Talking about . . ‪.‬ Andrew Homden/Jason Lasky

Wherever your school is with the issue of equity, this well-informed, down-to-earth conversation between two of the most experienced educators responsible for establishing a culture of equity in a school is a must-listen.

In the May edition of the ITM Podcast, Nalini Cook of ISC Research and Mansoor Ahmed of Colliers International, two of the most respected observers of the international school scene, talk to Andy Homden about the post-pandemic world of international education and the changes already shaping its future.

Where are we with EdTech in 2023? Forging ahead? On pause? Or even moving backwards? Al Kingsley and Matt Harris EdD share contrasting views with Andy Homden in this edition of the ITM Podcast, Talking about EdTech.

Beyond schoolTwo initiatives apparently at the opposite end of the international education spectrum and half a world away from each other seem to have little in common. The Universal Learner Passport is being designed in Switzerland by Conrad Hughes and his team at the International School of Geneva. It aims to record the full range of student achievement upon graduation following a rigorous academic program at one of the world's leading IB schools. Steps is an inclusive program being developed by an innovative team led by Max Simpson and Uang Hotrakitya in Thailand to support neurodivergent learners in their journeys to personal, learning, and career independence.In "Talking about... Pathways to the Future," hosted by Andy Homden, CEO of Consilium Education, Simpson and Hughes in fact find that they have everything in common as they scaffold the progress of young people on their journey to the kind of independence they will need during the next stage of their lives. By the end, the group talks about how the Hughes-led Coalition to Honour All Learning may become the next great evolution in international education.Further reading in ITM:Conrad Hughes: Learner Passport Andy Homden: A world that sees us
BiographiesMax Simpson (MA Special Education and Inclusion, PG Dip Special Educational Needs Coordinator) has been working with the neurodivergent community for over 15 years, and the longer her team works alongside this community, the more evidence they have that they are value-adding employees for the businesses they serve. In 2019, Max was listed as one of the top 50 young leaders shaping the future of Asia. Steps was honored with the International Provision of the Year Award by the prestigious National Association for Special Educational Needs (UK). Max also sits on the board of the Special Education Network and Inclusion AssociationConrad Hughes (Ph.D., EdD) is Campus and Secondary Principal at theInternational School of Geneva, La Grande Boissière where he also teaches philosophy. Dr. Hughes led two major projects with UNESCO-IBE to rethink the guiding principles for learning in the 21st Century and preventing violent extremism through education. He has published three books on different aspects of 21st Century learning. Understanding Education and Prejudice (2017), Educating for the 21st Century (2019), and Education and Elitism (2021). He is a member of the advisory board for the University of the People, a research assistant at the University of Geneva's department of psychology and education and is a regular contributor to the World Economic Forum’s Agenda blog. He speaks at conferences across the globe.
Podcast production by Jason Lasky"Talking about... The ITM Podcast: is produced by voice-over, podcast, and sound specialist Jason Lasky – a playwright, actor, director, and IBDP teacher specializing in Theater Arts, as well as the Creative Director and CEO of J.Lasky Voices. 

THE FUTURE OF LEARNING?
Visions of the future from the past
Future skills, Edtech, the metaverse, a curriculum for teaching sustainability are much talked about topics in contemporary education. All imply a need for change in what we teach and how we teach. Some would argue for radical change: Anthony Seldon has written about the need for a 'fourth education revolution'. 
But do the needs of  today's students have more in common with those of previous generations, despite our rapidly changing world?  If so, good teaching now might have more in common with good teaching in the past than is commonly thought. There is nothing new about wanting to stimulate curiosity, provoke thought and encourage students not only to think through their answers, but to ask good questions. Perhaps there has never been a greater need for encouraging young people to be open-minded and to seek the evidence they need to reach their own conclusions about the world. As good teachers always have.
No one, arguably, is better qualified  to debate the question of 'the future of learning' than our guests today, Professor Deborah Eyre and Kevin Bartlett. Both Deborah and Kevin write extensively about education and learning and both have had – and are having – a major impact on the way children learn. They are two of the most important educational thinkers of our time and in this issue of 'Talking about . . .' they don't disappoint.
Professor Deborah Eyre
An internationally influential thinker, writer and speaker, Professor Eyre was Director at the UK National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) between 2002 and 2008 while based at the University of Warwick. She entered the international field in 2008 with the DEL International Education Consultancy in the service of high profile clients such as the Government of Hong Kong Education Bureau and the Hong Kong Institute of Education. She subsequently became Director of Education at Nord Anglia and founded High Performance Learning for schools in the UK and around the world in 2016, driven by the belief that all students are capable of high levels of achievement. She now works with a rapidly growing number of schools to develop the competencies young people need for academic, workplace and lifetime success.
Kevin Bartlett
Author, learning practitioner and educational thinker, Kevin has had a long and distinguished career in international education, most recently as Director of the International School of Brussels. He was named International Superintendent of the Year in 2014 and inducted into the AAIE Hall of Fame shortly thereafter. A restless educational innovator, he was one of the key initiators of the IB’s PYP , co-founder of The Next Frontier: Inclusion and co-author of NEASC’s new approach to international school accreditation, ACE. He is the founding Director of the Common Ground Collaborative, which embraces a fresh approach to co-creating culture, curriculum and community, and which is gaining support from an increasing number of schools.
 

Mark Beverley is the Director of the Institute of Teaching and Learning at Sevenoaks School in the UK. In this episode Mark describes the role of the ITL and how it impscts on the learning not only of students, but also of teachers.