SSDN - Inventing Our Own ICT Future

The Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN) has been described as the most ambitious education ICT project anywhere in the world. To date, it encompasses three key initiatives, each of which will bring long-term benefits to Scottish schools. Together they form a coherent programme that has massive implications for the way that schools will be able to work in future.
Within SSDN are:

• The National Interconnect – a big broadband network connecting all 32 Scottish education authorities together
• The Content Delivery Infrastructure – easing the flow of multimedia across the country
• The National Intranet – an integrated package of services and applications for teaching, learning and education management, all within a secure online environment.  

John Connell, Director of SSDN, will describe the process that is translating a far-sighted vision into reality for Scotland’s future use of ICT in education. Where we lead, others will undoubtedly follow.

John was a primary teacher and primary headteacher before working in the Directorate in West Lothian Education Services for five years.

He was seconded to the Scottish Executive in 2001 to develop strategy on schools' broadband and the nascent vision of a Scottish Schools Digital Network.

John was appointed to the post of Director of SSDN in LT Scotland in 2004. With the programme now well under way - the interconnect has been in place since November 2003; the content delivery infrastructure was completed earlier this year; the national intranet is under development and implementation is likely to begin during 2006 - the SSDN Unit is now firmly established in Learning and Teaching Scotland.

It is tasked with completing the implementation of the intranet and managing all other aspects of the SSDN programme.

This spotlight presentation will be interpreted into British Sign Language.