Recap: Faria Education Technology Conference 2022

About the Event

The Schools Technology department hosted the 2nd annual Faria Education Technology Conference from April 6th to April 8th 2022.  We welcomed over 150 attendees from 44 different countries and 107 schools worldwide to our virtual conference.

Below, you can find the list of presentations, along with a recap message from our presenters.

The theme of the conference was Cultivating Our Community and the feedback we received suggests that we did just that. Conference attendees were sharing ideas and experiences across the three days, swapping contacts and joining our year-round Discord community to keep in touch.  Our incredible presenters tackled subjects on these four themes:

• Leadership: The Role of the Tech Director
• API integrations: Solutions built with low- and full-code tools
• Data Analytics: Gaining insights into your data
• Process Management: Ensuring the community and systems are in sync

In Leadership, presenters shared their professional journeys, building the relationships they needed to bring technology to an integral part of school life.  In API integrations, presenters shared tips and tricks with the APIs to solve everyday challenges.  In Data Analytics, we saw how schools are creating dashboards to drive change with actionable data insights, and in Process Management we saw how connected systems lead to efficient, effective schools.

Recap

David Miles, Director of IT Integration, Verdala International School, kicked off the conference with a relatable story: "Hello, World! “Tech Director” - starting from scratch

After transitioning from being the HS Principal, into a newly created role of Director of IT Integration, this was a personal & professional reflection on what had been learned over the past year. Key strategic priorities & resources were identified, with a core message that the Tech Director role is a core strategic and operational leadership role which should not be optional in any school

Viktor Datsiuk, Director of Technology, Shanghai Singapore International School, shared their digital transformation journey from the point of view of our customer journeys and touch points in: Empower Your Community with Tech

Viktor Datsiuk is the Director of Technology at Shanghai Singapore International School. He has an MBA and a Masters in Teaching and Psychology, with a career that includes stints in corporate and private businesses and international education.

“With the modern technology stack of FariaOne and integration support we are able to not only bring the whole school community onto a single collaboration space, we are also confident about the future ability to better serve our students, parents and educators.”

Adam Morris, Faria Education Group Schools Technology & Integrations Director, showed how to  use G-Sheets with APIs to download from an upstream data source in: Spreadsheets with Super Powers: An API in every Tab

Spreadsheets are essential tools, but wouldn't they even better if you could populate them with data from ManageBac? This presentation discussed the tool that does exactly that, and also the reasons behind creating it in the first place.

Ryan Persaud, Director of IT and Innovation, The International School of Curitiba, shared his belief that the role of Tech Director is one of the most dynamic and underrated roles in a school setting. and how to shift perception in: Taking the "Tech" out of Tech Director: Why we must be seen as Leaders

The Roles and responsibilities of the IT Director are so far reaching and integral to the school environment that it is imperative that they have a seat at the leadership table. Not only do IT Directors bring a vision for technology and innovation for the school, but even more importantly they bring with them a plethora of other skill sets which have school wide and community impact. We have seen IT Directors write policy, set strategic direction, push into classrooms, plan workshops and conferences, sit on a variety of committees, and a host of other duties. This role certainly has far more reach than its own title gives it credit for!

James Abela, Head of Computing, Garden International School, explored the disconnect between most teachers and a table of figures in: Why Don't People Love Data?

Dr Wallen Mphepo, Master Of Mathematics + Entrepreneurship, Avenues Shenzhen, got started with AI/ML Foundations and how to go from Tracking Student Performance to also Prediction & Prescription in: AI/ML Foundations: From Tracking to Prediction

Daniel Costich, Assistant Head of Secondary, Chatsworth International School, Singapore, showcased some examples in which the Managebac API has been used in a school in: The Power of ManageBac API

Farah Misquitta, Head of Education Technology, Oberoi International School, explained the roles and responsibility of a Technology Director in aligning the tech vision with the school vision to achieve community success in: The Confluence of K12 Education Technology Leadership

Ryan Tannenbaum, Owner, for.education, looked at data's place in K-12 educational institutions, both historically and now, and considering how we can use it to empower stakeholders and drive innovation in: Data Driving Schools

Rory Parkinson, ICT Director, International School of Uganda, Kampala, asked "How do you build a high performing IT team that not only succeeds, but enjoys the never ending challenges that inevitably come their way?" in: How to Build a Highly Motivated and Effective IT Team

Michelle Que Ong, ICT Coordinator, St Francis College, helps us connect with our teachers when we aim for authentic and purposeful technology integration in: Human-Centred Coaching and EdTech Integration

As schools integrate technology in the classroom, it is worth reminding ourselves that this must be done purposefully through empathy and by giving agency to both teachers and students. Using Design Thinking, we can connect with our teachers and students when choosing the most appropriate technology integration framework, and create an action plan that can be applied within the context of our school culture. Technologically up-skilling our teachers and preparing our students to be future-ready can be a seamless, collaborative endeavour.

Candelaria Durruty, Digital Learning Coach, St. George’s College North & Mercedes Pérez Berbain, Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer, ESSARP; Pilgrims, UK hosted an experiential and interactive session which invites participants to learn about collaboration and its implications in: How to Foster Collaboration Using Digital Tools

Max Eisl, Director of Sales, Finalsite & Rob Rawcliffe, Sales Engineer, Finalsite examined how whatever your role - IT, marketing, admissions, or school leadership - having systems “talk” to each other is key to sustainable success in: Connecting Your Systems For School Growth, Engagement & Retention