Bett Show Bound

I’m on my way down to the annual educational technology-fest known as the Bett Show. This 4-day exhibition is meant to showcase all that is innovative and exciting in the educational world - but I have a feeling that this year will once again leave many attendees disappointed…

Step back five or six years ago and a visit to the Bett Show was an essential date in the diary for anyone who wanted to get first-hand insights into what was exciting in education technology. The emergence of IWBs, content creation and sharing applications created great excitement amongst visitors to the show, There was a genuine feeling of being at the cutting edge of what technology could do in education.

As we enter 2009, I’m less excited about what I might find. The 2008 Bett Show was desparately disappointing - filled with over-priced and under-featured VLEs and a plethora of one-man band products that already looked like they had reached the decline stage of their life cycle. The Bett Awards - once a genuinely interesting source of best practice and innovation - were unimpressive too.

I’m intrigued to see if the 2009 show can throw out something different, something genuinely innovative. I’m really hoping to see some great approaches to creating and sharing content, or ways in which students and teachers can work collaboratively. It would be even better to see students in action on a variety of stands - putting the technology to work. Fingers crossed.