King’s Leadership Academy Warrington recently welcomed over 400 educational professionals for the fourth annual researchEd Warrington event, a day filled with engaging sessions and thoughtprovoking discussions. Among the standout speakers were Zaitoon Bukhari and Simon Hool, both bringing unique perspectives on how the latest educational technologies can transform teaching and learning.
Zaitoon Bukhari, Director of Digital Learning at Achievement Through Collaboration Multi Academy Trust, delivered a compelling session titled Unlocking the Power of PedTech Strategically. With a career spanning over 14 years in education and extensive expertise in EdTech, Zaitoon invited educators to rethink how technology is used in the classroom. She advocated PedTech, a pedagogically driven approach that ensures technology serves genuine educational goals. She highlighted the importance of embedding technology into the curriculum, tailoring its use to support personalised learning and to make life easier for both students and teachers.
Drawing on real-world examples, Zaitoon explored how PedTech can be adapted to suit a range of student needs. One example involved students using voice typing to draft essays, which could then be edited and refined. This approach not only enhances both speaking and writing skills but also builds student confidence. She emphasised that while young people often embrace new technologies intuitively, the real challenge lies in equipping teachers to use them confidently and effectively. Her session underscored the importance of needs assessments, ongoing professional development, and aligning technology with curriculum goals. She discussed tools such as Google’s Read Along, which supports independent reading by listening to students and providing instant feedback that can be shared with teachers. She also showcased Google Practice Sets, which allow for creative, engaging assignments complete with visual explainers and instant feedback. She also mentioned Gemini, a Google AI assistant that helps rephrase, summarise, and adapt texts for accessibility.
Simon Hool, a Google Workspace for Education consultant at Getech, followed with his session Enhanced Teaching Tools from Google for Education, which focused on how specific Google tools can help teachers save time while enhancing learning outcomes. Simon’s hands-on approach gave attendees a close-up look at what is currently possible with the latest technology. Like Zaitoon, he explored features such as Google Practice Sets, where teachers can set learning objectives and have the platform suggest videos, hints, and support tailored to the content. When students answer questions incorrectly, Practice Sets offer prompts and feedback, encouraging independent learning. Teachers, in turn, receive detailed insights into student performance, enabling targeted support.
Simon also explored the benefits of Read Along, echoing Zaitoon’s emphasis on its capacity to promote fluency and vocabulary through independent practice. He also expanded on the capabilities of Gemini, informing delegates that it can be used for generating lesson plans, adapting quizzes for different age groups, and even drafting feedback for students based on set criteria. Another valuable tool he discussed was NotebookLM, an AI research assistant that compiles uploaded materials such as videos, PDFs, audio, and website links into comprehensive resources. This tool can generate everything from study guides and FAQs to audio podcasts featuring interactive AI-generated presenters, capable of answering student questions in real time.
Both Zaitoon and Simon successfully demonstrated how educational technology can be integrated into classrooms. They highlighted that it’s not just about using tech, it’s about using it correctly to enhance teaching and learning. The insights they offered were a reminder that with the right mindset and support, educators can unlock new possibilities in the classroom.