Ted McCain

First and foremost, Ted McCain is an educator with over thirty years of experience teaching high school students at Maple Ridge Secondary School. Although he has had several opportunities to take other jobs both inside education and in the private sector, he has felt his primary calling is to help prepare teenagers for success as they move into adult life.

Ted McCain has been an innovator and pioneer in technology education. In 1997, he received the Prime Minister's Award For Teaching Excellence for his groundbreaking technology curriculum for grade 11 and 12 students, which prepares them for employment in areas such as website design and computer networking directly out of high school. McCain was recognized for his work in creating his innovative "4 D" approach to solving problems, his unique use of role-playing in the classroom, and his idea of progressive withdrawal as a way to foster independence in his students.

In addition to being a classroom teacher, McCain has also been a department head, an administrative assistant, and a technology consultant. He is currently the Coordinator of The Digital Art Academy for Maple Ridge Secondary School in Vancouver, B.C., and has experience teaching courses in computer networking, graphic design, and desktop publishing at the post-secondary level, including at Okanagan University. McCain is also an author, having written ten books on topics such as the future, effective teaching strategies, educational technology, and graphic design. Prior to entering the teaching profession, he worked in the computer industry as a programmer, salesperson, and consultant. For over three decades, McCain has consulted with businesses and school districts on effective teaching for the digital generation and the implementation of instructional technology. His prominent clients have included companies like Apple Computer, Microsoft, Aldus, and Toyota. He encourages educators to consider the impact of global changes on students and learning, advocating for necessary changes in educational approaches to prepare students for the future.