Something new is happening at the BETT show this year, the largest educational technology trade show in the world. Not a new product or technology service. Not a new website or gadget. This year some companies have handed over their brightly coloured stands to teachers. They are downing tools for 30 minutes and giving teachers the controls!

Teachers and educators have voluntarily signed up on a wiki to “takeover” these stands throughout Thursday, Friday and Saturday and will be speaking about free ideas. Sharing classroom inspiration for free. This, ladies and gentleman, is…

But why would a brave few companies allow us to takeover their expensive stands? Here are a few reasons, the first from Chris Bradford from BrainPOP UK, one of the very first companies to offer their support (and orange stand) to TeachMeet Takeover:

We support CPD (Continuing Professional Development). To support those who want to be better teachers. We know BrainPOP UK works best as part of a good teacher’s toolkit – we also know teachers call upon any number of other resources. Why shouldn’t we do our bit to encourage open minded investigation into new ways of doing things?

The second set of remarks come from another Chris, this time Chris Ratcliffe from Scholastic UK who has been instrumental in driving this idea onwards:

At BETT, I usually spend a lot of time talking to very interested consultants and advisors (and I like doing so), but I don’t spend a lot of time talking to teachers. My feeling is that as the stands are much more corporate than at the other shows, it is much more serious; and to get people to be excited to come back time and time again it needed something different.

To me, when I came across TeachMeet, it felt like the perfect solution. To have teachers standing up and talking to other teachers about what gets them excited would be just the sort of thing that would lift the show.

If you are attending the show you can see the full timetable on the wiki or why not download our flyer which has all of the details. Not only that but the flyer has details of a competition too in which you can win a £350 goody bag just by collecting some idea, here is a snap of part of the flyer.

If you are at BETT please help by taking part and heading over to the stands, you might learn something from the teachers presenting. If you are not attending be sure to follow along on Twitter, the hashtag for the 3 days of takeover talks is #TMtakeover.

If you are attending, presenting or showing at FETC or ISTE in the US this year why not try something similar. Companies: hand over the controls – let go and learn! Teachers: takeover and share your great ideas for free!

It is that time of year again when London Olympia is transformed into the BETT Show.  TeachMeet BETT is taking place again this year on the Friday night, between 6.00pm and 9.00pm, in the APEX room.

Earlier this year I was able to confirm that EMAP (the organising body behind BETT) offered the TeachMeet community 3 consecutive nights for free in the APEX room. The proposed events, some yet to be confirmed, are as follows.

• Wednesday 13th January 2010 - TedX Event
• Thursday 14th January 2010 – Amplified (TBC)
• Friday 15th January 2010 – TeachMeet

As you can see from the TeachMeet wiki link over 25 people have signed up for the Friday event already and we even have our first presentation pencilled in.

In my opinion TeachMeet BETT 2009 did not have enough presentations about practical, working ideas for learning that could be used in the classroom the very next day. Also the event itself did not have the feeling of the local, regional TeachMeet events that I have attended.

The latter is I suppose a result of the scale of the event and that I am sure is set to be the same this year. With that in mind I have only one request for this year’s TeachMeet BETT:

Only sign up for a presentation if it is something that is practical and applicable to the learners some of us will return to on the Monday. No products, no theoretical stuff, no rants.

It doesn’t even need to be limited to “classroom” practice, which is so often referred to. Learning can happen anywhere – so how are you inspiring learning? What real stories have you got to tell?

It is these narratives that inspire people the most, not weighty theories, we want a window for us into other learning activities . It is the closest we can some to actually being in the classroom with other teachers. We draw parallels with our own practice and ask ourselves, will my class be engaged by that? How can I apply that great idea?

Please consider signing up for a presentation, even if you have never done it before, share your story, share your great idea.

During my visit to the Scottish Learning Festival I was aware that Martin Jack from Think Different Events was there. We had been in touch regarding Merlin John‘s piece about the TeachMeet community being offered 3 evening slots at the next BETT show. I thought it was important I took the opportunity to track him down.

Scanning the corridors of the SECC, ably assisted I might add by Con Morris, we were able to find Martin and although he was very busy he gave me a few minutes of his time to confirm some arrangements.

Martin explained that the offer from EMAP for the BETT show is:

1. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night use of the Apex room (FREE)
2. Security for each of those evenings (FREE)
3. AV and technical support for the three events (FREE)

It just so happened that whilst we were outside the SECC talking, we bumped into Keith Clifford the Marketing Director from EMAP in charge of BETT. He was in a hurry but quickly said hello and  also confirmed the above arrangements.

Martin was keen to impress on me that if we were able to clearly state the default setting for the AV setup then it would be arranged for us and be ready for the event. This year we had a large screen and a smaller one to the side for the back channel. To take advantage of this, each event, each night will need to confirm the technical requirements well beforehand.

I think that it is a great offer from EMAP whatever occurs over the course of those three nights. TeachMeet at BETT this year was thronged and in my opinion 3 separate events gives scope for development, an opportunity for smaller more intimate events and illustrates how important TeachMeet CPD is.

What is missing? What will be needed? I questioned Martin about a few other arrangements just to be clear about what is on offer. The TeachMeet community will need to organise or through sponsorship arrange for:

1. The tables will not be in a cabaret style as they were this year. We will need to cover the costs of that switcheroo. Or pitch in ourselves!
2. Wi-fi was not covered in the above offer. I asked and it seems it will need to be paid for from sponsorship, but can be arranged with EMAP.
3. Food, nibbles and drinks will need to be covered as usual through sponsorship.

There it is. We have the APEX room for three nights if we want to use it. I think that as this is unprecedented territory for TeachMeet the sooner we begin to plan the better. That is the next question really and one which I now throw out to the TeachMeet community as a whole.

What would you like to do with three different TeachMeet style events?

Please feel free to cross post this and help to get the message out as much as possible so that the ball begins to roll and we can quickly decide upon on the nature of the 3 nights.

Miles Berry has emailed me about a short survey for students about their use of technology. Miles and Terry Freedman are running a seminar at BETT 2009 (as titled above) exploring children’s informal learning outside the classroom and what implications this might have for teachers and schools. For the seminar they will be discussing:

 a number of areas in which young people are using web-based and hand held tools for creativity and social networking across text, graphic, music, game and video media. 

As well as a literature review and some case studies, they have also put together a Google form that will allow them to collect some quantitative data of their own. I would encourage you to help Terry and Miles with their seminar by finding a little bit of time to allow your classes to contribute their thoughts.