Lars Persen

Lars Persen is pedagogical leader at Scandec Systemer, a deliverer of technology to Norwegian educational institutions. He delivers seminars for school leaders and school owners about leading in technology-rich learning environments and provides tailored professional development with a technological and pedagogical approach to institutions from kindergartens to universities, focusing on innovation and collaboration.

Lars served four years as an officer in the Norwegian armed forces, before he worked as teacher and school leader for 16 years. He has worked in Norwegian state schools and in an international IB-school in Germany. He has a 4 year teacher education and later studied school management.

He has participated in European projects focusing on education for sustainable development and school leadership and also served on the NMC Horizon Technology Outlook for Scandinavia 2015 advisory board. Lars was recently appointed fellow to the non-for-profit organization Education Fast Forward, a global debating chamber for education progress and strategy.

Areas of educational interest: Ed tech, collaboration, connectivity, professional development and equity in education. Lars is passionate about making teachers and school leaders have perspectives reaching outside their classrooms and beyond final exams. Lars says: "Re-thinking education is about making teaching and learning fit the needs for 21st Century skills and social formation in a rapidly changing society and globalized labor market. Connectivity and social networking can bring education to where it is not, and change students from consumers to producers, providing them with the ability to analyze, interpret, collaborate and distribute. Learning today has to involve the ability to learn - unlearn - relearn, which means that we all need a critical view on the validity of what we learn and seek new opportunities to develop personally, in context and in collaboration. Learning is first of all an activity we share with others. Good reflection rarely happens in a vacuum!"