K-12 Teachers and Administrators

The accelerated pivot to distance and online learning is more than a quick solution to our current contexts and  for several decades, many people  have been developing this area of education. The curated sites included on this website provide broad support for K-12 educators as you enhance knowledge and skills that support your efforts to remotely teach. Our list is a small sample of what is available, and we aim to include high quality suggestions. We hope you bookmark and share this website as well as others that you find useful. Using digital tools effectively also requires understanding of digital pedagogy which you can explore through the no cost MOOCs and online graduate professional learning options.

Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

• Technology-Enabled Learning MOOC (open course) is primarily aimed towards teachers who want to build on their knowledge and practice in teaching and learning with technology.  Designed to accommodate teachers’ busy schedules, the course offers flexibility with options for learning the content. You will learn from readings, videos, discussions with other participants and instructors, meaningful exercises, quizzes and short assignments. You can register in this free course at any point during its run time. Check the website for more information and next offering dates.

Professional Development for Credit/Audit

• Blended and Online Learning and Teaching (PD modules) helps teachers develop professional learning online with Canada’s Open University. Begin your journey with Education and Technology with Athabasca University.

Online Conferences and Workshops

• 2020 Learning Revolution (online conference) is free to register in
• Moving your course online (virtual workshop, Macewan University)

Tips and Guides

• Alberta Education: Online Learning Guides for schools and school leaders (PDF, Alberta Education)
• Becoming a better Online Teacher (web guide, Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Resources and workshops for teachers moving online (blog, Online Learning Consortium)
• Making K-12 online learning more equitable (blog, The Conversation)
• The Quick Technology Guide can help to support moving to an online class or conference (Google doc)
• Guidelines on Distance Education during COVID-19 (pdf, Commonwealth of Learning). Many countries and institutions have pivoted directly to online education delivery in the face of campus and school closures. Given that available technology is uneven within and across countries, “online learning cannot be seen as the only solution for remote, rural and resource-poor communities.” Over the last fifty years, Athabasca Univerity has “shown that quality teaching and learning can be offered at a distance using a range of technologies – print, radio, television, computer and the Internet.” Remote, technologically-mediated teaching delivery must be tailored to specific contexts with attention to available information and communication technologies. The attached guidebook provides information, direction, and examples that will support those arranging for remote, distance, and online education.
• 12 Key Ideas for Moving to Online Learning (blog). Lessons from practitioners moving to online teaching.

• Commonwealth of Learning: Keeping the doors of learning open COVID-19 (hub) is an OER  collection from around the world that supports all levels of learners and educators.
• The Community of Inquiry (blog) demonstrates how the CoI framework represents a process of creating a deep and meaningful (collaborative - constructivist) learning experience through the development of three interdependent elements: social, cognitive and teaching presence.
• Online assessment, community and knowledge tools (hub, University of Massachusetts Amherst)
• Interactive educational simulations from the University of Colorado (hub)
• The Open Educational Resources (OER) Symbaloo (hub) is a curation of websites that support OER for Canadian educators.
• The Blended and Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) (multi-author blog) contains a variety of pedagogical supports to help you understand OER. Explore this website, including videos, archived virtual conferences and podcasts about Canadian copyright law for educators. Learn more about OER and the shift to open educational practices.
• The Canadian eLearning Network (CANeLearn) (PD events) is a Canadian registered not-for-profit society with a vision to be the leading voice in Canada for learner success in K-12 online and blended learning.  CANeLearn provides members with networking, collaboration, and research opportunities.
• Kyte Learning (hub) is an online library of educational technology training videos for teachers and administrators. It provides teachers with instructional videos on how to use and incorporate technology into their lessons and classroom. 
• Virtual instruction and online learning resources (hub, National Council of Teachers of English)