School boards throughout Alberta are pulling cables, connecting wires, buying hardware, configuring modems and loading software in an effort to get on to the information highway. However, one element that seems to be missing in all this activity is training to help teachers make effective use of this new technology. To fill this gap, Alberta's six regional professional development consortia are collaborating on a project designed to help teachers use technology to enhance student learning. The project will culminate in the development of a series of workshops tailored to specific grade levels in four core subjects.

The TELUS Learning Connection is a project intended to train approximately 3,500 teachers in the use of the Internet over a two-year period. Five teachers, representing both the mathematics/science and language arts/social studies areas, will be seconded to a project team. The team will identify curriculum-appropriate Internet resources, develop on-line learning projects and provide inservice training for teachers representing all school jurisdictions in the province. Those teacher-leaders, in turn, will train additional teachers. By the time the project wraps up, every school in Alberta will have at least one teacher who is sufficiently knowledgeable about the Internet to help students and other teachers.

The Alberta Computers for Schools Program is managed by an Advisory Committee comprising representatives of Alberta Education, the Alberta Telephone Pioneers, the Alberta Teachers' Association, the Canadian Association of Principals, the Alberta School Boards Association, and the Alberta Home and School Councils' Association.

This document as published by the Government of Alberta dictates that the benefits of technology should be made available to all Alberta students in an equitable and affordable manner. This report is also intended to help ensure that Alberta students are well prepared for a knowledge-based society by being skilled users of technology and telecommunications, students are motivated to take responsibility for independent lifelong learning, Alberta teachers are skilled in the use and application of technology and telecommunications.

Many Albertans are interested and excited about technology and education. They read about activities taking place in other provinces and in other schools around the world. They wonder how we compare, what directions Alberta intends to follow, and what our plan is for becoming a national leader in technology integration in Canada.

Albertans have said that providing modern computer technology, appropriate software and access to the information highway for both students and teachers, should be among the first priorities in technology integration. They believe that technology can improve education and increase access to education opportunities, especially for rural students. Courses should be available to remote and small schools through affordable distance delivery and telecommunications so that rural students have the same level of access as urban students. By setting minimum standards, equal access can be achieved across Alberta.

Albertans said that teachers need to be computer literate and confident in the use and application of technology to improve effective instruction. They recognize that technology can be an important component of effective teaching. Albertans suggest that technology competencies be included as part of teacher certification, and that teachers continually improve their technology knowledge and skills. The Alberta Teachers' Association supports preservice and inservice professional development programs aimed at improving teachers' abilities to integrate technology into their teaching.

The discussion paper is based on preliminary consultation with members of the education community, business representatives, education associations and provincial departments and agencies. The vision, strategies and challenges identified by the MLA Team are being presented to Albertans for their feedback. The discussion paper includes a questionnaire to encourage and focus information sharing.

A plan that sets the direction for the implementation and use of technology in Alberta's education system has been developed. The plan is based on two years of consultation with educators, technical experts, government committees and other Albertans. It focuses on the necessary areas of activity for technology integration in schools: computers, infrastructure, teacher inservice, curriculum and resources and the Internet.

16.A.1 The Alberta Teachers' Association supports the use of computers as a teaching aid. [1982/94]

16.A.2 The Alberta Teachers' Association should be represented at all decision-making levels regarding the application of electronic technology to education. [1982/94]

16.A.3 Teachers must have primary involvement in the design, development and selection of instructional materials that accompany technological innovations and must receive adequate time and compensation for work involved in the development of related materials. [1982/86/94]

16.A.4 Computer-related instructional materials developed by the Department of Education should include adequate provision for copying and revision at the school level. [1982/86/94]

16.A.5 The Alberta Teachers' Association advocates that the Department of Education should provide additional funding for computers in education in the following areas:

1. Acquisition, upgrading and replacement of computers and related hardware for schools

2. Courseware/software licensing, acquisitions and development

3. Teacher inservice and training

4. Research [1987/90/94]

16.A.6 The Alberta Teachers' Association advocates that certificated teaching personnel are the final authority for administration, application and monitoring of computer use within the school setting. [1997]

16.A.7 The supervision of student use of the Internet during instructional hours is a responsibilityof teachers. [1997]

16.A.8 The effective use of technology in instruction requires

1. equitable access to the technology for all students;

2. equal opportunity for each student to learn;

3. evidence that the student's learning needs are appropriately met in this way;

4. the potential for technology to enhance the practice of teaching and learning;

5. an appropriate pupil/teacher ratio and teaching assignment;

6. teacher control of the instructional program and the use of the technology;

7. the opportunity for face-to-face contact with the teacher;

8. access to instructional time consistent with access to instructional time available in traditional instructional programs. [1997]

Current Directives

16.B.1 BE IT RESOLVED, that The Alberta Teachers' Association urge the Department of

Education to recognize, in curriculum support materials related to the use of technology

in education, that information retrieval is merely a component of knowledge acquisition

and does not, in itself, lead to the understanding, conceptualizing or valuing of

information. [1996]

16.B.2 BE IT RESOLVED, that The Alberta Teachers' Association urge the Government of

Alberta to begin a longitudinal study of the effects on children of prolonged use of

computers and related technology. [1997]

16.B.3 BE IT RESOLVED, that The Alberta Teachers' Association urge the Department of

Education to provide additional funding, that does not draw upon currently allocated

school board funds, to ensure equitable access to Internet technology and other

electronic information technology for all fully funded public schools. [1997]

16.B.4 BE IT RESOLVED, that The Alberta Teachers' Association, in conjunction with the

Department of Education, develop policies for use of the Internet in schools. [1997]

16.B.5 BE IT RESOLVED, that The Alberta Teachers' Association urge the Department of

Education to recognize within its funding framework the technical support costs

associated with the maintenance of technology in schools. [1997]