Interview with Michael Henderson - Digital and Innovation Lead, The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Boys
This month GESS Talks chats to Michael Henderson, who since 2017 has been living in Abu Dhabi, UAE and working at one of Al Ain Educational Investments’ schools, The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Boys, as the Digital and Innovation Lead for Grades 4-12 as well as a trainer for AAEI’s training center. Since joining AAEI, Michael has been certified by ACTVET to deliver training, certified by Apple as an Apple Distinguished Educator and Apple Professional Learning Specialist, and certified by LEGO as a LEGO Education Academy Teacher Trainer. Before this Michael qualified in Primary and Secondary Education with ICT specialism in 2010 at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, England and then worked in schools around Wirral, which is where he grew up. In 2012 he moved to Sevilla, Spain and worked in a British school as the Head of Key Stage 2 and School Assessment and Tracking Lead.
You currently work for Al Ain Educational Investments – what do you do, what can you offer teachers during this period of uncertainty and change?
AAEI offers world-class workshops and sessions for those who are seeking exceptional professional development. The sessions are led by dynamic experts in the field, enthused to share their practice. We have a dedicated team of professionals who serve clients in education, vocational training, schools management, investment and educational consulting, as well as strategic planners, investors and educators. AAEI training center, which is based in the heart of Abu Dhabi, has been licensed by the Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET). As training cannot be provided from the training center at the moment, we are offering a range of educational technology courses delivered through online video conference platforms. For more information on our courses, you can contact me at Michael@alainholding.ae
Who can sign up for courses – are they aimed at anyone in particular?
Our Professional Development courses and programs focus on the practical expertise and competencies that are needed in enhancing proficiency in key areas, such as educational technology, robotics, coding and LEGO, and are available for anyone working within Education from Kindergarten through to Higher Education. We speak to the client and create bespoke training courses and programs to suit their needs. As well as bespoke training, we provide set courses you can choose from. Examples of courses include using technology in the classroom for the first time, improving pedagogy using technology, making education accessible using technology, and robotics and coding courses using LEGO Education kits.
The UAE's implementation of its e-learning system has been seen as a bit of role model for other countries – what do you think has been particularly successful?
I think schools in the UAE have done a fantastic job overall with their e-learning systems. Schools have adapted their systems quickly and everyone within schools are working incredibly hard to ensure student learning continues to move forward in what is such a difficult time for everyone. The UAE government has helped with these systems by improving the digital infrastructure to ensure everyone is able to access the school material, giving clear guidance to schools and setting a time frame for how long this unique set up will last, which has allowed schools to think of the long term plan rather than week by week. One thing I have noticed during this time is how teachers have spent time upskilling themselves in using digital technology in order to provide the best education possible while we are remote learning.
There is a fantastic community of educators in the UAE who are always keen to share knowledge and skills – tell us more about the #ADEUAE twitter chat you recently started. How can people get involved, what’s discussed and what can they learn?
The UAE teacher community is fantastic. I learn so much from other teachers and with so many experienced and dedicated teachers, it is only right to communicate and learn from one another. A group of us ADEs here in the UAE were discussing how good twitter chats are and wanted to start our own. #ADEUAE twitter chat was created to make it as relevant as possible to the UAE and Middle East. Each week we focus on a BIG question related to Apple technology and remote learning and break it down into 5 smaller questions. We also include an activity for participants to take part in during the chat. These might be suggestions on how to use a particular app or how to meet a certain educational standard using one of the apps. As it’s currently Ramadan, we are taking a break from #ADEUAE twitter chat but this will definitely be back up and running after Eid al Fitr, every Monday evening at 18.00 GST. Follow me @TechMrHenderson for more information.
For teachers who might have been inspired to use EdTech more off the back of being forced to do so over the last few months – how can they go about becoming an Apple Distinguished Educator? What are the benefits?
I really hope teachers will have seen the benefits of using technology for educational purposes and how intuitive it is for teachers and students. The first step I would suggest is to complete all of the Apple Teacher badges within the Apple Teacher Learning Center (http://appleteacher.apple.com) and keep referring to it regularly. Apple are always updating it with new resources and ideas. I would also begin creating a bank of resources, pictures, videos, evidence of impact, etc…on how Apple technology has had a positive impact on your learning and teaching. Then, when the applications for the next round of ADEs is open, you can apply. All of this information can be found at https://ade.apple.com/
You have recently been promoting your updated YouTube channel – tell us more about that, what’s the channel name, what can people find there?
Whenever I am learning to do something, my first port of call is always YouTube. With that in mind, I decided to set up my own YouTube channel to help educators with anything EdTech related. On there are walk throughs of the Apple Teacher badges for iPad and a series of really quick and easy teacher tips, all under 30 seconds. As a teacher myself, I know how valuable time is, so these bite-sized videos help teachers learn a new skill in under 30 seconds. You can find my channel by searching for ‘Tech MrHenderson’ or clicking this link https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCqprseZQiVwo4dzhXMlecw
It has been suggested for a while that the current traditional education system is out of sync with the more tech-focused next generation it is catering for – would you agree and do you think the current situation education finds itself in will have an impact on this?
Ultimately, I think there needs to be a balance of technology and non-technology time. Technology can be a fantastic educational tool when used purposefully and open so many doors. However, used incorrectly and it can be detrimental to a student’s education. This is exactly the reason I love to train educators. I want to change any negative perceptions of technology and them how technology can make such a difference, with real examples, with students I have worked with first-hand.
With regards to the education systems, this is a huge question with many parts to it. There are pressures from schools because of examinations and I think these do need to change. We don’t teach students in the same way because students have different needs, and yet we expect them all to take the same written exam at the end of it. In terms of the school itself, they have a goal of teaching a set of standards by the end of the year, but how they deliver that is completely up to the school. There is a tendency in some schools to repeat their lesson plans year after year because they say it works or because it’s easier for teacher, but things are changing so rapidly, from technology, to tends, to the type of students. Other schools will look at a set of standards at the start of the year and tailor their teaching to suit the needs of the students. Sometimes the education system is not necessarily out of date, but the school might be.
They might be hard to see at the moment, but do you think there will be any positive outcomes from this global movement towards a more online / remote e-learning landscape?
I do think there will be yes. Like you say, it’s hard to see it at the moment but as teachers and students are becoming more familiar with online platforms, it will bridge the gap between the classroom’s four walls and the student’s home. Teachers will be able to communicate with students more and provide supporting documents if students need them, and students will become more independent, proactive and confident in their own ability.
