Speakers Corner
Since 2007, ICT for Education has had a great variety of speakers at its conferences from all educational sectors within the UK. Our alumni of speakers are listed below. Thanks to all of them for their contributions to our conferences to date and hopefully in years to come.
If you would like to speak at an ICT for Education conference, please contact Sarah Underwood.
Graham Macaulay
LEO Academy Trust
Graham is an experienced teacher, who has taught in a range of schools across South London. As a teacher, he was always very keen to use technology to enhance the learning outcomes and experiences which he provided to his classes. He now works for the LEO Academy Trust, where he supports the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning.
James Leonard
Head of Google Education UK
James Leonard is the Head of Education UK. James’s team helps UK schools work save money, reduce workload, and increase collaboration through Google for Education tools like G Suite and Chromebooks. Before joining Google for Education six years ago, James taught Year 6 Maths and Year 7 English at the River Glen School, a bilingual immersion school in San Jose.
Jamie Edmonson
JEcomputing
Jamie has over 15 years of primary and secondary teaching experience, currently in the role of specialist teacher of Computing and Computing subject leader at a primary school in Manchester, where he teachers Computing from nursery through to Year 6.
Through his consultancy business JEcomputing, he also shares his wealth of knowledge and experience to help others with successfully improving their computing provision and use of education technology across the curriculum. Mainly working with schools across the North West, Jamie leads inset courses and runs workshops focussing on a whole host of computing and technology based topics. This ranges from using iPads across the curriculum, to blogging, e-safety, green screen, programming, podcasting, digital leader implementation, animation and web design to name but a few!
Jamie has also written his own online Computing scheme of work, which is used both within his own teaching and by other schools throughout the UK. As a CAS master teacher, Jamie supports other teachers with developing their Computing pedagogy by hosting training workshops and providing CPD support to schools on behalf of the North West CAS regional centre. Jamie is recognised as an Apple Teacher (with Swift Playgrounds recognition), Raspberry Pi Certified Educator and Google Certified Educator and is a founder member of the Consultants Network for Education Computing and Technology.
Through his consultancy business JEcomputing, he also shares his wealth of knowledge and experience to help others with successfully improving their computing provision and use of education technology across the curriculum. Mainly working with schools across the North West, Jamie leads inset courses and runs workshops focussing on a whole host of computing and technology based topics. This ranges from using iPads across the curriculum, to blogging, e-safety, green screen, programming, podcasting, digital leader implementation, animation and web design to name but a few!
Jamie has also written his own online Computing scheme of work, which is used both within his own teaching and by other schools throughout the UK. As a CAS master teacher, Jamie supports other teachers with developing their Computing pedagogy by hosting training workshops and providing CPD support to schools on behalf of the North West CAS regional centre. Jamie is recognised as an Apple Teacher (with Swift Playgrounds recognition), Raspberry Pi Certified Educator and Google Certified Educator and is a founder member of the Consultants Network for Education Computing and Technology.
Jodie Lopez
Edtech ninja superhero!
Jodie Lopez is an award winning ex-primary teacher turned edtech ninja superhero! Jodie works with education technology businesses, especially start-ups, to help them better understand the needs of teachers, schools and pupils so that every product has a purpose and the best products find the schools that want them!
She also supports schools with using technology across the curriculum on a shoestring budget. Since levels were removed in 2014, Jodie has also supported schools with changing assessment culture in light of a new curriculum and a new assessment landscape.
She also supports schools with using technology across the curriculum on a shoestring budget. Since levels were removed in 2014, Jodie has also supported schools with changing assessment culture in light of a new curriculum and a new assessment landscape.
Jody Carter
Primary school teacher
I am a primary school teacher and computing leader for a MAT in the south east of England. I have years of experience in computing and IT having spent the best part of a decade as a web developer. I now combine education with computing, looking at how technology can help to reduce workload, and how it can be used to enhance learning across the curriculum.
Julia Elfred
Julia Elfred is the Computing Team Leader at Christ Church C of E Primary School
Julia Elfred is the Computing Team Leader at Christ Church C of E Primary School in Croydon where she has taught for 24 years. She has been teaching computing since 2002 and has a passion for innovating with educational technology. As part of her own professional development she has earned recognition as an Apple Teacher, a Seesaw and CEOPs Ambassador. Julia is an enthusiastic and dedicated member of the Discovery Education global community of teachers and has twice attended their US Summer Institute in Chicago and San Diego.
Karine George
/ (consultant)
Karine George is an experienced consultant and keynote speaker having worked in education for more than 35 years. She was a headteacher for more than 20 years in a large junior school rated as outstanding. She held a number of roles for the local authority and the DfE, including leading headteacher for literacy, headteacher mentor, threshold assessor, primary consultant leader and school improvement partner. She has also represented headteachers as part of the Hampshire executive.
As an active research practitioner, Karine is an ardent advocator of technology to support 21st century learning. As a result, she has won a number of awards including Leadership and Vision for the development of ICT, Third Millennium Learning, Parental Engagement and the Martin Bacon Award for School of the Year for developing a whole education. She was selected to work on the Government task force for Home Access and has reported to the department on the use of technology.
Karine has written many articles on a range of educational issues. She is also co-author of ‘Sustainable School Transformation: An Inside-Out School Led Approach’, which looks at how the rigour of traditional top-down accountability models can be combined with the engagement and buy-in of school led inside-out approaches.
Laura O'hare
Texthelp
Further Education Manager
Laura is the Further Education Manager at Texthelp and passionately champions Texthelp’s student support tools, to help colleges deliver inclusion and accessibility to each and every student. Currently in her seventh year with the company, her role sees her working with colleges and events throughout the UK and Ireland to share the benefits of assistive technologies for student learning and teaching support. She supports colleges in onboarding Texthelp tools, such as Read&Write and EquatIO, to empower students within the areas of literacy, maths, continual assessment and formal exams, and help them to reach their full potential.
Laura is the Further Education Manager at Texthelp and passionately champions Texthelp’s student support tools, to help colleges deliver inclusion and accessibility to each and every student. Currently in her seventh year with the company, her role sees her working with colleges and events throughout the UK and Ireland to share the benefits of assistive technologies for student learning and teaching support. She supports colleges in onboarding Texthelp tools, such as Read&Write and EquatIO, to empower students within the areas of literacy, maths, continual assessment and formal exams, and help them to reach their full potential.
Luke Ravenscroft
Bishop Challoner Catholic College
Marty Edwards
Freelance editor and journalist
Marty is an ex-GCSE and A-level Computer Science teacher with 14 years of experience of teaching the subject. Marty has a background in software engineering and worked as an IT consultant prior to becoming a teacher. He now works with schools and teachers supporting them in developing their Computer Science knowledge, ability and confidence particularly through the use of Raspberry Pis, Python and electronics. He encourages the use of proven industry techniques in the classroom to enhance the experience of the learner.