#242 – What Matters in Edtech? Schools, Employability and Skills

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Hello everyone and welcome back to The Edtech Podcast, where we aim to improve the dialogue between “ed” and “tech” for better innovation and impact. This week’s episode is part of our series collaboration with Bett, supported by Pearson. 

So, what’s in this episode?

People

David Price, OBE and author of Power of Us @DavidPriceOBE

David Price is Lead for Culture at the Power Of Us Agency. He writes, trains and advises organisations in both the public and private sectors. His first book, OPEN: How We’ll Work, Live & Learn In The Future was an Amazon best-seller. His next book “The Power Of Us”, was published in late 2020. He has taught at all educational stages: adult, community, K-12, further and tertiary sectors. In addition to writing and speaking, he trains educators around the world through his company, Educational Arts, supporting teachers and leaders seeking to prepare students for the future, through a wide range of training programmes. He is also an international advisor to the Canadian Educators Association, The Mastery Transcript Initiative, Vega Schools in India, the Global Schools Alliance and cultural consultancy sparks & honey. He is a 2022 Thinker In Residence for the Future Schools Alliance based in Melbourne, Australia. He has advised multinational corporations and government education departments all over the world, and was awarded the OBE in 2009, by the Queen, for services to education.

Valerie Hannon, Systems rethinker, and author of Thrive: The Purpose of Schools in a Changing World, @valeriehannon

Valerie Hannon is a global thought leader, inspiring systems to re-think what ‘success’ will mean in the C 21 st , and the implications for education. The co-founder of both Innovation Unit and of the Global Education Leaders Partnership, Valerie is a radical voice for change, whilst grounded in a deep understanding of how education systems currently work. Formerly a secondary mathematics teacher, and then researcher (University of Sheffield), Valerie became the Director of Education for Derbyshire County Council. In that capacity, she worked with Sir Ken Robinson to produce All Our Futures, the report of the National Committee on Creative and Cultural Education. Following this she became an adviser on creativity in the UK Department for Education (DfE). Valerie now works independently to support change programs across the world. She has advised governments and worked with systems and schools on every continent, from Australia to Finland, and from Canada to Singapore. Valerie is an adviser to the OECD in its Education 2030 project and has substantial publications and research, including Learning A Living: radical innovation in education for work and THRIVE: the purpose of schools in a changing world.

Siân Gresswell, Senior Adviser for Careers and Employability, at GreenWood Academies.

Sian Gresswell, is Senior Adviser ‘ Careers and Employability, Green Wood Academies Trust

The Greenwood Academies Trust (GAT) currently has 36 open academies educating approximately 17,000 pupils across seven local authority areas including Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire, Leicester City, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Lincolnshire and Central Bedfordshire.  

Sian is a qualified teacher who has predominantly taught business studies to young people aged 14 – 19 as well as undertaking the role of Head of Year since 2010.  Sian is now the Careers and Employability Education Adviser for Greenwood Academies Trust.  This role involves working with careers leads across 32 academies to develop a stable careers programme of inspirational work-related activities for pupils aged 4 – 18.  Sian won the Business in the Community ‘Community Champion’ award which recognised the opportunities created for Nottingham Academy students through working in partnership with Nottingham employers.

Sophie Bailey, Founder and Host, The Edtech Podcast | Twitter: @podcastedtech, Founder, WorkTripp

Sophie is the founder of the iTunes new and noteworthy, The Edtech Podcast. The mission of The Edtech Podcast is to improve the dialogue between ‘ed’ and ‘tech’ for better innovation, through storytelling. The podcast is downloaded from over 145 countries with the UK, US & Aus in the top 3. Sophie has spoken and moderated at a variety of events including SXSW EDU, Yidan Education Prize, ASU GSV Summit, and the Next Billion Edtech Summit. She is an industry mentor and advisor, including to the UCL Knowledge Lab initiative EDUCATE, a Reimagine Education, GESA Awards, Bett Awards and XPrize Adult Literacy judge, and previous Edtech50 and Edtech Digest winner.

Sophie is passionate about lifelong and everyday learning. If she’s not interviewing a University Vice-Chancellor, Edtech Investor, School Leader, or StartUp about education innovation, she’s engrossed in Teach Your Monster to Read or wrestling her lockdown baby. A keen cyclist, she has recently relocated to West Devon which she considers the English version of the Pyrenees. She is very lucky to work with a distributed team on The Edtech Podcast. Her new venture, WorkTripp, helps companies book high-impact team offsites in memorable locations, with an emphasis on learning and leadership development. 

Quotes from this week’s episode

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References from this week’s episode

• WorkTripp – let us help you book your team offsite and make it memorable  

• Podcast Training  – our podcast courses

• Power of Us  – David Price’s latest book 

• Learning A Living: radical innovation in education for work  – Valerie Hannon’s book

• THRIVE: the purpose of schools in a changing world – Valerie Hannon’s book

• Innovation Unit 

• Global Education Leaders Partnership

• OECD Education 2030 project

• Big Picture Learning – supporting students live lives of their own design, supported by caring mentors and equitable opportunities to achieve their greatest potential

• Big Picture Doncaster – Uk’s first Big Picture Learning School

• Stem Ambassador Programme

• Skills Builder Partnership – providing engaging resources for building essential employability skills.

• Explore the Digital Future  – Microsoft’s digital skills offer

• Avi Schiffmann – Ukrain Take Shelter website development 

• Liger Leadership Academy – Cambodian school promising youth of today to develop socially conscious, entrepreneurial leaders of tomorrow.

• SpringPod – The careers platform where employers and educators engage with young people as they plan their futures.

Thank you to Pearson for supporting this episode

This episode of the EdTech Podcast is sponsored by Pearson, the world’s learning company.

In a world of increasing change and technological advancement, the need for people to have transferable skills is more important than ever. Aligned to the future of skills and employability, Pearson BTEC prepares learners for the future world of work by providing them the knowledge, technical and transferable skills they need to be successful in their careers and in their lives.

For more information about BTEC qualifications, visit btecworks.com

Thanks also to Bett for supporting the What Matters in Edtech series

The “What Matters in Edtech Global” Series is produced by The Edtech Podcast and supported by Bett.

Bett is the global meeting place for the education community. A trusted brand with more than 30 years of heritage, the Bett series promotes the discovery of knowledge and technology to enhance lifelong learning. The Bett series attracts over 60,000 educators, leaders and practitioners alongside more than 1,255+ technology providers from around the globe. For more information go to https://www.bettshow.com/bett-global-series

Tell us where you are listening in from

We’d love to hear about innovative technology or approaches you are developing or using in adult education. Leave your stories in the comments below. Alternatively, record a quick free voicemail via speakpipe for inclusion in the next episode. Finally, you can post your thoughts or follow-on links via twitter @podcastedtech or via The Edtech Podcast Facebook page.