Bett 2010

I've just got back from my first visit to the BETT show and my first TeachMeet with my head now even more jampacked with fantastic ideas than it was before I went!

I had several reasons for wanting to go to BETT, one being a hunt for visualisers, but the main one was for inspiration and ideas.

Ok, for me, BETT was rather like one giant shopping centre and I don't really do shopping. If I need something I'll research the possibilities online and either buy it there and then or go to somewhere I know sells it, buy it and leave, which is what I did with the visualisers. If I do venture into a city centre full of shops I'm likely to get distracted by two things, tea and street entertainers! So for me TeachMeet takeover was the perfect distraction, a fantastic idea, and the one's I had the pleasure of seeing were full of really useful stuff I can't wait to use. I really think this idea should be made bigger and better for the next show, and well done to everyone who was involved in organising it.

I was really looking forward to TeachMeet on Friday evening, by the time it started I had already spoken to many Twitter people and was excited about meeting more and watching the presentations. With free beer and Dyson Airblades in the toilet I knew I was in for a good evening! I have to say it was lovely to have so many people come over, introduce themselves and say hello. I have, in the past, been described as 'unapproachable' so I'm hoping it's a sign I'm softening in my old age!
Lisa's (@lisibo ) presentation reminded me that it was after coming across her on Teachers TV talking about using Twitter to teach Spanish that resulted in me joining Twitter in the first place, I had completely forgotten! And, like she was after her first TeachMeet, I have been inspired to get up and talk. I have set myself a challenge to put my name down to present something at the next one I go to.
All the presentations were excellent, have a look at Dawn Hallybone's blog or Stuart Ridout's blog for more info of who talked about what and Tom Barrett's thoughts on TeachMeet Takeover.

I went to TeachMeet with someone who isn't a teacher, he doesn't even work in education, and he was impressed by the enthusiasm and passion we have for our work. He also commented how he didn't realise what a male dominated profession teaching was. Except it's not is it? 85% of primary school teachers are women, secondary is more even but men are still in the minority with 56% being female (that's according to Office for National Statistics, I didn't make it up!). It's easy to see how you would think that by looking around TeachMeet and BETT though, I wonder if it's just the 'technology' side of it that brings out the blokes or perhaps because many attendees are in management positions rather than class teachers and there's more men in those positions?

On Saturday I went to seminar on Enhancing Creativity and Innovation through International Partnerships, I hadn't heard many positive things about the seminars at BETT so I wasn't sure what to expect but as I am planning on creating links with schools abroad I thought this would be a useful one to attend. And it was. It was really inspirational to hear about the work of schools who have links with, amongst others, Finland and Afganistan and how, with sponsorship from Nokia they've been using Mobile phones for their students to communicate with children in other countries. We heard about a primary school who brought their WW2 topic alive by linking with schools in Malta and Poland and sharing videos the children made of their grandparents talking about the war, fantastic stuff.

All in all, apart from the hotel bathroom injury I sustained, and mostly thanks to everyone involved in TeachMeet, I had a fabulous weekend!