As Ministries of Education introduced new curricula in Ontario, Alberta and other provinces across Canada this school year, school boards need to ensure teachers have the latest, accurate and trustworthy resources for their classrooms. To address those requirements, Nelson Education, Canada’s leading education content provider, has incorporated further updates to Edwin, the company’s digital learning ecosystem, for the 2024/2025 school year to reflect the recent curriculum changes. By popular demand, the company has also enhanced its “browse by curriculum” feature on Edwin, making it easier for teachers to access the latest curriculum-linked content for their subjects.
Committed to the individualized needs of students, teachers and administrators, Nelson aligns with the priorities set by Ministries of Education across Canada with digital content built for Canadian classrooms. It works with school boards and districts nationwide to deliver and update content that is relevant and curriculum-aligned for all learners. Some of the curriculum changes this year include Grades 4-9 Language, Grade 9 Science and Grade 9 Mathematics in Ontario; and Grades 4-6 English Language Arts and Literature, and Social Studies in Alberta, among others changes.
With Edwin, teachers can build culturally relevant, engaging and differentiated learning plans to support classroom equity. Multiple modes of content including text, audio and video enable students to learn and collaborate in ways that are right for them. With all subjects’ resources, interactive tools and notes in one place, the easy-to-use platform can relieve the time pressures felt by teachers.
One month into the school year, Nelson has already seen an 89 per cent increase in the number of teachers trained on Edwin at the end of the first week of school this year compared to last year.
Nelson helps teachers and improves student engagement
Nelson disrupted the education industry by launching Edwin in 2017, virtually reinventing itself from a century-old publisher into a digital content provider. Year over year, Edwin has been proven to reduce strains on teachers and help drive improved student outcomes. In a national survey conducted in January 2024, teachers reported saving almost one hour per week in lesson planning, finding resources and creating assessments by using Edwin, an equivalent of one prep period per week or one full week a year. They gave an A or A+ to Edwin’s subject content, classroom success and support. In 2021, a school board in Ontario also showed a 14 per cent increase in students who met or exceeded the provincial standards in Mathematics after using Edwin.
Engaging and reliable resources to support a variety of learning subjects
Educators rely on Edwin to provide timely, creative lesson ideas. For example, Edwin saw a 70 per cent spike in usage in November 2023 with teachers and students accessing not only curriculum related content, but also content about Remembrance Day, Indigenous Veterans Day and Recognize Treaty Rights and Relationships.
Edwin’s rich library of online resources supports core disciplines, other subjects and contemporary topics. It also goes beyond traditional classroom materials with learning tools to let students explore, create and collaborate. One major difference between Edwin and traditional textbooks or eBooks is users never get just one grade of content; it provides access to multiple grades to cover a wide range of student needs.
Edwin’s Classroom Success Team, made up entirely of educators, provides support for teachers and students throughout the school year. Free, monthly Live Lessons are also available for everyone. Most recently, a three-part series of Live Lessons: Truth and Reconciliation: Then, Now, Tomorrow was developed. Students can take a journey through Truth and Reconciliation in Canada by exploring three key aspects: Learning from the Past (Sept. 25), Navigating the Present (Sept. 30), and Inspiring the Future (Oct. 9).
For more information on Nelson’s digital learning ecosystem, Edwin, visit: https://edwin.app/.
Format Partners with Kickback to Capture Canada Basketball Nationals, Spotlighting the Next Generation of Sports Photographers
Posted in Commentary with tags Format on September 26, 2024 by itnerdFormat, the leading portfolio website provider for artists, designers, photographers, and creative professionals, is proud to partner with Kickback, an organization dedicated to empowering underserved youth through arts and sports. As part of this collaboration, Format is providing participants in Kickback’s Portfolio program with a free year of its portfolio services. As part of the Kickback program, youth photographers have an extraordinary opportunity to document the Canada Basketball Youth U15 & U17 tournament in Toronto, held from August 5-10, 2024—marking the first professional opportunity for many of these aspiring photographers.
Format sponsored a behind-the-scenes photoshoot of the Kickback youth in action, documented by sports photographer and Kickback alumni, Nicholas Williams. The partnership with Canada Basketball has provided these young photographers with a platform to gain real-world experience.
This year’s collaboration between Kickback and Canada Basketball is a testament to the value of mentorship and the positive impact of providing opportunities to underserved youth in the community. Format and Canada Basketball remain committed to fostering young talents and empowering the next generation of photographers.
Kickback is a non-profit organization that has been in existence since 2016. Founded by Jamal Burger, Kickback began with the belief that a new pair of shoes has the power to keep kids out of trouble. The organization provides sneakers and helps kids reframe the narrative by facilitating experiences and opportunities in sports, art, and education. Kickback is committed to creating a world of opportunity at the intersection of art and sport.
Format is a platform designed to help creative professionals—from emerging talents to seasoned experts—showcase their work and manage their online presence. Joining Zenfolio Inc. in 2021, Format has remained dedicated to supporting and empowering creatives at all stages of their careers.
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