Becta Seminars, Saturday

Becta leads the national drive to improve learning through technology. They do this by working with industry to ensure we have the right technology for education in place. They also work to support the education workforce to make the best use of technology to improve learning. So that every learner in the UK is able to benefit from the advantages technology brings, thereby helping them achieve the best they can.

Each day at BETT, Becta will be delivering a number of seminar sessions.

10:30
School’s ICT Infrastructure – Planning for the future

Paul Shoesmith and Nia Sutton, Becta

This seminar will discuss how Becta’s common standards and best value purchasing arrangements can help you plan for quality and reliability in your school’s ICT infrastructure and help you improve your school.

What would you hope to gain from attendance at this seminar? Post your comments to share with the BETT community.

11:45
Nuggets of advice: what works with ICT

Alison Boyle, Becta

A group of practitioners from Becta’s embedding pilot Science Through ICT will present seeds of a new culture of practice associated with the use of technology.They will offer advice that can be adapted and adopted in primary and secondary contexts. Nuggets of good advice will incorporate these themes:

• Learner independence

• Peer tutoring and learning

• Self-assessment for promoting self-reflection

• Planning, and power relations in the classroom.

What is your experience of the gains made through confident use of ICT? What information would you hope to take back to school with you by listening to this seminar? Join the discussion by posting your thoughts.

13:00
How to improve your primary school using Becta’s self-review framework

Philippa Lee, Becta
This session will explore how school leadership teams can improve the Primary School through self-review and planned use of ICT. In Spring 2006, Becta launched the self-review framework. This session will offer guidance on the best practice processes and principles that can assist you in improving your school through ICT. This will be illustrated and supported by exemplars and experiences from Primary Schools on how the self-review framework has helped them make improvements in ICT. For some this has included achieving the ICT Mark. Be prepared to help your school by registering with the self-review framework now at:

http://matrix.becta.org.uk/selfreview

What is your experience of the self-review process? What information would you hope to take back to school with you by listening to Philippa? Let us know what you think before and after the seminar.

BETT Awards shortlist for Creative and Constructive Tools,LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT, LEGO EDUCATION/DACTA Ltd

LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT is the next generation in educational robotics, enabling students to discover Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in a fun, engaging, and hands-on way. LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT helps students aged 8 and up to develop curriculum skills by building and programming smart robots in a natural, step-by-step learning process.

Share your views of the tools available with this resource. How do pupils develop the curriculum skills by engaging with the system?

BETT Awards shortlist for Primary and Secondary Hardware, DataVision, DCP Microdevelopments Ltd

DataVision has been designed as a comprehensive instrument for the modern science lab, combining the following primary functions:
• Meter - displays live readings from any standard LogIT Microsense® sensor.
• DataLogger - logs data from up to 6 sensors & displays in graphical or numerical format.
• Sensor Interface - View and record data from sensors on a connected computer.
• Analysis and storage of results.

DataVision has been designed to be naturally
intuitive and easy to use with single press start and stop logging and no setting up required.

What has been your experience of using this hardware in the classroom?

Post your views and join in the discussions that follow.

BETT Awards Shortlist - Secondary Core, TI-SmartView, Texas Instruments

The TI-SmartView™ emulator is an easy-to-use, demonstration tool for leading the classroom instruction of math and science concepts. Based on the popular TI-84 Plus family of graphing calculators (compatible with the TI-83 Plus family), the TI-SmartView emulator complements classroom calculator use by displaying an interactive representation of the calculator, plus offers many unique instructional capabilities.

What are your views as to its usefulness in the classroom?

BETT Awards Shortlist - Secondary Core, GCSE Science Whiteboard, Collins Education

The GCSE Science Whiteboard Resources CD-Rom provides highly stimulating digital material for your classroom. It uses state-of-the-art digital technology and design, and is so simple, anyone can use it!


Is this a stimulating resource and is it as simple to use as Collins Education claim? Post your views on this if you have experience of using the tool in school.

BETT Awards Shortlist - Primary Core, Revelation Sight & Sound, Logotron

Logotron claim that Revelation Sight & Sound provides an incredibly versatile tool with which you will be able to create radio programmes, slideshows, rostrum camera documentaries, and even high quality video feature films. The software comes with a wealth of resources and many activities can be completed just with access to an ordinary digital camera.

That's what it says on the tin, so what's your experience in the classroom? Post a comment to let everyone else know.