Symposium 2007
The ITiE Symposium 07 was a prestigious three day event, held in the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in the heart of London. It was one of the largest gatherings of advocates of interactive technology for education and attracted education decision makers and influencers from around the world.
Hosted by Professor Sir Geoff Hampton, Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton and Director of the Midlands Leadership Centre, who has also been a keen supporter of the Symposium over the past few years.
The event began by looking into the future and examined the UK's £2billion ‘Building Schools for the Future' programme and what it hopes to deliver over the coming decades, including presentations from:
- Mick Waters, CEO of the Qualifications & the Curriculum Authority, who looked at how they are developing a modern, world-class curriculum.
- Mike Gibbons, CEO of The Innovation Unit discussed what the classroom of the future might look like.
- Marcus Orlovsky, Director of Bryanston Square (architects) introduced the concept of how transforming learning spaces can help transform education.
- Tom Greaves, Chairman of the Greaves Group and a visionary with over 30 years' experience of pioneering educational technology gave an update on the American Digital Schools Survey 2007.
In the afternoon there were elective sessions for a more informal and hands-on ICT experience looking at Activprimary for ages 4-11, Activstudio for ages 11-16, learner response systems and Project in Vale de Cambra, Portugal.
This packed agenda was completed with a gala dinner and special guests Lord (David) Puttman of Queensgate and Ron Clark, founder of The Ron Clark Academy, Atlanta.
Day Two presented the largest-ever body of research findings on the effectiveness of interactive technology in education, beginning with a report from Vanessa Pittard, Director of Evidence and Evaluation at BECTA (British Educational Communications & Technology Agency).
Symposium attendees then had a unique opportunity to visit a school in the London area to provide an insight into the use of ICT in UK schools.
Elective research seminars were available in the afternoon and attendees could choose from The Reveal Project (learner response systems); a European investigation into the effects of interactive whiteboards in secondary schools (11-18); The American Digital Schools Survey; An evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Project; An evaluation of the Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project: London Challenge and the impact of interactive whiteboards on Forsyth County.
Doug Brown, Head of Learning Technologies for the UK Government Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) summed up the two days.
The third day was shared with The Westminster Education Forum for a lively debate about assessment and whether it is a system fit for purpose.
A final Parliamentary Reception was then held at the Palace of Westminster - a fitting end to a thought-provoking three days - an event not to have missed!
