Key Note Speakers
Key Note 1
Doug Brown
Manager of ICT in Schools Division DfES
Website: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/ictis/
Doug has been involved in educational computing since starting as a teacher in the early 1970s. Having taught in secondary schools in Ipswich and Birmingham he joined the renowned Birmingham Educational Computing Centre in1981. As a peripatetic head of department he had a brief to make himself redundant in every school he worked in - by training staff in the school to take over his teaching role.
As computing use spread Doug took on the role of managing the in-service training and rose to firstly head the advisory team for ICT and then act for a short spell as director of the whole of Birmingham's Educational Support Services. In 1991 he became schools ICT adviser in Birmingham and developed responsibility for the strategic direction of ICT in schools across the LEA. During this time he led on creating the Birmingham Grid for Learning - Birmingham's response to the Government's National Grid for Learning which remains a leading example of what is possible.
In 1999 Doug became Divisional Manager of the ICT in Schools Division which leads on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills on the Government's ICT in schools policies in England. His team have responsibility for infrastructure, connectivity, content development, skill development, teacher in-service support and embedding good practice in the use of ICT in all aspects of school life. The systemic national developments in England are causing great interest and the worlds first ministerial seminar on ICT was held last year in association with the prestigious BETT exhibition in London.
Doug also has an international reputation having been the organiser of the 1995 IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing) World Conference on Computers in Education which is held every five years. He is also a member of their secondary working group and has chaired international events on topics such as the school of the future. Regularly invited to present keynote sessions on this topic, in August 2000 he opened the educational strand of the World Computer Congress in China.
Key Note 2
Alan November
Leader in innovation for educational technology
Website: http://www.anovember.com
Alan is recognized internationally as a leader in education technology. He began his career as an oceanography teacher and dorm counsellor at an island reform school for boys in Boston Harbour. He has been a director of an alternative high school, computer coordinator, technology consultant, and university lecturer. As practitioner, designer, and author, Alan has guided schools, government organizations and industry leaders as they plan to improve quality with technology.
Alan is well known for applying his humour and wit to inspire us to think about applying technology to improve learning. His areas of expertise include information and communication technology, planning across the curriculum, staff development, long-range planning, building learning communities and leadership development. He has delivered keynote presentations and workshops in all fifty states, in every province in Canada, and throughout the UK, Europe and Asia.
Alan was named one of the nation's fifteen most influential thinkers of the decade by Classroom Computer Learning Magazine. In 2001, he was named one of eight educators to provide leadership into the future by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse. His writing includes dozens of articles and the best-selling book, Empowering Students with Technology. Alan was co-founder of the Stanford Institute for Educational Leadership Through Technology and is most proud of being selected as one of the original five national Christa McAuliffe Educators.