The IT Nerd

Nelson will focus on addressing a gap in education with a keynote from its President and CEO Steve Brown at the Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit in Toronto, and an upcoming launch of resources related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for educators.

According to a recent study from KPMG, Canada is lagging global peers in AI literacy and trust, ranking among the least AI literate nations globally. To help address that gap, Nelson is taking steps to support educators as they look to understand and navigate AI in education. The company will offer trusted resources in Edwin, including lessons and activities, to provide educators and students with information to better understand AI; to learn how it can be used appropriately; to see how AI literacy can be integrated into cross-curricular learning experiences; and more.

For example, one lesson will provide educators with an overview of how to provide an introduction to AI, giving students basic shared vocabulary and a conceptual understanding of what AI is, examples of AI in our world, and options for further learning about AI, including bias, ethics, and responsible usage. Educators will find these resources in Edwin beginning in mid-November. 

Nigel Romany, a Grade 6 and 7 teacher from Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board (BHNCDSB) and an avid Edwin user, talked about how he complements the use of Edwin with AI in his teaching. He explained that he started using Edwin in lessons that were outside of his core subjects, such as science. Edwin provides rich curriculum-aligned materials, which he said allows him to provide the proper information for his students in an effective forum. Within the first week of using Edwin, he was able to guide students to develop a commercial on biodiversity. Now, he said he uses AI to complement and assist in his teaching practice. For example, AI helps him narrow down vast amounts of information and gives him alternatives in his lesson planning. Additionally, we know students use AI in some capacity to do their assignments. He said that as educators, we have to find different ways to assess our students, review the work and educate them to use AI properly. He noted that teaching has always been more of an art form than an exact science and AI, in his opinion, cannot replace the interaction between student and teacher but rather enhances it. He is looking forward to using the new resources on Edwin to help him engage in conversations with his students about AI, helping them develop skills to question, analyze and use AI responsibly.

dTech: Sharing AI Insights and Trends
Taking place on October 29 and 30, 2025 at the state-of-the-art Innovation Complex at the University of Toronto Mississauga, the theme of this year’s EdTech Leadership Summit is “Empowering Human-Centered Sustainable Learning in an AI-Inspired World.” Brown will present his keynote, “The Intersection of Human and Artificial Intelligence,” on October 30 at 11 a.m., during which he’ll share a perspective on the rise of AI in education, its opportunities and challenges, and the importance on focusing on the right learning pathways to drive human intelligence.

The 16th annual event is targeted at senior level leadership in K-12, post secondary and EdTech industry partners, policymakers, teacher leaders, investors, students, parents, and EdTech startups who are passionate about refining the future of learning to help all students thrive. It will provide attendees an opportunity to access evidence-based research, success stories, and best practices to future-proof their learning environment and empower every learner in an AI-powered age. Attendees will also gain insider knowledge on the latest global and national trends, from AI adoption in classrooms to digital equity strategies, with concrete case studies they can quickly apply.

Supporting Teachers to Succeed in the Classroom
Nelson continues to support educators across the country with current curriculum-aligned materials they need for their classrooms. For example, resources and content in Edwin were updated for the 2025/2026 school year based on the renewed K-12 curriculum in Manitoba.

The company also recently launched the Edwin Academy, where teachers can not only access classroom resources, but also training and just-in-time support. The Academy is designed to empower educators, curriculum leads and administrators with the tools they need to succeed when they use Edwin. It helps educators with common teaching and learning challenges, whether they’re integrating Edwin into lessons, supporting teachers in schools, or scaling professional learning across a district. While resources are available to all Edwin users, the Edwin Academy is available to all teachers. Additionally, parents can now access the same engaging educational resources to be used at home to complement and support their children’s learning journey. Learn more here.

Edwin AI resources will be available for educators from Nelson on edwin.app beginning mid-November 2025.

For more information about the Canadian EdTech Leadership Summit, or to register for the event, visit https://summit.canamedtechalliance.com/.

Twenty-three student-led initiatives from 17 schools within the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) have been chosen to receive a $25,000 Youth Climate Action Grant, in partnership with the City of Toronto. This provides funding to student-led projects, activities and events that educate and engage students, families and/or community members on climate actions; help Toronto achieve its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals by 2030; and align with the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy for net-zero emissions by 2040.

This is the first year that the TCDSB will receive $25,000 in funding for projects focusing on conservation, sustainable practices and other topics like climate change, an effort led by Bruno Pileggi, a Science, Social Studies and ECO Schools Resource Teacher for K-12 at the TCDSB, in collaboration with Nelson Education, Canada’s leading education content provider.

A three-part process, stage 1 (ideation) and stage 2 (budget proposal) have now been completed. These projects are currently in stage 3: final development and execution. The culmination of the projects – either via an open house, video showcase or an event – has been taking place throughout the month of June.

For each of the projects, Nelson has provided educators with relevant resources on Edwin (its digital learning platform) for foundational and contextual learning on the chosen topics.

How did this initiative come about?

Nelson first worked with Bruno on an EcoArtivism project in 2023 which allowed students to do a deep-dive into an environmental issue. Selected students were introduced to digital content available on Edwin so they could learn, interpret, act and share the learnings. Students were invited to take that knowledge and create an art piece using recyclable materials to tell a story about what they learned. They shared and presented their creation through an EcoArt Expo with other students, teachers and community members. (See video here: https://www.edwin.app/tcdsb-a-district-transformation.)

Bruno was excited to see a cross-curricular approach (math, language arts, social studies, science, after-school clubs, etc.) by teachers, allowing students to share and celebrate their work. The project also focused on helping students develop transferrable skills and 21st century competencies that supported creativity, problem-solving, communications and collaboration. Many students with special needs participated in the initiative. 

The EcoArtivism project—co-created and developed in partnership with Edwin and the TCDSB—planted the seed for a powerful cross-board educational experience. What began as a creative collaboration has grown into a transformative initiative, empowering students to think critically about climate change and take meaningful action.

Building on the momentum of EcoArtivism, the TCDSB received a $25,000 Youth Climate Action Grant, in partnership with the City of Toronto.

This new environmental initiative highlights student leadership, environmental stewardship, and our collective responsibility to care for the planet. To deepen and extend the learning, each approved project incorporated Edwin lessons.

The Youth Climate Action Grants support student-led projects that:
– Educate and engage peers, families, and communities around climate action
– Contribute to Toronto’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030
– Align with the TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2040

This integration offered students and teachers greater insight into the topics they were exploring, fostering innovation and real-world connections. From wild bee hotels to clothing fix-it cafés, students addressed diverse themes such as sustainability, biodiversity, responsible consumption, ecomobility, and urban agriculture. Central to every project was a profound respect for Mother Earth and an appreciation of Indigenous Ways of Knowing, which grounded the learning in connection, reciprocity, and care.

Project Details – Project descriptions for all projects can be found here.

For more information on Nelson’s digital learning platform, Edwin, visit: https://edwin.app/.

As teachers across Canada are having to do more with less and bear more responsibilities in and outside of the classroom, they need vetted and curriculum-aligned resources so they can build their lesson plans to accommodate individualized education needs of students. When trusted resources are readily available, teachers can focus on helping students succeed by making learning more engaging and effective.

After extensive consultation with educators in the last six months, Nelson, Canada’s leading education content provider and creator of Edwin, a digital learning platform, today launched the Edwin Academy where teachers can not only access classroom resources, but also training and just-in-time support. The Academy is designed to empower educators, curriculum leads and administrators with the tools they need to succeed when they use Edwin. It helps educators with common teaching and learning challenges, whether they’re integrating Edwin into lessons, supporting teachers in schools, or scaling professional learning across a district. While resources are available to all Edwin users, the Edwin Academy is available to all teachers.

Additionally, parents can now access the same engaging educational resources to be used at home to complement and support their children’s learning journey.

A centralized resource hub, Edwin Academy contains the following:

Free Monthly Live Lessons

• These monthly live lessons for teachers and students include skill-building workshops, subject-specific walkthroughs, and sessions aligned with key instructional practices. In 2024/2025, Nelson hosted Truth and Reconciliation: Then, Now, Tomorrow; Let’s Code for Hour of Code; Building Equitable and Inclusive Classrooms (during Black History Month); The impact of ecological footprints on global environmental challenges (for Earth Month); among others.
• In the 2024-2025 school year, Nelson has seen a 593 per cent increase in Live Lesson attendance by teachers. So far, almost a thousand teachers with 23,600 students attended these live lessons in the 2024/2025 school year.
• Some upcoming lessons in June and July include Plan Along for National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 17) and Practical Strategies for Complex Classrooms

Downloadable Resources

• This includes sample lesson plans for English/Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and other topics, real-world examples and resources for strategy supports

On-demand Learning

• This includes quick tips and how-to videos for a wide range of subjects as well as recordings of teacher professional development (PD) sessions.
• Educators and parents can access these resources any time.
• The most requested topics are support for effective math and literacy instruction, and strategies to support mutli-leveled learners to address classroom complexity.

Plus:

• Resources for Parents
• Help Articles and Support

Some quick facts about Edwin:

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

The most popular Edwin content accessed in the 2024/2025 include:

• Black Legacy and Leadership
• Toward Reconciliation
• Digital Citizenship

The most accessed subject by educators: Mathematics; the most access resources include the following:

• Common Factors and Multiples
• Exponents
• Algebraic Expressions
• Fractions

As of the 2024/2025 school year, more than 500,000 teachers have used Edwin in Canada.

According to a national survey conducted by Nelson in 2021, 98 per cent of students reported improved school experience while using EdwinThere’s a 45 per cent increase in active users in Edwin in the 2024/2025 school year compared to last school year.

Edwin has seen a 50 per cent and 52 per cent growth in Ontario and Alberta respectively compared to the last school year. 

At the end of September 2024, Nelson had 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.

For more information on Edwin Academy, visit https://www.edwin.app/edwin-academy.  

EdTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies and solutions in the global educational technology market, today announced that Nelson, Canada’s leading education content provider, has been selected as winner of the “Digital Learning Platform of the Year” award in the 7th annual EdTech Breakthrough Awards program.

The 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award recognizes the breakthrough innovation of Nelson’s digital learning platform, Edwin, which combines curriculum-aligned content, interactive tools, and dedicated support. The curriculum-aligned resources help educators save time with lesson planning, student assessment, and engaging supports. Edwin’s relevant and differentiated content builds classroom equity, while various modes of content such as text audio, and video, help students demonstrate their progress.

An Edwin license provides access to core curriculum content across subjects like Math, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. Beyond core subjects, Edwin Essentials equips students with life skills including financial literacy, digital citizenship, cultural competence, global awareness, and personal growth. The content is designed to be flexible, engaging, and can be delivered as whole-class lessons, small groups or independently based on student interest. This approach supports the development of well-rounded learners in a rapidly changing world.

Edwin has been recently updated with the addition of a math progress check tool. The new user-friendly tool seamlessly integrates with the existing curriculum, making it easier for teachers to track student performance, identify areas for improvement, and prepare students for provincial testing. By measuring student progress, educators can easily tailor instruction to meet the needs of each learner.

In addition to the progress check tool, Edwin also offers new supports and resources that are regularly updated to ensure content is timely, engaging and curriculum-aligned. Other recent updates to Edwin include changes to its “browse by curriculum” feature where teachers can easily access the latest curriculum-linked content for their subjects with the click of a button.

The mission of the EdTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of educational technology categories, including Student Engagement, School Administration, Adaptive Learning, STEM Education, Remote Learning, Career Preparation and many more. This year’s program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.

How to include Black experience and diverse perspectives in learning

February 2025

In helping educators plan for Black History Month and their lessons all year round, Nelson, Canada’s leading and longest standing education content provider, has updated a series of content in Edwin, the company’s digital learning platform.

Earlier this month, Nelson authors and brother-and-sister team Greg Birkett (history and English teacher, guidance counsellor, author and poet) and Coleen Birkett (teacher, writer and author) shared some of their thoughts with Nelson in a video interview addressing the following questions:

1. Why is it critical to include the Black experience and diverse perspectives in the classroom?
2. How does this contribute to a more equitable and inclusive learning environment?
3. What advice do you have for district leaders?
4. How can you appropriately and respectfully incorporate the Black student experience into teaching?
5. What are first steps for educators to apply this knowledge?

A few takeaways from Greg and Coleen:

• Since Canadian classrooms are so diverse, diversity needs to be reflected in the learning and in the curriculum. Every student needs to have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the curriculum and have the opportunity to learn about who they are in class. That helps students get along with each other and be better prepared for life. 

• It’s really important students are able to understand different cultures in a safe space. Often their understanding of culture is through media or sources which may have an agenda that does not always give the most accurate representation of a particular culture. That’s how stereotypes are spread. It is crucial for students to be able to engage in discussions about culture and understand culture in a safe space.

• Sometimes educators are apprehensive that they may not be presenting the topic in the most authentic way. With the opportunity to use trusted and accurate materials to create content that educators can use in an authentic voice, both students and educators can have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions in classrooms about culture.

• Teachers don’t have to depend on themselves or what they have been exposed to – which we believe is where their apprehension comes from. We often hear teachers say “we don’t know what we don’t know.” Sometimes they don’t even realize they have experts right in front of them. For example, students themselves can be experts or they have the means to bring experts or resources in through their family or community. There are a lot of Black Canadian resources available – either through Edwin or through the community. We recommend bringing in experts from the Black community and taking students out to the community on field trips.

• Educators must look at how they can incorporate and infuse this learning — not just broad sweeping, general representations — into their curriculum for different subjects. 

Some practical tips for inclusion for educators:

• Use Real-World Examples: For example, during the hockey playoffs, show clips about the Black Hockey League and its influence on the NHL.

• Highlight Diverse Black Figures: For example, in science class, include Black scientists as examples for research projects.

• Collaborative Learning: Be willing to learn alongside your students. As you bring in diverse perspectives, integrate diverse resources, or go into the community on field trips to foster a sense of shared discovery.

For the complete interview, visit:

Embracing Diversity in Education: Insights from Coleen and Greg Birkett

In a recent conversation on The Dr. Vibe Show, Coleen and Greg responded to a question about how they felt about having a special platform to openly speak and teach about Black existence and its place in the world. 

They said, “We are trying to have it woven into every fabric of our curriculum so it isn’t just a special month or a special class. Right now, we do have a Grade 12 course that speaks about the Black Canadian experience. We both co-authored a textbook with Rosemary Sadlier which is being used in some school boards here in Ontario and Nova Scotia. What we want to do is to take a cross-curricula approach, from kindergarten, when children are most ready, open and willing to learn and make it age appropriate, all the way up to Grade 12. We don’t want it to be a special platform; we want it to be a natural, organic part of the curriculum. It is Canadian history, it’s not Black Canadian history being taught in February in a particular class for kids with vested interest. It needs to be woven into every subject, across disciplines and across curriculum from K-12.”

Live Lesson: “Every Voice Counts: Equity in Education”

On February 26, 2025, Nelson will host a Live Lesson called “Every Voice Counts: Equity in Education” for teachers and students where they will talk about how bias shapes our educational experiences. The lesson will highlight the importance of inclusion and fairness in education and how they impact our daily lives. Through real-world examples and interactive discussions, they will uncover why inclusion matters, how to recognize and challenge bias, and the steps we can take to ensure every student feels valued and heard. 

Register today: https://classroomsuccess.as.me/everyvoicecounts

Resources for Black History Month and All Year Round

Teachers are having to do a lot more than ever and to bear more responsibility. They need accurate, vetted and consistently high quality content so they can design lessons to accommodate individual students’ education needs. Edwin contains Canadian curriculum-aligned content that teachers can use – among other resources – to plan their lessons, not having to worry about relying on GenAI, Google search or purchasing non-Canadian materials. 

Please see the three collections in Edwin for users (see screen shots here):

Black Canadian Communities
Black Canadian Culture
Black Legacy and Leadership (previously called Black Excellence)

Did you know? 

• “Black Excellence” was the #1 most accessed content in Edwin in February 2024
• “End Racism Today” was the #2 most accessed content in February 2024
• “Black Canadian Communities” was the #1 most accessed content overall for the last school year 
• Forty per cent (40%) more students and teachers have accessed Black Canadian content in Edwin, the company’s digital learning platform, this September 2024-January 2025 compared to the same period last school year 
• 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.
• The company has seen an almost 40% increase in active users in Edwin compared to this time last year. 
• One month into the school year (end of September), Nelson has already seen an 89% increase in the number of teachers trained on Edwin at the end of the first week of school this year compared to last year. Edwin hit a record high number of daily users ever on October 29, 2024 – a 26% increase compared to the best day of 2023.

About Nelson

For over a century, Nelson has worked in partnership with Canadian educators to develop quality resources that are tied to curricula and that meet provincial learning expectations. As Canada’s largest education content provider, Nelson dedicates its business efforts to the creation of quality, innovative solutions that empower learning success by supporting the needs of every student and educator. For more information, visit https://www.nelson.com/.

To learn more about Edwin, visit https://www.edwin.app/.

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/.