The 16th annual World ORT Hatter Technology Seminar took place at ORT House in London from June 24-27.
This year’s theme was ‘Bringing the maker culture into our schools’ and the seminar featured sessions on a range of fascinating topics related to maker culture – including hearing from experts in 3D printing, problem solving, adapting classrooms for maker education, practical projects for students and masterclasses in 3D design using Fusion 360.
Among the highlights presented by our guest presenters from CREATE Education were sessions looking at how technology, especially 3D printing, is having an impact in areas of manufacturing, architecture, medicine and fashion – and is fast becoming a key trend in education by adapting the same principles to drive curriculum development and foster new thinking.
ORT has always adopted a forward-thinking attitude and runs programs around the world using innovative methodology and pedagogy to ensure our schools remain competitive.
Educators attending the seminar travelled from ORT schools and affiliates in Israel, Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, Singapore, Bulgaria, Italy, Russia, the Netherlands, Brazil and Spain.
A visit to Green Lab, an open innovation lab with a mission to radically change the way food is produced and consumed, was another highlight of the seminar.
Participants saw how such changes are catalysing new sustainable food systems by encouraging creativity, collaboration, experimentation and by incubating ideas to make food production more efficient and resilient.
Green Lab’s digital makerspace provides access to high-end digital fabrication services, such as laser cutters, 3D FDM printers, 3D Paste extruders, electronic benches and more.
Avi Ganon and Vladimir Dribinskiy present Sara Abdul Kadir of the ORT-affiliated Sir Manasseh Meyer International School in Singapore with her certificate
Commenting on the success of the seminar, Avi Ganon, World ORT Director General and CEO, said: “This seminar was an exciting opportunity to unite a diverse group of educators with common goals and give them tools to help realise these.
“I hope that by coming together as an ORT family, we can learn from each other’s experiences and use shared knowledge to create a greater understanding of the challenges we face as educators and how to turn these into learning opportunities for our students.
“We were especially delighted to welcome participants from ORT’s new affiliates in Singapore and Holland.
“We have a responsibility to prepare our students, providing them with the knowledge and skills to thrive at work and in life. In the current environment, the educational tools, techniques and curriculum that we have been using for decades may no longer be fit for purpose.
“Students need to understand the technologies and their potential disruptions to future job markets, recruitment and work. We hope that this Hatter seminar will break new ground in ensuring that ORT’s educators are prepared for the years to come.
“With our utmost gratitude and appreciation for the support of Sir Maurice Hatter and the Hatter Foundation, without whom these seminars would not be possible.”
The 2019 Hatter Seminar graduates
