According to TES, the ed tech market is predicted to be worth around $252 billion by 2020, and after attending BETT, it is easy to see why. With 850 companies all promoting and demonstrating their products, this was an ed tech's dream. As one of the 35,000 or so visitors, here is what I learnt from my two days.
1. The importance of digital learning strategies
Education is still behind in the digital revolution and it needs to catch up, and fast. We are preparing pupils for jobs which don't exist yet, so we can't be teaching using the same methodologies which were preparing them for the jobs of yesteryear, or even today. According to Marta McAlister from Google for Education, the top 3 skills needed in the workplace right now are problem solving, team-working and communications. "Generation Z" need to be learning these skills in the classroom today. This was backed up by Josselyn Simpson, from The Economist Intelligence Unit Research, who discussed the need for more soft skill development in schools. The use of technology is imperative in the classroom to foster these skills and give our pupils the best possible education for the jobs they will undertake in the future.
2. Tips for implementing digital learning strategies
It is one thing knowing that these skills and technologies need embedding in education, but implementing them is another. Obvious issues around investment and teacher training are common place but there are methods to overcome these difficulties. After speaking to lots of people this week, the bring your own device (BYOD) policy seems a viable opportunity and something I would like to investigate further. Both internal and external training are also key to help staff adapt their pedagogy to incorporate the necessary technology.
After attending Ollie Brays' (Headteacher at Kinguisse High School) 'Leading a Learning Digital Strategy' seminar, it's clear that such a policy should be a whole school responsibility. His school doesn't even employ a computing teacher as he doesn't want this to fall solely on the shoulders of the ICT/Computing teachers. For this to work, however, there needs to be a significant investment in whole school training. Failing this, a huge push in the right direction would be the introduction of an ed tech adviser in schools, whose job is to integrate technology into classrooms, working closely alongside teachers to contribute to outstanding lessons. This could empower all staff to contribute to a successfully implemented digital learning policy.
There are teachers who get nervous when using technology in the classroom, but pupils care more about the experience, as stated by Marta McAlister; "Gen Z is not interested in technology, they are interested in the experiences which technology enables." This message would help teachers when planning lessons. Ultimately, the lesson is about the learning, not the technology. The technology is just a teaching tool like pen and paper.
Ollie also highlighted the need for schools to work together, rather than see each other as competition. This is where being part of Cognita Schools could benefit TEMS by collaborating with other Cognita Schools and building upon each others strengths. Afterall, if this is one of the core skills we are expecting the pupils to develop, shouldn't we be leading by example and be doing the same?
It also helps to learn from other people's mistakes and both Josselyn and Ollie suggested that a cautious and phased approach to implementation helps ensure a smoother process rather than a complete overhaul. This fits with my own experiences, as this is what I did with the Google accounts within the school and it worked well. However, I tried a full implementation with an e-portfolio project and this hasn't got started yet. I heard about e-portfolios several times during my time at BETT so I would like to pursue this further at TEMS.
3. Google
I am a huge fan of the Google Suite for Education (GSFE). It enables teachers to integrate the most required skills seamlessly into the classroom. When I visited their area at BETT, I felt like I was in heaven! They were showcasing some of their latest tools, including virtual and augmented reality using Google Expeditions, Google Earth, CS First, Coding with Chrome, Science Journal and many more. I was truly blown away by what they are contributing to education.
G Suite allows activities such as collaboration, peer reviewing and improving drafts of work so much easier than traditional activities and this happens in a way which is natural to the students and how they will work in the future. According to Josselyn from The Economist, the top four teaching strategies needed are cognitive activation, personalised learning, active learning and project based learning. It's clear that these pedagogy methods should be applied across the curriculum, and Google are making this a realistic possibility.
Using these types of tools also enables pupils to continue their learning outside of school. Ollie Bray explained that his school had over 75% of pupils do work at home on a recent snow day, and pupils who are often out of school for long periods of time for extra commitments such as sports, can continue like they were in the classroom.
4. Assessment
Assessment is always a highly debated topic in education. Like it or loathe it, there was plenty of evidence on display at BETT to show how tech can play an important role in engaging pupils in the feedback process. This was highlighted by Ollie Bray, who has staff at his school using recorded voice feedback, with higher order thinking questions, to great effect. I also discovered a great app called vocal recall, which uses QR codes and a simple app to leave recorded verbal feedback for pupils.
I also saw a presentation from a further-ed teacher about combining G Suite and Screencastify for giving recorded video feedback. There was sufficient evidence to show that this helped engage the students and evidenced improvement over time.
5. #CognitaWay
An additional benefit of attending BETT was the opportunity to meet with other Cognita colleagues. As much as this may sound like I am towing the party line, I felt I was part of the #CognitaWay for the first time. Having the opportunity to meet and discuss all things education with like-minded people was invaluable. I hope by belonging to Cognita Schools there will be further opportunities to meet and collaborate with other employees. Learning from other teachers areas of expertise is something which I would like to utilise more at TEMS, and maybe this could also be developed between schools.
Visiting BETT was a fantastic experience and one I am grateful for. I hope I will be able to go again and I encourage any educators to visit if possible.
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