This is Ridley’s integrated approach to implementing information technology into our classrooms. Boldly launched in September of 1999, this program ran concurrently with the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) four year re-evaluation of high school curricula. Ridley is now well positioned to respond to MOET’s latest Secondary School Reform (SSR) initiative, with its particular emphasis on Assessment and Evaluation.

Gone is the traditional model of booking the “computer lab” in order to access digital tools. Through the use of portable technology, Ridley has created “classrooms without walls” that allow curriculum integration to occur across disciplines, outside the classroom...anytime, anywhere. Equally important, students have found that full time access to “the medium of their time” makes their learning more relevant, and creates a sense of excitement in the classroom.

Rationale:

The networked (wireline/wireless) classroom and access to personal computers mirrors the environment that our students will face in both their academic and working futures. For many years, Ridley’s goal has been to model this reality as closely as possible, clear in the knowledge that the computer is not an academic end in itself. We feel that a computer should be a transparent tool that increases our students’ ability to gather, organize, analyze, and present information throughout their educational career and beyond.

The implementation and support for IT deployment affects students and teachers who extensively use Apple® laptops and desktops as well as Windows®-based computers in their daily work. It also affects administrative personnel who use the IT equipment and infrastructure to conduct the vital work of managing the College’s financial affairs, record keeping, reporting, marketing and outreach. All these administrative functions that rely so heavily on the success of the IT plan are crucial to the on-going provision of the resources that sustain the plan and the school itself.

Support for this is provided by the EDNeT Group (Educational Development using New Technologies). This is a research and development department that unites members of Ridley’s original I.T. Department with a team of “research teachers” (Chandran Research Fellows*) from various academic departments within the school, and key consultants that are employed as needed. The Group promotes appropriate uses of technology to support and improve learning, teaching, and administration @ Ridley College. It also provides highly responsive support for IT users in their daily work with a unique and highly successful HelpDESK system that is available to staff and students Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 6:00pm and on Saturdays from 8:00am to 12:00pm.

Stephen A. Clarke
Director, The EDNeT Group