GESS Talks Webinar 38: Empowering EdTech: Real AI Strategies Transforming Schools

Register Now 

Our Sponsor

Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and meaningfully improving learning outcomes. For more than 25 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness across all subject areas and assessment types. Turnitin products are used by educational institutions and certification and licensing programs to uphold integrity and increase learning performance, and by students and professionals to do their best, original work.

Over 16,000 academic institutions, publishers, and corporations use Turnitin services: Gradescope by Turnitin, iThenticate, Turnitin Feedback Studio, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, ExamSoft, ProctorExam, and Ouriginal.

Our Speakers: 

Chairperson: Alex Gray Head of Sixth Form Arcadia School

Alex Gray is an experienced educator and thought leader with over 15 years in teaching and leadership. His MA in Education, where he explored performance enhancement, and his NPQLTD qualification demonstrate his deep knowledge of educational practices. Alex shares this expertise through his insightful podcast, The International Classroom, interviewing global leaders on cutting-edge educational topics. He also curates resources for performance enhancement on his website, deepprofessional.com, and his D.E.E.P Professional YouTube channel.

Dr Zeenath Reza Khan Founding President & Board Member ENAI WG Centre for Academic Integrity in the UAE

Dr Zeenath Reza Khan is the Founding President and Board Member of the ENAI WG Centre for Academic Integrity in the UAE, Associate Professor of Responsible Information Systems at Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at University of Wollongong in Dubai, and recently elected Board member for European Network for Academic Integrity (ENAI). She has been teaching in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences at the university since 2001. Senior Fellow and Executive Committee member of Wollongong Academy of Tertiary Teaching Excellence (WATTLE), and Local Advisory Board Member of Our Own High School Al Warqa UAE (GEMS Education), Dr Khan currently holds the position of Editorial Board Member for International Journal for Educational Integrity, and edited book series from Springer on Ethics and Integrity in Education. Having received several internal and external grants from UOWD, UOW and other entities, Dr Khan is a national and international award-winning academic with more than 80 publications to her name and edited books titled Integrity in Education for Future Happiness (2021) and Ethics and Integrity in Teacher Education by Springer (2023).

Considered a Tier one speaker, Dr Khan’s research interests are in academic integrity, ethics in IT, teaching and learning, and STEM for girls. She won the Vice Chancellor’s OCTAL award from UOW in 2016, Turnitin Global Innovation Award 2015, Teaching Excellence Award from UOWD in 2014, among others. Recently she was named among UAE’s 10 most influential educational leaders 2019 by The Knowledge Review, won the Digital Leader Award in Education category from Khaleej Times and MIT Sloan Mgt Review’s Digital Leaders Forum, 2019. Dr Khan was named 2020 Global Educational Influencer and one of 100 Most Admired People in Education in 2021 by The Excelligent.  In 2021, Dr Khan was recognized for her research contribution by European Network for Academic Integrity as the recipient of their ENAI Research Excellence Award. In 2022, Dr Khan was recognised through Bangladesh Women Association (BAWA) and Consulate General of Bangladesh, Dubai and Northern Emirates for her contributions to Women Empowerment in the UAE. Dr Khan received UOWD Staff Integrity Award in 2023.

For more details, see https://bit.ly/2ll1n18

Frank Furnari Award-winning Chief, Board Member & Strategic Advisor, AI Spatial Computing pioneer & inventor

Frank is a Doer Visionary. He is a Board Member and Strategic Advisor of several high-profile organisations and institutions such as the Learning & Performance Institute, Artificial Intelligence & Extended Reality, CLO100, and Regent College London. Frank is also the founder of ARuVR, the leading AI-powered spatial computing company. Frank has been working in the innovation industry for over 25 years. He raised $10m from SoftBank Ventures at the age of 22 for his first start-up, and over the years he has designed and run 5k+ innovation programmes for corporate clients and institutions in EMEA, the USA, and Asia.

He is a regular conference speaker, a book author, and the inventor of 15 patents. Frank has won numerous honors and awards, including the prestigious UK Queen’s Award for Enterprise, three Enterprise Awards, and the Best in British Tech Award. Frank is a Humanitarian International staff member at CESVI NPO, a member of the Neuromarketing Science & Business Association, and a Corporate Member of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Tai Paschall Head of Digital Education & Innovation Al Yasat Private School

Tai Paschall is a seasoned educational leader and a visionary creator of digital learning strategies that yield measurable outcomes in the classroom. With a Master's degree in Transformative Leadership, Tai has dedicated over a decade to revolutionizing education in the Middle East by assisting schools in designing and implementing digital environments that enhance student engagement across all age levels.

Before embarking on a career in education, Tai Paschall honed his expertise in the technology industry, working with two of the world's foremost tech giants, Microsoft and Apple. This invaluable experience equipped him with a deep understanding of cutting-edge technology and its transformative potential in education. Furthermore, Tai is a recognized researcher, author, and dynamic presenter, contributing to the global dialogue on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education with his popular book “When AI Goes to School”.

He has been a featured speaker at numerous international conferences, sharing his expertise and insights on leveraging AI to enhance the learning experience. Currently, as the Head of Digital Education and Innovation at Al Yasat Private School, Tai oversees the strategic implementation of educational technology, Artificial Intelligence and innovative programs across all levels of the school in Abu Dhabi. His commitment to innovation, coupled with his rich background in both education and technology, positions him as a driving force in shaping the future of learning in the region.

With a steadfast dedication to fostering excellence in education, a proven track record of driving digital transformation, and a dynamic presence on the international stage of AI in Education, Tai Paschall is at the forefront of ensuring that today's learners are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the digital age.

Dare Pitan Digital Education Lead University of Birmingham Dubai

Dare, the Digital Education Lead at University of Birmingham Dubai, is a dynamic force in the realm of education technology. His journey is fuelled by an unyielding passion for leveraging digital tools to revolutionize teaching and learning experiences, with a keen eye for mining organizational databases to craft innovative strategies that drive progress within institutions. His dedication to education technology is palpable, as he tirelessly works to motivate academics to embrace digital tools for heightened pedagogical outcomes. He remains steadfast in his mission to empower educators and learners alike through the transformative power of education technology. Dare has attained the esteemed status of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a testament to his exceptional contributions to teaching and learning support in higher education.

Linda Scaife Digital Learning Lead Bloom World Academy

As a teacher of 12 years, a Digital Learning Lead and a new mum, I am thrilled to be part of the UAE education network so that I can continue to learn and develop in a country that celebrates innovation and forward thinking in education. Over the years I have experienced firsthand the massively rewarding journey of developing student lives and leading EdTech to make learning experiences better for school communities. Because of this, finding that developing that right community to for learners to thrive in is a topic I am very passionate about. Teaching is a social interaction, and the development of a digitally minded educator and student absolutely needs to include the emotional and social impact of technology. Our school community at BWA is everything, and I look forward to sharing what we have learnt this year.