Professional Development

Greater Essex County District Launches Technology Education Program

• By Leila Meyer
• 02/10/15

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.