Thoughts on Bett 2017

January 30, 2017

Updated. Some reflections on Bett, plus links to other articles about Bett.

Bett Bulletin #7: two stands to visit at Bett

January 27, 2017

Two pretty good products to see at Bett 2017.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #6: What I've seen, what to see

January 26, 2017

Here's a summary of what I saw on the first day of Bett 2017, and the products and seminars I think worth looking at.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #5

January 24, 2017

More information about #Bett2017, including a seminar I'm chairing, links to previous Bett Bulletins, and information on how you can get more, erm, information.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #4

January 23, 2017

The forthcoming issue of Digital Education is a Bett special, with loads of useful information if you're planning to go to Bett -- and even if you're not. (The section on new products being launched at the show may be quite useful.)

Bett 2017 Bulletin #3

January 20, 2017

I know from past experience what next week at Bett will entail, so I've written a program to summarise it....

Click the pic to be taken to book's Amazon page for your country!

Bett 2017 Bulletin #2

January 20, 2017

Read on for an opportunity to purchase this seminal work for a mere 99 cents or 99 pence.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #1

January 19, 2017

Information about an interesting-looking discussion panel at Bett 2017.

Recent book reviews

The Teachers' Standards in Primary Schools.jpg

Quick look: The Teachers' Standards in Primary Schools

This is very well set out. It takes each standard, and gives you ideas on how to achieve it, and what success in this context looks like.

How Computer Games Help Children learn.jpg

Quick look: How Computer Games Help Children learn

When I was teaching Econnures I realised that I could have taught quite a chunk of the synabus if I'd been able to run Sim City on the school network.

Quick look: Reinventing Project-Based Learning

I can verify from first hand experience that PBL kept students highly engaged, and helped them to develop skills such as working with others and independent research.

Quick look: The Human Touch

Although this book is published by the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, the focus is not on IT at all.

Quick look: Better Living through science

I have often thought that I would have been much more interested in science at school, and been much more successful at it, had the teachers taught us anything of practical value.

Quick look: Tubes: Behind the scenes at the internet

We are all so accustomed to using the internet, searching the world wide web — "going online" — that most of us most of the time probably do not stop to consider the question: yes, but where exactly is it?

Quick look: Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) do leaders make a difference?

I have somewhat dichotomous views of this question of whether leaders make a difference, or much of a difference.

Review: Power Up, by Matthew Lane

This book looks at the maths concepts — and, to some extent, the physics concepts — hidden in popular video games.

Review: The Shortest History of AI

How is it that ChatGPT, Claude and other Al models appear to perform so well at certain complex tasks that some people become convinced that they're sentient — only for them to then promptly fail at simple tasks that even a child could handle?

Review: Teacher Geek

Every so often I like to take a look, or another look, at a book published a while ago, and today I’ve been looking at Teacher Geek, by Rachel Jones.