Curriculum and pedagogy should drive software selection, and that software should drive hardware acquisition. Too often in our schools, we have purchased the hardware first, then tried to fit the hardware and poorly designed software to the curriculum. With these key ideas in mind, we look at schools in Nova Scotia. The answer is unequivocally, yes. The answer is clearly no.
Access varies from school to school, and from board to board within the province.
The technology provides the opportunity for a much more equitable system, but we must ensure that it is used properly. Technology can be used as an effective tool for expression, individualized learning, group interaction, knowledge production, and the management and coordination of learning. It provides new ways to learn and addresses different learning styles and multiple intelligences. It also helps to foster learning that is more authentic, project-based, and driven by outcomes. Teachers who gradually integrate technology into their daily curriculum activities tend to develop computer stations with many kinds of tools for exploration, simulations and construction.