K12 Digest® – October 2021 – International Edition – K12 Education in the Middle East by Connecta Innovation

JANUARY MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL SPECIAL

INTERNATIONAL INDIAN EDITION

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EDTECH COMPANY OF THE YEAR - 2021

FEATURING INSIDE

Matthew Tompkins Principal & CEO, GEMS FirstPoint School

FEATURING INSIDE

Catherine O’Farrell Founder, Incluzun.com

Nitin Vijay Founder & Director, Motion Education

Dhaval Mehta Founder, TNI Career Counselling

Parminder Singh Operations & Facilities Manager, Victory Heights Primary School

Kannan Raman EdTech Consultant, EdsoLabs

Soraya Beheshti Regional Director - Middle East, Africa & Turkey, Crimson Education

Kathryn Booth Director of School Qualifications, Pearson Middle East, North Africa and Turkey

K12 EDUCATION

MIDDLE EAST

IN THE

ASPIRATIONS

AND

EXPECTATION

Vaidyanathan Jayaraman Dean- Undergraduate Programs, SP Jain School of Global Managementl Yogesh Dalvi Head of Operations, Eminence Private School, UAE

K12 Digest October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

How do you prepare your students for assessments?

Automatic,

Targeted gap

Translate NWEA

Visualization of

adaptable

analysis to identify

MAP results

learners’ next

results-driven

intervention

into actionable

steps for the whole

learning pathways

opportunities

outcomes

academic year

Edmentum can make assessment preparation easier, enabling more time for informed decision-making and intervention. Join the many schools across the Middle East that trust Edmentum to support them with their assessment acceleration.

Exact Path allows us to give the students time to catch up to their grade level and what’s going on in their classrooms at the same time. It gives the teachers data that supports them with differentiation and helps them translate the grade-level curriculum into lessons every day. That was the advantage for us of Exact Path. Lee Dabagia, Principal, Summit International School, Abu Dhabi

+44 (0)1572 492576

K12 Digest www.edmentuminternational.com October 2021

international@edmentum.com @Edmentum_INT

12 Digest Higher EducationKDigest October 2021 December October January 2019 2020

October 2021

Vol - 2 Issue - 9

K12 Education in the Middle East Special Head of Advisory Board Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD

Managing Editor Sarath Shyam

Consultant Editors

Dr. Johny Andrews Andrew Scott Joseph Alex

Naomi Wilson Stanly Lui Emma James

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Art and Design Charlie Jameson

Sales & Marketing

Jennifer Anderson Rachel Roy

Monica Davis Anna Elza

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MANAGING EDITOR’S NOTE

Aspirations and Expectations of K12 Education in the Middle East

s per the data published by UNICEF, nearly half of the population in the Middle East and North Africa is aged under 24. One in five people in the region is between 10-24 years old. The people under 25 in the ME region range from 34% in the UAE to 50% in Saudi Arabia. On the flip side, the expat population are also increasing. At present, Dubai projects that its expat population will double by 2030. With such a spectacular, knowledge-hungry young population, the K12 education sector presents tremendous prospects for growth. In fact, educational institutions and investors have been capitalizing on these opportunities, shepherding in an age of development and coalitions. It is not just the traditional brick-and-mortar schools benefiting from the rising demand for quality education in the Middle East. The pandemic has catalyzed the boom of EdTech and the smart classroom market tremendously. It is expected to grow from USD

3,565 million in 2019 to USD 7,626.1 million by 2027 at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2020 to 2027. The emgergence of innovative startups in this sector also propels the existing market players in this region to constantly focus on improving their offerings by adding advanced features and integrating various technologies. For instance, education technology partners like Edmentum have been a great help for schools that struggled with the unprecedented digital transition of teaching and learning in the Middle East. To understand the pulse of K12 Education and its aspirations and expectations, we have come up with a special issue that features some insightful articles written by a handful of selected experts in this region. We hope our effort to bring such informative perspectives from academics and industry honchos would equally help parents, school admins, K12 education investors, and operators. Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

K12 Digest October 2021

INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Chris Wright

Maarit Rossi

Former International School Principal, Former Group Project Director at a World Class Learning Group, Education Consultant - Wright Solutions, United Kingdom

Founder & CEO - Paths to Math Ltd, Former Mathematics Teacher and Principal, Global Teacher Prize Finalist, Finland

Dr. Stuart Grant Colesky Principal, Rundle College, South Africa

Zeljana Radojicic Lukic Exceptional Educator from Serbia, Founder of Association of the Best Teachers of the Former Yugoslavia, Founder of Magical Intercultural Friendship Network, Founder of Creative Magic - Children’s International Festival, Founder of Magic Village, Serbia

Asst. Prof. Dr. Poonsri Vate-U-Lan Assistant Professor in Education, Ph.D. Supervisor and Researcher, Thailand

Stephen Cox

Elena Shramkova

Chief Education Officer, New Nordic School, Finland

Liljana Luani

Senior Teacher ‘Pashko Vasa’ school Shkodra, Exceptional Volunteer, Albania

English and Literature teacher, Owner of “The Smart Teens Studio of English” in Belgorod, Russia

Ralph Valenzisi Chief of Digital Learning and Development, Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut, United States

Hatem Slimane

Servatius (Servee) Palmans Former Director School Administration & Business Operations (Large Education Group), Chief Operating Officer - BBD Education, Dr. Lilian Bacich Netherlands & UAE Senior Educationist, Author, Keynote Speaker, Co-founder Tríade Educacional, Brazil

K12 Digest October 2021

Founder & National President - ATAST, General director of IFEST² the international projects competition in Tunisia, General secretary of MILSET Africa, BRISECC member, Tunisia

Juan Manuel Pico Education Soul Co-founder & HundrED Country Lead Colombia, Colombia

Hidekazu Shoto

Dr. Venus M. Alboruto

Angus Duthie

Master Teacher, Researcher, Innovator, Trainer, Philippines

Former Vice President Security (Large Education Group), Former British Army Officer (Airborne Forces), Senior Advisor – Resilience and Crisis Management (Emerald Solutions Group), United Kingdom & UAE

Innovative English and ICT Teacher, Author, Japan

Ian Deakin

Deputy Head and Dean of Faculty, Dalton Academy, Beijing, China

Shady Elkassas Rania Lampou

Global Teacher Prize Finalist 2019, 15 International Awards on STEM, STEM Instructor, Educator, Neuroscience Researcher, Trainer & Author, Greece

Director of Innovation Al Ittihad National Private School-Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Fethy Letaief Distinguished Senior EFL Teacher, ISA Coordinator with the British Council, Motivational Speaker, Tunisia

Herwin Hamid

Ha Nga

EdTech Specialist, Speaker and Teacher Trainer, Innovative ICT Educator, ICT learning multimedia developer, Indonesia

Revolutionary English Educator, Globally Connected English Studio - Hanoi, Vietnam

Dr. Leonilo Basas Capulso Master Teacher, Speaker and Researcher, Philippines

Kihyun Park Innovative Educator of Online Classroom, Pungsaeng Middle School, South Korea

Mr. Ngô Thành Nam

Technology Academy Manager, Microsoft Learning Consultant, Global Trainer, Vietnam

Dr. Varughese K.John, PhD Former Program Director, MS in Management Program, GSATM - AU, Thailand & India

K12 Digest October 2021

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EDTECH

CONTENTS

COMPANY OF THE YEAR - 2021

Paul Montague International Digital Learning and Curriculum Manager

A Trusted Technology Partner for the Middle East’s Educational Institutions 8

K12 Digest October 2021

MENTOR’S OPINION

BEST PRACTICES

ACADEMIC VIEWS

SKILLS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

COPING WITH THE NEW NORM

Dr. Vaidyanathan Jayaraman, Dean- Undergraduate Programs, SP Jain School of Global Management

Catherine O’Farrell, Director-Knowledge Hub, iCademy Middle East, & Founder, Incluzun

INNOVATION – A COMPULSORY ELEMENT OF EDUCATION? Matthew Tompkins, Principal & CEO, GEMS FirstPoint School

K12 Digest October 2021

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

64 40 TREND IN K12 EDUCATION SECTOR IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (UAE) Yogesh Dalvi, Head of Operations, Eminence Private School, Al Fujairah, UAE

EDUCATION SECTOR & EDUCATION MANAGEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST Parminder Singh, Operations & Facilities Manager, Victory Heights Primary School, Victory Heights Foundation, The Wonder Years Nursery Dubai Sports City, and The Wonder Years Nursery Remraam

44 EDUCATION SCENARIO IN THE MIDDLE EAST: DIGITAL VS IN-PERSON LEARNING Kathryn Booth, Director of School Qualifications, Pearson Middle East, North Africa and Turkey

48 THE ROLE OF DIGITALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE EDUCATION SECTOR DURING THE PANDEMIC Soraya Beheshti, Regional Director, Crimson Education Middle East, Africa & Turkey

K12 Digest October 2021

HOW MIDDLE EAST MITIGATED THE EFFECTS OF PANDEMIC ON SCHOOL EDUCATION

GETTING STUDENTS CAREER READY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Nitin Vijay, Founder & Director, Motion Education

CONTENTS

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Kannan Raman, STEM / Immersive Specialist, EdsoLabs

WHY CAN THE MIDDLE EAST BE CONSIDERED THE GOLDMINE OF EDUCATION Dhaval Mehta, Founder & CEO, TNI Career Counselling

K12 Digest October 2021

MENTOR’S OPINION

Skills That Are Essential for High School Graduates Dr. Vaidyanathan Jayaraman, Dean- Undergraduate Programs, SP Jain School of Global Management

Dr Vaidyanathan Jayaraman is the Dean of Undergraduate Programs and a Distinguished Professor at SP Jain School of Global Management. He oversees the undergraduate programs across the school’s campuses in Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore and Sydney. Prior to taking on this role, Dr Jayaraman was the Principal and Associate Dean at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Chennai, India. Before joining Great Lakes, he was a tenured senior faculty at the School of Business Administration, University of Miami, USA, where he taught Supply Chain Operations and Analytics.

K12 Digest October 2021

igh school graduates are entering a critical phase of their lives when they have to pursue a college degree or vocational training post the pandemic era. A lot has been written and discussed how students should master their communication and problem-solving skills and gain foundational knowledge expertise. However, in this post-COVID era wherein countries are taking steps to control and curtail the pain and suffering due to this virus, the most important skill that a high school graduate can learn is empathy. Empathy is the ability for people to place themselves in someone else’s shoes and understand the situation and feeling from their point of view. It’s about listening, paying careful attention to non-verbal communication, picking up subtle cues, and showing some sensitivity to other people’s emotions. Students should learn to be passionate yet be compassionate. Being empathetic can also enhance a student’s articulation skills because they can sense what others require to know and if they are getting it from them. This in turn would also help students become effective supervisors and leaders. The second skill that cannot be taught but need to be acquired and nurtured is to develop a positive attitude. In this post-pandemic era, having a positive attitude is being optimistic about interactions and remain hopeful, and see the best even in difficult situations. It’s about appreciating the glass that is half full rather than being half empty. It’s about converting any stumbling blocks into stepping

stones and challenges into opportunities– looking for solutions rather than focus on problems. Students who are growing up in this century are saddled with tremendous pressure and negativity. Hence adopting a positive attitude would bring constructive changes, happiness, and a very bright and successful future. The third skill that high school students should possess is critical thinking – an ability to work through any obstacle to solve the problem. In the current work-fromhome culture that is prevalent thanks to the pandemic, people need to work independently, think critically, and solve problems without having access to a manager who would have been accessible on-site. Problem-solving and critical thinking typically go hand-in-hand. Students have to now be prepared for jobs and careers that do not even exist yet. Therefore, critical thinking is a key skill for the future. We also need to train our students on becoming ethically responsible citizens so they can contribute to the greater good of the world. Students today are technologically savvy and can multi-task and do so much with so little. As an example, talking to someone on the other side of the world which used to be a huge challenge a few decades ago has now been made simpler with the advancements in telecommunication. Hence, teaching our students to respect the values, culture, and beliefs of people from other countries will lead them to become change-makers and game-changers.

Students need to go well beyond the skills to become ethically, morally, and socially responsible human beings

K12 Digest October 2021

We also need to train our students on becoming ethically responsible citizens

K12 Digest October 2021

To summarize, while storytelling and communication (both verbal and written) are keys to a successful future, in the post-pandemic era, students need to go well beyond these skills to become ethically, morally, and socially responsible human beings. The equation is clear: IQ+PQ+EQ+SQ = SUCCESS in life. Possessing an abundant mix of the intelligent and professional quotient is not enough these days…it’s important to sprinkle in a healthy dose of some emotional and spiritual quotient that would make a student outstanding and successful in life.

The whole sTudenT view Our assessments provide a deeper insight into your students’ capability, struggles, learning barriers, current and comparative performance and rate of progress. With this information you are better able to personalise learning according to each individual student’s need. our assessments provide robust, standardised external data for: • Supporting decision-making across teaching, learning and pastoral needs • Identifying areas for school improvement • Preparation for inspections and accreditations. • Benchmarking and value-added • Informing staff professional development requirements • Showing prospective parents what the school has to offer and he effectiveness of teaching

international@gl-education.com

K12 Digest October 2021

gl-education.com

ACADEMIC VIEWS

Innovation – A Compulsory Element of Education? Matthew Tompkins, Principal & CEO, GEMS FirstPoint School

Matthew is in his 25th year of teaching and 21st year as a senior leader in schools. Matthew is passionate about maximising every learners’ potential and celebrating the greatness in every child. Matthew’s qualifications include, a BA (Hons) Degree in PE and Geography with Qualified Teacher Status from Brighton University in the UK, a Masters (MA) Degree in School Leadership from Canterbury ChristChurch University in the UK and the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers, again in the UK. Before joining GEMS, Matthew was the Principal of Skinners’ Kent Academy, an Outstanding school in Tunbridge Wells, England.

K12 Digest October 2021

I believe that innovation is a culture that has grown with the ethos of the school

s an educator, I have always been committed to using and promoting innovative practices. As a Principal, I have the opportunity to plan strategically for this across our school, but I can still remember as a trainee wanting to find new and better ways to support the learning of the children in my classes. It is equally as important to promote this thinking in the children we teach, so that they can continue to enhance the world we live in. Ultimately as educators, we want children to form habits, skills and attributes that support them to be successful throughout their lives. Those who are most successful are those who can find new and improved ways of doing things. This is the very definition of innovation. We need to encourage young people to look at the world through their own eyes from their own perspectives and not through the lenses prescribed by restrictive curricular or practices. Our facilitation of learning should encourage independent research, exploration and the confidence to look beyond the current “correct” answers. As educators, the longer we hold on to the past, the further removed we become from the realities of the present and the less well we prepare children for the realities of the future. If I were to take you back 40 years in pretty much any industry and compare it to that same business today, it would be unrecognisable. If we went back 40 years in education, not an awful lot has changed. Yes, we’ve altered the colour of the board at the front of the room and the material

from which we have built the desks and the chairs has changed, but much of the content is very similar, much of the pedagogy is the same. We cannot afford to keep falling behind industry at this rate because we are not supporting our students to be successful in later life. Innovation, for me is a new way of doing something. This could be a new method, the use of new equipment, taking a different approach or the use of different resources. The purpose of innovation can be to save time, effort, resource or to improve the impact, efficacy or efficiency of something. I do realise that my definition is incredibly wide ranging almost to the point where it is all encompassing but I would encourage people not to get tied down by the definition, focus more on the purpose and then subsequent impact of any innovation. Just thinking about providing a few examples helps me to consider how lucky I have been in education, working with some incredible educators, wonderful children and inspirational leaders. I worked my whole career in Kent, England prior to joining GEMS in Dubai. I started, in 1997 at a school called Mascalls and had incredibly forward-thinking professionals who really guided that initial part of my career. I was a PE teacher and learnt from a department who were always looking to get better and supporting each other to become collectively better. Even in these early days, I can see I was being shaped as a practitioner who would look for and embrace innovation. I them moved to Angley School in 2001, moving on to a Senior Leadership Team for the first time and at the same time became an Advanced Skills Teacher, working

K12 Digest October 2021

as an advisor of sorts for Kent County Council one day a week. This led to a move to Swan Valley Community School in 2003. Here I was really challenged by two incredible leaders to innovate and find new ways of doing things. We introduced courses, re-modelled the timetable, and inspired young people to think differently about themselves and their futures. We were starting to provide opportunities for young people that others in other institutions were starting to replicate. In 2010, I then moved to the school that I would later become Principal of – The Skinners’ Kent Academy. I worked with incredible leaders who I learnt so much from. We worked collectively and always placed the best interests of the children at the forefront of every decision we made. I was provided with opportunities to grow and develop and coached and encouraged to find my own way. This was the first time I had worked within a group of schools, and I really benefitted from the support and guidance provided from leaders of other Skinners’ Schools as well as the outstanding governance provided by the Skinners’ Company. In 2018, I then made the decision to move into international education, this was a really difficult decision, but the deciding factor was the vision of the Chairman of GEMS, Mr Sunny Varkey. If there was a ‘who’s who’ of Educational Innovators, Mr Varkey would be near if not at the top. He has developed the biggest education group in the world through his entrepreneurial approach and willingness to innovate. And yet his major focus remains providing the best education to as many children as possible and finding the genius in every child. An example of an interesting innovation is one that we have been working on at GEMS FirstPoint for the last 2 ½ years and it is a focussed attempt to bring education and industry closer together. Along the journey, we have been awarded the GEMS Centre of Excellence for Digital Industries and KHDA Rahhal Programme lead school status for School and Industry Links. Within this work, we have two examples that I will give you. The first is a whole school approach to supporting the development of career skills and awareness, and the second is a project where we have worked alongside Siemens to produce a unique pathway for some students. The whole school careers approach involves all our students, from 3 years old up to 18 years old, engaging regularly with their career aspirations and developing those skills that will be most relevant when they are in

K12 Digest October 2021

employment. The work of the students is differentiated to match the stage and the age of each student. With the 3-year-olds for example we have dress-up days, where we dress as the job we would like to do when we are older. We then hold discussions about why they want to do that job and what they think they will be doing each day. Activities and role-play further support the student’s understanding of what their job and their peers’ jobs would be about. We keep all this information on record and make further use of it to add importance to the learning that students are completing – relating it back to the work they would be doing in their job and track the development of their employability skills throughout the school (communication, presentation, analysis etc.). The second example is a project that we have undertaken with Siemens, where they provide support through industry examples within curriculum lessons but then, and this is the really exciting part, provide an internship, one day per week, for 2 years while the students are studying their post 16 courses. We have noticed many advantages to this like: students learn workplace etiquette; they receive a full reference from a globally recognised company; they are able to talk at interviews about genuine experiences within the industry to which they are applying; they get to use the theory they are learning in the classroom within an industry setting – therefore deepening their knowledge and improving their grades. It places them a step in front of everyone else in the interview room. This has led us to form deeper links with other companies like Schneider Electric, Mirai Educational Partners, The Financial Times, The AlGurair Foundation and others. I believe that innovation is a culture that has grown with the ethos of the school. It is fostered in the interactions that staff members have, it is the way that innovation success and failure is celebrated. Mr Varkey, our Chairman is always promoting us not to be worried about failure, to use it as a learning point and to become stronger because of it. It is also about recognising that no one person or group of people have the monopoly on good ideas, that is the preserve of everyone. Creating opportunities and an environment where all voices are heard is essential for an innovative school. I am ever hopeful that our schools and our curricular can evolve to ensure that we are doing the best we can possibly do to prepare students to be successful in life, whatever their chosen pathway is. I would like education to equip children with transferable skills and the confidence to be able to adapt to a changing world.

K12 Digest Sept-Oct 2020

K12 Digest October 2021

MUST - WATCH

EDTECH COMPANY OF THE YEAR - 2021

A Trusted Technology Partner for the Middle East’s Educational Institutions

he ongoing pandemic has catalyzed the use of education technology worldwide. Industry leaders and academicians now believe that changes in education driven by the lockdown are likely to continue. “The pandemic has certainly been a catalyst for the adoption of education technology in schools. It has helped them respond to the unprecedented challenges of maintaining health and safety, ensured education continuity, and provided social and emotional learning and wellbeing support in a variety of learning environments that have included distance, hybrid, blended, and face-

K12 Digest October 2021

to-face,” says Paul Montague, International Digital Learning and Curriculum Manager, Edmentum. In the Middle East, education technology partners like Edmentum have been a great help for schools that struggled with the unprecedented digital transition of teaching and learning. Paul adds, “At Edmentum, we have provided school groups, local and national schools, and private international schools with a range of award-winning online solutions. These solutions have included digital curriculum, online supplementary tools, mentoring, tutors, continuing professional development,

About

Paul Montague

International Digital Learning and Curriculum Manager Paul Montague, Edmentum’s International Digital Learning and Curriculum Manager, has worked in the education field for 20 years and has significant teaching and learning, digital curriculum, content, assessment, and social-emotional learning and wellbeing experience. His roles have included Geography Teacher, School Improvement Manager, Advisor, Project Examiner, Government Advisor, Curriculum Development Manager (Pearson), International Consultant for the Middle East (GL Education), and International Digital Curriculum and Learning Manager for Edmentum. In his current role with Edmentum, he partners with and supports schools worldwide as they introduce a range of Edmentum’s flexible digital curriculum and learning solutions.

K12 Digest October 2021

and additional teachers that have all ensured continuity in education provision can be sustained.” Providing digital learning programs to schools for over 60 years, Edmentum is a trusted partner for schools in over 80 countries. Edmentum’s programs combine digital curriculum and assessment for students aged 3-18. The company is committed to being educators’ most trusted partner in creating successful student outcomes everywhere learning occurs by giving teachers the power to deliver truly personalized learning. In conversation with K12 Digest, Paul elaborates on Edmentum’s journey in

K12 Digest October 2021

the Middle East, its products and services, plans ahead, and much more. What has been the impact of technology on education during this pandemic in the Middle East? How is Edmentum responding to it? I have been privileged to work with educators throughout the Middle East. They should all be celebrated for adapting to new pedagogies, processes, systems, and technologies and continuing to innovate and use their skill, energy, and enthusiasm, to engage students in learning.

When working with schools in the Middle East, I have noticed that the solutions that have had the most impact are supported by learning science, driven by adaptive technology, aligned to curriculum standards, include elements of instruction (or support instruction), and provide progress checks and real-time formative feedback for both students and teachers. At Edmentum, all of our solutions are underpinned by these features and have enabled schools to build bespoke solutions around individual students to help them reach their potential. Our priority is supporting schools to build a truly personalized provision around each learner that can be accessed anywhere, anytime.

Tell us a bit about the founding story of Edmentum and its journey so far in the Middle East region. Edmentum is an international education technology company that is in its 60th anniversary year. We started as a research project at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and are the original pioneer in computerassisted instruction. We began as PLATO learning and have evolved significantly since those early days adding Study Island, EdOptions Academy, Exact Path, Courseware, and Calvert Learning to our range of solutions. We recently acquired Apex Learning and partner with BASE

K12 Digest October 2021

Middle East School on Edmentum “The Edmentum team provides unparalleled support, advice, and guidance and develops a bespoke plan with the school needs at its center. Exact Path is now fully integrated into our Maths, Language Arts, and Reading curriculums.” - Kate Hutchinson, Vice Principal (K-5), Liwa International School for Girls, Abu Dhabi

K12 Digest October 2021

Edmentum has worked with schools in the Middle East for the last ten years and has a large footprint in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar

Education (social-emotional learning curriculum) and FEV Tutor (24/7 tutors). We provide consulting, CPD, mentoring, digital curriculum, supplementary tools, online tutors, test preparation, and a fully Cognia and American International Accreditation Association (AIAA) accredited online school. We are uniquely placed to support any school or education organization with any of their digital or school improvement needs. We have worked with schools in the Middle East for the last ten years and have a large footprint in the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar. ADEK uses our Exact Path solution and our online, on-demand 24/7 tutors in their Charter Schools to improve learning in maths, language arts, and reading. Additionally, school groups such as the ADNOC Schools, Liwa Education (Abu Dhabi), and Aldar Education (Abu Dhabi) and private international schools such as Universal American School (Dubai), Summit International School (Abu Dhabi), The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls (GEMS Education and Abu Dhabi), and the School of Modern Skills (Dubai) are using a range of our solutions to: 1. Create integrated assessment strategies that utilize both formative and summative assessments 2. Identify and close learning gaps in math, English, and science 3. Support catch-up lessons 4. Deliver on-grade-level teaching and extension activities 5. Prepare for benchmarking assessments, such as MAP 6. Provide credit recovery by using our Cognia accredited online school, EdOptions Academy 7. Provide a customizable digital curriculum that enables teachers to deliver original credit courses 8. Provide maths and reading teaching through our foundation skills instruction service 9. Expand course choices for students by using our Cognia accredited online school to provide over 500 courses such as Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, and Green Energy Development. As a trusted EdTech partner of educators, what are the significant challenges Edmentum faced when educational institutions in the Middle East moved to fully online courses? Edmentum is an online learning company, so we were perfectly positioned to support schools

K12 Digest October 2021

Edmentum’s online school, EdOptions Academy, increased enrolments by 462%, and our Exact Path and Courseware customers have increased by 157%. Study Island has seen a 47% increase, and there are currently 1.3 million content launches a day

K12 Digest October 2021

transitioning to hybrid, distance, and blended learning. Initially, our main challenge was coping with the rapid increase in demand for our solutions and providing the training and support to ensure they were integrated effectively. Furthermore, our online school, EdOptions Academy, increased enrolments by 462%, and our Exact Path and Courseware customers have increased by 157%. Study Island has seen a 47% increase, and there are currently 1.3 million content launches a day. We are exceptionally proud of the service we deliver, and our implementation support is seamless. When schools partner with us, we know it’s vital to make the implementation process simple and easy so that our solutions can be embedded into the school’s practice and immediately impact attainment and growth.

Tell us about the products and services Edmentum offers now for its clients in the Middle East. How does the company intend to stand out from the crowd? Edmentum offers several unique solutions to schools in the Middle East that help them to achieve their improvement goals. Our wide range of awardwinning solutions can be combined to create a truly personalized experience for learners. We have outlined some of our key solutions below. ● Study Island improves standards mastery and retention by providing over 600,000 practice items built to cover your state standards. It is helping teachers around the world make their instruction more effective by offering high-quality, flexible

formative assessment tools to quickly measure who is on track and who needs additional support. There are 8,000 schools currently using Study Island, and the group session function enables live, collaborative practice sessions to take place, making learning fun. The checkpoint mode offers a non-competitive, teacher-led quiz, while challenge and race modes offer class competition and award points to students as they answer questions correctly. ● Exact Path is a K-12 individualized, adaptive learning solution that makes math, reading, and language arts learning personal. It is used by 2.8 million learners around the world and uses diagnostic assessment data (and can utilize MAP results) to create a personalized playlist of content

K12 Digest October 2021

Edmentum is continuing to invest in and develop its own products. The company remains focused on embedding adaptive learning programs and increasingly using artificial intelligence to power their solutions

K12 Digest October 2021

and instruction that helps close learning gaps and accelerate learning. Students who use Exact Path are proven to demonstrate positive, statistically significant growth. Exact Path is unique in that it is perfect for helping close skill gaps, accelerate learning, and individualize instruction with effective competencybased learning paths. ● Courseware is Edmentum’s digital curriculum that is available for grade 6-12 learners. It is a standards-aligned digital curriculum that supports schools in delivering online, face-to-face, distance, and hybrid learning. This digital curriculum is rapidly replacing traditional textbooks and contains all the learning content a student would require. It is engaging, has built-in assessments, and is customizable, enabling teachers to combine material from different courses or grade levels. ● EdOptions Academy is our Cognia and AIAA accredited online school. Partnering with EdOptions Academy enables schools to offer a wider range of courses and learners to follow their passions, talents, and interests. We provide a wide range of courses that include Advanced Placement courses, World Languages, SAT and ACT preparation courses, core subjects, and electives. Our courses include Biotechnology, Robotics, Coding, Astronomy, Game Design, Health Science, Hospitality & Tourism, International Business – Global Commerce in the 21st Century, Journalism, Artificial Intelligence, Foundations of Green Energy Systems, Web Technologies, and Renewable Technology. We can deliver over 500 credit-bearing courses and also provide catch-up or learning recovery and acceleration instruction in math and reading through our foundation skills instruction service. Students complete a diagnostic test, and then our online teachers from our Cognia accredited school will support them by delivering lessons that help them develop their weakest areas. A math and English lesson will be provided every day from Monday to Thursday each week. ● BASE Education provides over 100 digital socialemotional and wellbeing courses for learners in grades 1-12. We recognize that social-emotional learning (SEL) has always been an important component in developing the whole learner, and latest research links SEL to improved academic outcomes. SEL also addresses the changing nature of the workplace, reinforcing the importance of recognizing, promoting, and developing these skills.

K12 Digest October 2021

How has the performance of Edmentum been in the last few years? What has been the progress of the business in the Middle East region? Edmentum has grown significantly in the last few years both in America and internationally. The Middle East, and the United Arab Emirates, in particular, have been the main stimulus for international growth. Our solutions align with the National Agenda Parameters and UAE inspection frameworks. Therefore, they have been utilized by a wide variety of schools aiming to improve math, English, reading, language arts, and science standards. We work very closely with accreditation bodies such as Cognia and the American International Accreditation Association to ensure that our online school, EdOptions Academy, attains the highest level of accreditation. This builds confidence and credibility in our school and has led to significant growth as more schools are partnering with us to provide additional courses that the schools do not have their own staff to deliver. We also work closely with NWEA MAP to ensure their data can be imported seamlessly into Exact Path, which then provides personalized, adaptive learning paths for learners. Exact Path has also been awarded a WIDA PRIME V2 correlation, indicating the program’s ability to meet ELL students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing needs. At Edmentum, how are you trying to drive employee engagement and keep up the positive spirit? At Edmentum, we are driven by our goal of supporting schools around the world, and this is what makes us positive. We are tied by a mission to support all learners in achieving their absolute potential. We want to support schools with their unique needs and goals, and this allows us to continue working and staying positive. We want to help. Post-COVID-19, what are the opportunities Edmentum sees in the Middle East’s K12 education market? All countries in the Middle East are diversifying their economic base and developing knowledge-based economies. Education is, therefore, vitally important to all government growth agendas. We will continue

K12 Digest October 2021

Edmentum has recently acquired Apex Learning which will improve the range and quality of middle school curriculum and courses it can provide and extend the range of Advanced Placement courses it can offer

K12 Digest October 2021

to support governments and schools to attain their improvement targets. The UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait remain very important, and we are confident that our solutions can also have a positive impact on other countries in the Middle East. We have appointed a local partner in Saudi Arabia to help us align our solutions to the Vision 2030 priorities and are looking forward to partnering with schools there. Many experts have differing views on how schools will, and should, emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. All would agree that it has been a catalyst for change, and it would be a disservice to our learners worldwide should we return to ‘normal’ without evaluating how EdTech can be used to complement, enrich, and enhance education. The Middle East is at the forefront of many of these developments, and we have a range of solutions that can help any school diversify its business models and reach its improvement targets. EdTech can really support schools to personalize education, and we look forward to helping schools individualize learning with our adaptive and artificial intelligence-driven solutions and tailor curriculum offerings by partnering with our online school. What kinds of technologies would you recommend the Middle East school systems to adopt in the post-pandemic world? Technologies that improve the quality of teaching and learning, add flexibility to their delivery models, and enable them to personalize their provision so that learners reach and exceed their potential should be prioritized. We have a wide range of solutions that can support schools to solve problems and reach their improvement targets. My advice is to choose wisely, consult widely and engage in conversations with your technology partners. We provide free consultations and frequently develop bespoke solutions for schools by combining our platforms and services. What exciting things can we expect from Edmentum for its clients in the Middle East? Edmentum is continuing to invest in and develop its own products. We remain focused on embedding

K12 Digest October 2021

adaptive learning programs and increasingly using artificial intelligence to power our solutions. We are also partnering with EdTech companies that extend the range of solutions we can offer. I am particularly excited by our partnership with BASE Education and our increasing focus on social-emotional learning. In addition to having over 100 SEL courses that schools can use, there is also BASEline assessment that launched in August. This will identify students’ strengths and weaknesses and suggest which SEL courses from the catalog they should take to help them develop and improve. We have recently acquired Apex Learning which will improve the range and quality of middle school curriculum and courses we can provide and extend the range of Advanced Placement courses we can offer. Our priority at Edmentum is designing learning solutions that help educators become more effective and enable students to learn wherever that learning is taking place. We will continue to design award-winning solutions that utilize the latest developments in pedagogy and learning science and relieve the planning, administration, and assessment burden teachers face. We will also provide engaging, differentiated resources and offer complimentary instruction and tutoring support so that learners are motivated and can reach their potential. Our aim will continue to be supporting schools in building a truly personalized provision around each learner that can be accessed anywhere, anytime, and we will continue to follow our two guiding principles: 1. #EducatorFirst: The educator is at the heart of every decision we make. 2. Building School Around the Student: School is not one-size-fits-all. We partner with educators across the world to create programs focused on the needs of each student so that personalized learning is an achievable reality in every physical and virtual classroom.

Amazing Opportunity for Teachers and School Leaders to enhance their knowledge through FREE Teachers Academy masterclasses from international education experts !!! For more details and registration www.teachersacademy.com

K12 Digest October 2021

BEST PRACTICES

Coping with the New Norm Catherine O’Farrell, Director-Knowledge Hub, iCademy Middle East, & Founder, Incluzun

K12 Digest October 2021

Catherine O’Farrell is an experienced educational leader and consultant. She is the Director of the Knowledge Hub at iCademy Middle East and founder of Incluzun.com. Catherine hosts an international voluntary forum for Inclusion & Wellbeing leaders. She is an advocate for inclusive education and sustainable improvement of educational practice across the MENA region working under the Global Sustainability Network striving toward the UNSDG Goal 8. Catherine is a regular media contributor and conference speaker.

Institutions are agile and change ready. Now is the time for growth

OVID-19 Outbreak resulted in tremendous effect in education causing almost 100 million students in MENA region to be out-of-school due to school closure” UNICEF, 2021. With nearly half of the population of the middle east under 25 years of age, ensuring that our school going population is operating and operating optimally, is vital not only to the educational growth of the region but to the economic, ecological and psychological stability of its people. So how are students, leaders and campuses responding to the new norms being experienced across the MENA region? A recent study in Educause Review 2021 states “awareness that one size no longer fits all is critical to understanding the circumstances affecting student success within the diverse pool of students now attending {educational institutes}”.

After a year of “emergency remote teaching” the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported on Spring 2021 enrollment data based on 12.6 million students in US educational institutions. They concluded that it is critical that educational leaders abandon preconceptions around traditional education and move forward with a more robust, data driven model – that model is increasingly remote and digitally based. Within this new model it is vital to construct event oriented, solution focused systems that are dynamic and flexible. For decades we, within the education field, have been mired in tradition and fixed structures. Little growth or development has occurred in educational practice - until COVID. We can, in ways , look at this as the catalyst that was very much needed in the educational sphere which has catapulted us from our fixed ways into a spiraling evolution that has become agile and responsive, moving and evolving.

K12 Digest October 2021

Our next step is to move beyond “Pademic Talk” shake off our “Pandemic Fatigue” and look to the future, a future that is bright and new. Educational leaders are now holding a widely shaken up and loosened out system that is fully ready for flexion. How we reform that system is up to us – with so many models available to chose from the educational world is our oyster! Choosing the right path for your school As an educational leader this is a truly exciting time. Institutions are agile and change ready. Now is the time for growth. We can embed all of the innovative practices, the research-based methodologies and student driven tools that have been stuck around the fringes of mainstream education, unable to breach the parapets of the old fixed ways. We can breach the walls and drive development and growth that will support the student of today not the student of the pre-industrial era.

Little growth or development has occurred in educational practice - until COVID

K12 Digest October 2021

How can we create this educational utopia? First and foremost, we need to appraise our educational landscape. Institutions in Lagos look very different to institutions in Dubai and with good reason. As we navigate this change it is vital to take a step back. Appraise your demography, economic needs and most importantly cultural and social needs. Move from the macro to the micro tunnelling down from the country’s agenda to the individual needs of your student body. Careful appraisal of where your school sits in this broad landscape is vital in understanding how you can institutionalize ongoing agility for a more agile world. “It’s now painfully clear that schools ought to have had more robust disaster-preparedness plans in place in the event of interruptions in their campus operations.” - Michael Horn, cited in Lederman (2020), ‘Inside Higher Ed’. If we build our institution to be continuously agile and flexible, we will become much more capable of coping with sudden change. Not only this, but we will instil this flexibility in our students, ensuring that they too reflect agility and growth potential. Core to this enterprising and innovative model is student wellbeing. “In order to fight the negative impacts of this pandemic, we need to make sure our students have the mental health support necessary to cope” - UNESCO 2021. In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning for all it is critical that schools structure conscious support for student wellbeing within their new systems. It cannot be taken for granted, left to chance or assumed. It must be explicit, clearly defined and structured to sit within the moveable new norm.

The repercussions of COVID have been monumental in terms of wellbeing and people’s ability to interact with the world in positive ways. The majority of the region has experienced full or partial isolation due to governmental restrictions. This has lead to reticence, fear and even anxiety in the general student and faculty populations. Educational leaders must factor this into their planning, reflect it in the curriculum and embed it in their physical spaces. Promoting positivity and connectivity is vital to ensuring that the New Norm is accepted and celebrated. How do we begin this journey, how do we clearly define wellbeing? The World Health Organization’s (WHO) early definition of wellbeing is that it “…is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’ (World Health Organization [WHO], 1948), it is associated with personality factors such as extraversion, optimism and an overall sense of personal competence. Attention in the United Kingdom has recently focused upon the concept on a national level. Resulting from a 6-month National Debate, three domains of national wellbeing emerged: individual wellbeing (such

as life satisfaction), factors that directly affect individual wellbeing (such as health, relationships, where we work and where we live) and contextual domains (such as the economy and natural environment) (Burns, 2020). This debate has lead to the conclusion that one of the key factors to promoting wellbeing in schools is a well facilitated lived environment. This lived environment interacts with how we experience relationships, how we perceive ourselves and can influence our staff and students’ readiness for learning. Ensuring that students feel safe and protected, stimulated and engaged can greatly increase their sense of wellbeing and thus their ability to grow both socially & emotionally as well as academically. Synthesising the best of pre-COVID models with the great changes brought about by the pandemic can lead us to a destination where education is agile, evolving and meeting the needs of each individual student. Where student wellbeing is embraced and protected, nourished and blossoming. Where academics reflect the industries of the present and of the future. Where staff feel valued and advancing. Ultimately, while COVD has been undoubtedly one of the worst events in human history, it has also brought opportunity and it is that opportunity that we, as educators, must embrace.

K12 Digest October 2021

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

Trend in K12 Education Sector in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Yogesh Dalvi – Head of Operations, Eminence Private School, Al Fujairah, UAE

Impact of COVID on K12 sector in UAE I have recently relocated to Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, to lead the operations team of Eminence Private School - A leading CBSE school in Fujairah, from the house of Sadhbhavana Group, Kerala (India). I have faced the worst stage of pandemics (for educational institutions) in India, which is the second most populous country in the world and about 25% of adults are deprived of even a primary education. UAE is a classic example that being a country with a sparse population and a high literacy rate helps in the overall development of the country. COVID 19 has had a kindred impact on the UAE and its education system as rest of the world, in the initial stage, but UAE could handle this far better because of its tremendously advanced technology. Education Market in UAE The education system in the United Arab Emirates is very dynamic, with more than 16 curricula offered by the private school in the United Arab Emirates, helping the country to have above average educational results. According to a survey conducted

K12 Digest October 2021

The parent needs to understand the loss that their child will incur when deprived of classroom learning

Yogesh Dalvi is Post Graduate Diploma holder from Symbiosis Pune, with over 14 years of experience in handling Nationwide Business Operations while employed in the capacity of National Head Operations and Administration in leading educational institutes in India like Podar Group of Schools, EuroSchool International Ltd. (as Regional Head) and EuroKids International Pvt. Ltd. (now Lighthouse Learning Pvt. Ltd.) and. He has been successful in achieving the operational goals, in K12 sector, for 10 consecutive years and helped the schools grow in leaps and bounds across the nation. He has also successfully completed the Managing Safely® program by IOSH, designed to measure and implement safety protocols for students and staff at school.

K12 Digest October 2021

in 2017, the majority of the citizens as well as expatriates (i.e. about 73%)

A recent market research indicates that the UAE private education market is the most mature market among all GCC countries, but it can still grow further. Enrollment CAGR is expected to be around 2% over the next five years (2021-2025), and the factors influencing growth are an increase in the number of expatriates, an increase in enrollment, an improvement in the quality of education, and an increase in the shift from public to private schools, although while the annual revenue of the UAE private education market has shown an upward trajectory in the past five years, the shortage of skilled teachers and other workforce may be an impediment to growth.

What parents feel The sudden outbreak of COVID in the year 2019 forced the educators and students to quickly adapt to a new mode of learning i.e. distance / virtual learning. The K12 community is now adapting faster to this new normal mode. Parents are now considering distance education as a new and preferred mode of learning. In fact, after having children study from home for almost one and half year, some parents are even considering homeschooling as an option, even the Ministry of Education, UAE gives an option of homeschool from Grade 7 to 12 (above 14 years of age).

K12 Digest October 2021

According to a recent one-day survey by the Ministry of Education, about 59% of parents in UAE still prefer distance learning for their children. Some of the major players in the K12 market in the Middle East have started to develop curricula and plans to offer distance education from KG to grade 12, because distance education will be an affordable option for parents, i.e. a parent who cannot enroll their child in branded schools can always choose a distance education program and benefit from the same curriculum at an affordable price. What Happening in K12 sector in UAE. These big funders have started setting up distance learning/ self-learning kits, where students get books, stationery, some toys and equipment for daily class activities throughout the year. Parents can choose to purchase these kits directly from the school or online from Amazon or any E-Com partner, at a much lower price than what is available in the market. With so many EdTech companies entering the UAE market offering online lessons for advanced subjects like STEAM, AI and coding, which are the “must-have skills” to survive in the times ahead, parents are somewhere losing focus from the overall physical development of the child which is necessary for the inhabitation of a sound mind. In a study led by University of Montreal psychologist Marie-José Harbeck, students who engage in more physical activities (sports) in early childhood are less likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety in middle childhood. On one hand, as the leaders in the K12 market have begun to develop virtual learning approaches, leading EdTech companies are also keen to acquire the K12 segment. Most EdTech experts have chosen the coaching industry to embrace one of the country’s highest population groups (i.e. the age group from 2 to 14 years old). Also, the parent needs to understand the loss that their child will incur when deprived of classroom learning. As per a recent survey conducted by a leading education foundation on 16000 students in Indian primary schools, 92% of the children have lost at least one language ability, while 82% have lost math skills. To conclude, the changes we see in the K12 sector today are inevitable and one must go with the flow, this reminds me of the experience narrated by Kevin Kelly in his bestselling book ‘The Inevitable: Understanding the Twelve Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future’, how the simple Apple II computer was also useful to him In 1981, but as he was quoted, his opinion completely changed when the same computer was connected to a phone line (the Internet). There was a nascent world on the other side of the phone jack, and it was huge, almost limitless.

Higher EducationK12 Digest Digest October 2020 October 2021

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Education Scenario in the Middle East: Digital Vs In-person Learning Kathryn Booth, Director of School Qualifications, Pearson Middle East, North Africa and Turkey

Originally from the UK, Kathryn studied natural sciences at university. She spent 9 years developing and managing science qualifications for Pearson Edexcel in London, before moving to the Middle East in 2018 to head up the regional qualifications team for Pearson.

K12 Digest October 2021

The future of job roles is changing even more quickly today than it did in the past

he outbreak of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown implemented to curb the spread of the virus impacted every stage of learning in the Middle East, from preschools to universities. Worldwide, the education of approximately 110 million children and young individuals was disrupted. However, the implementation of online learning system and tools along with the digitalization of the industry opened up opportunities for educators and innovative ways of learning for learners. The transition to online learning and accepting it as the ‘new normal’ of learning was a challenging experience for everyone involved. However, with the broad acceptance from governments, industry, institutions, and educators across the region, we have witnessed a gradual uptake in the usage of online and blended learning platforms. Even with the UAE government announcing its move to return to face-to-face learning in October 2021, one thing is apparent: not everything will go back to how it was before. Speaking for the Education sector’s perspective, the Pearson Global Learner Survey 2020, which is the voice of millions of learners across the globe, suggests that we will never fully return to a pre-Covid education world. The survey results show that globally,

88% of the learners agree that online learning will become a permanent part of learning for all age groups. Done well, this can lead to a more quality education and better learning experience in the future. Below are some of the trends that the industry will be witnessing, transforming the learning experiences of individuals in the near future. Reinventing education for the AI age To create a robust and transformative education model for the future, the industry can leverage frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) which has the potential to reinvent the learning experience by transcending geographical boundaries, customizing learning to meet the needs of the individuals and delivering personalized and rich content. Interactive learning to become the new norm In this digital age, it’s unsurprising that attention spans have been declining and screen fatigue is increasingly a problem. One of the methods to address this challenge in the learning environment is to embrace interactive learning i.e. learning through interactive or animated videos,

K12 Digest October 2021

designed to foster a challenging but encouraging space for students to understand novel concepts and develop practical skills. Imparting education in this form has proven to sharpen critical thinking skills and development of analytical reasoning. It also helps in teaching children how to collaborate and work successfully in groups, an indispensable skill for the future workforce. In the ‘new normal’, there will be an increase in the adoption of blended training models with a mix of digital and online experience, in addition to practice, teacher led, and discussions. That being said, the trend naturally varies for different age groups. While for Higher-Ed institutes and universities, the trend is to move, for example, lectures to virtual depending on the material, subject, class size, etc. For schools, learners will eventually go back to the classroom and make use of digital/blended models to enrich the learning experience. Teachers play a particular role in physical schools with the youngest learners, who naturally find self-led learning across the length of a school day extremely difficult without the intervention of an adult who can act as a ‘learning coach’. Reimagining the skills of the future Technology and digital education have uncovered new of opportunities to help people learn in more accessible ways, more economically, and with better outcomes. The future of job roles is changing even more quickly today than it did in the past, and as a result people are also rethinking what and how they should be learning in the future, too. Educational institutions are exploring innovative approaches to equip students with a blend of knowledge and skills to be able to successfully access global higher-education opportunities and to empower them to be future-ready and overcome the challenges of ever-evolving employment landscape. Adapting to this new world, organizations across the globe are demanding workers with strong interpersonal, technical, and problem-solving skills. This chimes with the findings of the Global Learner survey: skills which have become most critical are soft skills or human skills such as creative thinking, reasoning, collaboration, complex problem solving. and job-oriented skills such as using data effectively and virtual collaboration. In addition, 87% think that good English language skills will become important for global employment opportunities. Due to the ever-evolving employment landscape, more students are taking responsibility for directing their own learning. They are also expecting substantial support from schools to prepare them to choose the right field and help them transition from learning to earning. To upskill the workforce of today and tomorrow, there is an increasing need for adult learning, shorter courses, soft skill training, all as affordable options. Education is forever changing, but this has been especially true during the current pandemic. We are at a point in history, where circumstances have forced our hand, and where we have the opportunity to rewrite the future of education in a way that makes it more accessible, self-reliant and equitable for all.

K12 Digest October 2021

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K12 Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY VIEWS

The Role of Digitalization and Its Impact on the Education Sector During the Pandemic Soraya Beheshti, Regional Director, Crimson Education Middle East, Africa & Turkey

Soraya Beheshti was born in Dubai and self-studied multiple A-levels in school. She graduated early and spent two years working around the world. Before graduating Magna Cum Laude in Middle Eastern Studies and Anthropology from Columbia University, Soraya founded Karvan, a fin-tech non-profit building innovative blockchain technology to improve the lives of refugees around the world. For this, she received the Columbia Innovation Award and was a semi-finalist for the CTA Startup of the Year and the world’s largest Social Venture competition, the Hult Prize. Recently, Karvan matriculated from IBM’s Blockchain Accelerator in NYC.

K12 Digest October 2021

Technological tools do not have to be positioned in opposition to the personal help an individual teacher or tutor can provide

he COVID-19 virus caused arguably the largest global disruption of the education sector in decades. However, this was a sector that badly needed disrupting. Whilst transportation, supply chain logistics, food systems, retail, communications and almost every other industry charged into the 21st century, education… did not. Instead, it trudged on; a tired old beast heavy with the weight of tradition and curbed by the yoke of ‘how things are done’. Stagnation is a concern in any industry, but because of education’s direct impact on the quality of the future workforce in all sectors, it’s particularly problematic here. Without quality education, we relinquish all hope for first-rate doctors, financiers, engineers, and leaders. It stands to reason that improving the efficiency and outcomes of education could in turn lead to higher performance in every other sector. The rapid growth of online schooling around the world has been driven by the continuing challenges of Covid-19. However, digitalization was also made possible by spectacular developments in technology, which have allowed teachers to replicate and even enhance the best elements of a traditional classroom while also bringing to life new possibilities. The digital classroom enables top-

quality education to be delivered to students anywhere in the world. With so many companies now offering work from home opportunities, some families are opting for lifestyle changes, perhaps relocating out of cities. Online education means that schooling disruption and grammar zones need no longer be a factor for families to take into consideration. Their children can have access to schools that provide consistent, quality education. Online learning models also permit teachers to work more flexibly. Traditional constraints have meant that teachers must be on campus full time. Unique or niche subjects - think A Level Law, Classical Studies, Ancient Greek - could not be offered to students if there wasn’t enough consistent demand within a single campus or jurisdiction to fill the class. Online schools can have a global classroom with a larger pool of students, permitting them to offer such opportunities. Students who have unique passions can be catered to. Whereas living in a remote area might previously have meant that your school would struggle to attract and retain the best teachers, online schools can now hire the best teachers from other jurisdictions. They can also hire part time teachers, who perhaps also work in the industries they teach about. This alone can bring a practical, professionally oriented perspective to the

K12 Digest October 2021

classroom. Finally, schools can redirect funds that would have been spent on fixed costs like rent to hiring better teachers and or scaling their impact to more students. Educational applications of artificial intelligence facilitate personalisation at scale by tailoring educational experiences through deep analysis of student behaviour, which leads to a more comprehensive understanding of how a student learns. Crimson Global Academy’s (CGA) is an innovative, tech-enabled global online school whose systems already support this. Students are streamed based on ability, not age, which means that students can learn at their own pace. Data can also tell families and educators more about in-class participation, which can in turn provide useful insights on how to continuously adapt teaching material to keep students interested. Previously, parents would be able to learn about their child’s progress just a handful of instances in the year. Digitalization allows for a new level of transparency. Online tools can monitor homework submission, attention, and progress in real time. Online education creates transparency for parents at a scale never seen before. It can monitor engagement levels, homework submission and almost live reporting on a child’s academic progress. For students with learning, hearing or visual impairments, or for speakers of other languages, AI tools make learning easier and faster.

K12 Digest October 2021

One more surprising benefit of the digital classroom has been the reorganization of space, with all students effectively being equidistant from the centre. Students aren’t able to hide in the back of an online classroom. Certainly, this has not been the experience of all students - many schools rushed to go online in unfavourable circumstances and with little or no training. Some students have complained of unengaged teachers, delivering lectures with cameras turned off. This passive model is rather similar to the old-fashioned ‘chalk and talk’ approach to teaching, wherein students are expected to absorb and memorize the knowledge of their teacher through one-way communication and repetitive tasks. However, if the e-learning experience is managed correctly and new technologies are made use of, the learning experience can be much more engaging. Teachers can call upon students to share their screens to facilitate collaborative problem solving with much more efficacy. They can review students’ work in real time; measure their engagement and use a larger and more reliable set of data to improve upon their methods and ensure the learning outcomes they seek. Crimson Education has built complex psychometric tests and algorithms that process hundreds of thousands of data points to identify career and university pathways that suit a student’s unique goals, preferences and personality. This can help to eliminate the racial, socioeconomic and gender bias that sometimes pervades these subjective processes. A study by the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics at the University of Chicago found that gender bias impacted the kind of information students received about their career choices. In other cases, racial bias may lead to individual counselors recommending lower paid and lower-skilled pathways to minority students, even when accounting for similar education levels. Technology can mitigate against these harms and ensure that students receive impartial, yet personalized, guidance. Technological tools do not have to be positioned in opposition to the personal help an individual teacher or tutor can provide. Rather, we see these tools as being able to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of student-teacher time. On a practical level, automation of manual tasks, such as marking work, taking the role and assessing engagement, frees up more time for teachers to invest in meaningful interactions with the students. There would be more time for group work, flipped learning and discussion-based learning. The digitalization of education is an opportunity to rethink how our societies build the foundations for success, both academically and personally.

K12 Digest Sept-Oct 2020 K12 Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY VIEWS

How Middle East Mitigated the Effects of Pandemic on School Education Nitin Vijay, Founder & Director, Motion Education

Nitin Vijay is the founder and director of Motion Education, synonymous with success in Kota’s coaching corridors. He has carved a distinct niche in preparing students for prestigious JEE and NEET examinations in India. Till now, more than 250K students have been benefitted from his expertise in Physics. And, more than 10K of them succeeded in cracking JEE and NEET exams, and counting is still going on.

K12 Digest October 2021

Drawing on lessons learnt during the first half of 2020, policymakers and academicians in the Middle East tried to upgrade the education system

ntil the first seven decades of the twentieth century, Middle East was far behind many developing countries in Asia in terms of the disposal of the modern education. But things changed dramatically after massive industrial growth in the region. Today, Middle East is the hub of international schools and many of the world’s top universities are keen to tap the fast-growing education sector in the UAE and Gulf countries. Presently, in Dubai alone, there are more than 200 private schools servicing almost 0.3 million local and expat students. Whilst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused a big dent in the education system of a majority of nations in the world, the scenario is comparatively better and rapidly improving in the Middle East. Infrastructure Works Infrastructure always pays off to an economy and the robust physical as well as the digital infrastructure of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Oman, and Qatar, played a pivotal role in shielding the system to a great extent. Of course, the war-affected regions like Yemen and Syria are exceptions as they are continuously struggling with unprecedented crises. On the adverse

condition of the schools and students in these countries, Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa, says, “Restrictions on movement and closure of schools had a severe impact on children’s daily routines, their social interactions, and ultimately on their mental well-being. The longer the pandemic goes on, the deeper the impact on children will be.” Learning from Past Drawing on lessons learnt during the first half of 2020, policymakers and academicians in the Middle East tried to upgrade the education system that at one end may ensure inclusive learning and at the other end foster development of students’ digital citizenship skills, including social attributes, behaviours, creativity. Secondly, extra emphasis on teachers’ learning and development proved quite apt in extracting the best from the available resources, especially the edtech and ICT. Teachers were regularly supported to learn and incorporate technology effectively while imparting knowledge through digital platforms. Consequently, schools in this region could successfully overcome many online learning barriers that were frequently experienced by several countries across the globe.

K12 Digest October 2021

Resource Improvisation Being moderately populated and technologically backed, most of the countries in the region have done a good job at managing the pandemic and mitigating its evil effects on the schooling of children. On the one hand, they were instrumental in utilising Edtech, TV/radio broadcasts, and computer-assisted learning when schools were closed; on the other hand, their preparedness was well-anticipated when the time comes to reopening of schools. Various steps have been taken to alleviate the risks and ensuring the safe re-opening of schools. Substantial resources were deployed to comply with SOPs and hygiene standards. Also, Middle Eastern countries proactively invested in school staff training to bring back students in a safe and progressive learning environment. According to the information collected by the World Bank’s Edtech team, Saudi Arabia is utilizing TV and social media to broadcast lessons for all the classes and for this task they have designated 127 teachers and supervisors who deliver daily lessons in 112 educational subjects through 19 national TV channels. Besides,

K12 Digest October 2021

the ministry for virtual learning offered five options to students to continue study. Similarly, in Egypt, the government has launched a new study portal, i.e., https:// study.ekb.eg/. On this portal, all students from K-12 can access their lessons in the form of interactive videos, games and presentations. Many countries have also amended curricula to keep students’ interest in learning despite changed delivery methods. Stride to Resume After months of preparation, an extensive vaccination drive, and rigorous screening of children and staff, schools in the UAE have once again witnessed a decent attendance inside the classrooms. And, after 17 months of distance mode learning, offline classes in Saudi Arabia resumed for only fully vaccinated students aged above 12. Now, new curricula for the global series, a three-semester plan instead of the two-semester one, and PCR testing of students every 14 days in the first month are some of the most appreciable trends in Middle Eastern schools.

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K12 Digest October 2021

INDUSTRY VIEWS

Why Can the Middle East Be Considered the Goldmine of Education Dhaval Mehta, Founder & CEO, TNI Career Counselling

Dhaval graduated from University of Michigan in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science & Economics (High Honors), and completed Executive Program in Management (EPM) from Cornell University (The Johnson School) in July 2021. In his rich career of 17 years, Dhaval started off as an Investment Banker and eventually moved onto the world of Venture Capital post which he commenced his own entrepreneurial journey. Dhaval was associated with RSM Equico as a Senior Analyst in Los Angeles and then moved onto Bank of America Securities as a Senior Analyst and then Associate in their Oil, Gas & Power division in New York.

K12 Digest October 2021

Middle Eastern countries are much more diverse, colourful, culturally rich and soulful than what we are aware of

e are familiar with people going to the UAE for vacation or jobs or expanding the business, but ever wondered why you don’t hear of someone going to the UAE to study? The Middle East can be considered as one such misunderstood classmate we had at some point in our lives who was judged, cornered, left alone, the kid who had mysteries of his own and whose story needs to be told. Those who’ve traveled to the Middle East know the beauty, diversity, hospitality and generosity of the people of these countries. Let’s slowly unpack the story of these Middle Eastern countries and why they can be the UAE to the IPL of you kickstarting your career. Being situated between Africa, Asia and Europe, the Middle East has become a junction for traders and travelers since ages. Egypt, UAE, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Israel are some of the popular and known middle eastern countries. The world’s greatest crossroads of Istanbul, the time-warped old streets and bazaars of Jerusalem, the narrowest

gorge of Petra, the ancient mosques of Cairo, the Burj Khalifa of Dubai, the ‘vast, echoic and god-like’ Wadi Rum described by T.E. Lawrence proves the impeccable beauty of these countries. Not just cities, women like Paula Yacoubian bred and studied in the Middle East are breaking stereotypes at every step of their lives by being TV representatives, Journalists and Politicians. Students exploring options to study abroad will find the Middle East countries holding many opportunities for them. Some middle eastern countries to consider while planning to study abroad: 1. Lebanon, a small yet geographically blessed and culturally diverse country is the first choice of many international students. According to the 2013 Global Information Technology Report, a list compiled by the World Economic Forum, Lebanon holds the fifth spot for education in math and science. American University of Beirut located in Beirut holds second-place honours in QS rankings of Arab universities. Lebanon is home to many French and English-speaking students. It is known for its

K12 Digest October 2021

higher education because of universities like Middle East University, ESA Business School, USEK and Lebanese American University. 2. Israel is predicted to become a major biotech hub in the coming future looking at its innovative spirit. Four of eight universities from Israel earned top 300 status in the QS world universities rankings for 2015, with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem coming in at a respectable 138th position. When students go to other non-English speaking countries to study, language becomes a barrier but in Israel, most Israelis speak English and many English taught courses are available. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ranked among the best universities in the world. Other significant universities like The University of Haifa, the Weizmann Institute of Science and Bar-llan University are several of Israel’s other major universities that have given Nobel-winning scientists over the past decade. 3. Home of 12 out of the top 100 institutions in the Arab region, Saudi Arabia is known for its worldclass offerings. In spite of offering programs in all the districts, the country is also well-known for its energy, oil and gas engineering degree programs. According to QS Universities ranking, it claims three of the top five spots, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals earns the top honour, whereas King Saud University comes at third plac and King Abdulaziz University comes fourth place. 4. Oman is the middle east’s most developed country. It is nurtured with both Indian and Eastern Africa and hence has a unique culture including world-renowned cuisine. It is recognized for its commitment to higher education. The Sultan Qaboos University takes the 16th spot in the QS Rankings for the Arab region, with four other universities of the country. Oman’s people are celebrated for their hospitality and hence many international students coming to Oman opt for ‘homestay’ to live with family in a calm and friendly environment. 5. The World Bank declared Qatar as one of the richest countries, and it is still committed to the globalization of higher education. The Qatar University holds eleventh ranking in the QS University Rankings, which itself is a witness to major funds remarked by the government for the expansion and internationalization of its higher education. 6. UAE is known for its oil reservoirs which were discovered more than half a century ago. Nine institutions earned spots in the QS rankings for the Arab region in 2015 with United Arab Emirates University securing the sixth position. In addition to its native universities, the UAE is also home to a large number of top-ranked branch campuses. Diversity in UAE is a prime attraction of

K12 Digest October 2021

many as only 20% of the country’s population included emirates, the rest comes from all over the world. With all these above-mentioned countries that will definitely give you a concrete future, other reasons to study in a Middle Eastern country that might gain your attention are: you will be living in and exploring a widely misunderstood region, you will get a chance to learn new languages, you will develop an experience of local cultures and you will live in magical cities with ancient background and eye-pleasing architecture.

Students exploring options to study abroad will find the Middle East countries holding many opportunities for them

Middle Eastern countries are much more diverse, colourful, culturally rich and soulful than what we are aware of. A study in any of these countries will be a rewarding, eye-opening and beneficial experience to anyone who is planning to study abroad. It’s time to open our perspective and explore the regions that are waiting for us to reach them, who want us to come and read their story in order to merge with ours to write a new chapter of our lives.

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INDUSTRY VIEWS

Getting Students Career Ready in the Middle East Kannan Raman, STEM / Immersive Specialist, EdsoLabs

Kannan Raman is a Business Administration graduate with 10+ years of working in middle east education sector. He works along with Mithun and Zinati for supply, installation, testing, and training of didactic equipment to technical colleges and universities. Kannan manages www.stemclouds.com, a virtual hands-on learning platform designed to conduct various workshops for schools, technical colleges and universities.

K12 Digest October 2021

Ask students about their career goals at each level. Prepare students to keep a K-12 career portfolio

key career readiness skill is to enable students to learn by doing, encouraging them to collaborate with each other, reach outside classroom, and to create curious mind-set. With the new UAE work permit to allow children aged 15 and above to get part-time jobs in the country, how do schools prepare their secondary students for the jobs of today and future. At STEMClouds, we are a team of education enthusiasts who are passionate about making learning experiences fun and exciting and want to help learners transform their ideas into reality that meet the highest quality standards as it takes academic rigor, technical skills training, and work experience to ensure that they are career ready. As UAE moving towards a knowledge-driven society, secondary education should let students develop appropriate and meaningful skills to live, think and work. To attain this aim, teachers require specific knowledge and competences about technology-mediated collaborative learning strategies while overcoming preconceptions and a general sense of inadequacy towards these learning approaches.

At STEMClouds, we focus on a learning path based on the ‘Trialogical’ Learning Approach to consider the role of technology-mediated collaborative learning in the educational development and classroom practices of trainee teachers. We specialize in Industry 4.0 Skills Training for Autonomous Systems, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, IoT, AI and Robotics. The Most Important Skill in All Grades Schools use technologies as educator tools to integrate in their classrooms to enable digital learning or use technologies as life skills development for students? Did you know that many working areas or job titles that today’s children will build a career upon in the future don’t exist or haven’t been invented yet? At STEMClouds.com we provide skill development programs that allow students to learn and apply industry 4.0 skills in hands-on practice. We don’t advocate to get our early learners to decide now on a career in dentistry or accounting, rather about the skills that successful people have in any career -- skills that should be encouraged early on.

K12 Digest October 2021

STEMClouds offer STEAM Professional program for kids on Animator, Artist, Archaeologist, Detective, Geologist, Environmental Engineer, Game Designer, Chef, Interior Designer, Meteorologist, Fashion Designer, Astronomer, Stage Director, Aeronautical Engineer, Veterinarian, Musician and many more. So given the power of this kind of reflection, we break it down into four ways to incorporate career readiness at any academic level:

In order to prepare students for the future career ready work model, students need to become familiar with project-based learning and study models. In other words, students have the chance to apply what they have learned on a real project, instead of writing answers on paper. With STEMClouds.com our programs are designed to allow students to work on many projects in each program where they learn, simulate and process. We encourage students to have an interaction with each other to learn about the different skills they learnt and applied. We encourage more independent and unsupervised discussion among students. Our trainers assign projects that get kids out of the classroom so they can talk to people who do jobs outside of their small circle of experience. Also, bring experts into the class that students can interview in a more targeted way. The most important standard to focus on for career readiness is learning by doing. To meet this standard we designed our programs with the integration of handson tools to allow students to apply skills in real life environment. For Example, while we use Virtual Reality as an immersive tool, but also provide training to students on how to design their own virtual environment and apply their programming skills. There is a lot of buzz about career readiness these days, and for secondary educators, you can’t spit without finding advice on how to make our units, STEMClouds structure, or our content more aligned with prepping students for the jobs of today and the future. So how about kindergarten kids?

K12 Digest October 2021

UAE is moving towards a knowledge-driven society

1) Incorporate the world of work into the lessons. Find examples of how history relates to current professions. Find model texts that are career-related. For example, demonstrate how people can use math in everyday life with the use of drone technology. 2) Ask students about their career goals at each level. Prepare students to keep a K-12 career portfolio, something that poses questions about goals at each stage of the game development program. 3) STEMClouds encourage students to collaborate with their friends in working on projects. Networking is the number one way that people get jobs. If students don’t do this (or feel uncomfortable doing this), they will have difficulty finding out about job opportunities, interviewing for jobs, etc. 4) Teach students conversational skills. Students need to feel comfortable to be able to hold a conversation with anyone (not just their friends and peers, but also adults). We don’t just train students on technology but life skills that helps them prepare career ready.

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K12 Digest October 2021

ADMIN PERSPECTIVE

Education Sector & Education Management in the Middle East Parminder Singh, Operations & Facilities Manager, Victory Heights Primary School, Victory Heights Foundation, The Wonder Years Nursery Dubai Sports City, and The Wonder Years Nursery Remraam

“W

e must look forward and anticipate the future so that our country leads globally.” H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. (Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai) The Middle East is the Center of the World and the Dynamic Leadership is setting high standards and trends in the Education Sector, which earlier was catering to the Emiratis & Expat families, now has a continuous flow of Students from all over the world. This Sector starts from basic Nursery/foundation/kindergarten stages to world renowned University Branches Affiliated Colleges and highly accomplished institutional Brands. Education sector attracts and invites talent from all corners of the Globe. Economically balanced with spectral choice and financial options for all. Government Bodies such as ADEC (Abu Dhabi Education Council) KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) and the MOE (Ministry Of Education) have an advanced frame work for Quality Control, International Standards, Evolvement and Innovation. All Education Institutions are inspected

K12 Digest October 2021

The unprecedented pandemic situation has further highlighted the preparedness & effectiveness of the Education systems in UAE

Parminder Singh has a Spectral Experience in Operations & Administration of World Class Schools in India & Dubai. He has prepared Institutions for ISO certifications & Board audits/approvals. Further, he has also Framed School policies operational framework/ guidelines for Schools Operations. He has also Conducted Seminars & Workshops on Business Development, Health & Safety in Schools.

K12 Digest October 2021

The education sector attracts and invites talent from all corners of the Globe

annually and rated on educational content, activities, sciences, culture, health & safety and related parameters, besides Institutions always under random inspection scanner. A big contribution has been from the Curriculum/Boards of various countries. The Middle East Education has a variety of Curriculums from CIE, IB, ISC, CBSE, English National, French, Australian, American, Canadian, German Swiss, Iranian and Arabic. State of the art Infrastructure & Facilities further enhance the experience. The system provides support in all aspects for the students to learn, evolve and get trained with knowledge. International, Cosmopolitan culture blended with traditional oriental values make Students rich in acceptability with adaptability. With the increase in investors and settlers due to welcoming liberal laws and long term visa policies of the government the middle east has become the most attractive destination. The unprecedented pandemic situation has further highlighted the preparedness & effectiveness of the Education systems in UAE, while the world struggled, Institutions based here took the challenge and in the most planned manner kept the essential educational management balanced online & offline. Staff was well trained, certified and kept in the loop for all developmental decision taken, with this approach the Students were never at a loss and equally participated in this new order. Having the fastest Internet in the world was a blessing for the teachers & the taught. Educational Institutions under the rules & regulations of the Municipality and Health Authorities also provide guidelines for strict adherence to Student Teacher ratio, spacious play arenas, standard approved equipment, unique approach to education, with combined value-

K12 Digest October 2021

based systematic & innovative programs designed to impart the latest skillset and holistic development. The Government keenly monitors this Sector and its Management, Students are given opportunities to participate in various programs & functions to understand and get trained with the best and the latest technology. Over the years the improvement and advancement has really brought this region in limelight as many of the Universities & Colleges from the Middle East region have figured on the Global Top Lists with the Students making a mark on the International scene, with the diversification from the oil industry to medical & educational sectors, enormous efforts are on by various governments to streamline the public education sectors are on to streamline & synchronize with the private sector. The results are very much to the expectations, gender discrimination is a way of the past and present scenario proves Females equally lead at spectral fronts. The future is bright with well above the world average of 87.6% in the GCC countries, the worry however is, about the countries & territories under conflict & civil war and unrest, the human influx from these areas also moves to the settled countries and become a part of the system. Besides there is marked difference of quality education amongst the countries of the region, where UAE, KSA, Qatar, Oman, Jordan are way above at International standards, countries like Syria, Iraq, Yemen and a few others. The UNICEF & World Bank do allocate funds to these states for Education. Overall the Middle East Education Sector is getting advanced and progressing as per International Criteria. Leadership is progressive and understands the value and application of Education. An immense opportunity lies ahead for Investors, Planners, Managers and Brands to promote profitable Education.

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K12 Digest October 2021

K12 Digest Higher Education Digest October 2021 October 2020