McKenna Institute Blog

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In today’s classroom, digital tools are changing the way that we learn and evolve. Its importance cannot be understated:  technology in the classroom offers new ways to engage students, enhance creativity, and make learning more interactive and accessible, which is essential as student attention spans continue to shorten. 

But how do we work together to ensure classrooms not only have access to the technology that will deliver the highest quality of education to our youth and how do we use it to its highest potential? Additionally, how do we show students digital skillsets for their future education and prepare them for the workforce? 

One of the ways is through collaboration with organizations across New Brunswick. The McKenna Institute is proud to work with partners in education at the school, district, and provincial levels to achieve results in driving technology in our classrooms.  

For example, the third annual Tech for Teaching retreat took place in Fredericton this summer. The McKenna Institute brought together over 100 educators, tech leads, technology coaches, and school district leaders for two days of collaborating and learning new ways to integrate digital technology into their classroom.  

The conference was attended by educators across grade levels and from across the province. The McKenna Institute, along with its partners the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (EECD), the Centre of Excellence for Digital Innovation, and New Brunswick’s school districts, were excited to bring in leaders like Dell Technologies, Thales, and Science East to speak and provide insights on how to integrate technology into learning at all age levels and speak to opportunities that exist for their students. 

Some examples of sessions included how to introduce elementary-level students to designing using Canva, AI tools, and coding languages like JavaScript. A popular activity at the retreat showed teachers how to use basketball, an activity many young students are already interested in, to learn about data science. 

At the university level, UNB’s Faculty of Computer Science, Canadian Institute for Cybersecurity, Research Commons, Maker Space Lab, and the augmented reality-focused  SPECTRAL Lab also delivered sessions to the attendees to bridge the gap between K-12 and higher education. This allowed the educators to see opportunities available for their students through program overviews and introducing some new digital tools, and to open a discussion on how higher education can support K-12 learning.  

“I liked getting the chance to see what’s being done in other classrooms and get ideas on how I can change my practices,” a teacher that attended the conference said. “I find that [the conference] helps inspire me to be more creative in my upcoming school year.” 

Teachers also presented technology and activities used in their schools to other teachers in attendance to fuel creativity and to share ideas with each other. 

This sense of camaraderie is a key component to ensure that digital transformation is not just a top-down initiative but something that is truly embraced and championed by educators across the province. It also is essential for the province’s education system and its educators; who need more support for their classrooms to adapt to a digital future. 

 But the work doesn’t stop at the conference. The tools acquired from teachers at the conference are being implemented into the classrooms, being shared with their colleagues, and tools like the Digital Learning Network for teachers is continuing to expand and provide opportunities for teachers to work together virtually and access key resources on digital implementation in the classroom. 

There are also plenty of other collaborative opportunities the McKenna Institute is happy to be involved with including a tech leads retreat earlier in the fall. Hosted by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development that invited tech leads and coordinators from the province’s four school districts together to discuss how they can support one another. 

We were also thrilled to be a part of the New Brunswick Provincial New Teachers Conference, led by the New Brunswick Teachers Talent Recruitment Division. With the help of the IBM SkillsBuild platform available through the McKenna Institute, we were able to build a learning pathway for teachers to use and familiarize themselves with digital tools and software as they step into their new teaching positions in K-12. 

We’ve seen firsthand how these events spark creativity and inspire new teaching practices that benefit students at every level. Moving forward, we’re committed to continuing this work—helping educators refine their digital practices, build connections, and create meaningful learning experiences for their students. 

There are plenty of other collaborations happening across New Brunswick’s digital ecosystem, too, outreaching across all areas of education. We are happy to provide virtual re-skilling and up-skilling through IBM SkillsBuild, collaborate with post-secondary education partners, and work with Indigenous educators Ulnooweg Education Centre and JEDI to help see that digital skills are being built across the province. 

The digital future of education is bright, and with the support of educators, tech leaders, and partners, we are confident that we are making great strides toward a more connected, dynamic, and tech-savvy classrooms and learning environments for every student in New Brunswick. 

This is key to building a robust digital economy. By ensuring access to technology and innovation in our schools, we can not only foster a more dynamic and creative learning environment, but we can set students up for success as they discover new careers and ensuring they are prepared to enter the workforce. 

Abby David is a Strategic Program Director with the McKenna Institute at the University of New Brunswick.