As part of its comprehensive global event ‘EDU 2030 – Future of Education Series’, Abu Dhabi University (ADU) recently launched the ‘Future Schools 2030’ professional development certificate for high school principals, teachers, and counselors, which has already garnered over 500 participants hailing from more than 24 countries across the world including the US, UK, Canada and Germany. This program is currently taking place and will be held until the end of December.
The Future Schools 2030 program, the first of 6 professional development certificates as part of the series, involves workshops and innovation labs on various topics related to the future of schools and learning. Broken down into four modules, the workshop places a significant focus on building capacity for teaching and learning in the current virtual and hybrid learning environment, as well as on stewardship for creating an innovative and inspiring school culture.
Verone Kennedy, Division Director, Education Policies and Programs, ADEK gave a keynote speech as part of the program launch.
Dr. Hamad Odhabi, Director of Abu Dhabi University’s Al Ain campus said: “Abu Dhabi University continuously seeks to work hand-in-hand with its strategic partners in public and private sectors. We are also committed to work alongside experienced principals, teachers, and counselors and equip them with the relevant qualifications to be prepared for the future and the trends, changes, and demands that come along with it, and enable them to foster graduates who are ready to embark on their leadership journey across all sectors. We are sure that this professional development certificate will further support schools and more specifically further enhance teachers, principals and councilors’ career prospects.”
The first module titled ‘The Vision and Leadership for Future Schools’ will share various powerful and divergent scenarios on the future of schooling worldwide, and will work with participants to identify which aspects of these scenarios formulate possible strategies that can enable these desired features in schooling. The module then dives into leadership models and practices that contribute to realizing a more inclusive – and therefore, more resilient and innovative – educational environment.
The second module titled ‘Educating Global Citizens’ will review various methods of building learning environments conducive to innovation and entrepreneurial education, and will explore ways to implement these best practices in the UAE while discussing the potential barriers and obstacles in the process. It will also share practical tools and guidelines to create a culture of innovation and experimentation, along with metrics to assess the innovativeness and learning environment in schools.
The third module titled ‘Digitalization and the Future of Smart Education and Skills’ will discuss new and emerging technologies that are expected to be available for use in the education sector in the next ten years. The module will also provide pedagogical approaches to enable the utilization of these technological tools in a hybrid learning model.
The fourth and final module, titled ‘What will Schools look like in 2030?’ will discuss how schools in 2030 will have evolved to become learning networks that facilitate the move toward collaborative learning. It will also shed light on the new role of teachers and how future curricula are expected to become more individualized – ones that reflect the needs of each student. This module will also discuss the challenges that UAE school leaders are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the various best practices they can undertake to cope with the new conditions.
Upon the completion of the program, participants will receive a certificate of completion from Abu Dhabi University. The Future Schools 2030 certificate focuses on the core management, leadership, and technology required to support future schools, while the broader EDU 2030 series will offer other certificates that focus on topics related to education, including educational strategies, pedagogy, school environment and more.
The Future of Education Series features another five professional development certificates taking place from January till December 2021 aimed at school leaders, educators, special educators and counselors. The certificates cover a wide range of topics including contemporary teaching and learning paradigms, leadership in education, change management for counselors, the use of technology in distance education, and inclusive education models.
To register for the workshop please visit ADU’s website: https://www.adu.ac.ae/conferences-competitions/future-schools-2030
