Continual Professional Development Week 2021

Alexandra Valtzidou, Learning Support Coordinator, Pinewood American International School

Alexandra Valtzidou is an enthusiastic and experienced teacher, psychologist and special educator who is driven by her desire to make kids of all ages, abilities and backgrounds fall in love with learning. Alexandra holds a BA in Psychology, a BSc in Special Education & Sociology, a PgCert in Health Science, and a MSc in Special Education. In addition to her primary job functions as a Learning Support Coordinator at an American International school, she has worked as an elementary and secondary teacher and tutor, a library teacher, an English language instructor, a STEAM summer-camp coordinator and counsellor, an intensive ELL program instructor, as well as a seasoned conference presenter & published author.

Alistair Turvill, Lecturer, Institute of Education, University of Derby

Alistair is an academic in Early Childhood Studies and has worked at the university of Derby for seven years. His primary responsibilities include leading the provision of health modules on the BA Early Childhood Studies programme, and oversight of the foundation students entering the degree pathway. He also sits on the department research ethics committee and takes a leading role in enhancing the use of technology in teaching and learning practices. Areas of interest include children’s health, chronic illness, and the use of technology in early childhood. The talk will provide some reflections on the place of technology in modern society, expectations for the future, and the application of technology to educational settings.

Dr Dimitrios Vlachopoulos, Program Manager, Educational Technology for Social Change,

Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

Since 2005, when he started working in higher education, Dimitrios has been a faculty member (both on campus and online) at different prestigious universities in Spain, Greece, Cyprus, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands. He received his PhD in Education from the University of Barcelona (Department of Research Methods in Education). He also has 6 master’s degrees in a) Teaching and Learning in Digital Environments, b) Educational Assessment and Program Evaluation, c) Southeast European Studies, d) Management of Organizations in the Economy of Knowledge e) Evaluation and Quality Management in Higher Education and f) Professional Coaching.  His current research focuses on new and emerging pedagogies, instructional design, teachers’ professional development and quality assurance in higher education. In 2015 he was the winner of the International “David Wilson Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning” and in 2019 became “Senior Fellow” of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Natassa Nika, Senior Consultant in Education Transformation Projects (Microsoft), SoFIA Education Experts

Elli Mitroutsikou, Psychologist, Psychodramatist-Sociotherapist, Counselling Centre Coordinator, Mediterranean College

Mrs. Elli Mitroutsikou is a Psychologist, trained in Psychodrama and Sociotherapy, as well as in the Psychological Assessment of Children and Adults and is certified by the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP). She works at the Open Psychotherapeutic Center and is a member of the educational committee of the Institute of Psychodrama and Sociotherapy. She is also the Supervisor of the postgraduate students’ clinical practice in MSc Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy at Mediterranean College and head of the Counselling Centre. She maintains her private office in Kypseli.