Redbridge Primary ICT Consultant: BETT 2008

I am looking forward to the BETT show later this week and I am in the process of making a list of stalls, software and seminars to check out. You may find this list helpful and you may have some locations and applications you think I should see, if so, then please comment and link in the space below. I have also included some helpful tips, which may be of use to the newbie of the regular visitor.

My small list of tips for BETT visitors

Dress sensibly, but remember though it may be cold outside it is usually hot and sweaty inside the exhibition and tramping around for hours in your best duffle coat is not good!!

Bring a rucksack for the freebies - or else you'll be saddled with an oversived and awkward TES drawstring bag- no fun on the tube!

Pack a light lunch, some water and some chocololate (or fruit if you're healthy)- or face long cues and up to £5 for a small sandwich

Seek, locate and pocket the best freebies - taking one of these does not commit you to anything other than subtly advertising a product-in previous years I have netted mugs, pens, sweets and the pereniel favourite the memory stick. The Microsoft stand is always good for a freebie or a competetion prize- three years ago I won a copy of Encarta for answering a simple question about their presentation. Last year QWIZDOM gave away Pret a Manger luncheon vouchers.

BETT is not just about the stands- go to a seminar- this is a unique opportunity to have soem high quality professional development and find about the National picture for ICT looks like.

If you can, make two visits;make a work type visit that is planned and satisfies your list of requirements and follow this by a visit on Saturday where you can relax a bit and let the show happen to you.

Don't forget to visit the nearby Special Needs Village sponsered by Inclusive- often overlooked!

Take someone with you, particularly if you are visiting a seminar

Enjoy yourself and make the most of the mixture of shopping and CPD in the big city

Stands,Software and Stuff to see

ASUS
This year is all about the ASUS as last year was all about the EDA. I think this is potentially a more versatile and more teacher friendly piece of kit than the now already flagging EDA. Yes RM sell it but so do a range of other suppliers. See John Sutton's thoughts on the ASUS here and see it yourself at BETT

SMART Technologies
Time to try out SMART version 10 at last, though soem of my readers and fellow twitterers have already got their hands on it arrrghh!!. Anyway there is lots to see
stand g40

TTS
Always a good source of non computer based ICT applications, home of the BEEBOT, Probot,Logbox and Constructabot. I am interested in checking out the new MP3 recordable microphone.

SOFTEASE E60
It is well worth looking at Honeycomb in more detail - this appears to be a sort of blogging tool that encompasses Textease Studio. This in no way does justice to the project- go and have a look!! Having just looked at their site, I am reminded that Honeycomb is:

In a nutshell, an integrated set of online creativity and collaboration tools that work through the Internet.

Podium/Podcasting
I also want to know and see one thing- Podium 2.0-
Is it ready yet ?
What does it do?,
How has it been improved?

Crick Stand F40
Crick are the maker of Wordbar and the excellent Wordbar. Tools that support writing for all learners. Their latest product Write online is very exciting it is an online/offline word processor that integrates word grids as in Wordbar.This means children can work anywhere on their writing, with the added support of Wordbar type toolbars. The other bonus of this software and why @ Key Stage 2, it should supersede Word is that it has a built in cut and paste detector, so there is no room for the awful pasting of huge chunks off the Internet, that we so often see in Year 5 and 6 Internet research work.