The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Nelson Education launched a ground-breaking partnership in developing a Canadian approach to a blended teaching and learning environment. This is the first such pilot in Canada in which a publisher has produced digital resources to be tested in the classroom.

In a blended environment, teachers are able to deliver lessons and use strategies in face-to-face classroom instruction as well as in an on-line environment to support student learning.  Teaching and learning is extended beyond the four walls of the classroom to an on-line web-based environment to support learners with different learning styles and needs as well as communication with parents.  Parents welcome the access to curriculum materials, due dates for assignments, and up-to-date achievement records.

Recently at Cedarbrae CI, TDSB expert teachers and Nelson Education jointly designed and delivered a full-day workshop for teachers to introduce multi-media rich curriculum materials. The professional development also built capacity among staff and provided on-line instructional materials that can be used in their regular classroom teachings. Wireless hubs have been installed to support a mobile lab at Cedarbrae using laptops and netbooks.

The TDSB pilot schools are currently the only schools with access to these resources. The six schools participating in the one-year pilot project are Bendale BTI, Cedarbrae CI, David & Mary Thomson CI, Malvern CI, Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies, and Sir Wilfred Laurier CI. It also includes 40 teachers, 2800 students and offers 25 courses from grades 9 to 12 in Business, Math, English, Science, Geography, and History. At the conclusion of this pilot project, the TDSB will be able to offer a field-tested framework to other schools across the TDSB.

This article has been taken from Toronto District School Board’s site.  Please click here to see the original article.

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