The Optania blog
Caring technologies are at the heart of the Optania blog. You are a teacher, a school administrator, a parent or a student and are interested in education? Follow us to learn more about the integration of technologies in the classroom, innovative pedagogies, the school of the future and more...
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Mindfulness: a new toolbox for your classroom
Carolanne Tremblay,
More than a simple meditation technique, I see mindfulness as a way of life. Mindfulness is living in the moment while being aware of what is happening at precise moments, here and now. Carpe diem.
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Choosing from an ocean of possibilities : Article on the search for identity and academic orientation
Vincent Bélisle,
As I wrote in my previous post, teenagers are confronted with a lot of decisions. They need to answer several questions on their future, their academic choices and the general meaning of their life. This search for identity is a crucial step in life; these choices will create a path that they may follow for the rest of their lives! I personally had a lot of trouble finding my way, despite the various approaches I tried to get there.
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The unsung heroes or the flip side of the (police) coin
Nancy Boisvert,
Police officers do not reap only rewards when performing their duties. Indeed, the press is often hard on them. They are put in the spotlight at the slightest misstep and their actions are constantly scrutinized, making their margin of maneuver incredibly thin. The slightest mistake will be exploited and publicized.
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Personal Data Protection, a Shared Concern
Maxime Beaudoin,
In the era of social media and intelligent devices, personal data protection should be a concern for all of us. Large institutions like the European Commission continue working on data protection reforms, but that doesn’t mean you also shouldn’t take matters into your own hands.
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Calling a therapist for the first time
Alexandra Verreault,
Steps to go through before starting a psychotherapy may be very mysterious. In my previous posts, I offered you some food for thought regarding the right time to see a therapist, and how to choose them. Now it’s time to demystify the first call…
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Is anxiety your bogeyman?
Vincent Bélisle,
Many new questions crossed my mind when I started my senior year of high school. The end of the school year would announce the beginning of my adult life and this new step would bring along many new decisions to make in regards to the rest of my academic career and life in general, which can generate a lot of anxiety. This is exactly what happened to me as these questions began taking up more space in my mind. I froze!
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Letter for Santa Claus
Carolanne Tremblay,
As you know, Santa, I’m a teacher. Two years ago, however, I left the classroom to work on web applications for schools. But as the saying goes, once a teacher, forever a teacher! To this day, I carry my students with me in my heart and in my head, hoping that the seeds I planted in their minds continue to grow.
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Law Reform on Harassment: A Step Towards our Well-Being
Optania,
Starting from January 1st, 2019, all businesses in Quebec will need to have a psychological and sexual harassment prevention policy in order to comply with the new legal provisions of the Labor Standards Act. They will also need to implement a complaint handling system.
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Choosing a therapist
Alexandra Verreault,
In a previous post, I offered you some food for thought regarding the right time to see a therapist. If you decided to go for it, good job! That takes a lot of courage. Now that you've made your choice, you have a few not-so-easy steps to take before your first appointment. Here is a series of posts meant to help demystify the process by explaining what you can expect once you’ve decided to seek the help of a therapist.
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Supporting My Child’s Teacher
Julie Palin,
My child tells me about an injustice that happened at school. My protective instinct quickly kicks in and urges me to defend my child and, in my emotional state, I agree that he is completely in the right. So, I pick up the phone to defend my little one…
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