Every year I try and make a point of attending the Scottish Learning Festival (It used to be called SETT) and I never come away disappointed. I've always enjoyed this much more than BETT because it's smaller and has a terrific choice of seminars and keynotes, along with a wide variety of exhibitors. It is put on by Learning Teaching Scotland and it is the leader in organization and choice in my humble opinion.

It was really great to see the UK Microsoft Partners in Learning (PiL) represented by Kristen Weatherby, Stuart Ball, Bob McGonigle and Steven Grier. They were showcasing the UK Innovative Teachers Network site and Photosynth.

While I was meeting with folks from the Regional Training Unit (RTU) and Classroom 2000 (C2K), I still had a chance to attend some of the seminars and 1 of the keynotes. The one I was most blown away by was from Ewan McIntosh on the subject of "Thinking Out of the Xbox- Gaming for Learning". It didn't have anything to do with Xboxes but it was a great title to get people to come along and hear what he had to say. Take a few minutes to see his Blogsite and look at all of the great examples of how Teachers are using a variety of games to deliver compelling, engaging and memorable lessons. I was especially impressed with the work being done by Tim Rylands using Myst.

Looking forward to next year already.

Due to political circumstances beyond our control the venue for this year's Innovative Teachers Forum Awards has been changed. We are no longer going to Bangkok, Thailand.

The new venue will be HONG KONG !!!

The dates remain the same (Nov. 3rd-7th)

So make sure you get your VCTs submitted by no later than this Friday, September the 26th (5 PM)

The 2 winners from Northern Ireland will be announced on Monday October 6th.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing your work.

Yesterday Paul Rellis , General Manager of Microsoft Ireland delivered a talk on how best to meet the challenge of Teacher Professional Development in meeting the requirements of students in an innovative economy. Below is taken from the News from Microsoft Ireland Blogsite:

Dublin: 16th September 2008 - Ireland needs to ensure that its education and training provision meets the needs of a 21st century innovative economy, according to Paul Rellis, Managing Director, Microsoft Ireland. He called for a debate on how best to deliver teacher professional development to meet future economic in his address to the IBEC Teaching and Learning for the 21st Century: Professional Development of Teachers Conference in Dublin today.

“Today we are calling for a debate on how to deliver a new model of teacher professional development and a dynamic assessment system which places digital technologies at its epicentre,” said Mr Rellis. “This, we believe, will prepare our students to meet the challenges of the 21^st Century in whatever form they present.

“Our vision is simple. It is the development of students, teachers, parents and educators to be lifelong learners, who realise their potential any time, any place, on any device, through the power of technology. In real terms this vision translates to providing increased levels of access to students and teachers to technical devices that they can use in the classroom and in their homes.”

Mr Rellis went on to outline how the requirements of the workplace are changing.

“The skill set required to work successfully in the 21^st Century economy is very different to that which was required ten years ago,” he said. “Ireland has competed successfully on the global stage and we are recognised today as a country with a highly educated and creative workforce. Things are changing so quickly, as is apparent from developments in the global economic environment, we need to continually innovate so that we can continue to compete. Equipping our students with relevant IT skills is an essential part of ensuring that Ireland is in a position to compete in the medium and long term. ”

In his address Mr. Rellis referenced The National Skills Strategy Report (2005) which identifies the changed skills needs of the Irish economy for 2020. The Report outlines that there will be a requirement for all employees to acquire a ‘range of generic and transferable skills including people-related and conceptual/thinking skills. In addition it states that work will be less routine, with a requirement for flexibility, continuous learning, and individual initiative and judgement. It also highlights the importance of R&D, innovation and marketing skills stating that all occupations will become “knowledge-intensive” resulting in the need for higher qualifications and technical knowledge.

“The National Skills Strategy Report has clearly identified the kinds of skills that the economy will need in just over a decade’s time. In order to be able to meet these needs, there is a requirement to bring new thinking to the professional development of teachers so that the curriculum is delivered in a manner that will ensure that the right skills will be in place,” he said.

Mr. Rellis continued: “We have some models of excellence in Ireland, including Dunshaughlin Community School, which is one of only twelve Microsoft Schools of the Future in the World. An Irish teacher recently beat the whole of Europe at Microsoft’s Innovative Teacher’s Forum. The challenge is to replicate these models and drive innovative thinking across all parts of the education system.”

Microsoft has a number of programmes in place which focus specifically on the professional development of teachers including Innovative Teachers and Innovative Schools. Innovative Schools and School of the Future is part of Microsoft’s wider Partners in Learning Programme (PiL), which aims to empower schools to significantly raise the level of ICT literacy among their staff and to support schools in developing an internal culture of innovation and lifelong learning.  In 2007 Microsoft Chairman, Bill Gates, named Dunshaughlin Community College as one of 12 schools world-wide (3 in Western Europe) to take part in the Innovative Schools Programme.

The aim of the Innovative Teachers programme is to assist teachers to advance the process of teaching and learning via ICT. Microsoft provide a Resources Web Page offering teachers free tools, templates and downloads for use in class and in the preparation of learning resources.

“Microsoft believes that to ensure students are learning appropriate skills, teachers’ training needs should be assessed and used to improve and tailor existing training programmes at all stages of teacher professional development,” said Mr Rellis. “Consideration should also be given to building technology into the delivery of the curriculum at primary level. At the very least, an ICT literacy module should be introduced into the primary curriculum to introduce children to technology. In this way, we believe there’s an opportunity to begin to engage the teaching profession with the concept of digital learning and delivering the skills required for the 21^st Century.”

Seamus Ryan, former principal of Dunshaughlin Community Schools (now Education Office, County Meath VEC) also addressed the conference. “Through the Microsoft School of the Future initiative Dunshaughlin teaching staff have been exposed to best practice, innovation and experience from schools across the globe,” he said. “The experience to date has been fascinating and has allowed the school to share ideas and put some new processes and infrastructure in place which have changed the way in which teachers are delivering the curriculum, with attendant benefits to the students. This Microsoft model is one that can be replicated right across the system for the benefit of students and teachers alike.”

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Well, I'm off to Copenhagen to meet up with my fellow STIC Managers, but I thought I'd let you know that the 1st STIC outside of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) has opened in Brazil this week. Many congratulations and much good luck to Ana and the Brazil Education Team.

From Ana's announcement:

We launched our School Technology Innovation Center (STIC) - Brazil on the 10^th of September. This center is located in the city of Campinas, at the Bradesco Institute of Technology.  STIC-Brazil core objective is to support research and development to foster proofs of concept and case studies, which leverage a range of innovative practices and devices. It will expand its offer in training, courses, show cases and workshops to Microsoft partners and the community at large.

The day of the event two training sessions took place. A group of 20 teachers from the city Araraquara continued with their Peer Coaching training through a full-day of activities involving 1:1 computing for our Innovative Technology Schools program. In partnership with UNESP, STIC offered a Microsoft Math workshop to both teachers and students of the Technical Course of the Bradesco Foundation School in Campinas.

Our trainees demonstrated some of their recent work involving digital imaging. These included a display of learning objects designed in Expression Blend, an introduction to Grava technology, and a Photosynth display which featured the newly renovated STIC. We presented the application of CmapTools in networked low-cost devices. Furthermore, we demonstrated the Learning Gateway solution being used by the Bradesco Foundation. (Have a Virtual Tour on our STIC ) http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=a6556b36-befe-4de3-8708-60fc375ae7ec )

Our partners were also given the opportunity to showcase their solutions. Lego demonstrated a wide range of educational low-cost device robotics and MicroPower displayed their Windows-based VirtualVision accessibility software. Not to mention Smart Board, which is already part of STIC’s training environment.

Universities, partners, businesses, schools, and media were represented at the event. The president of Lego Zoom, Mr. Carlos Wesley, and Representatives from both Microsoft and Bradesco Foundation were present, including Denise Aguiar and Mário Hélio (directors of the Bradesco Foundation and members of the Bradesco executive council), Nivaldo Marcusso (CIO-Bradesco Foundation).Michel Levy (Microsoft Brazil GM), Ana Teresa Ralston (Microsoft PiL Lead), André Borges (Microsoft APM STIC Lead) and Tel Amiel PHD who coordinates all the research in place.

Microsoft GM / Bradesco Foundation President   Low cost device KIT   Teacher training Room

                  Photosynth demo        Trainee  training STIC Coordinator Researchers Tel Amiel – APM Andre Borges (20% dedicated to implementation)

Ana Teresa Ralston

Gerente de Educação Social - Brasil

Academic Program Manager Sr.– Partners in Learning Brasil Lead

This week and next I'll be participating in a series of Open Days at various University campuses in Northern Ireland . This is all part of the an Bring IT On initiative being run by Momentum which is the Trade Association representing Northern Ireland's Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry in partnership with Invest NI and DEL.

We're meeting loads of upper 6th year students and discussing ICT as a course choice for University and the career opportunities that brings.

Today I was assisted by Jonathan Synnott , Microsoft Student Partner (MSP) who is finishing his ICT studies this year at the University of Ulster Jordanstown. You can learn more about Microsoft's MSP Program HERE.

You can see the photos Jonathan took today by going to his Flickr site   

Or you can click HERE

I will be at UUJ tomorrow. Then at the Coleraine Campus next Tuesday, the Magee Campus on Wednesday and Queens University of Belfast on Thursday and  Friday .

I look forward to meeting you all. Make sure you get your Teachers and Guidance Counsellors to stop by too.

If you're listening to the Pete Snodden Breakfast Show on Cool FM all this week you'll be hearing about Microsoft's Sweet Deal for Northern Ireland students.

Make sure you listen and register to win one of the daily Xboxes and other prizes by guessing the correct number of sweets in the Sweet Deal Jar

Good luck and enjoy all the benefits of upgrading to Office 2007