Professional Development
Greater Essex County District Launches Technology Education Program
Greater Essex County
District in Ontario, Canada has launched an initiative to provide teachers
with professional development on educational technology and educate students
about digital citizenship, according to a report in the Windsor Star of Windsor,
ON.
The three-year program was launched on February 9. By the end of the current
school year, each of the district's 35,000 students will receive a half day of
digital citizenship training, teachers will each receive a half day of training
on integrating technology into lesson plans and the classroom, and the district
will hold information evenings for parents.
The program is expected to cost approximately $400,000 Canadian for the first
year. Funding for the program is provided by the province's Technology and
Learning Fund and from the Council of the Directors of Education. The district
is hiring 14 elementary and 10 secondary school teachers to help with the
program's implementation.
Chris Knight, teacher consultant for technology and learning in the district
told the Windsor Star that while all Ontario school boards received the
Technology and Learning grants, Greater Essex County District is investing 80
percent of its grant money "in staff, students and parents rather than
infrastructure and equipment." However, the
district already has Wi-Fi in every classroom and has already invested in
devices and software to support student learning.
The district has partnered with Apple on a research project to measure the
efficacy of the program and identify areas where the board needs help, according
to the Star's report.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at leilameyer@gmail.com.