Elly Yates-Roberts |
Anthony Salcito, Microsoft’s vice president of education, delivered a keynote at this year’s Bett Show about the changing face of education and how technology may be used to personalise it and extend it past the four walls of the classroom.
According to a Microsoft news story, Salcito said that students want to impact the world and are using technology to do it, by learning in a way that suits them. Technology could extend the ‘classroom’ to anywhere, at any time, through devices.
“I think a big theme of the next decade is technology that enables schools to act as a central place for education, but the focus is on the rest of a student’s learning pathway, not just what happens in the classroom,” he said.
Salcito shared how some of Microsoft’s newest features are already changing how students and teachers interact, with PowerPoint Live and Teams, among others.
“Technology is changing the world,” he said. “The way in which we work and the jobs we will need are becoming far more dynamic; new careers are being invented and created, while existing careers are changing. We, as people, have got to be nimble and constantly adjust, too.
“What we want educators to do is not be bound by the structure of a 40-minute lecture, classroom dynamic or assessment that’s connected to a curriculum, but recognise their goal and mission to expand upon every student’s potential.”
To enable this, Salcito asked that governments shift their thinking, away from traditional testing and curricula to a more personal approach.
“We need to recognise that every student learns differently and has different aspirations and accessibility needs,” he said. “Personalised learning can unleash an individual to be their best, to connect their passions, energy, talents, interests, their special needs, to make their learning journey unique and untethered by the bounds of classrooms, schedules and the curriculum.”