E R D IE d u c a t i o n R e s e a r c h a n dDeve lopment Corporat ion

Digital Blueprint to Support 21st Century Student SuccessContinuum from the MindShare Learning 21st Century Canadian EdTech Leader-ship Summit

Table of Contents

As part of MindShare Learning’s mission to push the 21st Century learning envelope in Canada and strengthen the connection between educa-tion and business, MindShare Learning is launching its inaugural MindShare Learn-ing Report EdTech Leadership Summit, generously sponsored by ABEL, Discovery Education Epson, Global Scholar, Pearson Canada, and York University.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of Education finally acknowledged and made 21st Century Skills a priority at their Septem-ber meeting. Explore 21st Century Skills within frameworks emerging from around the world. A number of provinces across Canada have begun to embrace the notion of 21st Century skills.

Does Canada need a whole country strategy as it plays catch-up?

Facilitated by Dr. Don Knezek, ISTE & Dr. Ron Owston, Director, Institute for Research on Learning Technology, York University.

A Framework for the 21st Century – A Global and National Perspective

ISTE Standards are supportive - because education is provincial, it’s difficult to look at this from a National Perspective- same needs and similar visions for 21stC learning- need for partnerships across the country to effect more of a system change- independant school funding varies from province to province- each province has different curriculum, difficult to layer 21st C skills over this- content vs pedagogy need a focus on effective pedagogy using technol-ogy tools for effective learning experience- influence needed at teacher’s colleges and post secondary institutions to effect pedagogical shift in practice- can’t assume that students are “adept” at technology use

This one-day summit will focus on current hot topics in the K-12 and post-secondary edu-cation technology space, aiming to further engage stakeholders in shaping the future direc-tion of a vital sector that most effectively prepares students with the essential skills to suc-cessfully compete in the global knowledge-based economy.

Canada’s Digital Blueprint to ensure our future leaders succeed in the 21st Century Global knowledge-based economy.

Key Information

Session one:

Discussion

- content vs pedagogy need a focus on effective pedagogy using technology tools for effective learning experience- influence needed at teacher’s colleges and post secondary institutions to effect pedagogical shift in practice- can’t assume that students are “adept” at technology use - need guidance in effective use- effective pedagogy in a traditional classroom will likely be reflected in a technology rich environment- need a better understanding of what effective learning looks like in an online environment, not confusing work-load with rigourISTE Essential Conditions would be a great starting point:ISTE - guidelines for essential conditions- Need to develop consistent language at the national level1:1 computing in schools will be disruptive, require differ-ent proficiencies for teaching.Need quality online curricular resources for teachers to utilize in online learning environments.Referred to: Clayton Christensen “Disrupting Class”BC Model for students to take virtual courses as alterna-tives to f2f. A great differentiation for students.Successful teachers are co - learners with their students.Need collective will of educators to be the best they can be. Teachers need to reconnect with learning.

Sharing of narratives exemplifying success. Need to pro-vide forums where teachers can share successes.Online environments are social and interactive environ-ments.Ubiquitous wireless - intent was to encourage students to bring their own devices. Will encourage connectivity at all times.Digital literacies cannot be learned through text books. Being connected is part of learning that literacy.Teachers need instruction in how to shift pedagogically, teachers are stressed by curricular demands, and assess-ment needs.Don’t need to throw out curriculum, need to work with it. Becomes a leadership strategy to support this shift in thinking.Administrators need to believe in their staff, allow op-portunities for risk taking, and getting out of the way of the staff.Admin. needs confidence to allow for non-linear ap-proach to teaching.Assessments - EQAO are not content based, really about process so if students are thinking they can achieveProviding teacher leadership and allow teams to form, allow for planning time. Encourage teachers to group in teams to complement strengths.

Session two:

Key Information

Forging Successful Strategic Partnerships between Business and Education

Examine emerging models that foster innovation in mutually ben-eficial partnerships where research translates into the acquisition of essential tools for schools.

Facilitated by David Marsi, AVP, Learning & Development, Invesco Trimark & Tim Gard, educator, Media & Technology Sir Adam Beck (TDSB).

Tim - a few examples. Funding issue - not about funding - helping develop tools -- giving back. Pilot with Pearson - digital pilot. eLearning portal - School Town in States. Pilot relationships. Critical feedback - brutally honest which is important to business. Worked with SMART and with DELL - connected classroom project - 24 netbooks in junior classroom - focused on literacy. Providing down to earth research perspective - how it’s working and not work-ing.

A lot of extra work. A number of teachers willing to go above and beyond call of duty - we offer to businesses that pieces - to go above and beyond call of duty. Stu-dents at K-5 don’t see hardware - figure it out - count on peers in classroom - not initimidated. What are you looking for in developing partners in education?

Discussion

Mark - business works directly with schools or across province. Need to establish standards. Businees ed products could travel to different schools - how do they travel well to users. Standards as to how things are described - this will matter even more as become more digital. Chris - partnership between private and public so key in integra-tion of learning. How do we best support that? Kids are engaged. It’s economics of transition and culture of community - from where we sit - how do we scal that and what do business models play out - how do we execute. We want to help. Nelson / Pearson like Coke/Pepsi - need to work together. Trust barrier to over-come -- not business coming in saying we want business - cul-tures in different provinces are different - Ontario less likely to work together than Alberta. At issue - paradigm in Ontario - ministry develops curriculum - expect school boards to implement - school boards turn to resource developers -- culture then people who develop materials can’t get into tent until specifics worked out. Need to shift para-digm. Need to be inclusive in that process -- resources to use. Given needs of kids, suggest old thinking won’t work in future.Amy -- collaboration always talk -- requires shift -- move from education to learning -- need to act. Standards/scaleability - On-tario/Canada - pockets of innovation happening -- need to ramp it up so it becomes the system. If I’m a student it is peaks and val-leys - one year great teacher embracing - next year middle school to high school - go backwards. Damaging. Standards -- good instruction, what should it look like, what should it be. By raising bar in pockets of innovation - raise bar so dips become terrible. Need to raise bar. What are priorities? What is plan? How can it be enacted?

Tim - Ignatieff in Etobiocoke years ago - student asked about National Education Policy. Said it’s a good idea. Came from a Grade 4 or 5. Shocked. NB has half schools of TDSB - how do we change mindset? Gille - at ERDI - Q. should we have a national body around standards? Do we need another level of gov”t or oversight? Live in a confederation - has complications. Easier to engage if hierar-chy - difficult for busines to know how to engage? School boards each with their own ideas. Schools will be more innovative. So in business shoes - how do we get involved? So much has to happen to get at a student level. We don’t know who to engage with?One of conditions of being a leadership state - education, busi-ness, leadrs ,corporate - need stakeholders....Kyle - Brock - have stakeholders - need to be engaged -- Brock have SMART, Peason, Hamilotn school boards, have network - how do we tap into that to create opportunities to get in touch with the school board? SMART delivered products into schools - not being used. Networks to exist - how do we get in there?

Tim - can we create a vocie which is larger? Districts, busi-ness, stakeholders - can we get together. Are we resting on our laurels? Can’t say we’re good for now. What does it take to col-laborate at a high leadership level? What creates the change - call to action - Amy? Need top down and bottom up. We need to say come and be part of the choir? Need to embrace all the people on the perimeter?Chris - broad partnership - we are only 33 million in Canada - we have opportunity - if India can and they are bigger -- figure ou the how part? We need leadership.Mark - we’re too small to do some of things we need to do - Australia - need to act bigger -- tax breaks to business - export-ed education -- in Canada we are in the wild west. Opportunity to use this to rally at a national level to take a lead role. Need to create a national front. Like Australia - made money.Peter -- Amount of money spent focused on technology and education, SMART boards in boxes - business can’t be happy.Gilles - don’t know how to use. ??? Kyle - we don’t want them to use SMART board to create PPT. Gille - comment - I can’t be fussing about things - needs to be natural part of class plan -- needs to be right there? Where do you start? B.C. - Teachers Colleges - avg. age is 50 and no incorporation of technology into curriculum. So its haphazard. If you’re fortunate enough to know something about something...Kyle - Brock - teaching teachers how to teach with technol-ogy and go into world into a classroom with no projectors in classroom. So it’s a problem -- trying to develop models by sending into classroom - technology not always there. Whole lot of stuff important - not at centre - what is it about learning experience that we want to change. Hardware important - but should not be driver. Old enough to remember when TV came into classroom Whole lot of money - spend on wrong things.

Shared ownership. How’s it going to change...people in school boards retiring - saying thank god I’m retired before it changes. Is there a shared perspective outside those who take inter-est. 21st century learning is what I need from a lesson plan tomorrw.Amy - stuck because we don’t know end - 21st century skills is good - we keep assessing kids old style vs. 21st century. We assess students individually - but skills assesment - how did you do? Not on the skill of collaboration? Deliverables are a collaborative piece. If we can begin to assess students differ-ently, perhaps will change perspective on 21st century skills. How do we assess in classroom and broader scale. IDEA - focus on changing assessement will change instruction and develop-ment. Teaching is a cultural activity - Alberta - 3 year conversation - spent money - going there - have built alignment of beliefs - spent money on shifting mindset - still need to get there but they have mindset. Alberta had 21st century minister in 3 years. Test projects. Tim- voices piece on website in Alberta. Seeking voices of students (Tim). Need to be able to do that. Need to speak to constituents. What is it going to look like? Need guidance.Peter - Q. in terms of partnerships - what does a partnership with education look like.Mark - joint planning - companies need to allocate as-sets - joint planning with Ministry. Companies need to plan, research. The more joint planning and less duplicaton - more scale can come about. Tim - in Finland - textbooks don’t go int schools until process of collaboration. Chris - true partnership is what business is seeking. Not sitting on outside in periphery -- figure out and then bring them in. Where does that leadership come from? Tim. Where should it come from? Gilles - we think it’s direction that it’s going - computers in classroom - how do we know? Long track record of invest-ments that have gone no where? Fear is that investment will go where collective efforts are in place. India/Brazil etc.... Where do you place your bets?

We’re 33 million - what are the strengths? Toronto - global centre - right here - great pilot...why not Toronto? Privacy laws - why is this not a strength? Why not host in Canada - area of strength -Mark -- needs to be part of industrial strategy....i.e., instead of supporting GM - education? Opportunity to build predictability - transformation. Leader-ship from government? Planning horizons for gov’t four years - business longer -- leadership needs to de-politicize some aspect -- may be a good place to start - so no one administration is responsible - provinces can hide within that tent if council can drive leadership -- a Pan-Canadian framework-- as in Pan-Canadian science - provinces still retain right to tweak but some consistency?Amy - part of it a level of urgency. A shared agreement that there is a level of urgency? NFLD did this. We know we are educat-ing majority of our people to leave - let’s set up for success so they will come back to NFLD. If that’s what you got - work with it. Need to look at bottom lines - dismissive to think businesses are just in for sale - we need bottom lines - tax money, business revenue - what are other bottom lines that need to be achieved. Everyone signs off. This is the priority. Then could we not throw other pieces off table. Desire for business to hear where market is going. Just want to know direction. It’s an investment. But if risk, will go away. Literacy and Numeacy Secretariat - good job - seems to have stalled - not tuned in - but driving force behind Ontario’s strat-egy. What’s happening? Quiet and not leading. Preparing students for 21st century - but 10 years in? Is there an urgency? Partnerships at grassroots OK - at a national level which is needed. Hard takeways - provinces -- is there a thread -- look at AB + NB -- CMEC -- instead of National - Pan-Canadian - perception exists business is in money - eliminate - smash perception - then business hears a different story. Problem at governemnt level is procurement process? Separate discussion.

Funding in Education—Finding the Money to Build Sustain-able Learning Environments

Session three:

Key InformationSuccessful strategies to building sustainable digital learning envi-ronments from a financial perspective. How can industry play a role? How are provinces and districts finding the money?

Facilitated by Ron Sedran, Managing Director, Equity Capital Markets, Canac-cord Capital and Robert Martellacci, President & Publisher MindShare Learning

DiscussionRound table discussion linked to funding challenges:- Ontario ministry cutbacks to technology and redirect of fund-ing to early learning and other priorities- business partners, challenge is education sector looking for support but minimal dollars available- business partners willing to enter into partnerships with Boards- publishers in a transition phase with requirements for digital resources and everything still in print as well - presents a large business challenge- It would be great to have a Pan-Canadian perspective instead of individual provincial requirements for curriculum resources- funding challenges at the University/College level as well as K-12 due to declining enrolment - online solutions help but need the funding to create the infrastructure for this to happen- College also relies on public/private partnerships to leverage resources- non-profit sector relies on project based funding for their pro-jects to continue - focus is on social entrepreneurship to create positive changes in their community- non-profit trying to build a business plan to find sustained funding

- funding sources can include parent council groups, Board funding and changes in priorities, Board reserves where there is Trustee support, and outside grants- funding may need to be part of a long-term plan, ie. 5 years in order to obtain the required infrastructure- Vendors are seeing conversations change based on funding sources and limits to obtain hardware- Vendors are interested in what is needed to provide support and training to support the vision that Board’s have- Vendors may know where funding sources can come from and they should be involved in the conversations of Board plans and needs- there is capital available from private sector if they see the po-tential for growth and expansion - a business model must exist- expectations of parents and students of what can be delivered is a factor - funding may not match what is expected- often there is a need to have a person who can find the funding sources for technology projects in the schools- concerns with large vendors such as Microsoft not providing true educational discounts or pricing - some cost saving options are available but there must be privacy provisions explained to all staff and teachers- At the federal level there used to be funding sources through in-dustry Canada for schools such as the innovative schools network - the question is where is the funding now?- In the U.S. stimulus dollars went into schools but what hap-pened in Canada with the stimulus dollars?- In some Boards they have paperless classroom initiatives to save funds and the funds can be reinvested in other projects- Some Boards are saving large amounts of money from energy conservation and then they try to access these savings from reserves to go into other projects such as technology

Session four:

Key InformationJoin award winning principal and educators from Joyce Public School (TDSB) to explore successful practices with ICT, the role leadership plays in addressing challenges and opportunities in building sustainable models in the 21st Century.

Facilitated by Principal Cheryl Paige, Principal, Joyce Public School

The Digital Classroom of the Future—Trends and Opportunities