21st Century Learning

What an honour to be the emcee at last week's 21st Century Learning Teach-Meet hosted at Steelcase. We had 15 presenters sharing their uniquely creative insights. Everything about the presentations were individual, engaging, empowering and purely mind-blowing. It reflects what happens when we let that spark of special shine bright in teachers. Thank you to our wealth of presenters who brought the passion: Heather Kim, Julie Morris, Ewen Bailey, Simon Tyers, Stephanie T., Andre L., Alex Lim, Thomas Myerscough, Ekaterina Ipatova, Beas Roy, Simone Dixon, Denton Jones, Matt Ives, Pei Kian L., Denis Molofej and of course Ben Summerton! Special thanks to Justin Hardman from 21st Century Learning and Denise Li from Steelcase. I am passing the hosting duties to Pei Kian L.. See you at the next Teach-Meet!

Last Thursday, I had one of the most exciting and meaningful experiences I’ve had in many years. It was the first time I attended the #21CLTeachMeet. It was also the first time I dared to volunteer to give a presentation to teachers and other educational professionals. For over two decades, I feared public speaking. Whenever I stood up to speak in front of an audience, I saw my 17-year-old self standing in front of her classmates, trying to give a presentation in English. I was so nervous, and perhaps I was mumbling. Then I heard some students at the back saying, “Speak louder!” My teacher, in an attempt to support me, handed me a microphone, which made me feel even more embarrassed that I needed “help.” Since then, just thinking about speaking to a group of people (except for my students) and becoming the center of attention would make my heart race, my voice tremble, and my fingers shake. So I stayed safe for 25 years. So, in many ways, it took me 25 years to finally break through this fear. That is why this 5-minute presentation, which may seem ordinary to many others, felt extraordinary to me. And honestly, it felt liberating. Thank you to my co-presenter Julie Morris, for being there with me throughout the experience. I’m also thankful to everyone at the event: the organizers, the warm and encouraging audience, and #Steelcase for providing such an amazing venue. I look forward to attending the next 21CL TeachMeet in Singapore. 지난 목요일, 교사 생활 15년 만에 처음으로 다른 선생님들과 교육 관련 분야에 종사하시는 분들 앞에서 ‘발표’를 했습니다. 2001년, 고등학교 2학년을 마치고 처음 미국에 유학을 갔을 때의 기억이 아직도 선명합니다. 한국에서는 늘 영어를 잘하는 학생이었지만, 현지에서는 한마디도 제대로 알아듣지 못했던 당황스러움, 그리고 입학 후 처음으로 영어로 조별 과제 발표를 하던 순간이 지금도 뚜렷하게 기억납니다. 너무 떨려 목소리가 잘 나오지 않았고, 친구들이 웅성거리는 소리가 마치 저를 비웃는 것처럼 느껴졌던, 무섭고 수치스러웠던 순간이었습니다. 선생님은 저를 도와주시려고 마이크를 건네주셨지만, 그 순간 오히려 저에게 더 시선이 집중되는 것 같아 그 자리에서 도망치고 싶을 정도로 부끄러웠습니다. 그 이후로 대학에서도, 대학원에서도, 국제학교에서 일하게 된 이후에도 25년 동안 과제나 업무가 아닌 이상 스스로 발표를 자원한 적은 한 번도 없었습니다. 그런데 올해 우연히 21CL TeachMeet 프레젠테이션 소식을 접하게 되었고, ‘5분 발표’라는 비교적 부담이 적은 시간을 보고 용기를 내어 동료 선생님과 함께 지원하게 되었습니다. 그리고 개인적으로 오래도록 잊지 못할 순간이 될 것 같습니다. 타지에서 모국어가 아닌 언어로 살아가고 일하는 분들 중, 저처럼 단어 하나, 표현 하나, 말의 뉘앙스까지 고민하다가 결국 ‘조용함’을 선택하게 되는 분들이 계시다면, 이 글이 조금이나마 위로가 되었으면 좋겠습니다. 그리고 무엇보다 자기 자신에게 조금 더 친절하고 따뜻한 격려를 해 주셨으면 합니다.

Evening CPD with wine- perfect pairing! My first Singapore Teachmeet , what a great concept! Thank you to all the presenters Simone Dixon Stephanie T. Thompson Great to connect, as always, with the growing group of #womenintech Claire Simms Lillian Lam 林淑茵 Janet Gibson Mallikaa S. Jara Medina

From the "Main House" to a High-End Boutique: Recapping TeachMeet 2026! It’s been a minute since I moved out of the "main house" (a little nod to my many wonderful years at Steelcase! 😉). People frequently ask what life is like now... I like to say I’ve opened up my own high-end boutique here at MVKM Group Ltd., where we get to curate specialized, research-driven spaces every single day. We were absolutely thrilled to host the recent TeachMeet again, organized by the incredible team at 21st Century Learning. A massive shoutout and special thank you to Justin Hardman and his entire crew for their brilliant organization and continued partnership. You guys make pushing the boundaries of education look easy. To kick things off, I shared a quick 5-minute TeachMeet Talk to look back at our recent milestones, unpack our expanding solutions, and tease what’s coming next. Here is the ultra-fast recap of what we covered: The Big Takeaway from "Beyond the Classroom Walls" Looking back at our panel session from the 21st Century Learning Conference earlier this year, the absolute mic-drop realization was this: when we design spaces for inclusivity and DEI, we aren’t just moving furniture around—we are giving every single student the "permission to learn differently". What’s in Store? The Ultimate End-to-End Ecosystem We are rapidly expanding our offerings far beyond traditional furniture to provide a truly holistic, end-to-end spatial solution for schools. While we are seamlessly integrating luxury outdoor lounges, full-volume acoustic management, and cable-free mobile power, our major strategic leap is deep into the tech space. We are now offering cutting-edge Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) and digital whiteboards designed to power the next generation of robotics, coding, and collaborative design—bringing digital agility directly into the physical learning environment. Coming June 21st: "The End of the Row" (Teaser!) The traditional classroom layout is officially on life support. Next month, we are staging an exclusive panel discussion: THE END OF THE ROW: Reimagining Space for an Unscripted Future. We’ll be exploring how physical environments can actually keep pace with AI-personalized learning. Consider this your teaser... stay tuned for the full panel reveal very soon! It was great seeing former colleagues who still share the same passion for Learning spaces, Owen Pescod and 冷晶晶 Jerry for a mini reunion. Finally a big thank you to Cora Yang who has been the face of the TeachMeet event for many gatherings, wishing you and Dalton Flanagan continued success and do know that anytime you need a space to do an event, or even just chill, we are ready and willing to support Kamlesh Malkani Martin Seifert Christoph von Reichenbach Tasawar Ibrar Mike Wong #21CLHK #TeachMeet #MVKMGroup #LearningSpaces #ActiveLearning #InteractiveWhiteboards #FutureOfLearning #HongKongEducation

How much do you actually know about Kazakhstan? If you had asked me that question 48 hours ago, I would have given you a standard, surface-level answer. But last night changed many things for me. At MVKM Group Ltd. , we had the distinct honor of hosting a delegation of brilliant Principals and Teachers from the Department of Education of the City of Almaty, Kazakhstan. The evening was focused on two major pillars shaping the future of education: the International Baccalaureate (IB) system and the integration of AI in the Learning Space. What made the night truly special was that the presentations weren't delivered by us; they were led by incredible Kazakh teachers who are currently based right here in Hong Kong. Watching them share their expertise, passion, and vision for the future of learning was inspiring. Going into the evening, I was focused on the design and strategy of the environment. But my biggest takeaway wasn't just about pedagogy or technology… it was about the people. I quickly realized my own lack of knowledge about Kazakhstan, but through the energy in the room, I was completely won over by the immense warmth, kindness, and generous nature of the Kazakh people. There is a deep-rooted tradition of hospitality in their culture(as seen by the wonderful Kazakhstan Chocolate they gifted), and even though we were the venue hosts, it was their community's spirit that filled the space. Seeing this bridge built between Almaty and Hong Kong, and witnessing how eager these educators are to embrace AI tools and modern learning frameworks, was a powerful reminder: the passion for empowering the next generation knows no borders. Thank you to our wonderful guests from Almaty and the brilliant local Kazakh educators who led the way. I started the night hoping to provide a great space for a discussion, and ended it learning a profound lesson in community and humanity. This connection made possible by 21st Century Learning, Justin Hardman and his amazing team, the education bridge you are building just keeps getting longer and longer A special thank you to Dalton Flanagan and Cora Yang for allowing connecting us to this incredible group. Kamlesh Malkani Tasawar Ibrar Mike Wong Sebastian Brien 冷晶晶 Ilnur M. #WorkplaceStrategy #ActiveLearning #EdTech #AIinEducation #IBWorldSchools #GlobalEducation #MVKMGroup #HongKongEducation #Kazakhstan