Canadian Government Executive - Volume 23 - Issue 1

26 / Canadian Government Executive // January 2017 Design B ill Gates once said that “Tech- nology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working to- gether and motivating them, the teacher is most important.” Most will agree: A teacher plays an integral role in laying the foundation of a child’s educa- tion. If the first steps are successful, there are good chances the child will develop into a reasoning individual who can make a valuable contribution to society. However, to achieve this goal, especially in the digital age, technology is a tool to embrace. A Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) survey conducted in 2013 showed that seven out of ten teachers in the United States believed that technology assisted in their students’ education. More re- cently, McGraw-Hill Education released the findings of its 2016 Digital Study Collaborating to Create Learning: the TeachOntario Programme Trends Survey which showed that 81 per cent of college students believed tech- nology was helpful in enhancing their grades. Given this dominant pro-technology view among teachers and students, what sort of combination can be used to make education better? To use the Reese’s Pea- nut Butter Cup analogy, what would be the perfect mix of chocolate meeting pea- nut butter to create the impeccable blend in shaping a young mind from an early age? TVOntario, the Ontario Educational Technology Agency of the government of Ontario, has been wrestling with this question for almost fifty years. Its new answer is simple: create a space where teachers and students meet technology together: TeachOntario. TeachOntario is an online platform that functions as a social network for teachers that was created by TVOntario (TVO) in partnership with the Ontario Teachers’ Federation (OTF), its affiliates, and the Ministry of Education (EDU). TeachOn- tario draws heavy input from elementary and secondary teachers from a variety of districts across Ontario. Collaboration among the parties began in early 2014 by laying the groundwork to create a social network to support professional develop- ment of teachers and to nurture leader- ship for educators. According to Karen Grose, Vice President of Digital Learning at TVO, it was also to “facilitate the sharing of exemplary practices with others for the broader benefit of On- tario’s students.” Grose sees TeachOntario as pro- viding three key spaces which are Marcello Sukhdeo