UAE national agenda driving innovation in education
STEAM is developing an employable future generation
Mobility, use of the cloud and technology personalization are key trends in education technology
United Arab Emirates, Dubai – 17 November 2019 – Dunecrest American School, a STEAM-focused US/IB school, has welcomed Abdul Chohan, Apple Distinguished Educator and Award-winning Digital Learning Strategist. He delivered a keynote address highlighting the latest technology used to enhance student learning.
The event focused on technology innovations and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) learning and showcased the latest trends in educational technology, including mobility, use of the cloud and technology personalization. The event also covered how technology provides students a better learning experience, and advances their future employability skills.
During the keynote, Chohan highlighted the importance of equitable access with seamless connectivity for students, whilst also focusing on giving the students the ability and understanding of how to effectively use the devices to help them learn and succeed.
In line with the UAE’s 2021 vision to be among the most innovative nations in the world, the nation is seeing a big shift in the way technology is used in education. According to Chohan, the UAE National Agenda of innovation is becoming a driver for effectively utilizing technology in schools, and educators are leveraging the latest tools to advance pedagogy in classrooms.
While teachers in the region are enthusiastic about adopting educational apps and tools, challenges still exist around building a learning environment with a consistent, integrated approach across the entire curriculum. The broad range of tools and platforms available in education technology poses the question of which of these tools and platforms to use, when to use them, and how to assess student outcomes. However, this challenge is a positive one as it drives more innovation, with technology and STEAM enhancing student engagement across different subject areas. Chohan highlighted:
“STEAM brings important disciplines together, it gives the students the ability not to understand subjects just in silos, but to be able to apply that knowledge across a project. It allows students to explore, learn, discover and ask questions. A STEAM based environment prepares students for real life, where they have to solve problems and work on projects. There's a huge value in understanding the learning process in a cross-platform environment, where they can draw on all the different skills needed to solve a particular problem.”
Chohan is a UK-based educator and award-winning learning technology consultant, working with governments, Ministries of Education and international educational organizations, devising learning strategies based on mobile technology platforms.
“Schools today must emphasize real-world learning, which teaches students how to think critically. Dunecrest students have cutting-edge technology, quite literally, at their fingertips. In this age of technology, we need to teach children how to explore the “why” so that they can think and innovate. STEAM learning is one such approach that unleashes the creative juices of a students’ mind.” said Bill Delbrugge, Director at Dunecrest American School.
With projects extending across Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math, Dunecrest American School’s STEAM program provides cutting-edge learning, allowing students to collaborate, think critically, and communicate effectively. This creative approach to problem-solving fosters true innovation, combining the mind of a scientist with that of a designer.
For more information visit https://www.dunecrest.ae/
