What kind of strategy, information, skills and implementation model does one need to succeed in ensuring educational technology does bring its touted benefits and not just remain “pie in the sky”? How do administrators, teachers and planners make investments in expensive equipment justifiable and sustainable, and how do they manage all this without going through the steep learning curve and pitfalls of such an undertaking?

John Steele, General Manager and Chief Information Officer of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, Ontario, Canada conducted a one-day seminar on answers to these questions at the Hotel Equatorial, Kuala Lumpur on Monday 17th November 2008.

Speaking to an appreciative audience comprising administrators and ICT staff from international, private and local institutions as well as Ministry of Education officers, Mr Steele provided attendees with tools and strategies to overcome the formidable challenges faced in implementing educational ICT. Armed with his knowledge and experience in overseeing all of ICT for 89,000 students and 9,000 employees in over 170 sites in Ontario, he shared his model for a technology plan specifically designed for educational environments. The template covered all aspects relevant to the implementation and sustainment of a “smart” school, including proven strategies, solutions and models that address areas such as:

• Planning for technology
• An ICT Governance strategy
• Effective professional development and training
• Approaches to servicing and supporting technology
• Enhancing your school’s profile
• Hardware and software procurement
• Deployment recommendations – a staggered approach

This unique opportunity for educators with a responsibility for technology planning, implementation and strategy was a first for Malaysia, and attendees not only actively involved themselves in the lively discussions and activities, they were stimulated and challenged by an outstanding presenter with almost 30 years of experience in education.

Please find below some pictures taken during the sessions. Click on them to enlarge.

On 17th November 2008 – for one day only, John M. Steele will be addressing school leaders and IT specialists on strategies to integrate technology into teaching and learning.

What is this about?

This is a unique opportunity for educators with a responsibility for technology planning, implementation and strategy to be stimulated and challenged by an outstanding presenter. John Steele is the General Manager and Chief Information Officer of the Dufferin-Peele Catholic District School Board, Ontario, Canada -overseeing all of ICT for 89,000 students and 9,000 employees in 144 schools.

This seminar addresses our growing issue of planning and managing the technology in our schools and aims to provide us with tools and strategies that can be used to overcome the challenges that we face. John Steele will share his template for a technology plan specifically designed for educational environments. The template covers all aspects that are relevant to the implementation and sustainment of a “smart” school, including proven strategies, solutions and models that address areas such as:

• Planning Strategically for Technology;
• ICT Governance;
• Professional Development and Training;
• Asset Procurement and Lifecyle Management;
• Technology Deployment;
• Simplifying Network Administration;
• Inventory Management;
• Enhancing Your School’s Profile.

Come and join in this highly sought after seminar designed for school leaders and IT specialists and get John Steele’s manual “Guidelines for Successfully Implementing Technology in Schools” valued at RM250, for FREE! Each participant will also get a certificate. Limited seats available!

Who is John Steele?

John Steele has 28 years of experience in education. He served as a Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher, Department Head, Secondary School Administrator, and Information Technology Coordinator. John was also the Course Director for the Computer Studies Additional Qualifications courses at York University in Toronto, Ontario, and assisted IBM Canada in developing and marketing some of their educational software throughout Eastern
Canada.

For the past six-and-a-half years, he has been the General Manager / Chief Information Officer for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board. In this role, John oversees all of ICT for 89,000 students and 9,000 employees. He is responsible for the enterprise acquisition, deployment, and management of over 14,000 computers and 200 servers in 170 sites spanning over 2,700 square km. He is also responsible for the development and implementation of the School District’s ICT strategic direction. In December 2006, John copresented at the Shanghai Foreign Language School’s conference on “International and Cross-Cultural Education in the Global village”.

Event Details

Date/Time: Monday, 17 November 2008, 9.00am – 5.00pm, Registration starts at 7.30am
Venue: Cempaka Room, Hotel Equatorial Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail
Catering: Meals will be provided
Cost: Early-bird RM300 (before October 24th 2008) and Regular RM450
RSVP: Noon, Friday 31 October

How to register?

1. Click here to download this registration form ( registration is close )
2. Fax it back to us along with a bank-in slip of your confirmed payment to +603 2171 2692.
3. You can also call us to confirm (+603 2171 2392)

This new program promises an exciting range of activities – including investigations, practical experiences and experiments that will bring science to life.

The Workshop session in the afternoon went on to extend what was highlighted in the morning presentation – where teachers and school administrators were trained on strategies, tools, and techniques that they can use back at their own environments. This spurred a high level of discussion among the participants, which then spawned new ideas in which technology can be brought into the classrooms.

ICT Learning would like to thank its participants for their commitment to education and technology, and for making it all the way from the different corners of Malaysia. We hope to see you again soon.

Please find below some pictures taken during the sessions. Click on them to enlarge.

Made possible by ICT Learning, below are the videos of her intriguing presentation entitled: “Educating the e-Generation”.

Part 1: The World is Flat

Part 2: It’s Not About the Technology

Part 3: Shift Happens

Part 4: e-Collaboration

Part 5: Implications for Education

Thank you for your ongoing support and for your kind efforts in everything we do. This day, we celebrate our appreciation for all teachers in Malaysia. So…

HAPPY TEACHERS’ DAY!

“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.” ~Ever Garrison

Present were about 100 people from various departments within the Ministry of Education and also from schools and private institutions of learning to hear about how today’s learners are different from those of previous generations and what that means for teaching and learning.

Later, Mr Smith conducted a 4-hour workshop for MOE officers.