Dr. Fiona Aubrey-Smith, founder of PedTech, on educational reform and dignity in the classroom
Our guest this week on Heads & Tales is Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith, named in 2024 as one of the Top 5 Visionary Women in Education. Fiona is the founder of PedTech and Director of One Life Learning and she works closely with schools and trusts, professional learning providers and EdTech companies. Fiona is also an Associate Lecturer, PhD supervisor and Consultant Researcher at a number of universities and sits on the board of a number of multi academy and charitable trusts.
Co-author of the bestselling book From EdTech to PedTech, Fiona is a regular contributor to events and publications about education, pedagogy and edtech. In 2023, Fiona was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators and in 2024, Fiona was granted Freedom of the City of London.
🎙️ Episode highlights
Fiona discusses the importance of dignity in learning and how her own experiences at school shaped her commitment to creating supporting learning environments.
Why we should reframe education's purpose to prepare young people for today rather than an abstract future.
How mentoring has influenced her career and the importance of curiosity in personal and professional growth.
Fiona discusses her thoughts on education reform, making the case for a shift towards learner-centric systems to empower students.
She leaves with parting wisdom for educators on how to get the most of learners, not syllabuses.