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Trends
in the
Integration
of ICT
for
Learning
in
Canadian
Schools
Penny
Milton
Abstract
Elementary
and
secondary
education
in Canada
serves
a geographically
dispersed
and
ethnically
diverse
population.
Provincial
and
territorial
agencies
create
policies
for
the
use
of technology
in schools.
The
national
government
of Canada
also
has
policies
and
programs
for
social
and
economic
development
that
affect
schools.
Global
economic
integration
places
importance
on advancing
the
knowledge
and
skills
of the
Canadian
work
force.
Within
the
K-12
sector,
the
goal
is "raising
the
bar
and
closing
the
gap"-
raising
the
overall
performance
of students
while
narrowing
the
achievement
gap
between
students
from
lower
and
higher
socio-economic
backgrounds.
Technology
can
shift
the
focus
from
teaching
to learning.
Projects
in which
this
transformation
has
taken
place
have
entailed
collaboration
among
researchers,
theorists,
discipline
specialists,
and
classroom
teachers.
A
national
project,
SchoolNet,
facilitated
Internet
connections
and
built
school
level
capacity.
A
recent
national
survey
indicates
that
virtually
all
elementary
and
secondary
schools
in Canada
had
Internet-connected
computers,
with
a ratio
of students
to Internet-connected
computers
of 5.5:1.
However,
many
of these
computers
were
functioning
with
older,
slower
operating
systems.
School
principals
reported
that
most
teachers
possessed
the
required
technical
skills
to use
computers
for
housekeeping
functions
but
only
about
half
of school
principals
felt
that
the
majority
of their
teachers
were
adequately
prepared
to use
computers
to enhance
student
learning.
Canada
faces
a number
of tensions
regarding
ICT
integration
in the
schools.
Effective
integration
depends
on a
sound,
system-wide
infrastructure.
However,
administrative
computing
requirements,
rather
than
educational
considerations,
often
drive
hardware
decisions.
As
the
exponential
increase
in digital
resources
continues,
teachers
and
learners
can
easily
access
resources
from
around
the
world,
raising
concerns
about
maintaining
Canadian
content.
Professional
development
must
be scalable
and
sustainable;
allow
for
on-site
work
in schools;
include
appropriate
incentives;
be activity
based
and
allow
for
?˜play??
and
discovery.
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