Putting the Learner First. What Does this Mean for the Teaching Profession?

We can all sign up to putting the learner first. It is a noble and sensible position to take. However, what does this mean for the teaching professions? Is it enough for the teacher to change from 'a sage on the stage to a guide on the side'? In this talk, Chris Yapp will explore a potential model for team working in teaching as a route to the creation of a skilled and motivated profession that can lead the transformation of education to a learner-centred model.

Dr Chris Yapp has a long association with the IT industry, starting in the 1980s with Honeywell, ICL and HP. His interest in networking technologies and IT architectures includes strategic and management issues, particularly in the areas of public policy and government IT. In 1984 he was project manager for the first operational/OSI network in the UK at the DHSS.

Chris is a frequent commentator on the emerging information society, particularly in the areas of lifelong learning, e-government, social exclusion and the creative industries. His speaking engagements have included the British Council, the World Bank and UN conferences.

He has written publications for the IPPR and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and contributed to the FT book, Masters of the Wired World. In 1996 he became an ICL Fellow for his work on the National Grid for Learning. A Director of the English chapter of the Internet Society, Chris is also an Associate of the Think Tank DEMOS and a Trustee of the School for Social Entrepreneurs. He is a Fellow of the RSA.

This keynote presentation will be interpreted into British Sign Language.