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Embracing technology to transform Education! 4.10 PM – 4.30 PM September 23, 2014 Imran O Kazmi Meritorious Education Network
Embracing technology to transform Education!
4.10 PM – 4.30 PM September 23, 2014
Imran O Kazmi Meritorious Education Network
Snapshot
• We are … Meritorious Education Network, an offshoot of Meritorious Schools – in Pakistan with five properties in
Nursery, K12, O Levels, College and a Tuition Center
• In the UAE – we’ve recently acquired nurseries in
KV/Dubai Mall area besides soon launching services for Schools and Soft Skills training markets
• Our team – Comprises education and training
professionals from the UK, Pakistan and Arab countries, some right here!
• My background – Meritorious, Consulting, Training,
Innovation…
Nurseries and Schools
Management
Corporate and Teacher
Training
School Improvement & Consulting
Education Network
• Meritorious Education Network provides the following services:
– School Improvement Plans
– Teacher Training
– School Management Services
– Investing in schools and nurseries in the region
Training & Consulting
• Meritorious Training operates under the umbrella of MINDS: – Campuses in Dubai and
Sharjah – Provide quality education at
an affordable price
• Services offered: – Corporate Training in Soft Skills as
seminars and private workshops • Selling Skills for different segments,
Leadership, Customer Care, Grooming, Supervisory skills
• Customized Workshops
– Student development • Test preparation in Accounting (CFA,
CIA & others) • GMAT, SAT, GRE, TOEFL and others • Language training, English, Arabic,
French • Music and Arts classes
– Consulting • Corporate consulting on analyzing
and solving business problems
Objective of the presentation
• Understanding the pros and cons of using technology for active teaching at educational institutions
The linkage…
While I’d be sharing some new and innovative ideas, I’d also be
building upon the presentations of my predecessors…
Anthony Cashin, Director, Ajman Academy where he linked technology with the development of C21 Educational Technology Platform
Hannah Lawson, Design Director, John McAslan + Partners, Fanos Panayides, Director, John McAslan + Partners on Educational Design in a Changing World
and my successors tomorrow… Professor Christopher Abraham, Head - Dubai
Campus, Sr Vice President - Institutional Development, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior - S P Jain School of Global Management on The Future of Education
Dr Lois Smith, Acting Director, Middlesex University Dubai on Degrees for the here and now: How universities are redesigning courses to meet the needs of today's students
Thomas B Farquhar, Head of School, GEMS National Academy on Imagination Goes to School, or How to Educate Children at a Time of Rapid Social, Political, and Technological Change
How many of you…
• (show of hands) – Use a mobile phone? – Use a “smart phone”
• that runs Apple iOS or Google Android or Windows Mobile or Blackberry 7/10 – devices like the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, HTC, Huawei, Motorola, Sony-Ericssion, Blackberry, Nokia Lumia / X series or similar?
– How many of you use it to access email or the internet?
– How many of you use it to TEACH something in the classroom?
Are your students?
• Responsible for the cutting of a lot of trees and hence global warming, to hold books, notebooks and pencils in their hands?
• Prone to back pain and even spinal cord damage due heavy bags?
• Administered tests on paper, leading to loss of time in collating, checking and bringing out results?
• Face an addiction to technology in their personal lives (8 ball pool, Temple Run, tons of apps) and YET hardly use that technology to learn in class?
Exercise
• Five minutes
– Divide into groups of 5, use proximity as a deciding factor select a group leader
– Come up with atleast ONE benefit of integrating technology in the current schooling system
– Group leader to share
– Your time, starts NOW
Bear in mind…
This presentation isn’t sponsored by
in any way (as yet)
Phenomenal, right?
http://www.apple.com/education/real-stories/essa/
EssaAcademy.org/Apple-rtc.html
http://www.apple.com/education/real-stories/essa/
It’s not about
• Much as many of us love it
• But just the RIGHT intervention of technology
• Many I know in the education sector speak of – Smart boards
– Web school portals
– Electronic assessments
• They are all pieces of the whole, that Essa Academy in the UK got right with you-know-who’s help
Moving in-step with technology
• WHY? – It’s not about smart boards or web schools
– It’s far more than that
– It’s about creating a school eco system that integrates technology at ALL steps of a students learning experience • It’s about using the addiction to technology of today’s
kids to help them learn better, faster, environmentally friendlier and with a lot less weight or “paper management” to worry about while simplifying the lives of teaching and support staff manifolds!
The question is: HOW?
1. Could be a regulatory imposition by KHDA, ADEC or Federal Government (good for all)
2. Could be a self propelled initiative by schools who are or aspire to offer student oriented education
3. Could be a joint investment by a group of schools to create a similar platform offering economies of scale and consistency in education
What can we do?
• We have in our team expertise in:
– Schooling • Investing
• Acquiring
• Managing
• Expanding
• Improving
– Technology • Software
• Hardware
• We can help you
– Get closer to a school of your students and their parents dreams
– And that of the regulators too
– Through helping analyze precisely what is needed to transform your school to be a model of excellence and grades!
Reach out to us for a needs analysis!
Imran O Kazmi, Strategist
Office 6, First Floor, Block 2B Knowledge Village, Dubai, UAE
Cell +971 52 9797689, Skype iokazmi
