Fascinated By the Dubai Mindset

Having had a few nibbles on the job front I was excited by the prospect of a head of school position in Dubai. Notwithstanding the opportunity of working (and learning) in a K-12 school in an international setting, living and experiencing another culture  is appealing.

However, having not lived overseas and only travelled internationally for short work related activities, my lived experience in this area is relatively thin (it is a daunting prospect choosing a new place to live).

So how do you begin to acquire the necessary information? Well, as one does, the extended use of Youtube became my window into a brave new world.

My first foray into Dubai was via the Strip the City episode where an explanation of how the city was built intrigued me. I was fascinated by the sheer scale of the thinking, creativity and engineering feats that I devoured the youtube videos for more information (some of my favourites are listed below).

• Dubai 2014
• 2014 Dubai
• Future City
• Largest Shopping Mall
• The Palm Island

There were many other helpful websites that allowed me to paint a picture of Dubai including:

• The Lonely Planet’s Top ten things to do in Dubai
• Definitely Dubai
• The Dubai City Guide

Perusing the internet searching for tidbits highlights the power of personalised learning and the necessity for our schools to pursue opportunities for our learners to use technology. Living in a connected world with information at their fingertips, our children have the world at their feet (and so do we).

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Dr Jake Madden

I’m Jake Madden (Dip Teach; B.Ed; Grad Dip: Leadership; M. Ed: Leadership; EdD; FACEL; MACE), and I’ve had the privilege of working in education for over thirty years as a teacher and principal. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on supporting teachers to build their capacity, developing learning approaches that respond to the needs of today’s world, creating flexible learning spaces for 21st-century learners, and designing curriculum that encourages global mindedness. I’m particularly passionate about the concept of teacher-as-researcher, and I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this area by sharing my experiences through books and journal articles. My work reflects what I’ve learned from leading and navigating educational change, and I’m always eager to continue learning from others in the field.

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Author: Dr Jake Madden

I’m Jake Madden (Dip Teach; B.Ed; Grad Dip: Leadership; M. Ed: Leadership; EdD; FACEL; MACE), and I’ve had the privilege of working in education for over thirty years as a teacher and principal. Throughout my career, I’ve focused on supporting teachers to build their capacity, developing learning approaches that respond to the needs of today’s world, creating flexible learning spaces for 21st-century learners, and designing curriculum that encourages global mindedness. I’m particularly passionate about the concept of teacher-as-researcher, and I’ve been fortunate to contribute to this area by sharing my experiences through books and journal articles. My work reflects what I’ve learned from leading and navigating educational change, and I’m always eager to continue learning from others in the field. View all posts by Dr Jake Madden