respect the dignity of all people. Students will develop a deeper understanding of Indigenous cultures, enhancing their empathy and commitment to reconciliation. The session will also address Call 62 of the Truth and Reconciliation Council, which calls for the integration of age-appropriate curriculum on residential schools, Treaties, and Aboriginal peoples' historical and contemporary contributions to Canada as a mandatory education requirement.
This session is designed for educators teaching grades 9-12. The session focuses on Indigenous Education, integrating it with the arts to provide a holistic learning experience that respects and celebrates Indigenous knowledge and traditions. By the end of this session, participants will not only have enhanced their artistic skills but also have developed a profound respect for Indigenous cultures and communities.3 Key Points:
1) Math, science, engineering - all of these things exist as part of Indigenous knowledge. We just have to recognize it.
2) Teepees are marvelous ways to learn about triangles, beams, air flow, and so many topics. HCDSB had "Teepee Joe" come from Manitoba to do work with some of their schools and it was valuable.
3) Building community is an important part of Indigenous education, as are stories of all types.
So What? Now What?
I really appreciated how Aaron smudged us first thing before the opening keynote. As someone who appreciates incense, the scent really calmed and readied me. The group answered my question on cultural appreciation vs appropriation, but I'd have to look into it more if I wanted to raise a teepee with students - they had elders guiding the process.
Media Artifacts:
11:15 a.m. - Questioning AI: Building Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Skills with Diana Maliszewski
Summary (taken from program description): How does Gen AI work? It’s important to teach through and about media texts we use in school, including Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Gemini and Chat GPT and other AI tools. However, many AI tools are proprietary secrets. So, what’s an educator to do? This hands-on workshop will provide participants with media literacy and gender equity perspectives. You’ll explore how algorithms are trained, why AI personifications can be problematic, and ways to infuse critical thinking for all media texts, not just those labelled as “AI”.
3 Key Points:
1) Teaching through media is when we use media texts to get content across and teaching about media is when we focus on the forum of the message and teach how the form works to convey messages. Educators need to do both, although they do more of the former.
2) How we visualize and conceptualize Generative AI matters, because if we anthropomorphize a program, we trust it more, treat it differently, and attribute human traits to it. When Gen AI tools use a human voice, it is often female and there are specific reasons for that choice.
3) There are several critical thinking strategies we can use when examining all media texts, such as asking questions, avoiding immediate judgement labels, interrogating all biases, and finding a healthy level of skepticism.
So What? Now What?
I gave this workshop at the ETFO ICT Conference for Women. I kept in both the media literacy and feminist perspectives and they still landed well. I was a bit nervous because both Heidi Siwak and Tim King were in the audience and I really respect their opinions and views - would my presentation be too basic for them? It seems like they were able to extract something from it. I was fascinated to compare the results of the various activities from the fall and now. For instance, when my friend Lynn asked for a visual representation of AI, Canva gave her four options and two were non-humanoid. This was a significant change from the results generated in November 2025. Jim decided to really push the boundaries of the Machine Learning for Kids algorithm trainer, by challenging it to distinguish between 1950s and 2020s hockey equipment. Heidi had it examine dog parts. Brittany took a low-tech approach to drawing AI. Tim asked for AI visualization from the marketing perspective from the recent past. What I love about giving this workshop are the conversations. Even at the beginning, when we did a "4 Corners" task, I admired how people placed themselves more on a grid than in a corner. (I also took the time to get a shoe photo - I love my new Fluevog Cadences!)
Media Artifacts:
1:15 p.m. - Cardboard as a Conduit for STEM with Diana Maliszewski
Summary (taken from program description): Cardboard is an incredibly versatile tool. In this hands-on workshop, educators will use a ChompSaw to help build various structures to hit many different cross-curricular expectations.
3 Key Points:
1) The Chomp Saw is both safe and easy to use.
2) If you use AI to help you design lesson plans, double-check with a real person who is an expert. (For instance, I had Marsha Ireland preview my examples, and the one that was generated for Grade 9 was more suitable to Grade 7.)
3) There are so many possibilities.
So What? Now What?
I presented this session before at the TDSB Eureka Conference. Again, I am constantly amazed by the creativity and ingenuity of people. We had people from kindergarten (ECEs) to high school educators in the room and everyone made something. Leticia made a pencil holder that turned into a vase and then the rest of us made flowers for it. Michelle and Stephanie made photo frames and name letters. Matthew made a Batarang (Batman boomerang). Kim showed us her masks that her Grade 5-6s did (that would have been even more intricate with the Chomp Saw). Many of the teen volunteers dropped in at some point and they made things like hearts, stars, fish, and swords. This was a very fluid and flexible workshop, meant for people to drop in and out as they needed. We had great side conversations about why some boards have little to no participation in any outside PD. Natalie popped in and made some great floral arrangements. It wasn't a typical session, but hopefully a session that people
Media Artifacts:
2:30 p.m. - Closing and Prizes
Big thanks to the ECOO conference organizers, and to the King family (Alanna, Tim, Max) who gave me their prize because it didn't fit - a very cool CODE sweatshirt!
Coding Lessons and Improving our Output
For STEM classes this term, I've been focusing on coding (not CODE as in the Council of Dance and Drama Educators, but the kind of code found in the math curriculum). We began with some unplugged coding and have moved on now to using simple robots such as the Coding Mouse and Botley.
For some reason, my students are struggling a bit with documenting their code. They want to draw it like a map, but their directions do not make it clear about where you begin reading and what path to take. Today (Monday March 30, 2026), I took the notes they wrote from the previous week and tried to replicate their results in front of them. We co-constructed the single-point rubric and students very quickly realized that their instructions weren't easy to follow or duplicate. (If you are interested, the three points in our single-point rubric were 1. We used the coding language for the device [aka just arrows]. 2. We make it clear how to read the code [e.g. write it like English from left to right so we know where to start]. 3. When coded, the robot goes in an L shape and returns [using the Coding Mouse tiles].) Only three of the seven groups from my class I saw today made it to the standard, but at least all the students could articulate about why the groups were ranked where they were and why. I hope the other classes will be able to improve after this exercise.
Curating our Book Collection at the GTA Resource Fair
On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, eight of our library helpers, along with my daughter and I, attended the Spring 2026 edition of the GTA Resource Fair. My library helper presidents (both of whom are Grade 8 students) remarked that this would be their last library shopping trip. One of the presidents expressed a wish to be barcoded like the books we purchased, and so Library Technical Services indulged us with an improvised "book knighting" ceremony. Jessica, thank you so much for making a memory with our students.
It was also rather delightful to get to see my daughter's books on sale! I insisted that she pose with some of her titles. Proud mama moment!
Collaborating as a TL Community at Network Meetings
On the very same day as the GTA Resource Fair (seriously, what were we thinking?), Kim Davidson and I facilitated a TDSB North East Scarborough TL Network meeting. Salma Nakhuda and Percy Williams Jr. P.S. were the gracious host TL and host site. I love gathering with these people in person! I love visiting other people's libraries because you can get inspired by their displays, set-up, and organization. At the meeting, we had a really useful session on book repair. We planned our upcoming Quiz Bowl and discussed how to advocate for the TL position in staffing committees.
I'm sorry I didn't get consent to post the group selfie we took. It really is a community. Some people that attended aren't even TLs anymore! They came because it's invigorating to connect with like-minded educators (plus, "once a librarian, always a librarian").
Hopefully this shows why being a teacher-librarian is such an important and fulfilling position. My best wishes go out to the school library professionals in Halifax, who are facing uncertainty and cuts. Canadian School Libraries stands with you! (See the website tomorrow for messages of suppport.)
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