Variety at BETT

This year, BETT is working with popular organisations to produce a varied BETT programme of events. One such Fringe Event is Collabor8 4 Change, led by Dave Smith, ICT Adviser, London Borough of Havering.

Collabor8 4 Change brings hope of continued innovation at the BETT Fringe 2012
Following the fantastic success of Collabor8 4 Change at BETT 2011 and the recent Collabor8 for Change– Havering we are delighted to launch Collabor8 4 Change (#C84C) at BETT 2012. The event will be held on Thursday 12th January 2012 at the Apex Room at Olympia between 6.00pm-9.00pm.

Part of the extended family of unconferences, informally related to TeachMeet and TedX, #C84C evolved from a need for yet another different approach, which includes table sessions, facilitated by presenters from the floor – be it educational establishments, commercial providers or students, or even over video conference live from another country. Delegates can pick a route through the evening of up to 5 separate sessions, giving thousands of permutations of personalised CPD. We have the fantastic Russell Prue as Keynote and MC for the evening.

Russell Prue – Master of Ceremonies
Russell wowed the masses at C84C Havering and we are delighted that he has once again agreed to be Master of Ceremonies and provide the opening keynote, laying down a challenge in the current climate to, ‘Make your school exciting or a Free School will open next door’. This is what Russell thought of the recent #C84C Havering on 171111 in a recent tweet… “I’ve seen the future of CPD, it’s a #C84C event, not from the front, it’s collaborative, comfortable and informative #c84c the best I’ve seen”

Find out more
Tickets are available now and going fast, you can also sign-up to facilitate a table discussion, but please get in quick by signing-up at www.c84c.org.uk

Follow Collabor8 4 Change event on Twittter via #c84c.

Organisers
C84C BETT is organised by Havering School Improvement Services, Terry Freedman Limited and Joskos Solutions with support from VITAL, Elmo (UK) Limited and Video Conferencing for Learning.

Weblinks
Havering School Improvement Services – www.havering-sis.org www.haveringict.edublogs.org
Terry Freedman Limited – http://www.ictineducation.org/
Joskos Solutions – http://www.joskos-solutions.com/
Elmo (UK) Limited – http://www.elmo-visualiser.co.uk/
VITAL – http://www.vital.ac.uk/
Video Conferencing for Learning – http://www.vcfl.net/

Another Fringe Event is being run by Mirandanet, called the Achievement for All live workshops.

Running: Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 January Room One, Grand Hall Gallery

Further details are here: http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk/bett/ 

The Achievement for All (http://www.afa3as.org.uk) workshops focus on the ways in which digital technologies can be used to improve aspiration, access and attainment for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Achievement for All is a tailored school improvement framework, delivered in partnership with leaders, teachers, parents, pupils and support professionals, that aims to raise the aspirations, access and achievement of pupils identified with SEND. These multimedia workshops are in partnership with the MirandaNet Fellowship and student teachers from the University of Bedfordshire. There are two free professional development live workshops each day for teachers and senior managers. A summary of the eight events follows:
 
Wednesday January 11: Exploiting mobile technologies in learning
1200  The classroom is not the only place for learning 
1530         Classroom practice in improving opportunities for at-risk learners

Thursday January 12: Tools for raising the achievement of vulnerable learners
1200         Improving access to achievement using digital technologies 
1530         Parents, carers and the wider community supporting vulnerable learners

Friday January 13: Empowering students to harness the power of social networking for learning
1200  Using the social media to enhance learning communities for teachers and students 

Friday January 13: World-wide educational innovation
1530         Drawing on global experience in raising the achievement of pupils who are not reaching their full learning potential: a focus for senior managers

Saturday January 14: Teachers taking charge of their own professional learning
1100         Designing effective continuing professional development programme in digital technologies that promote real change

Saturday January 14: One world
1400         Developing global publishing opportunities  for teachers and their pupils in curriculum exchange projects 
 
Participants will receive a certificate of attendance at a professional development event.
 
Alongside Fringe Events, BETT is offering a Learn Live Information Point, led by education community bee-it.

At BETT 2012, bee-it will be the official Learn Live information point offering advice on which Learn Live seminars will be taking place, and where and when they are being held.

bee-it.co.uk is a website for education professionals focussed on the use of technology in schools. Featuring the latest education technology news and information, free resources, guidance and research, The Hive – a brand new group-buying service for schools, and more, it is completely free to use!

Visitors to Stand P39 at BETT 2012 will be able to take a guided tour of all the features bee-it has to offer, enter a prize draw and see a demonstration of how The Hive can help to kit out their school with great technology for less!

See what the buzz is about on stand P39.

Exhibitor sneak peaks

We’re nearly there! With less than a week to go until the show, here’s a look at some of the products and services you will be able to experience for yourself once the doors open.  

Revitalising the curriculum and engaging kinaesthetic learners is the theme on stand G80 where Technogym (www.technogym.com), together with students and teachers from across the nation, will be demonstrating how its range of fitness equipment can be used to capture data from each pupil for use in maths, physics and language lessons and to personalise the learning experience. A supporter of world sport, Technogym is the sole supplier of gym equipment to the Athlete’s Village for the Olympics 2012.  Biomechanically sound, it is suitable for use by able and disabled athletes and students.

Oddizzi is previewing the latest version of its multimedia website for primary schools providing knowledge and understanding of the world. Oddizzi features an interactive map, live news feed, written content, imagery, video, games and the ability to link with classrooms around the world. Oddizzi is not only a resource for the teaching of geography, it also supports the teaching of literacy, global issues, PSHE, MFL, maths, ICT, citizenship and multicultural topics, and addresses community cohesion. Visit stand P47 to see it for yourself.

Serco Learning (www.sercolearning.com) is demonstrating its £20million-plus investment in education – the fourth generation cloud-based Management Information System (MIS), Progresso, developed in conjunction with over 2000 schools. Replacing 20^th century systems with 21^st century cloud-based technology, a multitude of new and enhanced features are claimed to distinguish Progresso from traditional school hosted MIS systems designed in the last century. Visitors to stand F20 at BETT can discover how Progresso could help their school lead with innovation. They will also have the chance to speak to educational experts and attend live seminars to see real-life examples of how the software works.  

European Electronique on stand D80 are holding a few interesting events, including daily prize draws to win Kindles and iPads. The Education Leaders conference gathers school leaders and education chiefs from local government from around and beyond the UK. As part of the conference, on Wednesday 11^th January at 2-3pm, European Electronique is hosting an afternoon tea briefing session in partnership with Toshiba and Scale Computing. Pop by to learn about mobile devices and solutions to the challenges of data management in schools. You will need to register by visiting the conference website http://www.bettukleaders.com/bettukconf/website/default.aspx?refer=1

On Friday 13^th January from 12-2pm, European Electronique is also hosting a networking event at Pizza Express, Olympia – you can pick up free pizza, salads, beer and soft drinks!

The TAP·it Tech Tour 2012 will provide nearly a dozen students the opportunity to interact with the latest hardware and software at BETT, as well as a chance to be on live radio. The tour will make four stops from 1pm on Wednesday 13^th January. Tour visits include: BETT Radio, Sherston Software (B56), SMART™ Technologies (B50), and TAP·it (SN71).

Experienced academic administrator Dr. Raymond Heipp will lead the excursion, stopping first at BETT Radio where students will see and participate in a live radio broadcast. They will meet Russell Prue, show host and award winning ICT Evangelist. Next, students will visit Sherston Software’s Planet Sherston. The company is launching its student home interface at BETT 2012, and is giving tour goers an exclusive first look at the program that allows students to chose an avatar, and care for it by completing learning activities.

The next stop is SMART Technologies, where students will have some fun with SMART’s professional artist. Students will interact with SMART’s hardware and software and preview firsthand their new, artistic capabilities. Finally, the Tech Tour will take students to the TAP·it stand, for an opportunity to experience intended touch technology.

TAP·it Tech Tour leader Dr. Heipp has served the educational community in a number of capacities since 1986 as a classroom teacher, Cura Personalis Director, Assistant Principal, Dean of Curriculum, and Adjunct Faculty.  Dedicated to the belief that every child should have equal access to learning tools, Dr. Heipp can be found providing key-note addresses, leading break-out sessions, and delivering presentations at dozens of educational conferences.

UniServity, global provider of award-winning online learning solutions, consultancy and training to over 3,000 customers in 90 local authorities and 22 countries worldwide, is celebrating the launch of The Life Foundation on stand E125.  Building on the success of UniServity’s existing professional teacher network, the Life Foundation gives professionals access to UniServity’s proven change management approach (The Life Plan), as well as the opportunity to share experiences; supporting, interacting and learning from its ever-growing community of practicing teachers, learners, leaders and innovators.

AbleNet is an international company and industry leader in providing educational and technical solutions to help children and adults with disabilities lead productive and fulfilled lives. On stand SN82, it is showcasing Bookworm, which is designed to transform any book in your library into a switch-adapted audio book in minutes! With a built in SD memory card, Bookworm lets you create your own audiobook library.

On stand B25, Lightspeed Technologies, a leading provider of classroom audio/soundfield solutions, will unveil the new TOPCAT in-ceiling wireless classroom audio system. The TOPCAT wireless classroom audio system is designed to meet the requirements of new construction projects and improve the learning environment by distributing high quality audio evenly to ensure every student can hear. The single, unobtrusive flush-mount ceiling speakers are both simplistic and cost-effective for school-wide and district-wide installations. 

This a just a TASTE of what’s on offer at BETT – look out for more coming over the next few days!

‘Technology is like History – it makes us think’

Oliver Quinlan spent two years as a primary school teacher before recently moving to the role of Lecturer in Education at Plymouth University.

Previously a music producer, DJ, and IT technician in a nursery school, he is passionate about following big ideas and learning what is needed along the way. As a primary school teacher, Oliver worked on bringing the child centred ideas of Early Years education to older children, and empowering them to take control of their learning in school. He is now bringing these ideas to teacher education.

People I meet in education are often surprised to learn that my undergraduate degree was not in technology, or anything related to ICT. In fact, I spent three years at Sheffield University studying History, particularly Early Modern social history. Having moved into a career based on education and technology, it would be easy for me to dismiss the importance of this part of my learning. However, I have recently realised that the study of History has shaped my thinking more deeply than I sometimes think.

I always think the importance of History is contrast. Learning about the past gives a different perspective, one which makes us question the way things are today, and how they might be. It is a bit more complex than simply ‘learning from our mistakes’, or even some notion of progress towards some greater, more developed state. What I think it does is provide a mirror we can hold up to our selves; to see what has changed, what has remained the same, and why that is. It helps us to see the constants of being human.

Increasingly, I think technology plays the same role. It disrupts and makes us question, creating situations that provide a stark contrast with how things are and how they might be. It is tempting to see this as some model of progress; a movement from ‘Victorian factory schools’ which are now outdated to some new, modern system. Just as with History, I don’t think it is that simple. To oversimplify for a moment, this could produce the argument that in a world of ‘Google’ and ubiquitous smart phones, learning lots of facts in a one size fits all model seems questionable. However, I wonder whether such an approach has always been questionable, we just see it now in the harsh light that technology casts.

People from the past were not that different to us, and learning is a pretty natural process. What technology is doing at the moment is perhaps acting as a mirror, revealing that for the last few years we possibly haven’t been catering for the human constants around learning in the most beneficial way. That’s why I think technology matters; not so much because it lets us do cool things, but because it makes us think.

Exhibitor sneak peeks

With BETT just a few weeks away, you might be wondering what you can see, touch or try? With more than 650 exhibitors, whatever your interests, there will be exhibitors that will enthuse and inspire you. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing with you what a selection of these exhibitors have in store.

With the buzz around social media in society and education today, SmileyTalk on stand SW47 is a new, safe social networking website designed specifically for use in the classroom. SmileyTalk aims to encourage cultural awareness and an interest in languages among primary school pupils through a stock of pre-translated phrases in 13 languages which allow them to communicate with their peers worldwide. The ‘walled garden’ website does not allow any free typing, eliminating the risks of cyber bullying and grooming that are associated with open networking site. Instead, children pick questions and answers from a range of different topics which can be added to by their teacher as more subjects are covered in the classroom.

Looking for a way to engage students in mathematics? Easimaths from RM on stand D60 is a new interactive online software package that is designed to encourage pupils to grasp key mathematical concepts without realising that they are doing it. Colourful characters, games and puzzles guide pupils through the maths National Curriculum from Levels 1 to 5 in a range of carefully structured, easy to use activities that enable students to progress at their own pace. Accessible via the internet, Easimaths allows pupils to try harder activities in the privacy of their own home, something they might not feel confident to do at school, with support materials on hand for when things get tricky.

Revision outside of the classroom has always been hard to crack as a universal process. On stand U29, visitors can find GCSEPod, an accessible learning and revision product for mobile technologies. Written by teachers and relevant to all six main UK examination boards, the audio visual material has been designed to support Year 10 and 11 students’ learning outside of the classroom, making revision more appealing and accessible to accelerate the revision process and boost exam success rates. Available via school subscriptions or to students directly, GCSEPod offers a cost effective learning resource that requires no additional hardware investment; schools stream material onto school computers, which students can then download on to their personal handheld devices or access via the school system if preferred.

On stand S57, from Serious Games interactive comes the online, interactive 3D adventure game series ‘Playing History’. Offering a new way to access history, it utilises the game media to teach pupils about important events and periods in world history. The idea behind the series is to focus on the little story that is part of the big one: to experience the role of the individual and its challenges in world history and the living conditions in different historical periods. The game series combines a colourful and humorous visual style with an engaging narrative to motivate players to keep playing and complete mini-games during the course of the game, whether learning about the Plague in 14th century Florence, or experiencing life as a slave in the 18th century.

Embracing Technology for Positive Change in Education

Phyllis Kong blogs (rafiki-kidogo.blogspot.com) and tweets (@Rafikionline) for online learning communities Rafi.ki & Kidogo, backed by educational charity Gemin-i.  She is interested in the way education technology can be used to create positive change. 

Nowadays, we take information communication and technology (ICT) for granted, something we cannot live without. Compared to the past few decades, one of the greatest changes in the lives of young people has been the emergence of ICT. Children are increasingly embracing the tools of ICT, such as the Internet and technological gadgets, at a younger age. Recognising these changes, many educators started to invest in education technology. Yet, globally not all classrooms today reflect those changes.

It is widely recognised that the development of technology brings young people a wealth of opportunities to learn and interact globally. The Internet, in particular, provides young people with a platform on which they can engage with issues, and participate in producing and disseminating knowledge. It gives them a channel to speak, to voice out their opinions and to be heard by people from other parts of the world.

In order to reflect these positive changes, the rise of ICT underlies a revolution in education. It is necessary to transform education and bring ICT to the world of work and lives of young people. Schools, which remain the primary resource for learning, therefore play a crucial role in adapting to the change and instilling understanding of ICT in young people.

Children and young people are the workforce of tomorrow. It is vital therefore to entrench in them a knowledge and understanding of today and to let them go further in the future. It is believed that these skills will be the hallmark of the future, knowledge-based economy.

In this context, we recognise the power of technology in education. We do not intend to transform the way that education is delivered nor replace traditional teaching and learning methodologies, but to integrate ICT into the school curriculum. As a result, we are dedicated to providing young people a safe online learning community to interact and discuss global issues.

Most importantly, we believe that the prevailing change is not only about utilising ICT, but also about adapting to changes in future education.