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Meet the people supporting you as EdTech Support Specialists!

March 4, 2020March 13, 2024 Ari Crossby

Daniel Andrade Fonseca
My specialties are web development and project management; I offer technical support to instructors in Brightspace and other Langara tools, like Zoom and Kaltura.
My interest in technology started early. I’ve loved video games since I was a kid in Brazil; I have a big collection of consoles and games, including PS4, Xbox One, and retro games, such as Super Nintendo. I am also a big fan of sports, especially soccer and basketball. I recently attended NFL, NBA games and went to the last Olympic Games in Rio. During my weekly 10 k run, I enjoy Vancouver’s weather and think about life.

Nimmy Nelson
I have been with EdTech since 2016.
I did my Bachelor’s in Computer Science (2011-2015) in Kerala, India and my PDD in Business Administration here at Langara (2016-2017).
My hobbies include cooking traditional South Indian dishes like Sambhar and Kozhikode biriyani and I recently picked up crocheting and embroidery. I also love listening to books in Audible. Most recently, I’ve read Inglorious Empire by Shashi Tharoor and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Heidi Mede
I joined the EdTech department in 2006 as Support Specialist and became the Supervisor of Department Operations in 2016. My career path has had several zigzags; working in a shelter for the homeless, with children with physical and mental challenges, in a transition home for people with traumatic brain injuries and operating my own daycare. Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved taking apart electronics, so during the dot-com boom, I went back to school to learn about computers & graduated in network administration. I worked at Oracle Corporation for 5 years, but always felt like a square peg in a round hole and didn’t know why. It wasn’t until I came to Langara that I realized it was the public sector where I belong; showing people how to blend technology and education has become my passion.
Outside of work, I get out into nature as much as possible and I love to garden. I’m known to remove dead flower heads from plants on my walks, which shocks my walking partners.

Brett Foster
Since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed taking things apart to see how they work and then putting them back together. I operated a computer consulting business for over ten years and worked with the IT Department at the Vancouver Sun/Province newspapers for many years. To this day, I love to learn about technology and share what I’ve learned.
I came to Langara in 2018 to work as a Technical Services Coordinator for Ricoh Canada in the Information Technology Department, where I managed over 100 Ricoh Multi-Function devices.
In December of 2019, I was hired to work in the Educational Technology Department as a Support Specialist. I love my new job and coworkers in EdTech and TCDC.
When I am not on the campus, I run, play guitar and listen to music.

Serenia Tam
My technical education began in San Francisco, from which I have a BA in Industrial Design, concentrating in Web Design; AS concentrating in Computer Science; AAs in Illustration & Fashion Design and a certificate in Library & Information Technology. I also have certificates in Web Developer & Publisher from Langara, where I’m currently studying photography. I’ve worked with EdTech since early 2010 after having worked in BCIT, VGH, VPL, and San Francisco Public Library in addition to freelancing as a website designer. I’m currently a Support Specialist in EdTech and an Instructional Assistant in Library & Information Tech.
I read and write Cantonese & Mandarin, and have studied Japanese, French & English. I love traveling, photography, fabric arts and gardening and am passionate about animal rights & social justice.


Craig Madokoro
I’ve been the Media Production Technician for the Educational Technology department for 4 years, after having worked at the College for many more. In addition to maintaining the EdTech recording studio, I livestream College events, facilitate workshops and preserve and convert analogue to digital material. I also enjoy helping faculty and staff create audio & video content to enhance learning using state of the art technical equipment.
After graduating from the Vancouver Film School, I worked in the local film & television industry (CBC, Roger’s Community TV) as an editor, camera operator, audio recorder and special effects artist.
When I’m not at work, I enjoy painting, playing hockey, and caring for my 2 dogs, Coco and Bboshong.

Ari Crossby
I love learning new interfaces and technologies and helping others learn them. I’ve been with EdTech since 2011, around the time that we began the transition from Blackboard to Brightspace. I have a background in web design, and started at Langara in the Library & Information Technology program. Now you can ask me your questions about Brightspace, Zoom web conferencing, Kaltura/MediaSpace, or setting up or maintaining your WordPress site on CourseWeb or iWeb.
In my free time I do a lot of knitting, gardening, and fitting in as much tabletop gaming as I can manage

More than technology!

October 17, 2019March 13, 2024 Ari Crossby

There’s more than technology in EdTech! This month, we want to introduce our EdTech Advisors, all of whom are passionate about helping faculty use analogue and digital technologies to enhance the delivery of their materials.

Sarah Bowers

One of my interests in EdTech is using formative assessment in online environments to increase student engagement and success, and my not-so-secret passions are applying universal design for learning principles to course design, dispelling neuromyths in education and researching evidence-based approaches to teaching . I’m happy to talk about anything related to curriculum and course design and redesign regardless of the mode of delivery. I spend my free time gardening, knitting, cooking and wrangling three teenagers with varied appetites and demands.

Karen Budra

Balancing between English & EdTech allows me to indulge what I love to do: teach and create. When not at work, I dance, write, shoot short documentary films and try to learn as much as possible about the stories we share and the ways in which we share them, especially via video and podcast production. I’ve been at Langara since 1989 (!), teaching regular and field studies programmes specialising in Literature, Theatre & Cinema Genre and History. I was once a stage actor, and continue to enjoy co-operative activities, like EdTech’s Digital Media Creator programme, which I was happy to help develop. In addition to an MA in English (U of T 1984), in 2016, I completed an MA in Documentary Film & TV Production at the Cambridge School of Art (UK) Currently interested in augmented reality in video, I am pleased to help faculty determine how best to engage students using narrative. I am film, fashion and music-mad, and thrive on co-creation and discovery.

Brian Koehler

I’ve been an instructor in the Computer Science department since 2000, teaching general computer science courses as well as specialized courses in web development. I’ve worked half time as an EdTech advisor since 2015. I have a keen interest in exploring technologies that can be used to increase engagement directly in the classroom, such as student response systems. I am also interested in applying open source software and platforms to enable instructors and students to publish on the web. Outside of work, I try and spend as much time as possible in the outdoors hiking and biking.

Julian Prior

I am currently Chair of Educational Technology and an EdTech Advisor, having come to Langara (and Canada) in Jan 2016. I taught Sociology at a UK further education college for 12 years before moving into learning technologies at the University of Bath and Southampton Solent University. I have a keen interest in digital media (especially podcasting) and am a passionate advocate of open education. In my spare time I play Masters level badminton and get to travel to tournaments throughout Canada and the US. I love photography and noodling around with electronic music – although I’m definitely an amateur at both!

Diane Thompson

I enjoyed my time as a student in the Library & Information Technology Programme (1993) so much that I pursued a Masters in Library & Information Science at UBC (1995.) After working for the Centre for Health Services & Policy Research, I moved to the Federal government as Library Manager for Natural Resources Canada. In 2013, Langara beckoned once more, and I was hired as the Chair of Library Technician programme. Coupling my love of new challenges with that of technology, I began work with EdTech half time in 2018. When I am not at work, I can be found with some sort of racquet in hand (badminton, ping pong, tennis or pickle ball), making art with my 2 girls or standing on the soccer field in the rain with my husband.

Create/Engage/Share/Reflect: Introducing Digital Media Creator

September 13, 2018March 13, 2024 Ari Crossby 8 Comments

The Digital Media Creator (DMC) is a program of professional development designed to equip you with the skills required to be confident users of digital media in the classroom and online. Sessions take place in the EdTech Lab with a focus on fun, collaboration and creativity. All you need is enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Five modules of two hours each are scheduled to fit around your teaching:

Create/Share/Engage/Reflect: Introduction to the DMC (October)
Visual Storytelling (Sketchnoting/Storyboarding/Cartoons & Comic Strips) (November)
Effective Slide Design (December)
Video Production and Editing (January)
Podcasting and Audio (February)

You can take modules individually; if you complete all five, you will receive a DMC Digital Badge and a free lunch!

For more information and to register your interest, please leave your name and email address in the comment section below or call Julian Prior at 5591 or Karen Budra at 5694. We will then send out a Doodle Poll so the timing of the modules fits around your teaching schedule.

12 Apps of Christmas!

December 11, 2017March 13, 2024 Ari Crossby

Originating at Regent’s University London in 2014, 12 Apps of Christmas is a fun and free online micro-learning activity aimed at staff and students working in educational institutions. The idea behind it is to introduce a series of mobile apps sent out via a blog post over twelve days in December. Each post introduces the app, explains how to use it, suggests some possible uses in learning and teaching, and finally sets a challenge for the reader that is shared on social media. The activity is a bit of fun but is also a great way to find out about some of the useful mobile apps out there and have a go at using them. You can learn about the App and do the challenge in around 10-15 minutes so it is a great professional development opportunity for time-pressed educationalists!

This is the second year that the Educational Technology User’s Group in BC have run the activity. This year’s 12 Apps has been very successful so far with over 200 people from around the world signing up to receive the daily updates. To see the Apps released so far visit https://12appsofchristmas.ca/ You can also register here to receive daily updates for the remainder of the Apps. Check out #12AppsBC on Twitter to see some great examples that participants have created using the Apps.

Introducing MediaSpace: Langara’s Streaming Video Platform

September 15, 2017February 24, 2023 Ari Crossby

All faculty and students now have access to MediaSpace (by Kaltura), a YouTube-like video portal that lets you create, upload and share video and audio. Amongst other things, you can use MediaSpace to create video lectures, curate playlists of existing content from YouTube, or provide an online space for students to upload coursework or video/audio assignments.

By default all content you upload to MediaSpace is private and can only be viewed by you. You can choose to share content with others, or make it public. Video and audio files are stored in the cloud on secure servers at UBC and content can easily be embedded in Brightspace or iWeb/Courseweb.

We know that our students expect us to provide them with an inclusive, engaging and accessible learning environment in order to maximize their chances of academic success. MediaSpace is an important piece of the puzzle in that respect. The platform enables instructors to easily incorporate video in face-to-face classroom teaching, or in a mixed-mode or fully online course. We are excited about new features such as interactive quizzing and closed captioning, and look forward to working with you to make the most of MediaSpace in your teaching.

MediaSpace can be accessed by all Langara staff and students at https://mediaspace.langara.ca You will need to login using your Langara Computer User ID and Password in order to upload content to your MyMedia (your personal MediaSpace library of video/audio content).

To learn more about MediaSpace and how you and your students can use it, come along to our Information Session on Wednesday September 27, 12:30-13:30 in L342.

You can sign up for this session here.

Screencasting: Engaging learners with multimodalities

May 2, 2017March 13, 2024 Ari Crossby

Screencasting involves the use of software to record the screen of your computer (or mobile device) while you narrate over the recording. It is an effective way to offer multiple representations of information (images, text, video, audio etc.) in order to widen access to learning. Making a screencast is relatively easy and requires technology that most of us have access to. The completed file can easily be shared via learning platforms such as Kaltura, Brightspace or iWeb. They are great fun to create and you can invest as much or as little time as you want to produce either a professional quality screencast or one that may not be quite as slick but is perfectly acceptable for teaching and learning.

Ed Tech can support your efforts whether you are a first-timer or seasoned screencaster. We run regular workshops (the next one is on Tuesday May 30th – sign up here), we have produced a Little Guide to Screencasting and we can provide you with one-to-one support and advice on the best software and microphones to use, the planning process and how to share your screencast with your students.
Some great resources that cover screencasting in education are available, my personal favourite being Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Screencasting and Screen Recording in the Classroom.

Screencasting is a great way to make learning more fun, engaging and accessible. Whether you want to create a mini-lecture, demonstrate how a piece of software works or give assignment feedback, you are helping to ensure your students learn from a variety of presentation methods which will be beneficial to their learning. And why not tap into your students’ creativity by getting them to create a screencast as part of their coursework?

Adobe Education Exchange

April 4, 2017February 24, 2023 Ari Crossby

Did you know that Adobe (developer of Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and other software) offers free courses, workshops and live events for educators?

As part of our professional development, EdTech Advisors and Instructional Assistants are registering for the Digital Video course starting May 1st and we are hoping you will join us:

This professional learning course will help you develop an understanding for how video can be used as a teaching tool. You will learn how to plan, shoot, edit and publish video with ease, with some quick tips & tricks to create higher quality media. You will learn how to create different kinds of instructional video projects, and how to publish and share your videos. The videos you create will serve as models for you to create or update your curriculum and sample assignments you can bring back to the classroom.

Register at https://edex.adobe.com/pd/course/DV17/. You can work independently or join us once a week to work on the course. Let us know at edtech@langara.ca so we can schedule a time and commit to learning together.

Explore other resources on offer at https://edex.adobe.com//. Please note that you will need to sign up for an Adobe account if you do not already have one.

12 Apps of Christmas from BC campus

November 30, 2016February 24, 2023 Ari Crossby

On December 1st, ETUG will launch the first B.C. 12 Apps of Christmas for teaching and learning. Similar to the successful U.K. event, participants will explore a new app a day for 12 days. Each day will introduce you to an app, where to get it, how to use it, and provide some ideas of how it might be used for teaching and learning. A challenge activity will be highlighted and participants are encouraged to share their results and reflect on any additional ideas of how to use it in the future through their blogs and on social media, using the #12appsBC hashtag.

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