Smart+Inclusion+in+Alberta

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The Alberta SmartInclusion Project is funded through grants provided by Alberta Education. The purpose of this funding is to support three school jurisdictions in the exploration of how to use core educational technologies, emergent technologies, and assistive technologies to support the learning of all students.

During the three-year period of September 2008 and September 2010 Alberta Education provided a total of $56 million to all publicly funded school jurisdictions through Innovative Classroom Technology funding. The Innovative Classrooms Technology funding was provided to ensure every K-12 nstructional space in Alberta schools is equipped with key technologies that promote innovative teaching and learning, specifically an instructional computer and a data projection device and/or electronic whiteboard. Instructional classrooms province wide saw an influx of interactive whiteboard technology, primarily SmartBoards. As the province has moved from Setting the Direction to Action on Inclusion, the question has become how do we further increase access to these technologies to support the learning of all students?

Inspired by the work of Alex Dunn, Albertan educators involved in the SmartInclusion project have taken up the challenge to explore how to effectively integrate interactive white boards (SMART Boards) and other mainstream technology (iPads/iPods, Nintendo DSi) with assistive technology for use during whole and small group instruction.

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