In the essence of the Singapore government's strong support of technology as a tool for education, Adobe recently held its education leadership forum here.

Aimed at expanding students' creative and entrepreneurial spirit through the application of infocomm in schools and society, the leadership forum spearheads Adobe's collaborative thrusts with Infocomm Development Authority of S'pore (IDA) and the Infocomm Club Programme to realise this goal.

The Infocomm Club Programme is a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) for primary, secondary and junior college students. According to IDA, the programme 'aims to excite students about infocomm in a fun and meaningful way by helping them to learn new skills and to cultivate leadership and entrepreneurship capabilities at an early age.'

In tandem with such initiatives, Adobe and its partners are actively organising seminars, events & training programmes for both students and teachers to incorporate technology in their core curriculum.

One example is the company's close partnership with ITE College West, where students are trained in Adobe's curriculum and materials, and the college will also be able to update and enhance staff's skill sets with joint projects and work attachments to the company.

AsiaOne catches up with John Treloar, Education Director, Asia Pacific, Adobe Systems, who was in town for the forum:

Q: How does Adobe intend to introduce technology to students? Through what channels and stages?

Adobe has established a strong relationship with schools in Singapore to encourage the use of technology in the lives of students today.

For example, Adobe has consistently supported technology initiatives within education, engaging students via local design competitions and IDA InfoComm Clubs in schools such as Nanyang Girls' High School and Victoria Junior College.

The recent Education Leadership Forum that Adobe organised is a good example of Adobe's commitment to the education industry.

Through this forum, delegates, teachers and students from around the region came together on one platform to share best practices and hear from each other what's working and what's not in digital communications on education.

At the same time, Adobe shared with teachers how the latest technology can be a great tool for them to use in engaging with the students.

In addition, Adobe also organises a yearly worldwide contest open to students all around the world enrolled in visual arts programs at accredited institutions of higher education.

Titled The Adobe(r) Design Achievement Awards, this contest celebrates student achievement by reflecting the powerful convergence of technology and the creative arts.

The competition - which showcases individual and group projects created with industry-leading Adobe creative software - honors the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, and computer artists from the world's top institutions of higher education.

Q: What tools and features in the Adobe suite of products are on hand for this initiative?

Adobe has a whole range of software that teachers and students can use.

However, the focus at this year's forum was Adobe Connect for schools to deliver rich web experiences for distance learning, professional development, and on-demand collaboration.

Another highlight was the recently launched Creative Suite 3 where students can explore in the
print, web and mobile space.

Gaining proficiency with these Adobe professional tools will help graduating students enter the job market as highly skilled, in-demand employees, and younger students can also use this opportunity to commence in exploring creative possibilities.

Q: There is criticism that technology cannot fulfill its full potential in education because teachers are expected to be the gatekeepers of these technological tools but they themselves are ill-equipped. Any views on this and whether Adobe sees a way beyond it?

There is no doubt that implementing technology in education can bring about amazing results.

I mean, with technology, we can unleash creativity, enrich experiences, improve communications and so on.

However, it is also important that we need to learn and understand how to manage the use of technology in education to reap the most out of it.

While most educators have embraced technology and have incorporated it into their every day activities, there are still pockets of resistance here and there.

Teaching does not also stop at dealing with students, it means dealing with parents and respective institutions' high expectations in students learning of skills.

This is more challenging when teachers and administrators are already comfortable with the status
quo and may not be able to be equipped with the right skills to welcome the new era.

In addressing these challenges, Adobe has been actively working with schools to provide teachers with the necessary training and curriculum for them to be equipped to in turn teach their students.

It is these experienced, skilled and passionate teachers who will ultimately determine educational outcomes.

Ultimately, technology acts as an education aid to help enhance teachers' ability to inspire and stimulate young minds.