In the next fifty years, schools will likely feature robots interacting with pupils and lessons run by artificial intelligence but technology will not be an effective teacher unless it has a “human heart”, experts said.
School educators “need to recognise that circumstances change” and embrace artificial intelligence and digital applications, heard a global online conference to study the next half century of teaching and learning, organised this month by the UAE’s Zayed University, leading regional institution.
“Technology has been a ‘life saver’ for families, students and education systems in the present Covid-19 context. In spite of uneven access, technology has provided educational continuity in the midst of school closures ... But even with advances in AI they will not replace caring, competent teachers,” said Gopinathan Saravanan, the academic advisor at The HEAD Foundation in Singapore.
Samia Kazi, who holds leadership roles at several global early childhood education organisations, said “until recently, teachers may have thought of ourselves separate from AI, and in some ways, even been intimidated by its application to education, especially with young, vulnerable children under the age of 5, but turbulent times have catapulted us to the future.
It is about teaching them what technology cannot; having a human heart, ethics, social-emotional intelligence are skills that the child will have to have when dealing with AI
“Here we are coining the terms AI with early childhood education, the day is here when we need to prepare our teachers to understand, monitor, and control AI applications that might be used and applied in early childhood education in the near future.”
“Although this is important, it is about teaching them what it cannot; having a human heart, ethics, social-emotional intelligence are skills that the child will have to have when dealing with AI. Applications for AI open a myriad of issues for future teachers; child protection, assessment of the technology, monitoring any 'decisions' made by AI, and proper implementation, which is developmentally appropriate,” Ms Kazi said.
Technology's role in the teaching of pupils with special needs
This is equally the case when discussing how the teaching of pupils with special needs will evolve. Technology will play a greater role but “the challenge is that these students, like many students without special needs, will always learn and respond better with personal contact”, said Dr Gail Brown.
“Technology is becoming more ‘humanised’ in its approaches with AI, avatars and robotics, and some online educational businesses are focusing on this,” she said.
While the global pandemic has brought about the need for rapid change in school education it has revealed stark gaps in access to technology.
“Not all students have access to either technology and/or the internet, so how should we deal with this challenge? Rather than not encouraging or supporting or allowing any student to use technology (a ‘basement’ approach), what can we do support and help those without access to benefit from technology?” said Colin Penfold, a principal consultant at the UK’s Education Development Trust.
Teachers also need maximum support to make the best use of the tools available – both in terms of how they teach and how they develop their own skills – said Mr Penfold.
“This needs to include how to use technology effectively in ‘face-to-face’ classroom teaching, but also how to use technology effectively when teaching remotely.”
Collective efforts towards the next 50 years
The College of Education at Zayed University held its 3rd Annual Education Conference online on Monday 9th November, with the theme ‘Zayed’s Legacy: The next 50 years start now’, gathering about 500 researchers, academics, teachers, and field experts online.
The conference was held in the presence of Noura Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth and President of Zayed University, Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Jameela Al Muhairi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Public Education.
"Over the next 50 years, the UAE aims to adapt to and be an effective partner in creating the best educational models and technologies in the world and in applying the finest early childhood educational systems," Ms Kaabi said.
"Moreover, as we collectively work towards our country’s Centennial Plan of 2071, the UAE aims to set a multidisciplinary educational system that ensures producing creative talents and evolved mechanisms that help make professionalism and positive moral values the cornerstones of our operations.”
The conference provided a platform for the region’s researchers, practitioners, administrators, and academics to share, collaborate, and explore innovative approaches to creating successful teaching and learning environments for students. School teachers, professionals and education leaders worked to build stronger partnerships for the advancement of K-12 education.
Eighteen online sessions and workshops were held, including in multilingual language acquisition.
Zayed University’s conference partner the non-profit Arab Thought Foundation shared its expertise in empowering youth and efforts to modernise the teaching and learning of the Arabic language.
Arabic language has shown its 'rich culture'
The teaching of reading, for example, “has already changed, and will continue to change over time,” said Dr Brown, a leading expert in the field of reading.
“I hope that such technology supports the maintenance of the many, diverse and rich languages that already exist.”
This applies to the teaching of the Arabic language also, she said.
“The Arabic language is rich in culture and local dialects, and these have withstood the pressure of time and technology,” she said.
Prof Gopinathan said that while "opportunities and challenges change, these changes may be sudden or evolutionary … in the history of education systems we note these changes … education systems are inherently conservative.”
“Change however, is possible if government policy makers are able to formulate a compelling argument for why change is necessary, how it will contribute to greater societal resilience, provide employment opportunities for young citizens,” he said.
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Bharat
Director: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
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The specs
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Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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The%20specs
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MATCH DETAILS
Juventus 2 (Bonucci 36, Ronaldo 90 6)
Genoa 1 (Kouame 40)
Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Name: Brendalle Belaza
From: Crossing Rubber, Philippines
Arrived in the UAE: 2007
Favourite place in Abu Dhabi: NYUAD campus
Favourite photography style: Street photography
Favourite book: Harry Potter
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
HOW TO WATCH
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Twitter: @thenationalnews
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TikTok: @thenationalnews
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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