Country Introduction

The video above showcases some of the learnings coming out of Alberta Education's Learning for the 21st Century project in Fort Vermilion School Division No. 52. The use of Web 2.0 schools is highlighted in supporting and enhancing student learning to improve retention and motivation.

Technology in the 21st century continues to develop at a rapid pace and to adapt and keep up with these advancements, countries around the world are making changes to their educational practices. Digital competency is a global skill that nations around the world are working to instill in their students.

The Canadian teacher certification process is one of the most rigid in the world and requirements vary depending on the province a teacher chooses to teach in. According to the NCEE (2022), “While each province and territory has developed its own system, a strong teacher force has been a common element across the country.” Additionally, the 2018 TALIS results for Alberta specifically highlight that “71% of teachers in upper secondary education reported that the use of ICT for teaching had been included in their formal education or training, and 43% of teachers on average felt prepared to teach in such settings when they finished their studies.”

Introduction to canada's educational system

The Canadian education system is one of the highly ranked in the world, joining the likes of countries like Singapore, South Korea, and Finland, to name a few. According to the NCEE (2022), Alberta, along with other Canadian provinces such as Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec, have demonstrated strong results on recent iterations of international assessments like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). In fact, it has been stated that “if Canadian provinces entered PISA tests as separate countries, three of them, Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, would be in the top five places for science in the world, alongside Singapore and Japan and above the likes of Finland and Hong Kong” (Coughlan, 2017).

NCEE. (2022, January 3). Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2022, from https://ncee.org/country/canada/

Alberta: Province Profile

early adopter of distance education
- first virtual schools in Alberta were primarily based in rural portions of the province (Barbour & Reeves, 2009) and appeared around 1995, two years before the first virtual schools were established in the US.
challenges with digital divide
- students in rural parts of the country still lack the same quality Internet/network access as those in more urban and suburban areas
- biggest wealth gap is in Calgary
access to digital technology
- only 5% of upper secondary education school principals in Alberta reported that a shortage or inadequacy of digital technology for instruction hindered the delivery of quality instruction in their school, compared to 26% across the OECD

Professor of Social Studies Carla Peck claims that under the draft Social Studies curriculum developed under LaGrange's direction, "the high quality international reputation that Alberta Social Studies enjoys will quickly evaporate."

Currently...

In March 2021, Alberta Education Minister Adriana LaGrange introduced a new draft K-6 curriculum that will replace some programs of study that are more than 30 years old. The plan notes a focus on practical skills in the areas of financial literacy, computer science, and the idea of sexual consent beginning in the early grades.

The plan has been met with mixed reviews, with criticism and backlash about its construction being done in secret and by hand-picked political advisors, one of which has been accused of having discriminatory views. Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley states, "The curriculum jeopardizes our economy by not providing our kids with the essential critical thinking skills they need to succeed in a modern workplace."

Education critic Sarah Hoffman echoes this, saying that "Five school boards have gone public saying that they will not pilot this material in schools because it does not align with their views and it doesn't represent a modern curriculum that sets students up for success."

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