Welcome to the Berkhamsted IT Conference
Monday 18 – Tuesday 19 November 2024 | Drayton Manor Hotel, B78 3TW
We are delighted you have been able to join us for Berkhamsted’s IT Conference: a vibrant, practical, live event centred around educational technology.
Please see below:
- How to access the Wifi
- Details of how you can submit your Q&A questions
- Agenda for the day
Please see staff at the Welcome Desk if you have any questions.
We hope you have a good day. Please remember to share photos and experiences of your day on LinkedIn using #BerkhamstedITConference
How to access the WiFi
Search and connect to the WiFi network called;
Guest
Password: dmrguest
How to post your Q&A questions
Click on the relevant link to post questions to the speakers
Today’s Agenda
Please make your way to the Conference Hall and sign in
Please grab yourself a refreshment
Please take your seat to hear from Mark Steed.
Dan Raymond: The DIY Developer – Breakout Room A
Joanna Hughes: Learning to Adapt: The Evolution towards unlocking all potential – Breakout Room B
Sarah Buist: 1:1 Model at RGS – Breakout Room C
MSPLab: Leading Digital Transformation in Education – Breakout Room D
Nick Cale: Academic and Pastoral Tracking using Power Bi – Breakout Room A
Deji Agun: Power Automate: A Run Through of a Working Example – Breakout Room B
Microsoft: The Power Of Possible, AI In EDU – Breakout Room C
Anna Chatwin: AI Tutor, Simulator, and Student: Exploring the Potential of AI in Diverse Learning Modes – Breakout Room D
Anna Chatwin and Carl Pepper: Learning Insights App: Tracking Teaching & Learning at a Whole School Level – Breakout Room A
Joanna Hughes: The importance of flipped learning in the AI classroom – Breakout Room B
Prad Samtani: 1:1 Device Provision at Berkhamsted School – Breakout Room C
Deji Agun: AI in Action: Building a Copilot Chatbot – Breakout Room A
Carl Pepper: Building for Gen Z: Creating Captivating Software Applications for Students – Breakout Room B
Cloud Design Box: Supercharging Microsoft Teams & SharePoint for Education – Breakout Room C
Bina Mistry: Discover Canva for Education – Breakout Room D
Please use this link to post your Q&A questions to any one of today’s speakers
Description of the breakout sessions
Join this hands-on session to learn how to create a Copilot Chatbot using your source data. Discover how AI can improve staff access to information, and save valuable time. We’ll also showcase how we’re using a Copilot Chatbot internally applied to our school policies to provide quick answer to questions from staff.
Using lesson observation data, this app helps individual teachers, Heads of Departments and Senior Management teams track progress made towards Teaching & Learning priorities. This session will demonstrate how this has consequently informed strategy at Berkhamsted.
Drawing on research that outlines the pedagogical roles of AI in education, this session will focus on how teachers can guide students to transform chatbots into AI Tutors, AI Simulators, and AI Students. By developing effective prompt craft, students can achieve varied learning experiences tailored to their needs. The aim of the session is to equip educators with strategies to effectively integrate AI into classrooms, promoting both learning with and about AI, thereby preparing students for a technology-driven world.
Discover why flipped learning will become even more important as AI continues to play a role in education and student experiences. This will consider how we further adapt our practices so that students are authentically assessed and are not masking their understanding with AI.
Discover how AI and PedTech can enhance students classroom experiences by creating more adaptive educational resources.
Teenagers communicate with each other through visual elements: emoticons, images and symbols and, even though they send and receive a high number of texts a day, their content creation is mostly represented by emojis, gifs, stickers, abbreviations and images. With attention spans constantly decreasing, we demonstrate how Berkhamsted built a student-centric mobile application in Power Apps whilst also capturing meaningful and valuable data.
Join us for an insightful presentation on Microsoft Power Automate, where we’ll walk you through a practical, hands-on example of how to automate workflows and streamline processes. Whether you’re new to automation or looking to enhance your skills, this presentation will provide you with the knowledge and tools to get started with Power Automate effectively.
Subscriptions are the top spend on schools’ tech budgets, and costs seem set to rise indefinitely. Join me for an investigation into the various compromises between in-house vs off the shelf solutions. Budget holders and IT team leaders will benefit from a glimpse into recent Microsoft Power Platform projects, enhanced by AI, as well as tips to cultivate skills within your existing workforce and skip painful years of the typical learning curve.
In 2017 Berkhamsted School started one of the most transformational and ambitious projects implementing their 1:1 program. Learn about the thought process, staff adoption, communication, technical considerations, rollout and onboarding. Learn about the challenges, successes and failures.
Learn how Sarah has transformed device provision at RGS and adopted Surface devices throughout their school.
Explore the innovative world of Canva for Education, where creativity and learning come together. This platform empowers educators and students with versatile tools to design engaging educational content.
Hear from the following colleagues
During this conference we’ll be hearing from a number of schools and learning about their journey and successes.
Anna Chatwin serves as the Deputy Head of Teaching, Learning, and Innovation at Berkhamsted School, leveraging a wealth of experience from her extensive career in education. Before stepping into her current role, Anna acted as an Assistant Head Teacher, where she played a pivotal role in supporting the transition to an evolved system of pastoral care in the Sixth Form.
Anna’s journey at Berkhamsted School began in September 2018 when she took on the role of Deputy Head of House. Her leadership skills and dedication quickly propelled her to the position of Head of Department in January 2019, where she successfully led the Politics department for over four years. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in implementing innovative teaching strategies and enhancing student engagement. This has included designing and leading on the delivery of the Learning Pathways Programme, a Key Stage 4 curriculum initiative.
Before her time at Berkhamsted, Anna was a Teacher of History and Politics at Presdales School from September 2015 to July 2017. Her passion for these subjects and her ability to inspire students have been evident throughout her career.
Jo Hughes joins Berkhamsted School as the new Group Director of EdTech in September. With a robust background in educational innovation and technology integration, Jo brings a wealth of experience and a passion for enhancing learning through digital tools.
Jo’s most recent role was at Northwood College for Girls GDST, where she served for nearly six years. As the Assistant Head of Innovation and Learning, she led initiatives to incorporate innovative teaching methods and technologies. Prior to this, Jo was the Head of Cognitive Learning, focusing on strategies to boost student engagement and cognitive development.
Before her tenure at Northwood, Jo was the Head of Philosophy, Religion, and Ethics at Sandringham School for four years. Her career in education began at Brislington Enterprise College as a Teacher of Humanities, followed by a brief period as a Teaching Assistant at Cathays High School.
Jo holds a strong commitment to advancing educational practices and is excited to bring her expertise to Berkhamsted School, aiming to further develop their EdTech capabilities and foster a cutting-edge learning environment.
Mo Tanweer is an accomplished academic and professional with a diverse background in economics, international politics, banking, and finance. Currently, he serves as an Academic Associate at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he teaches courses on International Politics, Banking and Finance, Macroeconomics, and Artificial Intelligence.
In addition to his role at Pembroke College, Mo is a Lecturer in Macroeconomics at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, contributing to the MBA program with his expertise in Macroeconomics in Business. He has also been a Teaching Associate at Cambridge Judge Business School for over six years, focusing on the Executive MBA program and specializing in Macroeconomics and International Business.
Mo is the Director of Access Economics, a role he has held for seven years, providing economic consultancy services. His academic journey includes supervising undergraduates at the University of Cambridge, specializing in Development Economics, and guiding thesis projects.
Before his academic career, Mo gained valuable industry experience as an Investment Banking Analyst at UBS and RBS, where he focused on TMT companies, LBOs, and M&A. His early teaching career includes roles as Head of Economics at Eton College and Oundle School, and as a Teacher of Economics & Politics at Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood.
Mo has also published several papers on topics such as public goods, economic rebalancing in the UK, and China’s economic sustainability. His comprehensive experience and contributions to both academia and industry make him a respected figure in his fields of expertise.
With a passion for digital innovation and education, Sarah Buist currently serves as the Head of Digital Strategy at Royal Grammar School Newcastle. In this capacity, she is driving the school’s digital evolution into the future.
Prior to her role at Royal Grammar School Newcastle, Sarah spent over five years at Durham School, where she served as a Teacher of Geography and also held the position of Head of Digital Learning. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in integrating digital technologies into the teaching and learning process.
Sarah is dedicated to enhancing the educational experience through technology and is committed to ensuring that students have access to cutting-edge digital resources.
Dan Raymond currently holds the position of Director of Digital Technologies at St Catherine’s School, Bramley, with an impressive tenure of over 11 years. He has been in this role since January 2016, spearheading digital innovation. Dan is deeply committed to revolutionising education through technology. Prior to his current role, he served as the Network Manager, responsible for the management of the school’s digital infrastructure.
Before joining St Catherine’s School, Dan spent seven years at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, where he held the role of ICT Operations Manager, focusing on operational excellence. His journey in the education sector commenced as an ICT Technician, and he spent four years and three months in this capacity.
Dan’s true passion lies in harnessing technology to empower both students and educators, ensuring their success in an increasingly digital world.
Prad Samtani is the former Director of IT at Berkhamsted Schools Group and the technical architect behind the institution’s pioneering 1:1 device program. Since joining Berkhamsted in December 2017, Prad has been instrumental in deploying a comprehensive Windows-based 1:1 device strategy from year 5 through to year 13, utilising Microsoft Surface. This initiative is widely regarded by industry experts as one of the most innovative and well-executed programs in the educational sector.
In September, Prad left Berkhamsted School but will stay on to oversee the successful completion of the upcoming conference. His departure marks the end of a significant era of technological advancement and innovation at the school.
Prad will very much remain in the Education sector working for FreedomTech as Senior EdTech Consultant
Carl Pepper is a skilled Power Platform Developer currently working full-time at Berkhamsted School and Berkhamsted Enterprises Consultancy. With a tenure beginning in October 2023, Carl has been instrumental in leveraging the Power Platform to enhance educational technology solutions within the school and beyond. His role is hybrid, allowing him to blend on-site and remote work effectively.
Before joining Berkhamsted, Carl served as the Lead Consultant at SchoolsBi for over two and a half years, from April 2021 to October 2023. Based in Somerset, England, he played a crucial role in guiding schools through the implementation of business intelligence solutions. Carl’s expertise in data analytics and his dedication to improving educational environments make him a valued consultant for various educational institutions.
In his consultancy work, Carl focuses on optimising the Power Platform to streamline administrative processes and enhance data-driven decision-making in schools. His commitment to integrating cutting-edge technology in education underscores his passion for empowering institutions to achieve their goals efficiently.
Nick Cale joined Berkhamsted in 2008 and has held several key positions in his time including Head of French, Head of Modern Languages, Director of Data and Research, and most recently, Deputy Head of Curriculum and Assessment. He was educated at QEH Bristol and studied French and German at Birmingham University during which time he was fortunate to complete university placements at both Université Grenoble Alpes and the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität in Freiburg.
Deji previously worked at Latymer Upper Shool, Hammersmith, London as the Web Development Manager for over 5 years. He has over 18 years of IT experience working for various industries from Web Agencies (Forward Vision), Consumer Electronics (Casio) to Charities (NSA, SCIE). Deji is responsible for investigating, implementing and supporting innovate technologies and platforms to create new opportunities or solve problems in alignment with Berkhamsted Schools Group strategic ambitions and goals.
Bina began her career as a computer science teacher, where she quickly discovered a passion for education and technology. She transitioned to an advisory role, supporting teachers in upskilling and designing innovative courses, which strengthened her curriculum development skills. This path opened doors in international schools, where she naturally gravitated towards educational technology (EdTech). Her enthusiasm for coaching grew, allowing her to make a positive impact on educators while deepening her love for technology. Today, Bina holds a unique position at GDST, combining education and IT roles to drive technological integration and enrich learning experiences.
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