John Gray, BSc, MA. Initial training and employment in Earth Sciences, Masters in Educational Management 1981. Taught first in secondary education, moved into Further Education in 1975, to become an FE teacher and manager for over 30 years. Co-founder of NILTA in 1989; Member Higginson Committee 1994/6, Steering Group Member European Union's Information Society Forum (ISF) 1995-2000, Chair ISF Lifelong Learning Committee 1996-2001, Member of UK government's University for Industry Implementation Group 1997; Chair JISC Managed Learning Environments Steering Group 2000-2002; Member LSC DELG (Distributed & Electronic Learning Group) 2001-2002; JISC Board Member 2002-3; Becta Board Member 2004-2006; NILTA Lifetime Achievement Award 2007.
In 1998 Microsoft UK began to use Newark & Sherwood College as a case study site for aspects of what was already then known as the Connected Learning Community concept. Our strategy at Newark was to serve our urban/rural community's needs with a flexible blend of traditional and ILT-based approaches, building a new curriculum model around activities in our 'College Learning Club', and re-engineering our business processes in line with an integrated ICT philosophy.
Following retirement from my FE career I now do PhD Research in the field 'Colleges In The Knowledge Economy' through the London University Institute of Education and work with Microsoft and other companies in the area of Further & Higher Education e-learning strategy.