Digital Learning Day (#DLDay2022) shouldn’t pass without acknowledging some of the most influential people in international education technology – and sharing some of their advice to educators.
Learning from top international education influencers
In our research of the top international education influencers of 2021, several edtech experts were within the top ten ‘Edruptors’ of the year.
Monica Burns, whose popular Class Tech Tips blog and podcast got her to the number two Edruptor of 2021, says “Embrace your place”. When advising educators about the technology to use in the classroom Monica says: “Lean into that spot that your students are already logging in to.”
Sophie Bailey, host of the highly praised Edtech Podcast was ranked fourth in the Edruptors of 2021. She says teachers are a crucial part of the success of edtech in the classroom: “Technology comes to life when there’s a human at the end of it who is helping, and assisting, and nudging.”
And Al Kingsley, author of My Secret #Edtech Diary, who shares advice through social media on the use of technology to improve communication and wellbeing in schools, was ranked seventh in our Edruptors 2021 list. With so many edtech solutions now available, his advice to schools is: “Look and see which of your peers have already been through the journey. Reach out to them. Do they have evidence that a tech solution works well before you decide for your own class or school?”
Other edtech Edruptors in 2021 included Alec Couros, professor of education technology and media at the University of Regina in Canada, who uses his social media to share advice to avoid the many pitfalls of edtech, and who ranked 10th. John Mikton, Head of Education and Media Technology at the International School of Luxembourg ranked 13th. Jake Miller, a science teacher in the Orange City School District of Ohio, US whose Educational Duct Tape podcast is popular with teachers around the world, ranked in 21st place. Digital Learning Manager at ADEK in the UAE and former Head of Digital Technology and Innovation at Cranleigh School in Abu Dhabi, Philippa Wraithmell ranked 25th. And Sunny Thakral, Head of Computer Science at Brighton College Bangkok, ranked 28th. All are sharing ideas and advice and are popular with international educators on Twitter and/or LinkedIn. You can find out more in our free Edruptors 2021 Report.
Digital learning through shared experiences
In addition to our Edtech Edruptors, and also in honour of Digital Learning Day, here are the top three most popular digital learning stories of the past year in International School Leader Magazine:
- In August 2021, Sunny Thakral wrote about how his school, Harrow International School Beijing, moved towards a more staff-centred approach to digital pedagogy in his feature on Embedding digital literacy across school staff.
- In July 2021, Naima Charlier of Nord Anglia International School Hong Kong, shared suggestions for blending the best experiences of online learning developed during COVID, with face-to-face learning in the classroom in her feature Embracing new pedagogies from a virtual school experience.
- And in June 2021, Fiona Carter of Wellington College China, wrote about her school’s experience of developing a data-led approach to informing classroom practice and support for the youngest of students in her feature Data mining in the early years.
You can keep up to date with all the latest edtech features in International School Leader Magazine by subscribing to receive all issues as they’re published here.
