SYMPOSIUM REPORT

of Education

James Quarles

Director of Public Sector Marketing in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Dell

“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” Rabbinical saying.

Education for another time couldn’t be a truer characterisation of classrooms and schools today. Presently, our children are growing up in a digital age with more available technology than ever before. They are digital natives – the connected generation. They communicate and learn differently than previous generations but are in classrooms that are disconnected. Educators in many schools are rectifying

this situation by embracing technology as a way to enhance the teaching and learning experience in general and education overall. During the SecEd and Dell symposium, it

was exciting to hear example after example from educators of their best practices; where technology is making a big difference in the lives of students and teachers. Their reports match with research showing that by infusing technologies into the classroom environment, teachers have an opportunity to engage students in new ways and enhance learning. Yet, around the table, there was lots of

discussion about ensuring that schools strike the right balance of technology use

Katie Leeper, Head Girl and student of Maths, Chemistry and Philosophy, Sydenham High School, London

Katie is in year 13 and is an avid film-maker, with 12 short films under her belt already. She currently uses Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premier for digital editing, and also uses Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to produce a student magazine. Katie uses a departmental blog regularly.

Chris Mackintosh, Head of Information, Communications and e-Learning, Bristol Brunel Academy

At Bristol Brunel, students in key stage 3 learn through a project-based learning curriculum supported with a 1:1 laptop programme. In the past, Chris has taught in secondary schools, including posts as head of curriculum ICT in two schools.

James Quarles, Director of Public Sector Marketing in Europe, Middle East and Africa, Dell

James leads the Dell team responsible for understanding and crafting solutions to advance the mission of schools, hospitals, government, defence and research institutions. He has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.

SecEd

– how to maintain subject rigour when using technology, how to invest in teacher training to get the best out of technology, and ensuring that teaching and learning quality is not compromised by an over-reliance on ICT. The educators at the symposium made

clear that many areas successfully deploy ICT into classrooms and schools and that there are many more opportunities for ICT to help teachers move towards being innovators, collaborators and moderators. As such, ICT enables instructional

approaches that help inspire children to achieve their potential, unleash their creativity, learn at their own pace, and expand their horizons. ICT also enables parents to be more involved and informed in their child’s learning experience. And at a time when resources are increasingly scarce, ICT helps school administrators and teachers to be more successful. Education leaders are under immense

pressure to improve the quality of education students receive while also reconciling severe budgetary constraints. They know that simply adding more computers is not the right approach to transform education, nor is it even feasible. This is why Dell is working in collaboration with schools to understand their focus, their vision on student learning, and unite the entire school community.

Matt Valentine, BSF Programme Manager, Dell

Matt has 15 years’ post- graduate experience within the ICT industry, and is managing the development and market engagement of the BSF programme within Dell. To date, Matt has led successful engagements to deliver ICT managed services to the Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire BSF schemes.

Mark Weston, Education Strategist, Dell

Profound change in education – educating all students to dramatically higher levels of learning – is the enduring theme of Mark’s work. He has been a teacher in the US and is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado.

Tony Wilson, Principal Consultant, 4Thought Consulting

After 14 years of teaching and management in UK schools, Tony worked extensively across all areas of the BSF programme. As a consultant, Tony works to join up educational outcomes with the built environment, learning technologies, and change management.

A SecEd Symposium March 2010, London

Most educators agree that in the 21st

century, real world success necessitates that students have an additional set of skills and knowledge beyond core understanding in maths, languages, and science. Students also need to be proficient in ICT

literacy, global awareness, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, effective digital communication, creation and use of multimedia documents, and data analysis/ interpretation. Critical thinking and problem-solving

skills are key elements of any 21st century skills agenda. Proficiency in these areas is essential to creating the kind of highly skilled workforce that fuels national competitiveness in the global economy. The key thing is that 21st century skills are all about young people becoming lifelong learners. Schools should be increasingly giving

students the propensity to learn new things. Content is key, but it should also become the means by which the skills are developed rather than an end in itself. Children must be tested on having these skills, not how they acquire them. This is where ICT can deliver tangible results. With this in mind, how can ICT be used to

this end; to truly inspire and engage students? How can ICT most effectively enhance learning and teaching? How can technology aid students in achieving the 21st century skills required for today’s – and tomorrow’s – workforce? ICT must be used to transform learning, we

know that. But it must also be used to engage the disaffected and ensure inclusion. It must be used to drive forward the personalised learning agenda. There is broad agreement among schools,

local authorities and government that ICT holds a key to transformation. However, ICT has had a much bigger impact on other professions and industries than on teaching in the last 20 years. I have huge admiration and respect for

teachers and administrators, and for the myriad challenges they face in educating our children today. Certainly discussions continue, but the message at the symposium was clear: education policies, practices and strategies must change to effectively prepare our children for the world that awaits them.

Further information

This symposium consensus report has been produced by SecEd in association with Dell. This document was published alongside

the April 15, 2010, edition of SecEd and is also available as a digital edition and PDF download from www.sec-ed.co.uk. Video highlights of the discussions will be made available in due course and promoted in SecEd and on our website. For more information about SecEd, contact the editor, Pete Henshaw, on pete.h@markallengroup. com. For more information about Dell, see the Corporate Profile on page 8.

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