New Ontario Extend updates support digital teaching skills

Looking for a free professional learning opportunity to boost your technology-enabled teaching skills as colleges and universities ramp up their online learning strategies? Now is a perfect time to consider the Ontario Extend program.

Ontario Extend is a self-directed professional learning program aimed at preparing educators and support staff for the digital future of teaching and learning. Six modules can be completed online at your own pace. Practitioners  who complete all modules are eligible for the milestone “empowered educator” badge. Though the core content of the program has not changed, the program has undergone a few updates to improve the experience. Here’s what’s new:

Connect with your community
Chatting with your personal learning network has never been easier. In the new Extend Community Space hosted in Rocket.Chat, you can set up an account and connect with other Ontario Extend participants to share updates about your progress, ask questions or discuss other ideas in the higher education space.

Find technology tools seamlessly
Looking for a specific tool to complete a module, such as Quizlet or Flipgrid? Now you can search the Extend Toolkit, a catalogue of all the technology tools needed to complete the Ontario Extend modules. Don’t forget to contribute suggestions for tools you would like to see added to the catalogue!

Take advantage of a centralized activity bank
Access activities for each module in the centralized Extend Activity Bank. Each activity comes with full instructions, additional resources and example responses.

Understand program outcomes and get badged faster
Need key information about the learning outcomes for each module and what you need to submit for a badge application? A newly refined module checklist feature breaks this information down and makes it easier for participants to understand program outcomes and navigate evidence submission, meaning faster module verification.

Head to the Ontario Extend website on April 6 to see the upgrades or follow @OntarioExtend on Twitter for more updates. For guidance and support, you can also email the team at extend@ecampusontario.ca.