If you’ve never been to an education exhibition, then perhaps you could take a look at the BETT Show (British Educational Training and Technology) from 20-23 Jan 2016. Entry is free. It is a great way to keep up to date with the latest developments in teaching using technology in all subjects, including maths. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your day.
Why go to BETT?
• If you're planning any major purchases you can take a look at the options available from the many exhibitors on the stands and there is often a discount for ordering at the show.
• Use the Learn Live seminars as free CPD as well as attending other talks and any of the workshops on the stands. Nicky Morgan is presenting the welcome.
• Great for keeping up to date. Just walking around will let you spot the latest trends in education teaching - and many lessons use technology in some form. I've listed some of the main innovations I first saw at BETT. You can give new products a try and see how they can be incorprated into your school and how they might improve your teaching.
Practical tips for your visit to BETT
1. Entry is free but Register online – there are long queues for those who have not pre-registered. Once you’ve completed everything make sure you print off your attendance document.
2. Plan your rests the day before– it’s very tiring so aim to attend a workshop or seminar to have a long rest.
3. Don’t be tempted to take every bag of catalogues that is thrust into your hand. In my first year my hand was painfully red from heavy plastic bag handles cutting into my skin.
4. Drinks and snacks have been expensive in the past and the queues long – so take water at least. If you get peckish there are a few sweets on some of the stands!
5. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter (unless invited to take part), which means you can’t take pupils from your class or if you’re visiting on the Saturday in your own time you can’t take your own children along with you.
2. Plan your rests the day before– it’s very tiring so aim to attend a workshop or seminar to have a long rest.
3. Don’t be tempted to take every bag of catalogues that is thrust into your hand. In my first year my hand was painfully red from heavy plastic bag handles cutting into my skin.
4. Drinks and snacks have been expensive in the past and the queues long – so take water at least. If you get peckish there are a few sweets on some of the stands!
5. No one under the age of 18 is allowed to enter (unless invited to take part), which means you can’t take pupils from your class or if you’re visiting on the Saturday in your own time you can’t take your own children along with you.
The BETT show started in 1985 as a trade show for the emerging information technology industries.
The BBC Micro was the first computer I used in schools, followed by the, then, amazing Acorn Archimedes A3000 in the late 80s. I have fond memories of this computer as I was an IT advisory teacher for a few years at that time, keeping just one step ahead of schools (anybody remember Pendown, Flare, My World and Pinpoint?)
The BBC Micro was the first computer I used in schools, followed by the, then, amazing Acorn Archimedes A3000 in the late 80s. I have fond memories of this computer as I was an IT advisory teacher for a few years at that time, keeping just one step ahead of schools (anybody remember Pendown, Flare, My World and Pinpoint?)
My many visits to BETT show the changes and development of IT in schools.
I first visited the show in the early 1990s it was all about the computers and the latest software - like word processing! How basic that sounds now. The Acorn A3000 had about 10 different word processing software options.
Around 1995-2000 BETT was swamped with CD-roms on every topic and IT seemed the most exciting way to improve the learning experience, but these were for an individual computer so the cost of having enough computers for everyone to access once a week was difficult.
Since 2000 BETT has been dominated by the internet, with learning online from the BBC such as Bitesize (I wrote the KS1&2 maths) and Espresso who won the BETT Award for Innovation in 2000 (even they have changed to Discovery Education). Schools now had access to practically any information they needed.
Then interactive whiteboards were everywhere at BETT. This made ICT a tool for teaching, not just an activity that a child or group completed huddled round one screen.
The 'C' in ICT became prominent as children communicated through blogs and online publishing, cloud sharing and directly with children across the world on social media - a far cry from having a penpal in my teens!
Recently, in addition to developments in many of the areas above, the trend has been towards administration - from assessment and tracking performance to whole school integrated systems for administering attendance, finance - well... everything.
I first visited the show in the early 1990s it was all about the computers and the latest software - like word processing! How basic that sounds now. The Acorn A3000 had about 10 different word processing software options.
Around 1995-2000 BETT was swamped with CD-roms on every topic and IT seemed the most exciting way to improve the learning experience, but these were for an individual computer so the cost of having enough computers for everyone to access once a week was difficult.
Since 2000 BETT has been dominated by the internet, with learning online from the BBC such as Bitesize (I wrote the KS1&2 maths) and Espresso who won the BETT Award for Innovation in 2000 (even they have changed to Discovery Education). Schools now had access to practically any information they needed.
Then interactive whiteboards were everywhere at BETT. This made ICT a tool for teaching, not just an activity that a child or group completed huddled round one screen.
The 'C' in ICT became prominent as children communicated through blogs and online publishing, cloud sharing and directly with children across the world on social media - a far cry from having a penpal in my teens!
Recently, in addition to developments in many of the areas above, the trend has been towards administration - from assessment and tracking performance to whole school integrated systems for administering attendance, finance - well... everything.
I’m planning a visit on Friday 22 Jan – so tweet me if you’re there.
I'm going to book up Sugatra Mitra he promotes self-driven learning - Self Organised Learning Environments (SOLEs) and he started the Granny Cloud. He won the 2013 TED prize for his talk Build a School in the Cloud - well worth watching this TED talk.
If you miss this one, or London is too far to travel, the Education Show is at the NEC in Birmingham, 17-19 March. It is smaller than it used to be, but still worth a visit.
I'm going to book up Sugatra Mitra he promotes self-driven learning - Self Organised Learning Environments (SOLEs) and he started the Granny Cloud. He won the 2013 TED prize for his talk Build a School in the Cloud - well worth watching this TED talk.
If you miss this one, or London is too far to travel, the Education Show is at the NEC in Birmingham, 17-19 March. It is smaller than it used to be, but still worth a visit.
