Manitoba's school boards have one purpose: to provide our students with the best schools possible.
Innovative programs that meet community needs—nutrition, early childhood education, before and after school care, to name only a few—are a priority for school boards.
In today’s schools, literacy means more than the ability to read and write. Literacy also refers to students’ ability to use computers and other information technologies. And just as we wouldn’t expect someone who could not himself read to teach that skill to another, we need to ensure that those responsible for imparting technological literacy have strong skills in that area themselves. That was the impetus behind the Teacher Technology Initiative of The Seine River School Division.
The ultimate goal of the Teacher Technology Initiative is to assist all teachers in becoming competent and comfortable users of technology. The means to this end was to provide teachers with laptop computers, and the professional learning support needed to enable them to fully understand and utilize the potential of these tools. The initiative was phased in over three years, beginning in the 2005-2006 school year, when it was piloted in three of the division’s 15 schools. Six more schools were added the following year, and the remaining schools in 2008-2009.
The division designed and delivered professional development opportunities and on-the-job supports that enhanced teachers’ information and communication technology literacy. As teachers’ become more competent users of technology themselves, they in turn are better able to help their own students become technologically literate citizens.
For further information about the Teacher Technology Initiative in The Seine River School Division, contact Helga Berger at 204.878.4713, or via e-mail at hberger@srsd.ca.