What are the main problems or obstacles of your education system?

1. Making changes to tried-and-testing learning methods is difficult – especially when the change is technology based. Many teachers, parents and policymakers find it difficult to be the first to experiment with new technology or teaching methods as no one wants to risk the success of our students. In addition, it can be hard to initiate change on an individual basis. Change requires a large group of like-minded individuals who share goals, plans and results. It’s much easier to adopt new learning strategies or technology based platforms when we positive evidence that students will ultimately benefit.

2. Provincial politics play an important role in determining the potential for making strides towards 21st century learning. Education budgets are determined at the provincial ministry level, and as illustrated by the June 2014 Ontario Election, budget cuts are always a concern.

3. Professional Development days are often reserved for cumbersome workshops that tend to lack a hand-on approach. In addition, integrating software opens up the opportunity for user errors and technical difficulties which can be difficult to address on a user-by-user basis. Dealing with a large software company can be intimidating, especially when requesting IT assistance is difficult and non-personal.