Seattle Visit – Mrs R Rice & Mr J McGill


Wow! What an experience. The expression ‘once in a lifetime’ is certainly overused but this was truly one of those life changing moments that happen all too rarely. The chance to go to Microsoft headquarters with 300 of the world’s most innovative educators from 87 countries and to share good practice was truly humbling.  The breadth of knowledge and experience that was shared made me realize some of the great work we already to do for our pupils here at St. Mary’s. Getting there was a story in itself but I can definitely say that 14 hours in the air was more than worth it. From we arrived we were made to feel that this was a really ‘big deal’ and it was great to meet and work with teachers from all over the world on our ‘Global Educator Challenge’. My group consisted of teachers from Argentina, Qatar, Japan, Malaysia and Canada. Microsoft left us all in no doubt that they see education as a key part of their business.  No expense was spared and the list of speakers alone showed a real commitment to helping us teachers deliver 21st century skills to our students.  Where else would you be able to hear Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, speak about the importance of encouraging female education or the CEO of Microsoft itself, Satya Nadella, share with us his vision of where educational technology is heading in the future? The potential of existing software like One-Note and Skype to facilitate classroom collaboration across countries and continents will help to prepare St. Mary’s pupils for the world of work in the 21st century, where business deals will be negotiated on a global scale.   It is imperative that we equip our students with the skills to thrive in that world and St. Mary’s has really shown a lead in this. As a teacher it has re-energised me and encouraged me that St. Mary’s, as a Microsoft Showcase School, is an amazing driving force behind this change in education. The focus should always be on children’s learning and the tools that we use enhance that learning and make it more relevant and applicable to the modern world. I will share with my fellow teachers some of the great ideas that I have brought back but this is a collaborative and on-going process that needs to be moving forward at all times. This entry was Articleed in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.