10 June 2021 | Session 1: Digital Teaching & Learning: Lessons from Lockdown
9:00 AM – 9:05 AM
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Tracy Atkinson
The University of Strathclyde
Tracy Atkinson is a Teaching Fellow in Digital Education in The School of Education at The University of Strathclyde. Her interests lie in technology-enhanced learning, and span both theory and practice: exploring the development and implementation of effective digital pedagogies, the use of digital tools to enhance teaching and learning and the impact of research and innovation on present and future practice. Further interests include the role of metacognition and self-regulation in relation to the use of technology. Tracy is a member of The School of Education Blended Learning Working Group. She is co-mentor for implementation within the School and for broader Faculty developments. She is jointly responsible for managing the integration of Digital Literacy and Computing Science across the BA Primary Education, and is Programme Co-ordinator for PGDE (Primary) Digital Education. She also leads a Primary/Secondary Professional Specialisation Module on Digital Pedagogy & Tools and teaches on a Masters module on the Philosophy of Technology and Education. Tracy is a member The Scottish Council of Deans of Education: Digital Teaching and Learning Group. She is also part of a Strathclyde Teaching Excellence Programme faculty-wide group exploring the use of social media and technology to enhance teaching and learning. She is currently working towards Certified Membership of The Association for Learning Technology.
9:05 AM – 9:15 AM
Keynote Address
Colin Cook
The Scottish Government
Colin was appointed Director of Economic Development in Scottish Government in 2021. Prior to this he spent over four years as Director Digital, responsible for delivering Scotland's national digital strategy, including work on the digital transformation of the public sector and public services, Scotland's data strategy, digital connectivity and the IT shared services used by up to 16,000 public servants in Scotland.
Colin started his career in marketing within the packaging and chemical industries. He then joined Royal Mail, eventually becoming marketing director of the £4 billion core letters business and enjoying a spell as Assistant to the Chairman and Chief Executive of The Post Office. He first joined Scottish Government in 2003 as Deputy Director, Public Health, where he led the consultation that led to the smoking ban and then Deputy Director, Healthcare strategy and planning. Prior to joining digital, Colin Spent four years on secondment to Cabinet Office / MOS as Marketing Director, British Army Recruitment where he introduced an award winning online recruiting process
Colin is a Vice Chairman of the Royal Caledonian Education Trust and a former trustee of The Poppy Factory.
9:15 AM – 9:40 AM
The school in the cloud: A lifelong learning strategy with digital transformation at its heart
How Estonia’s number one digital ranking helped continuity of education during a pandemic
Heli Aru-Chabilan
Education Estonia (INVITED)
Heli Aru-Chabilan is the Director for the internationalization departement at the Estonian Education and Youth Board. During the first wave of the pandemic, she lead the team of 60 people that provided e-services and practical support to schools across Estonia so that teaching and learning could continue.
9:40 AM – 10:05 AM
Education responses to Covid-19
Embracing digital learning and online collaboration
Andreas Schleicher
OECD, (INVITED)
Andreas Schleicher is Director for Education and Skills at the OECD. He initiated and oversees the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and other international instruments that have created a global platform for policy-makers, researchers and educators across nations and cultures to innovate and transform educational policies and practices. He has worked for over 20 years with ministers and education leaders to improve education. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said that Schleicher “understands the global issues and challenges as well as or better than anyone I’ve met, and he tells me the truth”. Former UK Secretary of State Michael Gove called Schleicher “the most important man in English education” – even though he is German and lives in France. He is the recipient of numerous honours and awards, including the “Theodor Heuss” prize, awarded in the name of the first president of the Federal Republic of Germany for “exemplary democratic engagement”. He holds an honorary Professorship at the University of Heidelberg.
10:05 AM – 11:00 AM
Expert Panel: Transformation in action: a view from the digital coalface in Scottish education
How Scotland’s schools responded to a public health crisis: the lessons from lockdown and their digital legacy
Mark Davidson
Newbattle High School
Mark Davidson is the Depute with responsibility for Newbattle Digital Centre of Excellence. Mark has over twenty years’ experience as a Mathematics/Computing Science teacher and School Leader in special education and mainstream settings.
He has led significant change in the Newbattle Digital Centre through the implementation of a wide ranging Digital Strategy covering the implementation of a completely new digital infrastructure, using technology to support pedagogy, delivering an inclusive digital curriculum, support and training, partnerships and innovation. Mark’s particular focus is on delivering an equitable and inclusive environment where all learners can thrive in our fast changing world.
Stuart Clyde
Bertha Park High School
Stuart is determined to help shift education into the 21st Century, whether it likes it or not. After 25 years, he still gets excited about technology and learning, and super-excited about combining them.
He and his team have recently established the first non-replacement school in Scotland in 20 years and quickly secured Microsoft Flagship status. As a result of the immersive and innovative work in digital learning, the school soon won the ‘Transforming Learning and Teaching’ award at the Education Buildings conference and shortly afterwards, the Digital Schools Award, Scotland.
Due to the embedded technology, Bertha Park High School was able to seamlessly transform their entire curriculum online from March 2020 and has provided high-quality remote learning experiences ever since.
Stuart has presented nationally and internationally for The Scottish Government and with Microsoft on leadership of digital learning and establishing visionary schools for the 21st Century.
Angus MacLennan
e-Sgoil
After teaching Gaelic and History in The Nicolson Institute, Stornoway, for several years Angus became Principal Teacher and subsequently Depute Head of a rural 5-14 school before returning to The Nicolson Institute as Depute Rector. He took up his current post as Head Teacher of e-Sgoil in August 2016 and now leads a team of eight Deputes based across the Northern Alliance (Regional Improvement Collaborative). The team combine a national e-Sgoil role with leading digital learning within their substantive local authorities.
e-Sgoil has been working in partnership with Education Scotland and West Online School to deliver the live, interactive component of the National e-Learning Offer during the COVID-19 pandemic
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM
10 June 2021 | Session 2: Knowledge Exchange Masterclasses
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Humanising the Hybrid Classroom
Join John Wilson, CEO of Ajenta and Mark Frost, Visual Retail Marketing Manager within Intel’s Internet Of Things Group, as they discuss the tools we can use to humanise a hybrid model of learning and teaching.
John Wilson
Ajenta
John is the CEO of Ajenta, owner and operator of the Vscene platform (previously owned by Jisc). Vscene classroom technology enables the most humanised learning and teaching experience in a hybrid classroom. John has been a trusted advisor on collaborative technology for more than 20 years; driving digital innovation across education, research and healthcare
Mark Frost
Intel
Mark is a Visual Retail Marketing Manager within Intel’s Internet Of Things Group, covering collaboration technology for both the corporate and education sectors across EMEA.
During his 9 years with Intel he has held roles in both marketing and as a field application engineer covering programmable technology. Prior to Intel, Mark had worked for over 15 years in a variety of engineering roles, spanning telecommunications through to designing instruments for ESA satellites
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM
Assessing in Scotland, Assess, Intervene, Improve.
The How and Why!
Angela McCabe
RS Assessment
My role is as North East and Scotland Manager with RS Assessment at Hodder Education. I have worked in Educational Roles helping advise schools for the last 25 years, and the last 10 years, Consulting and Specialising In Assessment.
I’m really proud to be able to help schools ensure that they have a real impact to help children fulfil their potential, that the children and teachers enjoy the journey, by signposting to individual needs through assessment, then giving solutions to improve , whilst also, cutting down on workload for teachers to give them time to do what they love to do…teach!
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Captivating your classroom with video content
Carmel Bones, leading educationalist and honorary fellow of the Historical Association, will provide practical pedagogical examples of how to captivate your class and ensure deeper understanding through video.
Carmel will use history as an example subject, but the principles resonate across all subject areas.
By attending this session delegates will see how to ensure lesson quality, save valuable teachers time and improve outcomes for pupils.
Carmel Bones
Historical Association
Carmel is an honorary fellow of the Historical Association. In 2020 and 2021 she formed part of the national BBC Daily Bitesize lockdown team producing tailored content for remote learning. Her GCSE content is currently used on the BBC Bitesize Website and App.
In 2020 she was listed in the prestigious Edtech50 for her innovative work bringing the historic environment to life through virtual visits as part of teacher and student webinars and revision conferences. Other educational film work with Clickview and Hodder was nominated for the Bett Awards 2020 and Teach Secondary Awards 2020.
Her latest video series ‘Explain This’ for BBC Teach has been very well received by students and the History teaching community following launch in April 2020 and she is currently working on two new series for 2022.
Carmel has co-authored best-selling Revision Guides and work on the BBC Teach Series Cluetubers with pioneering teacher facing video was showcased by the BBC Team at the Bett Awards 2019.
Carmel uses video coaching to assist with continuing learning and professional development and has worked extensively in schools across Scotland. She is a regular speaker at The Schools History Project Conference, TM History Icons and The Premier League Education Conference and following a session at the Scottish Learning Festival in 2019 is delighted to be representing Clickview at Future Scot 2021.
11:45 AM – 12:15 PM
Soft Skills For Strong Tech Success
Fiona Kippax and Gaye Cleary from Cirrus Logic, discuss their individual journeys into tech, and the value that soft skills bring to their workplace.
Gaye Cleary
Cirrus Logic
Gaye Cleary is an IT Security Analyst / Engineer in Cirrus Logic. After a career in Engineering and IT which started in 1991, she took a career break while her children were little before retraining in Cyber Security via an MSc Advanced Security and Digital Forensics in Edinburgh Napier University.
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
10 June 2021 | Session 3: Innovation In Education: Remote And Blended Teaching And Learning Methods
1:00 PM – 1:20 PM
The Digital Pedagogies:
How innovation has helped equip schools with the right resources to ensure continuity of education during Covid-19
Joan MacKay
Education Scotland
Joan is Head of Curriculum Innovation in Education Scotland. The Curriculum Innovation team has a focus on curriculum design and innovation at organisation and system level and works with others to support and promote curriculum design drawing on learning and change from across the system. Recent work includes working in partnership with eSgoil and with WestOS as part of the National eLearning Offer.
1:20 PM – 1:40 PM
Equity, excellence and empowerment:
How recorded learning experiences for children and young people are providing a new route for high quality engagement in education
Paul Downie
Shawlands Academy
Born and brought up in Glasgow, Paul, a secondary school science teacher and Faculty Head, was named as the first Scottish winner of the Royal Society of Biology Teaching Award in 2021.
Paul created and hosts The Higher Biology Podcast, which aims to provide learners with access to experts across the globe, offering depth and insight for learners preparing for their SQA Higher Biology Qualification while also providing a fascinating insight into the world around us for anyone interested in living things. With a growing audience from over 95 countries worldwide, what started as an ambition to enhance learning for his own class during the first Covid lockdown has far surpassed original expectations.
Following the development of the podcast, Paul was seconded to the West Partnership as the original coordinator of West OS, shaping its early development and cementing it as a key part of Scotland's National e-Learning Offer, delivering over 2500 recorded video lessons and additional resources across the curriculum. During this time Paul worked with a wide range of partners across Scotland and sat on the National Programme Working Group.
Paul continues to support West OS, successfully delivering its recent West OS Live Study Support Pilot across 37 Senior Phase courses , having returned to his Local Authority as Lead STEM Officer before heading back to the classroom and is a member of Glasgow City Councils Digital Learning Team and Digital Strategy Group.
Paul believes that all children and young people should be able to access high-quality learning experiences. Paul's passion for learning, teaching and supporting young people is at the heart of all his work and his enthusiasm for digital technology is almost matched by his love of schools' football having founded the Lisbon Lions Trophy in partnership with Celtic Football Club and a member of the Glasgow Schools' Football Association.
Paul is happiest when with his wife, daughter, family and friends.
1:40 PM – 2:00 PM
Making the grade:
Blended versus face-to-face learning: has coronavirus shone any light on how pupils can learn more effectively?
Prof. Keith Topping
University of Dundee
Keith Topping is Professor of Educational and Social Research in the School of Education at the University of Dundee. His research interests include peer learning (including peer tutoring and peer assessment), parents as educators, problematic behaviour and social competence, computer assisted learning and assessment, and inclusion. He has over 400 publications in 14 languages, including 26 books and over 200 peer reviewed journal papers.
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Expert Panel: The post-pandemic way forward for remote and blended learning
Paul Downie
Shawlands Academy
Born and brought up in Glasgow, Paul, a secondary school science teacher and Faculty Head, was named as the first Scottish winner of the Royal Society of Biology Teaching Award in 2021.
Paul created and hosts The Higher Biology Podcast, which aims to provide learners with access to experts across the globe, offering depth and insight for learners preparing for their SQA Higher Biology Qualification while also providing a fascinating insight into the world around us for anyone interested in living things. With a growing audience from over 95 countries worldwide, what started as an ambition to enhance learning for his own class during the first Covid lockdown has far surpassed original expectations.
Following the development of the podcast, Paul was seconded to the West Partnership as the original coordinator of West OS, shaping its early development and cementing it as a key part of Scotland's National e-Learning Offer, delivering over 2500 recorded video lessons and additional resources across the curriculum. During this time Paul worked with a wide range of partners across Scotland and sat on the National Programme Working Group.
Paul continues to support West OS, successfully delivering its recent West OS Live Study Support Pilot across 37 Senior Phase courses , having returned to his Local Authority as Lead STEM Officer before heading back to the classroom and is a member of Glasgow City Councils Digital Learning Team and Digital Strategy Group.
Paul believes that all children and young people should be able to access high-quality learning experiences. Paul's passion for learning, teaching and supporting young people is at the heart of all his work and his enthusiasm for digital technology is almost matched by his love of schools' football having founded the Lisbon Lions Trophy in partnership with Celtic Football Club and a member of the Glasgow Schools' Football Association.
Paul is happiest when with his wife, daughter, family and friends.
Joan MacKay
Education Scotland
Joan is Head of Curriculum Innovation in Education Scotland. The Curriculum Innovation team has a focus on curriculum design and innovation at organisation and system level and works with others to support and promote curriculum design drawing on learning and change from across the system. Recent work includes working in partnership with eSgoil and with WestOS as part of the National eLearning Offer.
Prof. Keith Topping
University of Dundee
Keith Topping is Professor of Educational and Social Research in the School of Education at the University of Dundee. His research interests include peer learning (including peer tutoring and peer assessment), parents as educators, problematic behaviour and social competence, computer assisted learning and assessment, and inclusion. He has over 400 publications in 14 languages, including 26 books and over 200 peer reviewed journal papers.
Michael Wilkinson
ClickView
Michael Wilkinson is the UK Managing Director of ClickView, a video based teaching and learning company and world leading content publisher, working with over 4000 schools and colleges around the world to revolutionise how video can be utilised to increase student engagement and boost student outcomes.
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
10 June 2021 | Session 4: A Data Education: Building The Digital Workforce Of The Future
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Addressing the imbalance:
How to get young girls interested in tech and coding
Toni Scullion
DressCode
Toni Scullion is a Computing Science teacher at St.Kentigern’s Academy, West Lothian. They have had a strong uptake of girls over the past number of years. She is currently working on launching a new initiative aimed at encouraging more girls into Computing Science, which will be launched in late 2018.
St.Kentigern’s Academy has been recognised for their efforts of bridging the gender gap in Computing Science and was featured in a practice pipeline video for Education Scotland. Toni was also a finalist in the Scottish Women in Technology Secondary Teacher of the Year category. She is the current Cyber Security teacher of the year and, along with three of her S5 girls, was awarded the accolade of Champion of Champions, during which her work in diversity was highlighted.
3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
Inspiring learners with data in their hands
How sensors in schools can capture the imagination of children, helping them to engage with their environment
Simon Chapple
University of Edinburgh
Simon is Head of Data Technology in the Information Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh.
He began his career in supercomputing at the University of Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre in the early 90’s, after graduating from the University in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.
Over the intervening years, he has worked for a number of successful start-ups based in Scotland developing novel scalable computing solutions, in a variety of domains including finance, commerce and healthcare, all with the common theme of applied data analytics.
Simon is also a specialist in technical and business solution innovation, and has carried out many consultancy projects for both new and established companies and organisations, helping them to develop new products and services to bring to market.
In 2015, Simon rejoined the University to lead in the development of a range of new data focused digital services, including the creation of the Internet of Things Research and Innovation Service, a component of the wider Edinburgh International Data Facility, part of the University’s Data Driven Innovation programme within the South East Scotland City Region Deal.
Under Simon’s leadership, the IoT Research and Innovation Service, is establishing a regional IoT sensor network covering the whole of South East Scotland, some 7,700 km2.
This unique large-scale IoT facility will provide low power wide area wireless networking for tens of thousands of low-cost sensors to monitor all aspects of the natural and built environment in real-time including weather, biodiversity, air/water quality, building safety, efficiency and energy use.
Both the infrastructure created, and the data captured by this facility, will spawn new research for academia and enable innovation in smart IoT applications for the region’s companies, start-ups, local authorities and councils.
One of the most exciting aspects of this long-term project is the wider establishment and use of the sensor network through the participation of the region’s 550+ primary and high schools, introducing the secure and safe use of connected IoT sensors in the taught curriculum and aiding the development of data literacy.
Tommy Lawson
University of Edinburgh
Experienced in operational through to strategic in many aspects of digital learning including school design, mobile learning, inspiring learning spaces, assistive technology, safer internet, web, social media. Experienced engineer / learning and assistive technologist / teacher / school manager / project manager. Currently working as a consultant to various Councils and a Schools Technology Adviser on the University of Edinburgh’s Data Driven Innovation programme. Research interests include digitally empowered inspiring learning spaces, data technology and education in and around the classroom and IOT in the indoor/outdoor learning spaces. Beyond work I am a Trustee and volunteer at Thornton Rose, Riding for the Disabled and an Ambassador for the Reverse Rett charity, helping to speed a cure for Rett Syndrome. An ability activist at heart!
3:20 PM – 4:00 PM
Expert Panel: Inspiring innovation and data curiosity among young learners
Claire Gillespie
Skills Development Scotland
Claire Gillespie is sector manager for digital technologies at Skills Development Scotland. She has worked with SDS for more than 15 years with responsibility for making sure Scotland’s tech sector has access to the talent and skills needed to flourish on the global stage.
Mark Logan
University of Glasgow
Dr Fiona McNeill
University of Edinburgh
Fiona McNeill is a Reader in Computing Education in the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. Her main interests are around access to Computer Science and STEM education, and how particular groups such as girls and women, and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, can be excluded. She co-chairs the British Computing Society (BCS) Scottish Computing Education Committee and is a member of the BCS Academy board. She is also engaged in outreach. She ran the First Lego League in Scotland for several years and founded the Computing in Schools working group in the RSE Young Academy of Scotland.
4:00 PM
