About Innovative Classroom Technology
Background
Alberta is a leader in the use of technology to support education. Alberta Education has announced that $18.5 million per year will be spent over a three year period, beginning September 2008, to support further integration of technology in Alberta's Grade 1 to 12 classrooms in all publicly funded school jurisdictions and charter schools.
Innovative and engaging learning environments enable students to develop the skills they need for global citizenship, lifelong learning, and participation in the world of work.
Alberta Education's Vision
Alberta Education's vision is to ensure that all Grade 1 to 12 classrooms in the province are equipped with key technologies that promote innovative teaching and learning.
Program Criteria
The Innovative Classrooms Technology funding funds key technologies that promote innovative teaching and learning, specifically:
• An instructional computer; and
• A data projection device and/or electronic whiteboard.
Once school jurisdictions have an instructional computer and projection device and/or electronic whiteboard in each classroom, the remaining funding can be used for additional classroom technologies, such as student laptops, classroom sound amplification systems, student response systems, visual digital presenters, assistive technologies, and classroom software.
Instructional computers in the classroom enables access to a wide range of digital resources and other tools. In addition to providing access to the most current information, it also facilitates improved student engagement through the use of the latest in multimedia lesson content.
In order to ensure that school jurisdictions can maintain interoperability with their existing technical infrastructure, a specific platform or set of products has not been defined. For more information on these particular technologies and their use in classrooms, please see the attached bibliography.
Procedures
Funding is on a per-student basis, using the Alberta Education frozen student count as of the end of May 2008. First year funding was released in September 2008. Funding for years two and three will be released in September 2009 and September 2010 respectively.
Reporting Procedures
A key component of the Innovative Classrooms Technology Funding program is to gather information on the current state of classroom technology in Alberta and the impact that this funding has on the province’s education system. This will be accomplished through mandatory reporting from jurisdictions. All jurisdictions are required to:
1. Complete an online survey that describes the current state of classroom technology; and
2. Provide evidence of planning for the implementation of the core technologies related to this funding.
At the end of the three-year funding cycle, jurisdictions will be required to complete an online survey that describes the new current state of technology related to the funding and an evaluation of the outcomes achieved as a result of the program.
Final reporting will be due on or before October 31, 2011.
For more information, see the Resources for School Jurisdictions page.
