{"id":16602,"date":"2019-09-27T09:00:18","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T09:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/?p=16602"},"modified":"2020-01-08T14:28:21","modified_gmt":"2020-01-08T13:28:21","slug":"learnings-microsoft-education-exchange-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/education\/2019\/09\/27\/learnings-microsoft-education-exchange-event\/","title":{"rendered":"3 learnings from the Microsoft Education Exchange event"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, I attended the Microsoft Education Exchange (E2) event in Paris. It\u2019s a chance to celebrate the work of educators around the world \u2013 and I haven\u2019t stopped thinking about the impact the event has had on me and my practice. Three main thoughts about the direction and use of technology in the classroom have stayed with me.<\/p>\n

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1. Nurture unique skills<\/h2>\n

Grimsby, where I\u2019m from, is a far cry from the streets of Paris. The old fishing town is almost completely cut off from the rest of England, with no direct motorway connections and a limited railway station (if you want to visit us, you\u2019ll be taking country lanes to get here). During the entire event, I only met two people who had even heard of Grimsby, and I felt quite insignificant when chatting to people from more far-flung locales like Melbourne, Nairobi, or Ho Chi Minh City.<\/p>\n

It got me thinking, if I was feeling like that, how must others from the town feel?<\/p>\n

What would it be like if everyone from my home town experienced an event like E2? Strangers from across the globe, joined together, split into teams, and quickly finding that all-important team dynamic in order to co-operatively solve a problem.<\/p>\n

Then it hit me: this isn\u2019t limited to an event like the Education Exchange. This is life. This is how it should be, with individuals drawing on their own unique strengths, skills, and perspectives \u2013 listening to others and using these strengths to help everyone. Whether you\u2019re a Grimbarian or a Parisian, we all have a unique set of skills to offer our peers. Developing that in our learners is vital to help inspire and build aspirations, no matter where they\u2019re from.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

2. Technology needs purpose<\/h2>\n

Technology is continuing to transform the classroom experience \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s something that should be used just because it\u2019s there. It\u2019s shouldn\u2019t be simply a box-ticking exercise. To treat it as such misses the point and the power of technology in education.<\/p>\n

As educators, we need to carefully plan and prepare for the introduction of any tech into the classroom. Consider\u2026<\/p>\n