Here’s a new blog to start looking at and to put into your RSS reader*: the BETT 2014 blog. So, the first thing I’ll do is declare an interest: I’ve been asked to contribute to it, which is quite flattering, but that’s not the reason I’m writing about it. I think the important thing about the blog is that it provides a variety of views and suggestions from different people
Read MoreEdExec Live ICT Matters Conference coming soon
Look, I know this is short notice, but I’ve only just found this out for myself. The EdExec people, who produce a very good magazine with a section called ICT Matters, is having a live event on the 6th November.
Read MoreRunning a successful Education Technology Project
It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it.
That well-known expression applies as much to running an ed tech project successfully as to anything else. In other words, for an ed tech project to succeed, you need to think about more than just the technology, or even the pedagogy. You have to think about management as well.
Preparing for the new Computing Curriculum
Please note: the Westminster Forum Conference on Preparing for the new Computing Curriculum
listed in the post entitled Some useful-looking conferences takes place on the 26th February, and not the 14th as originally stated. Apologies!
The agenda and other details of the conference may be found here.
Two more conferences
I hope you found my recent post Some useful-looking conferences erm, useful. Here are a couple more. One takes place online, and the other in a physical location. Both look very promising.
Read MoreSome useful-looking conferences
Here are a few conferences coming up which you might find useful. The first one is next week! A couple of them will attract a 15% discount for some subscribers to our newsletter. Look out for announcements soon-ish!
Here are the conferences in chronological order:
Videos on aspects of Computing and ICT
I thought you might be interested in two new sets of video resources which are, and are becoming, available. The big problem with video in general, in my opinion, is that it’s hard to find the time to sit down and watch something for any length of time because you can’t do much else while you’re doing so. And by “any length of time” I mean anything over about 5 minutes.
So it’s good that there are some 3 minute videos now and some micro-videos coming on stream.
What new teachers need to know -- Personal ICT Skills
This article was originally published on 7th March 2006. Surprisingly perhaps, much of it is still relevant today, given its focus on the importance of having an understanding of computer programming concepts and other aspects of computing.
Making assumptions is a dangerous game! It's commonly assumed that new teachers will automatically know all about information technology because they are young (which is in itself an assumption: what about mature students, housewives returning to work, retired bankers looking for a new challenge, and so on?).
My biggest mistake as an ICT Co-ordinator
Act 1, Scene 1
Read MoreSetting: an interview room.
Chair of Governors: So, Mr Freedman, do you have any questions you would like to ask US?
Terry Freedman: Yes. What are YOUR criteria of a successful ICT Co-ordinator?
Headteacher: I want to see teachers banging on the doors of the computer labs demanding to be let in.
2 conferences about educational ICT
Here are a couple of conferences coming up which look pretty good, and which are taking place in England in the near future.L is for lesson observation
I watched an episode of that seminal contribution to English culture, Waterloo Road last week, for the first time in ages. I wrote about Waterloo Road in What makes a good ICT role model? if you’re interested, but basically it’s a soap set in a school which has to be the most dysfunctional school anyone has ever come across. The kids are alright (as some pop song said once), on the whole – but the adults…..
Read MoreLessons from Reviewing the new Computing Curriculum
This is not so much a review or even a summary of the recent Westminster Forum Conference called ‘Reviewing the new Computing Curriculum’ as a series of observations arising from it and related articles. The reason for that approach is that I’d like to make this article useful and interesting to as wide a range of people as possible, not only those concerned with the ICT or Computing Programme of Study in the National Curriculum in England and Wales.It doesn’t have to be pink
I turned my collar up against the wind. A useless gesture, because the wind contemptuously insinuated itself under my skin regardless, but it made me look hard. And hardness was needed in this job. I walked around the playground, glaring at kids who even just looked like they might be thinking of doing something wrong. Crowds of them parted as I approached. One looked shifty.
“You got a problem, son?” I gritted.
BETT 2013 Interviews: Steve Wheeler
ICT thinker, lecturer and writer Steve Wheeler talks about being at the BETT Show for the first time this year, and the things people are discussing in the world of ICT.BETT 2013 Interviews: David Mitchell
Quadblogging founder David Mitchell talks about what he saw at the BETT Show this year, and quadblogging.BETT 2013 Interviews: Andy Black
Edtech guru Andy Black talks about what wasn't at the BETT Show this year, and some of the trends he spotted.BETT 2013 Interviews: Simon Finch
E-safety guru Simon Finch talks about why pupils should be allowed to use social media, why teachers should use it, e-safety and identity management.BETT 2013 Interviews: Yolanda Halston
In this video, Yolanda Halston, of the Educational Apps Store, talks about pupils collaborating and other matters.BETT 2013 Interviews: Prad Samtani
Review of BETT 2013
The BETT Show is, I’m reliably informed, the biggest education technology show in the world. It takes place in London, England, every January. This year it was slightly later, but I’ll come to that in a moment. The first thing I’ll say is that even if you didn’t attend you may find this article interesting, as I suspect that several comments will apply to any education technology conference.