Peter Kenny-Head of College RCHK 2006-
Past experience-Head of Projects IBO 2002-2006
Regional Manager IBO PYP Asia Pacific
Principal-Dresden International School, Germany 2000-2002
Music, PE and History teacher 1988-2000
Aircraft Technician RAAF 1976-1986

I see the students 'powering down' as they enter schools and view this as a massive unrealised potential. The more we divorce ourselves and our students from realistic application of technologies the more we disadvantage them both socially, intellectually and academically.

I believe schools (ESF) need to invest in the backend infra-structure and staffing to support contemporary technolgies and those forecast to be active over the next 12 years. User tools (laptops) are to be supplied to teachers on induction and their use appraised through performance management. A teacher not engaging with technology (when appropriate) when facilitating learning is diminishing the opportunities of students to learn. Our students/Families need to participate and contribute through investing in the basic user digital tools (laptop). High end hardware again is part of the technologies offered at the school.

I also belive that schools should be platform independent and demand digital partners supply hardware and software that is dual platform. Whilst we might be Mac or PC our students just use technologies as required and transition between platforms as a guitarist moves from fender to gibson. Both unique but both guitars.
The 2012 vision is not a wish but a simple necessity if ESF is to provide a relevant education to children in Hong Kong and attract quality contemporary educators.