BETT 2010 – my best BETT (part two)
As I mentioned in part one of these posts, the Teachmeet event and the sense of community at this year’s BETT was the highlight for me. In the past, my BETT visits had always been about visiting stands and seeing new software and gadgets. This year, it was about meeting a wonderful collection of educators, many of whom I already knew via Twitter.
Teachmeet Takeover
Each day, a selection of exhibitors had allowed teachers to ‘take over’ their stands and share ideas. This was a wonderful idea as teachers could share real ideas that they had tried in their own classrooms using free resources. I only saw a few of these Takeover sessions and I’m really disappointed that I wasn’t able to see more of them. It sounded like the others were a great success and I hope that they continue to run (and expand) next year… maybe I might sign up for a session?
Teachmeet Evening
On the Friday evening, there was a Teachmeet. For those who aren’t sure what a Teachmeet actually is, watch this video:
- Linkbun.ch – Allows you to share lots of links with one small link which can then be shared via email / Twitter etc. Thanks to @ianyorston for sharing this gem.
- Stupflix – This looks a little like Animoto but seems to have more customisation options. Shared by @digitalmaverick.
- Dabbleboard – I’ve used Dabbleboard at home once or twice, but never in the classroom. @bevevans22 talked about this during a Teachmeet Takeover session and I can definitely see it being a valuable addition to a lesson.
- Newseum – @digitalmaverick mentioned this during his Teachmeet Takeover session about Glogster. The Front pages section lets you view the front pages of a huge collection of newspapers from around the world.
- Class blogging – Oliver Quinlan gave a really inspiring presentation about his class blogs and how time is given for the children to respond to each others’ blog posts. We regularly post items on our school website / blog but children rarely have time to add their own thoughts… something that is sure to change now!
- Scratch – I’ve seen Scratch mentioned a number of times on Twitter. I’ve even visited the site, but have never downloaded the (programming) software because it looked a bit too complicated. @mberry gave us all an entertaining 7 minute demonstration of the program and made it all look incredibly easy. Downloading and trying Scratch is now high up on my ‘to do’ list.
So, for me, the most important part of BETT is now the Teachmeet events… allowing those who are working in the classrooms the chance to share what they’re doing with others. I am sure that everybody who attended a Teachmeet event discovered something new and that is what makes them such a valuable event… even more so than BETT itself.
Well done and many thanks to Tom Barrett, Stuart Ridout and everyone else who played a part in these events.
Thanks for the mention Mark, glad my presentation had some ideas for you. I really agree with you as to the importance of TeachMeet to BETT. We will have to say hi next time!
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