‘Connected Kids’ driving technology into education

1. ‘Connected Kids’ driving technology into education ‘In a world where young people grow up in an always connected environment with instant access to everybody and everything, they pose a challenge for their education providers. Education will need to increase access to technology and the internet and the role it plays in their education to keep these ‘connected kids’ engaged. JT with it’s vision of a fully fibred high speed island feel that it has a role to play in this.’ Presenter: Ronald van de Ven Head of Networks JT

2. Subjects: • Introduction to JT • Gigabit Jersey • ‘Connected Kids’ and education • A future vision of equal access to education

3. Introduction to JT • An innovative and progressive global communications enabler with a vision to become the partner of choice for global telecoms innovation. • Based in Jersey, JT is part of the JT Group who operate a global business with offices in Jersey, Guernsey, London, Boston and Melbourne that provides us with international presence across Europe, Asia and the United States. • Over 120 years experience in telecommunications. • A full service Global Consumer and Business Enterprise provider, offering services from domestic fixed line, through to leading- edge data hosting. • Operate a Next Generation Infrastructure on fixed and mobile networks. • Currently implementing a point-to-point fibre optic network in Jersey due for completion in 2016 known as Gigabit Jersey. The project will see Jersey having the fastest ubiquitous network in the western world.

4. What is it • Gigabit Jersey will provide a Gigabit enabled service to 100% of Jersey’s homes and businesses. • Point-to-point architecture with a single fibre to every home to provide ultimate performance and flexibility. • Sustainable opex reduction through use of simple equipment and by simplifying fault finding due to the simpler network topology and full copper recovery. • Single ubiquitous access network which will deliver the fastest, most modern services and applications. Gigabit Jersey

5. Gigabit Jersey Programme

6. Gigabit Jersey Why • ‘Future Proof’ – high speed and assured quality are now essential functions of a broadband service that subscribers expect, not possible on copper. • ‘Utility Service’ - the broadband service is now seen as the next utility service and is used and depended upon in just the same way. • ‘Need for speed’ - the home environment and leisure use, has changed with multiple users needing simultaneous access to the internet in both directions which more services living in the cloud. • ‘e-everything’ – whether it’s business, health, education there is an ever increasing move to provide and make use of resources over the internet. JT wants to ensure that Jersey’s communications infrastructure is ready for this.

7. ‘Connected Kids’ and education What’s happening around us? • ‘Connected Kids’ – Young people are at ease with being connected and having instant access to the world around us as well as being familiar with the use of online educational resources and online collaboration tools. • ‘Challenging times for education’ – The realisation by schools that young people can and will benefit from teaching themselves, given the opportunity. This poses the challenge of introducing technology and access to online resources in the curriculum. The work done by Prof Stephen Heppell, eg his BVA project (Be Very Afraid) shows what young people are capable of. • ‘Blended learning’ – VLE’s, MOOCing, flipped learning, distance learning, live learning, iTunes University, closed social media (Yammer, Edmodo), wireless access, cloud services the list goes on of environments, ways of learning and applications offering students the most appropriate and most engaging education.

8. ‘Connected Kids’ and education What’s happening in Jersey? • ‘JT’s schools promise’ – Gigabit internet access to all schools in Jersey. As a part of the Gigabit Jersey programme JT will ensure that all State schools in Jersey will have access to the fibre network at gigabit speeds. • ‘Beaulieu Convent School’ – First live gigabit school in the British Isles. According to Beaulieu’s Assistant Headmaster, Rory Steel, the connection to gigabit internet access has already produced positive results in it’s first academic year. Quote, ‘This year, we have seen our highest and most significant results rise in years.’

9. A future vision of equal access to education Technology can make this happen • ‘Collaboration beyond geographical borders’ – Taking into consideration all of the developments and trends in online education around the world. • In addition consider the initiatives to make high speed internet access available indiscriminately, locally and worldwide, like Gigabit Jersey, O3B, Google Loon Balloons. • It is not hard to imagine a world where there is live collaboration in education, making teaching resources available from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world over the internet and students all over the world sharing learning experiences. ‘One Big School’