Featured Teacher
them in my room and I’ve even tried
Google Glass, which I think is a little
ahead of its time. It’s still got bugs but
the future is pointing towards wearable
technology. In terms of actual gadgets
that are practical for the classroom, I
would obviously go with iPads. If you
have iPads in your classes, I would
recommend that you look at getting
cases that protect the corners. If you
don’t protect the corners; it will be more
easily damaged. A Charging solution
is another gadget that is effective
especially for BYOD classes. There
are always a few kids who will walk in
with their iPads out of charge. I was
sent a Charge Bus from a company in
the UK, which is a brilliant gadget. This
is essentially a box that allows you to
charge up to 16 iPads at the same time
using just one plug socket. It can also
fast sync the iPads to iTunes if you want
it to. Styluses are another worthwhile
purchase and they are getting better
at last. They are particularly useful
when using smaller screens. The next
generation of styluses should be more
precise and should be similar to using
an actual pen or pencil for writing.
What is the best advice that you
would give to teachers who are
afraid or nervous about integrating
technology into their lessons?
I may have touched on it earlier. Don’t
be afraid to learn from the students.
It is O.K. to take small steps until you
understand how to use the technology
more effectively. Do what you are
comfortable with. When I train teachers
who are not tech-friendly, I like to look
at apps that are not complicated or
ones that they are already familiar with.
A brilliant example is Nearpod. If you
are already familiar with PowerPoint
then you don’t have to start from
scratch with it as you can convert a
tired old PowerPoint into an engaging,
interactive Nearpod session in a short
amount of time.
Mr Bambury is highly respected by
his colleagues, students and parents.
His background in film, passion for
technology and education provides him
with a unique skill set that makes him
an asset to the JESS team. Educators
outside of the JESS community have
also benefitted from his vast knowledge
of technology via his presentations
at the What Works Conference, the
Global Education Forum at GESS and
other events around Dubai.
Class Time
Nov - Dec 2014
21