EduTech 2017 Show Preview
We are now into September and another school year. There will be many teachers who will be looking to this academic year and beyond, and wishing they had a crystal ball to see what the technology world holds for the classroom, and for good, transformative education.
What do we actually want technology to achieve in our education system? For the most part (there are a few notable exceptions) over the past 20 or so years I have been practicing, ‘educational technology’ has merely enabled 19th century practice do be carried out more effectively – a far cry from Seymour Papert’s vision outlined in his seminal book “Mindstorms”. I’m all for efficiency, but surely it’s the children and their learning that should be enabled and transformed, and not school tracking systems?
So what is the role of “EduTech”? Is it now just all about coding, or should we be thinking in wider terms than simply hitting curriculum targets?
Perhaps we should ask the basic question: “what is the purpose of education?” If it is to pass exams to get to university, so one can pass more exams to ‘get a good job’ then Model A will do just nicely. If, however, we subscribe to the notion that we should educate for the society in which we want to live, or to put it another way: “the purpose of education is the self-realisation of the child” (Dewey, 1902) then the use of technology in the classroom, by the child, in their learning, takes on a different guise.
Technology should be used to enable possibilities in learning previously unattainable. It should be used to disrupt, and to empower the child to imagine possibilities previously unimaginable, and be able to execute them easily, and in their own way.
In other words, it should free us from the status quo. It should be exciting, transformative and meaningful, and it should be so accessible as to be used right across the curriculum as readily and with the same normality as any other classroom tool.
Visitors to EduTech2017 will have plenty to see, do and take part in, from exhibitor demonstrations to master classes and seminars, as well as being able to browse the exhibition hall and experience all that new technology has to offer.
The show has some fantastic exhibitors, including ‘big’ names such as RM, Atomwide and Promethian, as well as smaller, exciting companies offering solutions to schools they may not have previously considered. There will also be representatives from teaching unions and professional bodies, as well as organisations offering school, outreach and community opportunities such as the London Connected Learning Centre
Away from the exhibition hall, the conference is divided into four areas:
The EduTech Demo Stage: Here, exhibitors will present about their product or service for 15 minutes. This is the place to go if you want to get a good overview of the exhibitors before making a beeline for them on the arena floor. Be sure to look at the programme and plan your sessions. The stand-out talks for me would be: Stella James from Gooseberry Planet, and Emma Chandler from My Education Group (including a live Tai-Chi lesson via video conferece) on the Friday, and David Strudwick (Plymouth School of Creative Arts) and Tom Ward (Tech Camp) on Saturday.
The EduTech Start Up Zone - located opposite the registration desk as visitors arrive on the floor is where some really exciting things will be happening. Here, there will be several new start up companies exhibiting, including: Peapodicity (a “creative-EdTech studio passionate about STEM and STEAM”), Tech Camp (the UK's original and longest-running coding and engineering camp for students aged 9-17), and Scribeasy (a cloud based workflow where students who struggle with writing discover they can achieve). As far as exhibitor spaces go, this zone is the one to head to!
The last two stages will be given over to a packed programme of seminars and master classes. I gave an overall impression of these in a previous post, but here I’ll give you my top tips for each of these exciting stages.
Seminars: These are 30 minute sessions, including Q&A’s, with leading speakers and classroom practitioners. Seating will be theatre-style and each seminar can accommodate up to 100 audience members. All computing themes are covered, but the ones to look out for are: A Computer for Every Child: Why 1:1 Matters (Tim Lings) at 10am on Friday, Re-Thought Schooling (Dave Strudwick and Andy Carpenter) at 1pm on Friday and The Impact of Sprogs With Blogs (David Mitchell) at 2.30pm on Friday. On Saturday, the highlights for me will be: Progression, Projects and Problem Solving. Computing from 4 to 18 (the always wonderful Miles Berry) at 1pm, and Digital wellbeing: achieving balance (Zoe Ross) at 10.30am.
Master Classes: Many of these 20-minute sessions by leaders in their field are practical and hands-on, so expect something fast and furious and to leave the area inspired. Both days hold something for everyone. If you are attending on Friday, head for session by Martin Bailey from Animate 2 educate, Julian Wood, who will be exploring AR and VR, and David Kirtlan from Elsium Education, who will be giving tips on starting your own iPad Band!!
Saturday looks just as good, with the always entertaining Doughall McCormick and his “20 cool tools for learning” kicking things off, and finishing with myself and some “Green Screen Magic”
I hope those of you who attend EduTech2017 look for, and find something to inspire both you and the young people you work with. Something that will enable them to create, play, and enjoy their learning and take it in new directions.
“Use technology as a tool, just like a pencil for learning. Use technology in the right way. Don’t become a slave to it”
Malcolm McLaren, Speaking at Handheld Learning 2009
