In this exclusive discussion, educators from the UAE’s top schools share their thoughts on making the best use of technology in driving engagement in classrooms.
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NewsTranscript
00:00with a very informative session.
00:02My name's Lachlan Hitchen, I'm your MC and moderator today.
00:05And today, and obviously tomorrow,
00:08it's a great opportunity, as we know,
00:10for parents to really learn more
00:12about the education system in the UAE,
00:14which as a result of many factors,
00:16including technology, is rapidly changing.
00:20Later on today, we're going to be on stage,
00:22we're going to have a panel discussion
00:23about choosing the right school for your child,
00:26and then a three-quarter to start doing,
00:28focusing specifically on innovations
00:30in early childhood education.
00:33But to start off today, we've got a great panel
00:36for the next 45 minutes or so.
00:38So we're going to be discussing why, for learning,
00:41why driving student engagements
00:44is key with creative technology.
00:46As we know, technology today can be highly beneficial
00:49in enhancing the study environment for students.
00:52From interactive educational apps
00:54to virtual reality simulations
00:56and gamified learning programs,
00:58today's technology offers a myriad of opportunities
01:01to spark curiosity, foster collaboration,
01:04and also deeper understanding.
01:07Access to a variety of technology on the internet
01:09is not only accessible,
01:11but for many students and teachers, necessary.
01:14And overall, increasing student engagement using technology
01:18can be beneficial to both students
01:19and also their educators.
01:21Students' academic performances can improve
01:24and educators can also be more productive in the process.
01:27So during this exclusive discussion this afternoon,
01:29we've got educators from the UAE's top schools
01:32who will be sharing their thoughts
01:34on making the best use of technology
01:36in driving education in the classrooms.
01:38We welcome our other speakers.
01:39So the Principal of Ignite Schools, Dr. Jihan Frey.
01:43Round of applause, please.
01:44The Principal of the American School of Creative Science
01:48from Alia Road, Majid Hussain.
01:50Thank you very much.
01:52And also Jasmine Kang,
01:53the Principal of the Glendale International School.
01:56Thank you very much for your time.
01:58Doctor, to you first, just being closest to me.
02:02Opening things up, we'll get that,
02:03Gordon always likes to check the microphones here.
02:06Do your work, Gordon.
02:08Doctor, the question I have for you,
02:10how do digital education tools
02:14enhance students' engagement
02:16and also their motivation in the classroom?
02:19All right, thank you for the question.
02:21One of the things that we are currently doing at Ignite
02:25is we're really trying to promote technologies.
02:28And I know it's a little bit difficult now with ChatGPT,
02:31but we don't even hinder that.
02:33We actually promote it.
02:35And so instead of telling them,
02:37we do have to turn it in,
02:38which is a plagiarism checker,
02:39but instead of telling them, don't use ChatGPT,
02:42we go the opposite direction.
02:43We want them to use ChatGPT
02:45because we can't stop technology from advancing.
02:49But what we ask them to do is, for example,
02:51tell them if you were to counteract an argument
02:54against ChatGPT, what would that look like?
02:57So it's one of the ways for us to promote critical thinking,
03:01problem solving, and research.
03:04We've kind of gone away from kind of showing
03:07that when you talk about research,
03:09Googling things is actually not research.
03:12So copying definitions from Google is not research.
03:16So we're trying to have them at a point now
03:20where they need to generate their own questions
03:21and try to solve it themselves.
03:23And we tell them to use whatever source
03:25that they come across.
03:26Thank you very much, Doctor.
03:28Manjit, further to that,
03:29if we understand that technology
03:31is an integral part of education,
03:34what is the best practice for using technology
03:36in the classroom?
03:39Well, you know what, most of the kids,
03:41they are the ones who are teaching,
03:43they're teaching nowadays how to use this,
03:45how they're not waiting for their teachers
03:49to really help them there.
03:51They're the ones who know more.
03:53And you see that since our schools are all fully equipped
03:56with the 3D panels, you see that the students
04:00are the ones who are supporting and helping
04:03their teachers using them.
04:05Now, we are an Apple school,
04:08so our students, they use application
04:11in most of the work that they do
04:15between them and their teachers.
04:17So, all of their work is presented
04:21to their teachers through the apps.
04:23Students are communicating with their teachers
04:26electronically, even though they are in the same classroom.
04:29But they, the teacher, have access to their devices
04:32to see their work and how their work is going.
04:35Students can present from their seat
04:37and project to their board to show how they worked
04:40on resolving some of the problems.
04:43So, that is one of the ways
04:44that we promote the technology.
04:47Yeah, I think that's a fantastic situation
04:49where you've got apps that students are working on.
04:51We'll just get someone speaking of technology
04:53to work on your microphone.
04:54So, we'll come back to you,
04:55so you're ready for your next question, Magic.
04:58Jasmin, you're the principal
04:59of the Glendale International School.
05:01We've already heard some initial points
05:03about the need for technology,
05:05and sometimes there's a need for students
05:07to also co-work with the teachers.
05:09But what technology specifically can support
05:13the differentiation to assist students
05:15who learn at different levels?
05:17So, we've got apps, but they're not, as we know,
05:19all kids learn at different levels.
05:21How is technology helping that?
05:24I think one of the things that is so vital
05:26is it helps the teachers with differentiation.
05:29So, we're looking at different tools
05:31that are available at the moment.
05:32I don't want to name particular ones,
05:33but there are specific resources out there
05:36that once you give an opportunity for children
05:39to state their learning objective,
05:41they're able to then use the technology
05:43to then implement what's going to happen next
05:45for that child's learning journey.
05:46So, I think it's so vitally important
05:48to use the technology.
05:50Teachers are always talking about differentiation,
05:52how to make sure they're challenging all the students,
05:54but there's certain apps now that once you are
05:57giving them a guiding start in their learning,
05:59it then channels that learning journey further
06:02through AI and through other activities
06:05without teachers having to do much.
06:06You know, it's actually so clever now
06:08to be able to have that resource available
06:10that wasn't available to us as teachers.
06:12I think that the teaching profession
06:15has been enhanced so much by these resources
06:18that once you have a starting point,
06:21that's able to be then carried through
06:23the technology that's available.
06:24I think it's really exciting.
06:26Do you think there's maybe some envy
06:27between some of the teachers that they don't have
06:30these technological opportunities to assist?
06:33I think now, Dubai is an amazing place
06:35where we have all those opportunities open to us.
06:38At the end of the new school,
06:39I had so many different technology vendors
06:42coming to me and promoting how many different
06:44resources are out there,
06:45but there was so much choice.
06:47I think it's making the right decision for the school.
06:50Obviously, we're a British curriculum school,
06:52so particularly how we can enhance
06:54the British curriculum,
06:55and the British curriculum curriculum,
06:57and as I said, there's so much choice available out there.
07:01Doctor, with so much choice available,
07:03one of the challenges I think for schools
07:05and teachers and also parents
07:06is trying to find the right balance
07:08between traditional learning
07:10and also using technology.
07:13How are you doing that?
07:14What are the strategies that you're implementing
07:15to keep that balance there?
07:16Sure, I agree with you.
07:18I mean, you're absolutely right.
07:19There's so many tools out there,
07:21and it's not about the type of resources you have,
07:23it's how you actually utilize them within the schools.
07:27We are an American school,
07:28and one of the things that we are using
07:31to do our math testing,
07:32one of the programs that we use is IEXCEL,
07:34and I'm sure many of your schools have heard that,
07:37and it kind of calls references
07:39in terms of differentiation.
07:40What we do with that is we take their scores,
07:43their external assessment scores,
07:45add it to the system,
07:46and it generates questions and texts and all that,
07:49so it's automatically differentiated for the students,
07:52and you're right, there's so many out there.
07:54We just happen to choose that,
07:56and that's what works for us.
07:57Has there been, and this is sort of a question
08:00to the three of you,
08:01has there been a cohesive model
08:04between schools to try and work together
08:06to use technology,
08:07or are schools and different curriculums
08:09working independently to try and find a better
08:11relationship between technology and traditional teaching?
08:15I think there's a good network
08:16within Dubai with principals and leaders
08:18who discuss these really important things
08:21in terms of IT.
08:23I think it's about collaboration,
08:24and I actually say,
08:25is this really useful for the English curriculum
08:27or the American curriculum?
08:29So it's about collaboration, I think.
08:31I think that leads to success
08:33in different curricula.
08:34I can see that.
08:35Do you want to have a different view?
08:37It's not a different, I don't know,
08:38this is where you're at, right?
08:40Yes, my voice is.
08:41Yeah, your voice is good enough anyway.
08:43It's a teaching experience.
08:45I'm a principal, I'm in law school, right?
08:48So I don't think the,
08:51what you're asking for is that the collaboration,
08:54like has there been any software
08:57or any program where schools can collaborate
09:01and work together?
09:02I wish, as we can see, for example,
09:04on the NWPA platform,
09:07that we can see, primarily in the US,
09:10how can we rate our students' level
09:13according to American level?
09:16I wish we can see in Dubai schools,
09:19for example, if we can see math testing results
09:22on the application, on the platform,
09:24so this way I can see my students' level
09:27compared to the region I'm in.
09:29It's not there,
09:31because we're still competitive
09:32when it comes to private schooling,
09:35so it wouldn't help a great deal,
09:37because we also, when we do inspection,
09:40we tend to work together,
09:42well, in isolation, to achieve certain rating,
09:46but if we were to know
09:49how were our schools in the region doing,
09:54and how did they achieve that,
09:56then we can all rise together.
09:59Anyone agree or disagree with that sentiment?
10:01I agree, and I think the government
10:03is working towards that,
10:04particularly with the local authorities,
10:06like whether it's FIIA in Sharjah,
10:08ADEC in Abu Dhabi, KUHB,
10:10trying to get the schools together
10:12to collaborate.
10:13I think in terms of that collaboration,
10:14I think it's more recommendations,
10:16what we're talking about.
10:18Obviously, if you have a network of principals
10:19that you know, you can say,
10:21we've got these results in your school,
10:22how is it useful?
10:23So one particular IT resource
10:27I was considering,
10:28and then other principals in the school
10:29said, actually, wait,
10:31this is actually another one I can recommend to you.
10:33So I think it's having that recommendation
10:35from the leader that helps support you.
10:38But yeah, definitely collaboration.
10:39Obviously, there's a little bit of,
10:41there always is competition between schools,
10:43but I think when we had a meeting
10:45about the PHA,
10:46I don't know whether you attended that,
10:48so it was all to do with feedback
10:50from principals about what's working well
10:52and what's not,
10:53and I think we're looking at,
10:54in the region that we have,
10:55whether that support will finish yet.
10:57What about the challenge,
10:58and I guess a lot of parents
11:00often have this point of view,
11:02we understand technology is a necessity,
11:04it's a great advantage,
11:05it's a tool,
11:06but what about the challenge for teachers
11:08to minimize distractions?
11:09It's probably a question parents pose more than others.
11:12Starting with you,
11:13Dr. Atik, night schools,
11:14how are you looking at trying to minimize
11:17the distractions that technology can have for students?
11:20Yeah, I mean, one of the things
11:21is we definitely promote technology,
11:23so we don't want to completely take it away
11:25from lessons.
11:26One of the things that we are working on
11:28at the moment is having learning stations
11:30across the board,
11:31not just in kid learning,
11:33and one of the stations
11:35would be just focused on technology,
11:37so instead of completely eliminating it,
11:39we give an opportunity there.
11:42In terms of distractions,
11:43I mean, we do have a BYOD policy
11:47where students bring in their own device,
11:49but everything is monitored.
11:51You know, we got firewalls in place
11:52so they can't be on social media.
11:55We have Google Classroom
11:56where they post their work up on there,
11:58so that's kind of how we're able to manage that.
12:01I think it's important to say
12:02that it's not taking over the curriculum as well.
12:04You know, parents always ask that question,
12:06you know, how much of a session time
12:08are our children on devices?
12:09And actually, they don't want them
12:11to be on there all the time.
12:12I think we have to make sure
12:14that we're clear of it's an enhancement tool.
12:17You know, whenever we can do things
12:18in a traditional way,
12:19we'll continue to do that,
12:20especially within FS,
12:22transdisciplinary English and maths
12:24and verbal communication.
12:27I'm not huge fan of having FS using iPads,
12:29because I'm afraid that's way too early.
12:32So I think it's having that communication
12:34with your parents on the fact
12:35that it's an enhancement tool
12:36rather than taking over the curriculum.
12:39I think it's all about the balance
12:41between the use of technology
12:44and the use of the actual resource
12:48as the book and the notebook.
12:50This way, because in the end,
12:53you have your customers,
12:55who are the parents,
12:57who are,
12:58we'll say this again.
12:59No.
13:00But you'll have a plan B.
13:04Yeah, my voice, right?
13:06So the balance between the two
13:09is the challenge for me,
13:11because I still have those parents
13:14that would like to see their kids
13:16using the pen and paper,
13:19because they feel somehow
13:21that their motor skills are important.
13:24So when you do, as a school,
13:26that's a challenge for you,
13:27is the balance between the two.
13:29There is another challenge
13:31that when we are talking about firewall,
13:34or in my case,
13:36it's an MPN that protects the device
13:40and controls the device during the school day,
13:43you see the parents sending the child another device.
13:48For them, if they would like to play
13:49during the school day.
13:51So as much as you do for the older kids,
13:54sending them a VPN so they can break the wall.
13:58So that is a challenge.
13:59There's always an aunt or brother
14:00or an older sister that helps you break the system.
14:03That is a challenge.
14:04Yeah.
14:06That's very funny.
14:07You mentioned that you're an Apple school,
14:11but I want to know,
14:12and again, I'm going to be subject
14:13to the three of you,
14:15technology is moving so fast.
14:18How, as a school,
14:19if you make a significant investment
14:21in hardware or software,
14:22but in 12 months,
14:23there's an update or a change,
14:25how do you combat a challenge like that?
14:29Of just the rapidity
14:30that you get a change in technology?
14:31Yeah, I think we promote it.
14:34I don't think we try to...
14:35Well, just in terms of whether your technology
14:37may be out of date,
14:38or maybe it may,
14:39you know, you might bring a certain technology
14:42to the school or the curriculum,
14:44but then you realise that there needs to be an update,
14:46or it's out of phase.
14:49I think we just need to adapt.
14:50It's a matter of adapting,
14:52but it's not just us.
14:53The world is adapting to the change.
14:55Right.
14:56But it's a legit thing.
14:59You're trying to ask us right now,
15:01how do we adapt, right?
15:03Because in the end,
15:04we are principals of the school,
15:06and we do not control the budget.
15:08We are part of the budget.
15:10But really, to be able to do it,
15:13we have to go through massive change
15:15in all of the school devices,
15:17from, for example,
15:18interactive whiteboard to Promethean panels,
15:22and that was a huge cost, of course.
15:26So every, I would say,
15:28every five years when it comes to technology
15:32or devices that you have in the school,
15:34you have to look at what is available,
15:37and you will change.
15:38So if the school was a large school,
15:40then the cost would be huge.
15:43If the school was a smaller school,
15:45it would be at a different scale.
15:46Yeah.
15:47But when it comes to technology,
15:48which piece of technology
15:49do you think has been the most influential?
15:52Is there an app,
15:53or is there a piece of hardware,
15:55or has there been something
15:56that has been thought about
15:57the biggest change to curriculum?
15:59I mean, COVID was huge.
16:01So the Zoom learning.
16:02That was like an overnight shift
16:04from like, you know,
16:05everybody got on TVs in Google Classrooms
16:08and CSUN, all of that.
16:10So that was kind of a change in sound.
16:12I agree with you.
16:13That's what you tell them now.
16:14So I mean, if that happens again,
16:16we've had some of our rain days
16:18where the school has to close.
16:20We have to revert back to that,
16:21and teachers feel very confident now
16:23with the online learning process.
16:24And parents were actually very much
16:26part of the classroom.
16:27So that actually made parents happy in that way.
16:30It might have made them happy,
16:31but I know from experience,
16:32some teachers didn't like
16:33that parents were in the background
16:34going, I'm gonna be late.
16:35That's right.
16:36So that was an added pressure to teachers.
16:40It was a pressure time.
16:41But the fact that they were able to adapt,
16:43I mean, you know,
16:44we've had a lot of adaptions up,
16:45you know, modifications we had to do
16:47in that time.
16:48Also children wearing masks,
16:49we don't do all of that,
16:50but we were able to show how resilient
16:52the teachers are,
16:53as well as the children.
16:54So it was a very challenging time.
16:56But we got a lot of learning from it.
16:58I just said, you know,
16:58from challenge comes learning.
17:00And...
17:00And those are the apps that became famous
17:03at the time.
17:03Right, right.
17:04Yeah.
17:05Just to mention one other thing
17:06about my school, obviously,
17:07I don't have the challenge of,
17:08you know,
17:08if you have an old school
17:09where you're re-changing,
17:12you know,
17:13all of the things I've got today.
17:15Because I'm a part of a new school,
17:16we haven't had that problem.
17:18So it is looking at
17:19what's available right now,
17:20what's the up-and-coming resources.
17:22And we have something called
17:23our immersion lab,
17:24where we have full-fledged
17:25new immersion classroom space,
17:28which has been changing,
17:29you know,
17:30a bit of changing for us.
17:31I think you're lucky as a new school
17:33because you have, again,
17:34all the new resources available to you.
17:37So I wanted to highlight that
17:38as something.
17:39Yeah, that's one of the,
17:40that's one of the difficult,
17:42one of the great challenges
17:43that has certainly come from that.
17:45I want to know how classrooms
17:47are changing.
17:47You mentioned screens.
17:49Has there been a move towards headsets,
17:51VR headsets?
17:52Has this come into the classroom yet?
17:53We've seen the Apple Pro,
17:54I remember we've got the Quest headset.
17:57Has this been used at all
17:59or has this only been trialed
18:00at the moment for it
18:01becomes more mainstream?
18:02So I mentioned the immersion lab
18:04in our school,
18:05that we do have VR headsets
18:07as part of that zone.
18:09So we've got creative handlers,
18:11a team room as well as a DT lab
18:13and an immersion room.
18:14And part of the immersion room
18:16is having access to the VR headsets.
18:18And again,
18:19enhancements are part of being immersed
18:21in the curriculum,
18:22cross-curricular environment,
18:25or any subject can be promoted
18:27in that way.
18:28But again, it's not to take over.
18:32We are part of having gamification
18:34as part of the curriculum.
18:35I'd rather have,
18:36I've got two boys myself,
18:38having that gamification
18:39in the curriculum rather than at home.
18:41And I think that is obviously going to be,
18:43as we're moving towards that sort of time,
18:45that children are so involved in games
18:47and online games,
18:49that bringing it to the curriculum
18:50is only going to be an advantage.
18:53What about the issue,
18:54and again, this probably comes
18:55because most of the people here are parents
18:58that are looking at how technology is changing.
19:01Everyone recognises that technology
19:03has a hugely positive impact,
19:05but is it detracting
19:06from the communication skills
19:08among students?
19:09Are you seeing over time
19:10that as they may be changing,
19:13I'm not going to say communication skills
19:15are dropping off,
19:16but are you seeing a change
19:17in the way students communicate?
19:18I'm going to go back to COVID a little bit,
19:20you know, in terms of social interactions.
19:23And it's funny that you say that,
19:24my brother is actually a psychiatrist,
19:26so is his wife in the States.
19:28And after COVID,
19:30the biggest patients that they had
19:32were actually adolescents
19:33because they were gone for so long,
19:35kind of behind the screen.
19:37When they can't go back to class,
19:39you know, that kind of was an issue,
19:41but it didn't seem like
19:42it was a big thing in design,
19:43I felt like, I don't know.
19:45I think more in the FS.
19:46In the FS, you know,
19:47all that year, even now,
19:48you see the kind of
19:50detrimental effect it had
19:51on the children not being able
19:52to have that play environment
19:54and all they missed out
19:55on that whole year of learning.
19:57And it definitely affected the,
19:58you know, kind of levels
19:59when they came into year one.
20:01And that's why a lot of schools
20:03continue to kind of FS
20:04curriculum in year one
20:05because they missed out on that.
20:07But, you know, that is all about
20:08them reaching out and having
20:11that opportunity to discuss
20:13their learning with each other.
20:14On the other hand,
20:15now, even when we are using iPads,
20:18children are able to communicate
20:20and discuss things.
20:20So it's not like we have
20:21every single child on the device.
20:22We might have one device in a group.
20:25So we're always conscious of ensuring
20:27that we are having that opportunity
20:28to have different skills
20:30of reading, writing and discussion,
20:32speaking and listening,
20:33speaking and learning.
20:34We cannot take that out of curriculum.
20:36So using the iPad alongside
20:38the iPad is crucial.
20:39That's a useful statement, yes.
20:40I want to say that the communication
20:43was affected positively
20:45by using the technology
20:48because they have different ways
20:51to communicate right now.
20:53So kids right now, they don't.
20:56I mean, I get emails from students
20:59more than I get emails from staff
21:01because they feel they can speak to us,
21:04all of us, so they can speak
21:06to their teacher using
21:07without sending them an email.
21:08They can send an email
21:09to the principal to ask for something.
21:11So they send an email
21:12to their parents to tell them
21:14that I did not like the sandwich
21:15or whatever.
21:16So what I'm trying to say
21:17is that communication is at its best.
21:20It's different from the communication
21:23that we think about
21:25when we talk about communication.
21:27Now, has it affected them
21:29when they sit together?
21:31Can they talk to each other?
21:33I think it is different
21:35because they speak to each other
21:37different in different ways.
21:38They probably now have new vocabulary
21:41that is connected with some emojis
21:44that they have or so.
21:46But I think they communicate
21:49at its best communication
21:51in a different way.
21:52Yeah. Doctor, you look like
21:54you want to add something?
21:55No.
21:56Oh, that was I was going to think
21:57you were going to throw me all over YOLO
21:59just to come up to my hip.
22:00I was talking about emojis.
22:02You know, when they come in
22:03to teach us the new lingo.
22:05Yeah, I understand.
22:06I was going to say the initial
22:10letters that we use, like I don't know.
22:13Things like this.
22:14You make more of a conversation
22:16about the things that people don't know.
22:19We are going to open it up
22:20if anyone does have a question at all.
22:22This is a great opportunity
22:23to speak to three of the leaders
22:25within the industry here.
22:26So if you do have any questions,
22:28Gordon is generally running around
22:30to get a microphone to one of you.
22:33What about the impact
22:34technology has had on homework
22:37and the ability to absorb content at home?
22:40If you've got these great
22:41pieces of technology
22:42like you introduced
22:43in the in the classroom
22:44at the Glendale International School,
22:47how then does it get back to being art?
22:49And is it changing our classroom
22:50and homework is done
22:51or is it just a continuation
22:53of the technology
22:53that you've got in the classroom?
22:54I know from the parents
22:56that I talk to, they don't want
22:58all of the work to be online.
23:00So they set it up open to me
23:02and that was something
23:03that was, again, something
23:05that I totally agree with the parents.
23:06I think about, you know,
23:07when my son went to school
23:10and it was online
23:11and I had no understanding
23:12of whether he had done that correctly.
23:14I had no communication from that.
23:17Homework that was shared to say
23:19where is my child at level wise?
23:21So I think parents really want
23:23the virtual visit part to play
23:24for online homework,
23:26but also physical hard copy
23:28going back is we give that out
23:29in our school every week.
23:30So we don't want to lose
23:32the skill of writing
23:33and allowing the children
23:34to have the opportunity
23:35to do some sort of journal
23:37writing every week.
23:38But alongside with online
23:40learning, particularly maths,
23:42that works better.
23:43But at the same time,
23:45if parents want to help their child,
23:47they find that difficult.
23:47If they don't have an example
23:48or something to show them,
23:49that is physical.
23:50I think that's important.
23:52I think, you know,
23:52our methods of learning maths
23:54are very different
23:54to what we're teaching now.
23:55And that's the first
23:58complaints that come to me
23:59are about maths strategies
24:01or using all these different strategies
24:02that we don't know how to help our child.
24:04Online isn't helping us.
24:05So I think in that way,
24:07we can use those tools
24:08more effectively.
24:09Having said that,
24:10we have an online platform to say
24:12here's an example video
24:13of how you do it, right?
24:14This is, you can use it.
24:15I mean, I also think maths
24:17is also one of the more
24:18challenging subjects
24:18for parents to help their kids
24:20with anyway, before or after
24:22technology.
24:23On a personal note,
24:24I remember when I was in year four,
24:26there was nothing more exciting
24:27than getting my pen licence.
24:29So you've still got
24:30to remember that you still need
24:32to read and write
24:33and get away from technology.
24:36Which subject do you think has been
24:39has received the most benefit
24:41through technology?
24:42Are there specific subjects
24:44that the developments in technology
24:45are assisting more than others?
24:47I think science and art
24:48are, sorry I'm taking the other one.
24:50I'll say science,
24:51because there is so much opportunity
24:53for sharing experiments now
24:55without having the resources
24:56to have you do it online.
24:59But a lot of craziness
25:00can be generated from that.
25:02Maths is also, again,
25:03where you can see the method being taught
25:05and you can follow the steps.
25:08So I think for maths and science
25:09more so, I would say.
25:11Definitely the online simulations
25:13for science.
25:14Yeah, that's magic.
25:16Yes, if you're asking about
25:18the resources available for students,
25:20but if you want to ask about
25:22the use of technology
25:23and in teaching the subject,
25:25I cannot decide on a subject
25:28because all of them are going to use
25:30the resources available
25:33for their own subject.
25:34But in terms of available resources,
25:37external resources for teachers,
25:39probably English, maths, science, yes.
25:42But then I have seen some amazing
25:45Arabic classes, for example,
25:47and the teacher was using technology
25:49100% in whatever she was doing,
25:52because it's an Apple classroom, again,
25:54in the end.
25:54So where students are doing
25:56whatever they're doing on their iPad
25:57and they can project
25:58and then they can share
25:59and they can present.
26:00So all of that is using technology
26:03in whatever subject.
26:05Any questions from anyone at this stage?
26:07Any questions is a great opportunity
26:09for anyone.
26:10We've got two here, so we'll go,
26:11we'll look at ladies first.
26:13Good, we've got a question
26:16down the front here.
26:17We'll see if Matt's microphone works
26:19and you can, on the aisle, please.
26:21Quick hand up, yeah.
26:24Thank you very much,
26:26so it's very informative
26:27and different experiences
26:30that's very interesting to hear from it.
26:33My name is Rowan Nightingall.
26:35Just two questions from the audience.
26:38In terms of technology,
26:40so you speak of the challenge
26:42of humans in terms of being
26:44technology-led teachers,
26:45basically getting to know
26:46how to respond to texts
26:48with new kids and new generation,
26:50basically.
26:52How do you think that
26:53education sectors and people
26:55training parents
26:58learn new technology
27:00that is in use
27:01in education sectors,
27:03such as schools, universities?
27:05Now, we concentrate on school,
27:08so that's one question.
27:09I think that's a really good one.
27:13So the question, just,
27:15just to bring that up.
27:17We have a how to IT session,
27:19it's literally called how to IT,
27:20and it's for parents.
27:22And then, you know,
27:23parents come in
27:24and then we have both,
27:26you know, we can have the IT person there
27:27or a voice translator,
27:28just go through the different programs
27:30that you're using.
27:32So I think it's keeping
27:34parents updated.
27:35We want to know what's happening in schools,
27:36so parent workshops, obviously.
27:38When new parents come and join us,
27:41we always showcase the reality
27:43that they're happening in classrooms.
27:44There has to be that partnership
27:46with the school and parents
27:47until you see about changes.
27:49You already mentioned something
27:51earlier when you talked about
27:53having videos for parents
27:55to show them how to do things.
27:58So those, if they were available
28:00to raise the awareness for parents
28:02in terms of how to reach
28:05for the resources on our platform,
28:08can you put it,
28:09you make the video with them,
28:11how, in Arabic and English,
28:13then you help and you support the parent.
28:15I love that.
28:16Tutorials.
28:17Yeah.
28:17The use of AI now,
28:19you can translate that into any subject.
28:22Teachers are using AI,
28:24so we're now performing
28:24into their objectives.
28:25We have a lot of children
28:27doing this from Russia.
28:28And now, teachers are,
28:31for daily lessons,
28:32just coming up with objectives
28:33in their language,
28:34which supports the learning
28:35of the professor.
28:36Which obviously takes the stress
28:37off the teachers and allows them
28:38to thrive themselves in the classroom.
28:41Questions after that,
28:43if Mr. Gordon can do his
28:46genius work with the microphone.
28:48Hello, thank you very much.
28:50Very nice session.
28:53I have a question.
28:54Actually, when we were talking
28:56about the technology.
28:58You can hear me.
28:59Yeah, it's pretty awkward
29:00when I'm talking.
29:00Actually, when you were talking
29:01about the new technology,
29:02and we've seen that there's
29:04so many,
29:04that bring on,
29:05in a lot of ways,
29:06already implemented in all the schools.
29:09How do you use eyes
29:12and make sure that there's
29:14some effects out there, right?
29:15In this game.
29:17All the time,
29:18we consider that,
29:18people who are in the school,
29:20we're just considering
29:21only in the technology side,
29:23and the screen time,
29:24for the kids.
29:25So, the concern is,
29:27what are the eyesight,
29:28looking at screens the whole time?
29:30And CYOT, is that correct?
29:32Any of the things
29:33that we are considering,
29:34that how we can be better
29:36with kids?
29:37Is that sort of an
29:38OHS issue,
29:39for teachers or students,
29:40that we're constantly
29:41looking at screens,
29:42or is that not?
29:43Well, we monitor screen time,
29:44and that's why,
29:45like I said,
29:46we completely eliminate it
29:47from all the lessons,
29:48but we have a station,
29:49so when they are rotating,
29:52there's a station focused
29:53on technology.
29:54And you mentioned earlier,
29:55sometimes it's not,
29:56everybody's individually
29:57on their laptop or iPad.
30:00It might be where they're
30:01doing group work,
30:02but they might want,
30:03they have one iPad out,
30:04and that's not how
30:05they're achieving
30:06their learning objective.
30:07Yeah, I think digital brain,
30:08they know that,
30:09that hasn't become
30:11not completely a concern,
30:13for parents,
30:14and I think they get
30:15that a lot,
30:16a lot from parents,
30:17about how much,
30:18I would say,
30:19percentage of time,
30:20percentage,
30:21but we're saying that's
30:22enhanced to where we need.
30:24But it's a good question,
30:25you know,
30:25but actually,
30:26when they have the iPads
30:27in the classroom,
30:28we should have more
30:29of those protective screens.
30:30Or the blue light glasses,
30:32blue lens glasses.
30:33That is something
30:33that we need to consider,
30:34maybe in the future.
30:36You don't know,
30:37whether you,
30:38I'll ask,
30:39I'm not saying we're
30:40ruling it out,
30:41but I can see,
30:42maybe schools in the future
30:42will have that.
30:43You said for Australia?
30:45No,
30:46because we're 20 years back.
30:49Right now,
30:50whatever screens we have,
30:51is protected.
30:54We're all here,
30:55as adults,
30:56we are,
30:58on the screen,
30:59looking for stuff.
31:00Oh certainly,
31:01we're always looking
31:02at our phones.
31:02Almost all are using
31:04the internet.
31:07What about the situation,
31:08how specifically,
31:10is technology changing?
31:11And we did touch on this
31:12with a few apps,
31:13but at your schools,
31:14how is technology changing
31:15the assessments and the exams,
31:17to make it easier for teachers,
31:19rather than students?
31:20How is technology helping teachers?
31:21Well one of the nice things
31:22is it's adaptive.
31:24You know,
31:25whether we're doing
31:26common assessments,
31:27or it's external assessment.
31:28Even Arabic IBT now,
31:30moving forward,
31:31and what it means by adaptive,
31:33is if there's a question
31:35for a student,
31:36and he gets it right,
31:37it goes on to the next level,
31:38a harder level.
31:39If he gets it wrong,
31:40it goes back.
31:42The questions are automatically
31:43differentiated.
31:45A lot of the tests now
31:46are all online.
31:47We have our NGRT,
31:49we do tests three times a year,
31:51that's online.
31:52Our end of year assessments
31:54are also online for Gmail.
31:56And I have more,
31:56so most of the assessments
31:57are all going to be online.
31:59Then you have the question of,
32:00are we putting a lot of focus
32:02on writing,
32:02when we don't need to?
32:04And that's one of the questions
32:05I would have,
32:06and I was speaking to my son
32:07today about this,
32:08and he said,
32:08he's actually going
32:09towards a GCSE.
32:10He said, well,
32:11GCSEs are still in written form.
32:13So is that going to change
32:14in the future?
32:15I don't know.
32:16But a lot of primary assessments
32:17seem to be all online.
32:18We're going from our GCSEs
32:20into A-level,
32:21but still.
32:22It's actually pretty challenging
32:23for some students
32:24to suddenly have to get back
32:25into the craft of writing.
32:27Yeah, definitely,
32:28yes, definitely.
32:29Yeah, because even I can see
32:31from personal experience,
32:33whenever I've,
32:34and it sounds funny,
32:34every Christmas,
32:35when I get a Christmas card,
32:36I can tell who has
32:37ducked onto school,
32:39where they used to have
32:39to write every day,
32:40because we are suffering
32:42a little bit in the quality
32:43of our handwriting.
32:44Does that affect teachers
32:46when it comes to exams,
32:47when you're looking at handwriting,
32:49or is that a bit too simple?
32:51Particularly American curriculum,
32:53like the PSATs and SATs,
32:55they're all online.
32:56So it's different than A-levels
32:57and your IGCSEs.
32:59So that has a-
33:00I think that's important.
33:02Like, if you're 16 years old,
33:03I'm thinking that's the way
33:04forward for America.
33:05And I can see that
33:06pretty strictly with a 16-year-old.
33:07Before it wasn't.
33:07They used to send you boxes
33:09with a lot of code,
33:10and you know,
33:10they sent you boxes.
33:11Now, it's changed.
33:12Strategy.
33:13AP classes, AP exams
33:15are still written exams.
33:16Yeah.
33:17Any last questions
33:19before we finish things up?
33:20Because I want to finish off
33:22with the three of you.
33:24Which piece of technology,
33:25going forward,
33:26do you think is going to be
33:27the most influential
33:28when it comes to teaching?
33:29ChatGPT.
33:30It is ChatGPT.
33:32But that wheel TV's down the track.
33:35What do you think?
33:36Imagine, what do you tend to think?
33:37Which piece of technology
33:38is going to be the most
33:39influential in teaching?
33:40AI.
33:41General?
33:42Yeah.
33:43Definitely AI.
33:44I think that's going to develop
33:44so much more than just ChatGPT.
33:46Because so much of that
33:47is going to take over with that.
33:49And we have to embrace it.
33:50We have to use it
33:50and take it forward even further.
33:52Because it's a game changer already.
33:54I have a different theory.
33:56I think that
33:57the school,
33:58the way we see it nowadays,
34:00may not be there in the future.
34:02And students won't have
34:04self-paced schooling
34:07with the usage of technology or AI.
34:11There are possibilities.
34:12Is that because more and more
34:14with the evolving nature of industries
34:16and technology in those industries,
34:17it's the schools that make you more employable?
34:19Is that part of where you're coming from?
34:22That what we need in the workforce
34:23are lifelong learners
34:24and people who are willing to adapt.
34:26Look, I always tell the parents
34:28you're sending your kids to school
34:30not to get the knowledge
34:32but to socially interact with people.
34:36Getting the knowledge,
34:37they can get the knowledge anywhere.
34:39They can stay at home
34:40and be homeschooled
34:41and get the knowledge.
34:41You see, I was homeschooled.
34:43I was homeschooled from the age of
34:45what you said, in Australia,
34:47that's 13, high school, of 14.
34:49And I did go back.
34:51And I learned so many other life lessons
34:54where I didn't learn.
34:55And I noticed this when I started to,
34:57because I was ill
34:58when I was 18 or 19.
35:00I hadn't learned how to kind of
35:01stick up for yourself in the lunch area.
35:04And that goes exactly back
35:06to what it takes you.
35:07It's that when you get out there
35:08and you're like, oh, you know,
35:10I didn't learn that lesson
35:11that when someone took my lunch money
35:12to find a piggy key
35:13to get my lunch money back, right?
35:15To be simplistic.
35:16And so I think that really does
35:17key to the idea of socializing
35:19and teamwork and working with people
35:20who may not like you
35:22and try to thrive in those situations.
35:23Yeah.
35:24And I completely agree with you.
35:26I think it's not necessarily knowledge
35:28because you can get that off of Google,
35:30but it's developing that skill
35:32to be able to go research
35:34and find it.
35:35And, you know, yeah, so you're right.
35:37Any last questions for anyone
35:38before we wrap things up
35:39because this has been a good session?
35:40No?
35:41Well, we thank you very much to our panelists.
35:42Give them a round of applause, please.
35:45Dr. Gina McFarland,
35:46the principal of United Schools.
35:48Imagine you stay the principal
35:49of the American School of Creative Sciences
35:51and that Jasmine Payne,
35:52the principal of Glendale International School.
35:55Thank you very much.
35:56We're back here at three o'clock
35:57for the next session.
35:58Choosing the right school for your child
36:00from kindergarten to year 12.
36:01Thanks to your result, please educate.
36:03Thank you very much.