Keynote Speakers
Gareth Mills
Director of futures,
innovation and learning at the QCA
eConfident Learners
Promoting
critical thinking and creativity through technology
 In
the past to participate fully in society it was necessary to be
literate and numerate. Today the ability to use ICT effectively
has also become an important skill for life. If learners are to
flourish in a rapidly changing world they will also need to develop
a wide range of personal skills and dispositions. Evidence from
employers and research indicate that those most likely to thrive
will be adaptable and be willing to learn and re-learn throughout
their lives. They will be responsible and resilient. They will
take charge of their own learning and be able to work independently
and in teams. They will need to be able to think analytically,
think critically and creatively to solve problems and generate
new ideas.
ICT can make a imporatnt contribution to the development of these
skills and dispositions. Using illustrations from the arts and
examples of pupils’ work Gareth Mills’ presentation will focus
on how technology can be harnessed to extend and enrich learning,
with a particular focus on the use of ICT to promote creativity.
Biography
Gareth Mills is currently the director for futures, innovation
and e-learning at the QCA. He leads on a programme of work designed
to promote wide debate about the curriculum and to ensure that
future developments are informed by the latest and best thinking.
To remain fit for purpose the curriculum must be responsive to
changes in society and the economy. This means that, as opportunities
arise, it will develop to better promote the skills and dispositions
needed to flourish in the 21st century and to ensure that technology
is harnessed to enrich and extend learning.
He began his career as an Art teacher. Seeing the potential of
technology as a powerful tool for learning he became an early advocate
for ICT in education. After 13 years teaching he became an advisor
for ICT. Later as a school improvement advisor and inspector he
helped establish a successful LEA in West London, becoming a keen
advocate for school self review, and leading on the arts and the
development of the NGfL.
Throughout the 1990’s he was involved in national developments
and contributed to the first national curriculum for ICT, the QCA
scheme of work and more recently the development of the national
curriculum in action website. He joined QCA in 2001 as a subject
advisor, moving to head of ICT and most recently, to his current
role as director for futures, innovation and e-learning.
He has a keen interest in the use of ICT to extend the range of
learning opportunities available to learners and, in particular,
the use of technology to promote creativity.
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