Technology is now at the centre of everything we do both in our personal and professional lives. Nowhere is this more true than in the UAE, where, according to the World Bank (2015), subscriptions to mobile phones per 100 people have left both the UK and the USA far behind in the ratings. Even more dramatically, if smart-phone penetration is the criterion, this tiny country is ranked third in the world. A considerable number of those devices are in the hands, pockets and handbags of our students. Yet, despite this, teacher training programmes often fail to attribute sufficient importance to the provision of training in the effective use of technology in teaching. Recognising that they are ‘digital immigrants’, teachers know that it does not all come naturally to them and that they are often far less skilled than the ‘digital natives’ who now sit in their classrooms. That can cause frustration, tension and inhibition. In keeping with the dynamic fast- paced eclecticism of the digital environment, TESOL Arabia brings together an unprecedentedly large line-up of presenters in this full-day PDC course. Sarah Whittaker, Ameera Hayay, Faith Nightingale, Dawn Murray, Bashaer Al Kilani, and Sebah Al-Ali ping points of interest on a whistle-stop trip along the digital highway.
