25 years already - How the École branchée has changed my professional career.

Martine, our web editor, tells us about her story and how École branchée has influenced her vision of technologies for learning. Share your experience with us too!

I will always remember the first time I heard about École branchée (and its little brother the Infobourg). It was 2001. I had just finished my bachelor's degree in journalism and was looking for a job. On the Laval University Placement Service website, there was a job offer I applied to. I even believe that Audrey Miller, the current Executive Director of École branchée, was present during my job interview. And I got the job!

This first job completely changed the rest of my professional career. I was destined for journalism, and all I knew was that I wanted to write for a living. I entered fully into the world of education and technology.

It was from this moment that I became convinced that everyone should have access to technologies (which we call digital today) to use them as a source of learning and openness to the world. 

Through the articles and files I wrote for Infobourg and École branchée, projects that I coordinated, I discovered a world of possibilities. Technologies for learning. Passionate, innovative teachers. Multiple collaborations throughout Quebec and even elsewhere in Canada (Allô Simon de Jocas whom I met at an ACELF congress in Vancouver in 2009). Annual participation in the famous AQUOPS Congress with its multiple workshops. I even remember going to Rimouski for an ACFAS convention. The annual census of the best websites for success in school. I forged lasting ties with players in the world of education who still remain today (Allô Clément Laberge, Carl Frédéric De Celles, Pierre Poulin, Mario Asselin and all the others.)

Over the past 20 years, I left École branchée and returned to it a few times.

A part of my heart has always been attached to the mission of this unique organization. Dedicated to teachers. Focused on student success. Despite the passage of time, L'École branchée remains current and relevant.

There is still work to be done to maximize the use of digital technology in schools. The pandemic, despite the damage it has caused, will also have acted (hopefully) as a launching pad for considering a school even more focused on collaboration, openness and sharing (these values dear to innovative digital communities). And I am proud to be able to be here again today to contribute to it.

At 25, we're still young. We have life ahead of us!