ECOO Education Computing Organization of Ontario

ECOO Education Computing Organization of Ontario




Hey everyone,

Digging through ECOO’s site, I landed on the Online Tools section and instantly felt like a kid in a candy shop. Two tools stood out for me:

Digital Citizenship resources: I’ve always been a big believer in teaching kids not just how to use tech but how to use it responsibly. ECOO links well with things like fake news detection and online safety, which feels more important than ever with students learning across devices.

AI in Education support series: ECOO has been running sessions about how AI is shifting classrooms, and honestly, that lines up with my own PD focus. I’m experimenting with how tools like ChatGPT can enhance inquiry projects instead of just shortcutting them.
To keep myself organized, I pulled a couple of these resources into my Wakelet collections. I already had a set for social studies inquiry lessons, so I added digital citizenship modules there. I also started a new Wakelet for AI in Education with sample activities that I can try with my middle schoolers.
On the Canadian resource side, I really liked The Learning Portal (Ontario Colleges Library Services). Their Digital Citizenship Hub has tidy modules on privacy, net neutrality, security, copyright, even the digital divide. These modules are snack-sized enough that I could drop them right into a Common Core or AP lesson when I need a quick plug-in activity.

For me, working at an international school in Taiwan (but trained in Ontario with OCT), the resources that hit home are the ones that:

Support equity and access. Not all my students have the same tech background, so I need scaffolded, low-barrier tools.
Reinforce critical thinking. Fake news and online responsibility aren’t optional skills anymore.

Give me ready-made modules so I don’t reinvent the wheel.

What’s missing? Maybe more cross-cultural examples. A lot of these resources are Canada-centric. In my classroom, I’d love to see paired global perspectives: how Taiwanese students view digital wellness compared to Ontario students, or how different countries approach AI in schools.
Still, ECOO and The Learning Portal have given me enough to refresh my Wakelet collections and share solid resources with my students.

Cheers from Taiwan,

Mike

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