Ontario Extend^[1] is a capacity building initiative that is grounded in the belief that the impact of learning should be the primary motivator for creating technology-enabled and online learning experiences. It aims to empower educators to explore a range of emerging technologies and pedagogical practices for effective online and technology-enabled teaching and learning.

It explores the skills, knowledge, and attributes required to extend and transform our teaching and learning practices and to enrich our professional development.

The intent of these resources is to provide the basis for more deliberate course design and digital pedagogical practice.

The framework for these resources is grounded in the model for the Anatomy of 21st Century Educators as described by Simon Bates (2014)^[2] and is supported by the six extend modules:

Technology-enabled and online teaching require skills and knowledge in creating content, acquiring resources, facilitating learning experiences, and designing effective online assessments. As a foundational step to building capacity in these area, educators need to extend their range of expertise.

Besides achieving mastery in their own discipline, educators need:

• An understanding and appreciation of what research has to say about how people learn.
• The ability to curate, develop, use, and share appropriate educational resources.
• Skill in discerning the possibilities—and limitations—of technology to support teaching and learning.
• Professional learning networks through collaborations with other disciplines.
• A scholarly approach to teaching.
• A willingness to experiment: to try, reflect, and learn from new approaches, pedagogies, and technologies to support learning.

These elements are covered in the sections of this book. Each includes background information, suggestions for sharing, and a series of activities for you to explore, understand, and put into practice the attributes of each module.

Is This Professional Development?

Ontario Extend crosses the line between professional development and professional learning. It also tries to help you move from someone working on digital skills and digital literacy into the realm of digital fluency.

But what’s the difference? We thought a little chat with an expert would help. In a video conversation with David Porter, CEO of eCampusOntario, we explore these distinctions.

Next, we look at how this program has evolved into this third iteration, and how you can put it to use for your own, or your organization’s context.