Khaleej Times Article - Ushering in a New Age of Digital Learning

Published today in the Khaleej Times. The title doesn't really work (!) but the article contains a couple of intersting things going on in GEMS schools.

Click here for full article.

Future of Tech-powered Education - Wamda article

The work of the GEMS Innovation, Research and Development team featured on

Click here for full article.

Preparing for a New Age of Learning

This latest article for the GEMS Family Magazine (Issue 10) highlights some great steps forward in the apporoach to teaching, learning and digital normalisation in GEMS schools. Great to see this taking hold, with the new ecosystem proving to be the catalyst we hoped it would be!

There is no doubt that we now live in an era of unprecedented opportunity when it comes to learning. With ubiquitous devices, literally millions of apps available to download, easy access to online learning through MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and other online learning services, such as Khan Academy and YouTube, it is an exciting time to be a learner, whether we are students, teachers or parents! Indeed, many of us fall into two or even three of these categories! For adults gaining further qualifications today, it is clear that online options now dominate the world of learning. So what about our children, the adults of tomorrow? How are we preparing them for a world of digital learning?

For the first time, more than 50% of standardized tests in US elementary schools are now digitised. Universities are also rapidly expanding their digital offerings, as they become more confident in the validity of online qualifications. Leading US institutions such as Harvard, MIT and Stanford, along with the IIT in India have long been pioneers of the MOOC and, despite criticism over course completion rates, the online learning phenomenon continues to gain momentum, as education providers embrace the disruptive potential of the Internet.  Leeds University in the UK recently announced that it was partnering with Futurelearn, set up by The Open University, to reduce the time needed, and cost, of gaining a Russell Group degree. Students taking Futurelearn courses will gain credits towards their degrees, indicating further acceptance of online learning by leading institutions.

And yet, the UK Commons Science and Technology Committee reports that 12 million British adults lack ‘basic digital knowhow’ and this is costing the UK economy an estimated £63 billion a year. Similar statistics are to be found around the world and schools simply cannot ignore this skills gap.

It is essential that schools equip their students with the digital learning skills they will need to flourish when they move on to higher education and into the world of work. This is why all GEMS schools have been provided with the opportunity to access a cutting edge Personalised Online Learning Ecosystem (POLE). Built around the ‘My Learning’ virtual learning environment, this evolving ecosystem is already transforming the way in which our teachers are organizing the learning experience for their students.

We are delighted to share the following case studies, demonstrating how the new GEMS Personalised Online Learning Ecosystem (POLE) is transforming the learning experience for our students and preparing them for lifelong learning in a digital world. Congratulations to all the teachers, students and parents involved in this exciting work!  We can all look forward to more fantastic online learning in GEMS schools this year and I know the students and teachers can’t wait to get going!

Phil Redhead

Senior Manager – Digital Strategy

GEMS Innovation, Research and Development

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

History Courses ‘Flow’ through My Learning at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis

By Helen Loxston-Baker

Assistant Director of Arts, Humanities, Sports and Leisure

GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis

My Learning is a fantastic tool for creating independent and personalised learning for students, which is why I decided to create an online course for Year 8 History.  The students were used to using devices for home learning, but I wanted to incorporate the use of digital technology further into lessons.  The key topic for the unit was the Tudors, with a focus on the use of propaganda through portraits. 

The course function within My Learning allows for a personalised approach to learning for the students as they can work at their own pace, while still having to stick to deadlines.  This enables the students to manage their time and become independent in their learning.  The use of instructional videos is essential to teach students key information or to explain historical concepts and skills.  This adds a personal touch for students who still have contact with their teacher, and who they can pause, rewind or stop as many times as needed until they master the learning required.  The course flow function within My Learning is fantastic for giving the students a clear route to take through the course as each activity is presented to them as a step by step guide.  The multi-media forum also enables the students to discuss their thoughts and ideas across the whole of Year 8, which is made up of 240 students.  By using the forum, students can connect with their peers in ways they would not ordinarily be able to.  This innovative approach to teaching has empowered students to think critically and creatively, while taking genuine ownership of their learning.

The response from the students has been overwhelmingly positive.  Engagement in lessons is high and some students are so engrossed that they have completed the work for the lesson at home, before they have even arrived at the lesson!  A fantastic problem for a teacher to have.  This provides the opportunity to stretch and challenge the students in lessons, further broadening and deepening their understanding and thinking about the topic.

Student quotes

What have you enjoyed about the challenge outcome and why?

“I’ve enjoyed the challenge outcome as we’ve done something new.  It’s not like the other challenge outcomes. It’s different as we get to present our work to others and people that we know.” - Lewis – Year 8

“I’ve enjoyed most getting to communicate with other people and learning what they know about Tudor portraits.  It doesn’t feel like I’m studying, I’m having fun. I get to draw my portrait and explain what I’m good at through my portrait.” -  Juliana – Year 8

“The thing that I enjoyed the most is creating my portrait and making the video.  It was fun as I could get all my ideas together, go with the flow and just create what I like.”  - Jordi – Year 8

What did you enjoy most about learning using the course in My Learning?

“I like the course on My Learning.  It was well structured and was really informative.  It was easy to use and imaginative.  It was quite a new way of learning.  I haven’t used anything like My Learning before. To be able to access courses though My Learning and different resources really helped me understand the topic. The main strength of the course was to use our own devices throughout.   It was nice to be able to use your own initiative and to work at your own speed.” – Lewis – Year 8

“I found myself more independent using My Learning. I don’t need to rely on a teacher that much, I can rely on myself and my laptop. I could work quicker too.” ” - Juliana – Year 8

“I enjoyed having the forums. You got to ask any question you want and it would be answered in twenty four hours.  If I didn’t know something I’d ask a question on there and someone, a friend or a teacher, would answer.” -Jordi – Year 8

Parents’ quotes

“My daughter has particularly enjoyed herself preparing for her Challenge outcomes. She enjoyed her history lessons this year.”

“I found the presentation really emotional, as my son had put his heart and soul into the work.”

GEMS Modern Academy Flipped Days

By Ritesh Dhanak

Supervisor – Digital Learning

GEMS Modern Academy

Educators have been talking about the flipped class for a while now, and the benefits of students learning in advance and more actively at home are proven beyond doubt. At Dubai Modern Academy, we decided to stretch this idea and conceptualized the ‘flip day’ – yes, flip a whole day of learning! The educational outcomes have been very interesting.

On 17^th May 2016, students of grades 3 and 4 stayed at home and were engaged through tasks provided by their teachers. These tasks were a combination of various subjects, with fusion as the flavour.  The young learners worked to achieve the tasks and upload/submit an outcome document at the end of the day. Students marked their attendance and completed their work through the fantastic My Learning system.

Students who were unable to stay at home came to school as normal, but were provided with a very different experience, mirroring the freedom, independence and ownership of their learning being enjoyed by their peers at home. These children were engaged in the same learning through the school’s IT infrastructure, using their own tablets and other devices, monitored and mentored by their teachers. The statistics for grade 3 and 4 flipped day speak for themselves:

Grade 3

Total Students	378
Logins from Home	318
Percentage logins from home	84%

Grade 4

Total Students	318
Total logins from home	280
Percentage logins from home	88%

Our teachers planned meticulously for the fusion of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics), along with Minecraft options and audio links, all created in-house.  It was an incredible learning experience, according to the children. Of course there was some anxiety among the parents, which the teachers and senior leadership team handled with alacrity.

After the success of the Flip Day for grades 3 and 4, it was now time for our middle and senior school students to follow suit. On 17^th May 2016, of 2072 students in grades 5-12, only 27 students of parents who had a challenge keeping them at home, showed up in school.

The tasks for grades 5-12 were designed for students to use their research skills to learn and produce work combining their knowledge and understanding of multiple subjects. The students were free to define their ways of working as long as they completed the tasks by end of the day and uploaded their work through the My Learning system.

Student Reflections/comments:

Om Jivandas  - 9A

‘It didn’t even register that I was not at school, I was so engrossed. All the questions were applied to real life which made them difficult, but very interesting too!’

Vaanchit Srikumar – 10D

‘It was a great experience to do things at my own pace and yet complete all that was set for me.’

Ananya Dangra – 6F

‘Flip day was an altogether new experience for me. The activities were well thought out and meticulously planned. The work I did on this day was fun. A memorable day that left me with a happy heart and enriched mind.’

Ananya Sharma – 6C

‘Flip day was a good experience and I am looking forward to more such days.’

Pritika Vij – Grade 8

‘I really like the connection of topics to real life application. Flip day helped us think out of the box and learn independently.’

According to Nargish Khambatta – Principal, GEMS Modern Academy, the real heroes of this entire initiative were our teachers, who planned the day so well that students were gainfully engaged at home. We also would like to acknowledge the support of parents and students who took on the challenge and made it a success.      

Special mention goes out to our IT Team and the GEMS IRD Digital Learning Team led by Phil Redhead, Andrew Nolan and Asha Sanjay, on the technical and strategic support that made this transformational learning experience possible.

Democratic Electronic Voting @GEMS New Millennium School, through My Learning

By Anita Pradan

Digital Learning Leader

In a brand new initiative, the GEMS New Millennium School Investiture Ceremony saw the student council leaders selected through online voting, which was a swift, interactive and fun event for the students of Grade 4 to 9.  A voting form (using the My Learning Form tool) was created in their individual grade specific learning spaces, with the photographs of 46 candidates who stood for 10 positions and sub councils.

Students just logged onto to My Learning and with one click on the drop down menus they could smoothly vote for the most eligible candidate of their choice for the various student leader categories. Results were attained right after the voting with the ‘Export’ option and we could easily filter the results to pick up the winners (maximum votes) by category.

The students from Grades 4 to 9 were very excited on Thursday, 14th April, 2016 early morning and they were allowed to login using their own devices in the homeroom time from 7.30 to 7.50 a.m. to complete the online voting. By 9.00 a.m., the results were announced on the PA system to the entire school.

A thrilled Eishitha Dermal and Anannya Jain of Grade 6B said, “It was easy to vote this time compared to last year as there were drop down choices and we just clicked the option. Each of us completed it in a 30 second record time.”

Innovation through the use of technology is a way of life at GEMS New Millennium School, and it was fantastic to see important areas of the curriculum such as citizenship and leadership combine seamlessly with modern technology to provide a wonderfully engaging experience for all our students.

The Roadmap to Digitizing Classrooms in MENA: Arabnet Article Published

It's fascinating to see the juxtaposition in approaches between 2 very different school groups as they are intertwined here. It's clear that both approaches are adding value and are right in each context, but would be disastrous if reversed!

Arabnet Spring 2016

Theory and Praxis Before Tech!

I was passed these questions from Arabnet for their upcoming publication of 'The Quarterly'. I suspect it will need to be decimated so here's the uncut version recorded for posterity!

Conclusion: we need to understand more about learning theory in the digital age, including the place of established theories, and THEN we can move to praxis, building models of learning based on our new understanding. Only then will technology be integrated with maximum impact at scale.

Interview Questions – Schools in MENA Embrace Technology – GEMS Education

1.      In what ways is your school digitized today? (ebooks? whiteboards? interactive learning platforms? social platforms?)

GEMS Education owns and manages over 40 schools in the MENA region, educating more than 100,000 students through a wide range of curricula and at various price points. It’s a complex educational landscape, but one of the constants is the high quality of learning provided to our students. We therefore strive to ensure that all children in GEMS schools have access to the tools, systems and associated teaching practices they need to maximize personalized learning outcomes and prepare them for a life of work, self-actualization and continuous learning in a digital, global society.

Of course, all GEMS schools provide secure and high-speed wireless Internet, a dynamic Online Learning Ecosystem, interactive display technology, media creation suites, mobile hardware and a range of online resources and software. Maker Spaces, Lego Studios and 3D printing facilities are also flourishing and increasingly smart data systems are ensuring that all our students’ progress, achievement and needs are known and acted upon. I would always stress, however, that starting with the goals of digitization and the provision of specific technologies is not a ‘smart’ thing to do!

For example, The Kindergarten Starters (a K-Grade 5 school with over 5000 students) was the first in the group to make the move to constantly updated digital textbooks and the school has blazed a trail in this area, providing a highly effective model from which others can learn. It should be noted, however, that the Principal, Ms. Asha Alexander, did not launch into a programme of digitization at all – and this is the main reason that her school is such a fantastic, constantly evolving, model. Under her visionary leadership, the process began by stepping back and considering the learning outcomes that the school really wanted for its students. They spent a long time re-writing the curriculum from scratch and only then did it become clear that digitization would be a key requirement of the school’s development. The school found that it simply could not deliver the desired outcomes without moving to a digital operating base. The recognition that digitization is not about specific technologies, but desired learning outcomes, is the first step towards providing our children with the educational experience they really need.

2.      What steps have you taken to digitize the school from the moment you decided to incorporate technology?

The challenge we face is not exclusive to GEMS, nor the MENA region. Rather, we are transforming an entire industry and profession on a global scale, in much the same way as the banking, media and other industries have been disrupted by technology. Schools are in the business of learning and the disruption in education is undoubtedly far more complex than in those industries mentioned. Better learning is the goal and, by ‘better’, I mean more relevant, personalized learning at a higher level and for all students. Moreover, every school and every educator has a different view of what is required – the what and how best to meet their students’ needs. Top down strategies simply aren’t sustainable in education. In the 1990s, I worked for one of the ‘Big Six’ accountancy firms and it never crossed anyone’s mind that we would go it alone, innovate and decide to use our own tax software because we thought it would provide a better service to clients. We could have suggested an alternative to the partners, but ultimately the decision would have been top-down, instantly scaled and non-negotiable. Anything else would have resulted in chaos. Now compare education, where each teacher is constantly innovating, caring passionately about his or her students and striving to improve learning for every child – and it must be said that they usually succeed, at least at the micro-level of the cohorts they teach. Throw in the fact that there is no real global consensus in the profession or academia of what best practice really is, then it is no surprise that we are seeing a very different dynamic in the digital evolution of schools than in other industries.

So, the organic evolution of effective practice through teacher innovation is something that we encourage in GEMS schools.  The challenge is to scale these effective practices within a clearly defined, shared vision and to empower our schools to meet the needs of their students. The decision to incorporate technology must be taken in light of the learning outcomes the school has identified for its students and the ‘what and how’ is different in every case. Each school community is different and there is no educational ‘ATM’ as we saw in the retail banking industry. The decision to digitize was not taken at the top in education – it happened initially with innumerable teacher-innovators experimenting with technology to find a better way and to improve outcomes for their students. As Sir Ken Robinson has pointed out: “Rock’n’Roll wasn’t a government initiative.”

Of course, we need cohesion and direction, and it is incumbent on school principals to create, communicate and consistently model an inclusive, shared vision for their school communities, always starting with the desired learning outcomes. The role of the GEMS Digital Strategy team is to support our schools on their unique journeys to digital normalization. Fortunately, there are some common threads which form the basis of this support: a dynamic, flexible and highly customizable Online Learning Ecosystem; reliable infrastructure; professional learning programmes and networks for school leaders and educators; implementation of a certified Digital Citizenship curriculum in all schools; and a comprehensive programme of parent education and engagement.

3.      Can you give us the timeline of your school's journey towards digitization?

We have a 5-year Digital Strategy in place, which is closely aligned to the aims of the UAE’s Vision 2021 and the new National Inspection Framework. I think we are truly blessed to have such visionary leaders here in the UAE and I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever felt excited about an inspection framework! The document is surely unique in its focus, ambition and clear expectation of schools to innovate and digitize.  We are already seeing elements of the GEMS Digital Strategy, written primarily for our UAE schools, being adopted by our global network, which reinforces the belief that the UAE is leading the way in both its vision and action. Another benefit is that, by basing the digital strategy on the UAE Inspection Framework, we are meeting the very real and existing needs of our UAE schools in achieving outstanding status and beyond. We are indeed fortunate that these needs are so closely aligned and even more fortunate that we really started the journey many years ago, through the efforts of innumerable teacher-innovators and the Digital Learning Network.

4.      How big or small of an investment did it require in each phase?

Obviously, preparing a school’s infrastructure is costly – but it is vital not to cut corners on this. The secure, but flexible, digital ecosystem is the next greatest outlay and, again, this is crucial, as it provides the vehicle not only for effective digital and blended learning, but also the integration of smart data tools to support the learning process. Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) schemes in education should never be implemented with the goal of saving money. There are sound, educational reasons for students owning and managing their own devices and having these available in and out of school (Lee and Broadie, 2014). BYOT has been growing organically in our schools for many years and is a key element of our strategy. Most students already own suitable devices so it has been a natural progression to get these through the school gates. Leveraging these existing resources makes sense both educationally and financially. Finally, professional learning is critical and we are fortunate to have a well-established and comprehensive in-house programme, which includes digital learning, with teachers having the option of online, face to face and blended models to suit their needs. Alongside the engagement of global experts, I believe that GEMS teachers and school leaders enjoy a high level of professional support.

5.      What do you think is the most important element of the school that should be digitized in order for it to call itself a digitized school?

The mindset of all stakeholders must be digital if a school is said to have become digitally normal. This is really about attitudes to learning, culture and the acceptance by all staff, students and parents that the change is necessary, welcome and beneficial to children’s life chances. A shared digital mindset manifests itself in the realization that the school looks and feels vastly different in almost every area when compared to the position at the beginning of the journey. Lee and Broadie (2013) have produced a very helpful rubric of key indicators for assessing the stage a school has reached in its journey to digital normalization.  It should be stressed that digital normalization is not about doing everything digitally. Thankfully, statements that were once commonplace, along the lines of ‘all work will be done and assessed on computers’ have all but ceased and we are now seeing a far more pragmatic vision of effective technology integration, focused on situational fitness-for-purpose in terms of learning outcomes. When we are satisfied that all school leaders, teachers, students and parents are skilled in making decisions as to whether and how to use technology effectively and responsibly in any given situation, then a school may be said to be digitally normal. Of course, this journey never ends as the quest for excellence continues, set against an ever-rising bar!

6.      Who handles the schools' tech maintenance: in-house team or third party)?

All GEMS schools have permanent on-site IT engineers and are well supported by a central IT function.  In addition, we have strong partnerships with trusted partners such as Microsoft, Lego (Atlab) and the My Learning UK team, to name just a few. An essential element of all procurement decisions is the customer focus, adaptability and responsiveness of our partners, so this is very much by design. And, of course, ensuring that students learn to manage their own devices effectively, safely and responsibly, benefits everyone!

7.      How do you choose the technology for your school? 

We go through a rigorous process to predict ROI in terms of educational outcomes, set against the known needs of our schools. As stated previously, one of the key considerations is continuous support from our partners - and not just technical support. We expect technology providers to demonstrate that they truly understand and care about learning and our students. When we engage with providers, we are not buying technology; we are forming sustainable partnerships that will continuously improve our students’ learning.

It is always important to consider how new technology will fit within existing educational models and, if those models need to be changed, how this can be done. A good example of this is the innovative partnership with Pamoja at GEMS Wellington Academy, Dubai Silicon Oasis. In forming this partnership, it was clear that the school would need to transform the way it organized learning for its IB Diploma students, who would have the option of studying within a blended model. The programme provides students with the choice to take all or some of their units online on the Pamoja platform, with teacher support both online and face to face. It was clear that one of the key changes needed to accommodate this programme was the students’ timetable, which is now radically different and is conducive to supporting the greater degree of student ownership of, and accountability for, their learning. Initial concerns over students’ ability to keep on track have quickly dissipated, and the learners are reporting that the programme is helping them to become more disciplined. Furthermore, the lead teacher on the ground has found that, even though she is not teaching the students in the traditional sense, her knowledge of their progress through enhanced data analytics has greatly increased. This is empowering her to make more timely and effective interventions where necessary. She has commented that she now knows her students better than at any point in her career. Another consequence of the revised timetable is that students are finding that they have more time and opportunities to pursue other interests in the arts and sport, which is a great testament to the wider benefits of effective technology integration.

8.      Have you been approached by startups who offer digital solutions for your school? (e.g. Acadox) Are you hesitant to use their solution? Do you prefer solutions offered by more established companies?

The key factor is always the potential benefit for our students. One of the reasons we selected My Learning UK as the spine of our Online Learning Ecosystem was that they were relatively small and could provide a level of customer responsiveness, bespoke development and adaptability that was simply unavailable with the larger, more established companies in the field. Of course, the evaluation of the product itself was also extremely positive, as were the expertise, experience and philosophy of the individuals involved. There was a clear synergy in our educational goals and the calculated risk is continuing to pay dividends, with unprecedented usage, both in terms of learner engagement and the quality of learning taking place. Buoyed by this success, we are now working with a small startup to integrate an innovative, formative and summative assessment tool that has the potential to transform the way we assess student learning, engaging the students and their parents in a way that has been hitherto impossible. There is always a risk, but the potential pay-off is true ‘redefinition’ within the SAMR model, with unprecedented gains in student achievement.   

9.      What was/is the biggest challenge to digitize the school?

It is understandable that parents do not want to take risks with their children’s education and this has, in the past, presented a challenge as schools began the move to a digital operating base. We have worked hard over a number of years to engage parents in the change management process and we are now seeing a growing acceptance that digitization is necessary to provide our students with the knowledge and skills they will need for the future. We are now actually seeing a shift to a Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) mindset among parents, who realize that the risk of not making the move is greater than that of doing so! Many of our parents work in highly digitized and innovative professions, which has helped to build a consensus that schools also need to change if we are to truly prepare our students for life in the digital world.

Until now, inspection frameworks have been a barrier to digitization, as it has always been possible for a school to be rated ‘outstanding’ with little or no technology integration across the curriculum. This is now starting to change and the UAE Framework is likely to focus even more on this area in the coming years, providing a driver for a boom in digital learning.

10.  How did you cope with parents/teachers/staff who are not digital savvy? Did they show any resistance? 

People generally don’t resist change – they resist being changed – so we always talk far more about children’s learning than we do about technology. School leaders, teachers and parents care passionately about their children’s learning so, by relentlessly focusing on this, we gradually find more and more that digital solutions are often the most effective ones when looking at school improvement and better learning outcomes. Meeting all stakeholders at the level of what they really care about is critical and the more we focus on learning, the less resistance we see when digital solutions are floated.

Many parents are naturally concerned about their children’s use of technology. “Isn’t it a distraction? Will they be safe online? Will they become addicted?” are all common questions that parents ask.  We have found that the implementation of Common Sense Media’s K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum in our schools has gone a long way to eradicating the fears of our parents. The programme engages whole families and we have had the parent materials translated into Arabic and co-branded, to ensure we reach all our families effectively with a consistent message.

11.  What are the steps you are taking to deal with the short lifetime of tech? How do you future proof your institution?

A Bring Your Own Technology strategy is essential to future-proof our students’ access to learning in such uncertain times. Consumers are far more agile in adapting to changing trends than large organizations, where procurement cycles can see technology rendered obsolete before it has been embedded. Also, our evaluation process for new technology includes careful consideration of the flexibility and adaptability of the proposed solution. A good example is the selection of the My Learning VLE and the partnership we have established with the provider. This is very much a ‘pin cushion’ solution, rather than the traditional ‘bubble’ VLE and we are constantly adapting the system to meet the changing needs of our schools, integrating tools and content as required to provide a seamless, personalized workflow for all stakeholders. So, we future-proof by focusing on personalized learning and providing a cross-platform, cloud-based digital ecosystem that is capable of adapting quickly, is responsive to the changing needs of learners and can integrate emerging technologies.

12.  In your opinion, what are the top reasons for a school to go digital despite the great challenges especially in the region? 

It’s not just about technical skills, programming, entrepreneurship, making, design thinking, innovating and equipping our students for future commercial success – although these are all essential elements of the curriculum in progressive schools.  Full participation in a digital, global society is a basic entitlement for all children. Schools must, therefore, also provide their students with the skills, knowledge, attributes and values they need to engage sensitively and productively with the vast array of cultures they will inevitably encounter in the future, whilst maintaining a keen sense of their own heritage.  Every time I see our students, even young children, Skyping, co-constructing learning, co-creating, peer assessing and teaching their mother languages to others across continents, faiths and cultures, I become more convinced that this is an opportunity that we simply cannot deny any child in the digital age.

Lee and Broadie (2015) have argued that schools must go digital to survive in a consumer-driven market, where parents are beginning, quite rightly, to expect that their children will be learning in digitally normalized environments that reflect the real world. Given that this research also indicates an average 5 year journey, any school that doesn’t already at least have a plan is likely to be failing its students come 2021. It is hard to imagine in Dubai, for example, that the only places in the city that aren’t smart would be its schools.

13.  What positive (or negative) change did digitization have on your school?

I want to be very clear about this. If there is a consensus on anything between academics in this field, it is that throwing technology at a traditional learning model has little impact.  Schools globally (with many notable exceptions, of course) are failing to integrate technology effectively in terms of improving student learning across the curriculum (OECD, 2015).  Professor John Hattie’s work on Visible Learning suggests that ‘computer-assisted instruction’ has an effect size of d= 0.37 and ‘web-based learning’ an even poorer d =0.18. Those familiar with Hattie’s work will recognize that these findings show very limited positive impact on achievement. Hattie has, however, stated very clearly that he believes we are not realizing the full potential of technology because we need to re-imagine how we organize learning in order to maximize its impact. I agree with him and we have seen many examples of this in our schools, such as the Pamoja example already discussed. Another wonderful example was seen at GEMS Royal Dubai School, where the English Language Learning teacher went through this very process of re-imagining how she organized learning for her students, with accelerated learning outcomes in vocabulary acquisition averaging more than double the expected progress and one student making five years’ worth of progress in just one year.  Immediately, we were seeing effect sizes above d= 1.0. It should be noted that the teacher did not simply throw a piece of language software at the students – some of the key tools used were ubiquitous and not particularly groundbreaking these days: Google Docs, Minecraft, iMovie, Voki, Powtoon and, of course, personal devices. The impact was seen due to the way she organized the students’ learning, engaged their parents and siblings, changed the timetable, made the learning authentic, opened up the assessment rubric to the students, and a whole host of other non-digital innovations. The point is that the new learning process could not have happened without the technology, but this was just one essential part of a re-imagined model.  

Accordingly, the GEMS Digital Strategy focuses more on building new models of learning than it does on technology – and I firmly believe this is how it should be.

14.  What are the dominating teaching/learning trends you see in the next 5 years?

Astute educators are moving away from a fascination with technological advances (although they are still tracking these closely) and beginning to focus on emerging learning theories such as heutagogy, paragogy, connectivism, self-regulated learning and post-modernist perspectives such as rhizome theory. They are considering how these ideas tie in with the established, enduring theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, to build practical models of learning that can maximize the potential of learning technologies.  

It is a deeper understanding and application of these theories by teachers, school leaders and those involved in digital change management programmes that will drive how emerging technologies are integrated with maximum impact on learning.

Yes, we can talk in positive terms about flipped classrooms, blended learning, digital profiles, Internet of Things, Big Data and analytics, Game-based Learning, BYOT, MOOCS, micro-credentials, etc., but if the impact of digital transformation on students’ learning and life chances is to be maximized, then we must be aiming for the delivery of a coherent strategy based on a deep understanding of learning theory in the digital age. 

Looking back... and forward!

Whilst working on the continued implementation of the GEMS Innovation Strategy, I thought I'd look back to some of the work we did at Royal Dubai School. I dug up these happy memories! Some common factors that stand out and that I will now take forward are:

1. The children are always involved and at the heart of the innovations.

2. Everything is a team effort!

3. The more authentic the challenge, the better the learning.

4. Opportunities for global collaboration are a basic curriculum entitlement.

5. Showcasing success leads to more success for our children!

Now back to work!

Children of GEMS Royal Dubai School go Supersonic

3rd October 2010 by Wendy Berliner - Director Parental Engagement : Over two amazing days in November, 40 children from GEMS Royal Dubai School, aged between 7 and 11, attended the inaugural BETT Middle East technology show in Abu Dhabi.

These lucky children were the only ones in the whole of the UAE invited to take part in the World Class Learning exhibition, sponsored by Promethean and run by world-renowned expert on future learning, Professor Stephen Heppell.  Not only that, but the children also worked with the Bloodhound Supersonic Car team, led by former land speed world record holder Richard Noble OBE and his Chief Engineer, Tony Parraman.  The Bloodhound SSC aims to be the first car to break the 1000mph barrier in 2012.  The budding young engineers were challenged to design, build and race a working model car, based on the same technological principles as the real Bloodhound. 

Whilst working on their designs, the children also used digital cameras, iPads, iPhones, laptops and Promethean boards to record their learning and share their experiences in real time with their parents, friends and the world at large.  Visitors to the exhibition witnessed video conferences with children in Hong Kong, Turkey and the UK, in a variety of languages, including Arabic, Turkish and English, as young learners collaborated to improve their designs.

To crown it all, the eight children who produced the winning cars at BETT, will have their names engraved on the real Bloodhound SSC.  They will be joined in the history books by two other GEMS RDS children, who were successful in the ‘Design the next Bloodhound’ competition: Kalen Burns (winner, 4-7 category) and Anas Larabi (runner-up, 8-11 category).  This competition was open to all children in the Middle East.

All in all, these lucky children enjoyed two days of truly world class learning, on a global platform.  This is not the future of learning.  This is learning now – at GEMS Royal Dubai School!  

Royal Dubai School children lead the way at BETT Middle East 2011

 On 25^th October 2011, 20 children from Years 5 and 6 joined Professor Stephen Heppell’s ‘New Worlds of Learning’ team on the centerpiece ‘Teach Live, Learn Live’ at the BETT Middle East technology exhibition at ADNEC, Abu Dhabi.

The talented, hi-tech children used an innovative new iPad application, ‘100 Faces in 100 Places,’ to interview delegates and build up a published database in real time.  They also used the school’s own iTunes app and Twitter and Facebook accounts to share their learning with the school community as it happened. 

They were visited on the stand by leading dignitaries, including the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Egyptian Minister for Education, who were very impressed by the outstanding skills and confidence levels displayed by the children.  Some of the children were interviewed by the media and also by a leading educational publisher from the UK, who is now working with GRDS to produce more cutting edge materials for mobile learning.

Well done to everyone who took part! 

RDS Students Centre Stage at BETT 2012 Technology Show - London Olympia

 On Wednesday 11^th January, Year 6 students Alice Dickson and Alfie Appleton joined Professor Stephen Heppell, via video link, on his central feature ‘New Worlds of Learning’ stand at BETT 2012 in London. 

They were featured on the big screen at the show, discussing how they learn through the use of technology at Royal Dubai School.  The discussion was also broadcast live on BETT Radio!

Alfie and Alice also collaborated remotely with Year 7 students from Lampton School in London, who were on the stand with Professor Heppell, comparing their schools and how they use ICT to help them learn.

Well done to Alfie and Alice for displaying outstanding levels of confidence and talking so knowledgeably and articulately about their learning.  True RDS ambassadors! 

Year 5 Student wows the 'experts' at GESS Al Nadi Conference

On the evening of 29th November 2011, GRDS Year 5 student, Melania Mihalcea presented to around 80 distinguished members and guests of GESS Al Nadi at The Address Hotel, Burj Khalifa. GESS Al Nadi is ‘The networking club for the Gulf’s leading educationalists’ and Melania, aged 10, was invited to the autumn event to showcase her leading, innovative work on the theme for the evening: “Mobile Learning – Knowledge in the Hand.”

Melania, originally from Romania, and who speaks English as a second language, presented her work on the GEMS Royal Dubai School app for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone - the only school app in the whole region. She used an iPad to show her writing and video about the History of the UAE and the 40th National Day celebrations. She then went on to demonstrate how she had published this on the app, through the iTunes store, so that it could be shared with the whole school community and the wider world – knowledge in the hand!

After the presentations, Melania joined the four other speakers for a round table question and answer session. Again, Melania showed stunning levels of maturity and self-confidence in fielding more questions than some of the adult speakers! One guest asked her, “What do you do when the technology breaks down – doesn’t that stop you learning?”

Melania calmly replied: “I just try to be resilient – you can’t give up! Also, we still have pencils and paper and each other – there are many different ways to learn.”

We are very proud of Melania, not just for her outstanding academic talents, but also for being a great ambassador for our leading school and for stepping outside her comfort zone and achieving something which many adults would not even attempt!

End of Key Stage Two Sats results

3rd October 2010 : Mikal Kooiker, 11, achieved results five years ahead of the performance expected for his age and began work on the GCSE maths curriculum aimed at students aged between 14 and 16.

Mikhal was part of a group of the school’s top mathematicians taught separately as part of the school’s drive to challenge its highest achieving students by enabling better differentiation of activities and topics. The group was taught by Phil Redhead, GRDS Director of Curriculum Development and Innovation.

As a result of the investigative, enquiry-based programme, together with a strong focus on child-centred, independent and personalised learning, the children in this group achieved levels far above UK, UAE and worldwide standards.

The pedagogy employed ensured that the children's learning would be for life and the success was not a result of harmful cramming for tests. The children developed not only their investigative, mathematical and study skills, but also essential skills involving teamwork, collaboration, creativity, self-awareness and self-discipline.

Cutting edge technology was also made available to further promote personalisation and to enhance the students’ engagement and progress. iPod Touch devices helped to make learning more fun, providing a modern and familiar medium to help the children enjoy their studies in a fast-moving, competitive environment.

The nine students in this group were working between 3 and 5 years above expectations. Progress was rapid over the year, with some children moving through two whole levels, four times the expected rate.

Mikal, aged 11, said: “What motivated me to perform well in maths at RDS was firstly the one to one attention given by my teachers and secondly the iPod technology used during lessons that made it simpler to understand concepts and gave me a better overview of how to solve equations.”

Mikal’s mum, Riska, added: “We are very proud of what Mikal has achieved. We believe that RDS enabled this by providing the correct environment and tools to challenge him. He was allowed to go beyond the normal levels set for primary school and encouraged to take the higher level exams and discover his potential.”

Mr. Paul Debnam, Upper Key Stage Two Leader at GEMS Royal Dubai School said, “We are so proud of our children. They worked extremely hard all year and got the results they deserved. They really took responsibility for their own learning, working towards targets agreed in one-to-one learning conferences and collaborating with each other as a tightly-knit unit. I know all of them will go on to even greater things in the future and I am looking forward to hearing about their successes in their respective secondary schools. I am also very proud of the Year 6 team, who pulled out all of the stops to ensure that these high achievers were able to flourish and reach their potential.”

GEMS Launches Innovation, Research and Development Strategy

This is the lead article from Issue 7 of the GEMS Family Magazine, out now! We have re-branded the popular Digitz section to cover a broader theme of innovation and it's great to see that it is the biggest feature in the magazine, reflecting the amazing amount and quality of innovation taking place in our schools!

This piece was written by Mick Gernon, Vice President, GEMS Innovation, Research and Development, and edited by me...

See more at:  http://www.gemseducation.com/gems-families/gems-magazine/

On Monday 2^nd November at GEMS Wellington Academy – Dubai Silicon Oasis, the newly-formed GEMS Innovation, Research and Development team launched the group’s strategy to school principals and senior leaders.

2105 marks the Year of Innovation in the UAE with a heavy focus on a range innovation strands across all sectors. Over the coming two weeks, we also engage in the UAE Innovation Week and combine it with Global Entrepreneurship Week. All of our schools will be participating in a range of technological, design and entrepreneurship challenges which will introduce them to new concepts and ideas and immerse them into businesses and real-world learning.

The best ideas from all the challenges will also feature as part of Maker Day celebrations in February and may be nominated for a new GEMS Young Innovator of the Year Award. These experiences are truly transformational for students and allow them to readily engage with new and exciting learning contexts and push themselves to excel, and grapple with a wide range of C21st skills and competences. This flurry of activity and creative problem-solving supports the direction in which our GEMS schools are now heading in terms of meeting the broader UAE National Agenda around Innovation.

However, innovation means many things to many people – the plethora of definitions regarding “what innovation means to me” is a clear indication of how people view  (test this out on our IRD Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/IRD-GEMS-Innovation-Research-and-Development-138148319862981/ ). In order to provide greater clarity around this, we have recently launched our school-wide Innovation, Research and Development (IRD) strategy.

The vision for our schools is simple – we need to make them the most innovative schools in the world. Why – because the world in which our students will live and thrive will be a very different one from now, and will be again in another 5, 10 and 20 years time. As such, our focus on innovation needs to be wide-ranging and ensure that it builds on the “best” practice that exists now and generates “next” practice thinking and solutions.

Our IRD strategy focuses on 3 key strands – innovation in teaching, learning and curriculum; innovation in C21st teacher and leadership development; and innovation in school systems, processes and operation.

In the recent strategy launch, all our Principals gathered to begin the conversation around this transformation. Key questions and discussions around how do we define our GEMS students of the future; how do we identify the key attributes of teachers and leaders and develop innovative mindsets; what is C21st learning; and what do we need to embrace and transform in how we operate and structure our schools. These questions generated a range of very-forward thinking responses, ideas and potential solutions from our Principals.

Students learn in different ways to how we as adults have been taught. They are multi-faceted - the Z-generation who are at complete ease with technology and how to use it to best effect.  Interestingly, universities have recognized this and already transformed how students now study, utilizing the growing ubiquity of social media, and the integration of online, hybrid and collaborative learning. They have shifted from seeing students as passive consumers of learning to students as creators of new knowledge and learning. The experiences that we are now going to expose our students to must prepare them for the world ahead.

At the end of the strategy launch, we received feedback from two students – their role during the morning was to be Keynote Listeners! The clarity of their messages were very clear – the world from their perspective is very different! They see schools as having to continually evolve to deliver experiences which enable them to learn, challenge, question and solve, and that are linked to world of today but giving them the skills needed to be flexible and adaptable for the world of tomorrow. A challenge for all of us in schools to consider, as well as all of us as parents too!

As parents, it is really important to have your support for this. Many of you work in very innovative settings and for global companies who have transformed and disrupted their industry. Equally, many parents view education as remaining more traditional – it is an interesting juxtaposition! We would really welcome your views and input to the strategy over the coming months and will forward details of how you can contribute to the debate…or feel free to comment at any time via the Facebook site.

The UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda emphasises the development of a first-rate education system, which will require a complete transformation of the current education system and teaching methods. The National Agenda aims for all schools, universities and students to be equipped with Smart systems and devices as a basis for all teaching methods, projects and research.  Equally, the new school inspection framework features innovation across a number of key indicators.

Like it or not, the imperative is there – we have now begun the journey and invite you all to be part of it.