With much pride, the Education Technology (Edu Tech) team from The International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) was invited to present at eduTECH Malaysia.
Tech Director Charlotte Diller, Tech Coordinators Steve Katz and Dr. Bron Narsiman from ISKL’s Technology department, alongside speakers from government organizations, top education institutes, and ed-tech companies in the region, participated in the two-day digital educational conference.
Held on February 24, 2021, the event entitled ‘Creating a Digital Learning Culture – Managing Meaningful Change‘ was part of a K-12 conference bringing together speakers from government organizations, top education institutes, and ed-tech companies from around the region.
Speaking on ‘Creating a Culture and Conditions for Innovation and Change,’ Charlotte said that the key to creating the digital culture at ISKL is the people behind the Information Technology and the Education Technology teams.
“Change is guided by various factors such as ISKL’s Mission and Vision, the SLRs (School-wide Learning Results), as well as data and research, with student learning being at the heart of what we do. We provide support for all of ISKL’s faculty members and students, as well as the parents,” she said.
Steve added: “Everything is done in-house; ISKL is a school with a 55-year history, and we believe in developing innovation in a way that is sustainable.”
Generally, ISKL will not initiate any new program or service unless:
* It contributes to the mission;
* It is preceded and accompanied by professional development;
* The necessary communication accompanies it;
* A plan to assess its effectiveness accompanies it;
* There are sufficient resources available to assure effective implementation.
Dr. Bron mentioned that digital standardization was necessary as a starting point and that ‘one size does not fit all.’ She also explained how there was a need for commonality of learning platforms and systems.
“We examine divisional needs and use different platforms such as GSuite, Google Classroom, Seesaw, and PowerSchool to optimize learning,” she said. “On the other hand, the Edu Tech team recognizes that there will also be differences and is not beyond taking extraordinary measures to meet these needs.”
The focus at ISKL is on ‘human-centered design,’ which means the Edu Tech team looks at what the end-user needs and comes up with creative solutions, tests them out, and gets feedback before integrating them into the school system.
In the true spirit of innovation, Dr. Bron said a culture of questioning is encouraged at ISKL. “We often push boundaries and get permission for exploration, particularly concerning online learning. We maintain the status quo, but we also continue to explore possibilities to see how we can empower our students,” she said.
The Edu Tech team also shared how partnerships and collaboration contribute to many of ISKL’s successes including innovative student agency initiatives, accessible programs, computational and design thinking, and service to stakeholders, which are the parents.
Ultimately, Edu Tech’s existence is to support ISKL’s mission and vision, and it strives to ensure that its goals and initiatives meet the needs of the community.
Read up more about the Tech Team in their Panthers of ISKL story.
