News School of Education Conference on Mobile Technology in Teacher Education

The School of Education, NUI Galway will host the Second International Conference on Mobile Technology in Teacher Education (MiTE 2016) on 15th and 16th January in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway.

On Friday, 15th January, the conference will provide an academic platform for emerging research, and on Saturday, 16th January, the focus will be on the practitioner application of mobile technology in the classroom, in the form of hands-on workshops and showcases on mobile apps for teaching, learning and assessment.

NUI Galway’s School of Education is aware of the potential that mobile technology has for improving the teaching and learning experiences of pupils in the classroom.  This two-day conference will celebrate the possibilities and explore the challenges of integrating mobile technology in teacher education and in the broader field of education in order to promote best practice by teachers, students and schools.  Contributors include experts in the field of mobile technology, including representatives from mainland Europe, the US, Nordic countries and Asia.

Seán Ó Grádaigh, NUI Galway’s School of Education, and Co-Chair of the MiTE 2016 Conference, said: “Mobile Technology has the ability to change how we Teach, Learn and Assess.  Students can now learn when, where and how suits them best and Teacher Education can play a central role in the integration of this technology in the classroom.”

Keynote Speaker Stephen Heppell is a Professor at Bournemouth University, Chair in New Media Environments, Emeritus Professor Anglia Ruskin University, and Visiting Professor of the University of Wales, Newport.  Professor Heppell is best known for his work at Ultralab, part of Anglia Polytechnic University.  There, he worked on education projects such as ‘Learning in the New Millennium’, ‘Schools OnLine’, development of ‘Think.com’ and ‘Talking Heads’.  In 2003, he left UltraLab and is now CEO of the education consultancy firm, Heppell.net, a global and flourishing policy and learning consultancy, which now has an enviable portfolio of international projects all around the world.

Dr Mary Fleming, Head of School of Education at NUI Galway, said: “My colleagues and I are delighted to be involved in this conference again this year.  Mobile Technology is a significant and growing area of educational research and we welcome this opportunity to build on the School of Education’s engagement with new teaching and learning practices and approaches in the classroom.”

MiTE 2016 is open to parents, teachers and students who are interested in seeing and hearing how mobile technologies, for example, smartphones/tablets, can contribute positively to the learning processes within our classrooms today.  To find out more see http://www.gratek.ie/mite2016/index.php