BETT 2023 has been and gone so thought I would write my usual reflections piece. I think this was my sixth BETT conference since returning back to the UK, a figure that pales into insignificance when compared to some of my friends and colleagues, however now exceeds my visits to the UAE GESS/GEF event. It was a busy few days with lots of walking, lots of talking and a fair amount of listening too. So what did I learn and how did it go?
Networking
The key reason I continue to attend BETT is the networking side of things, to meet up with friends and colleagues and share thoughts and ideas in relation to the use of technology in education. Am not going to try and list those I met up with this year through fear of missing people out. This year didn't fail to deliver on this front although, as has been the case in the past, there were many people at the event who I failed to meet or catch up with. I suspect this will always be the case given the importance of planning your trip ahead of time, meaning that there is only so much time available for those impromptu and unplanned meetups or for reaching out via social media to try and locate and meet up. I will note that my selfie collection this year is once again a poor comparison to others often due to being too engaged in discussion to even think about getting the phone out for a quick selfie. Maybe a note-to-self for next year is needed here. On a more positive note it was great to hear from a few people who had read some of my previous blog posts or had listened to the "In our humble opinion" podcast which myself and Ian Stockbridge have been producing recently. It always great to hear that there is an audience although, as I have noted in the past, I find the process of blogging and podcasting useful in itself even if no-one reads or listens.
Presentations
I attended a number of the presentations during the course of BETT with those I attended mainly taking the form of panel style discussions. I think this worked very well when compared with the "sage on the stage" style presentations which were more common in the past. It allowed for a number of panellists to put across their views and approaches in relation to the given topic while highlighting that there is seldom a single solution and the important need to consider school context. It also highlighted for me the importance of discussions, including discussions like those of the panellists, to help us share practice and improved collectively as educational professionals.
It was nice to hear panellists present thoughts which agreed with my own such as the importance of considering context when looking at data, the importance of culture and the need to accept technology advancement, and then identify how best to make use of it and best manage any risks. One particular session which touched on Artificial Intelligence provided some of the standout comments in relation to technology being neither good or bad, but simply being "here" and also the risk associated with AI in regarding its potential for "automating inequalities". I also particularly enjoyed the esports discussion I attended which once again highlighted for me the potential which esports has within the education space.
Stands
As I pointed out last year I no longer go to BETT to visit the various stands although I will note I did visit a number of stands for quick discussions and to touch base with companies which I am either using or likely to be using in the near future. I therefore avoided my usual frustrations with the number of interactive panels, floor and wall solutions as are normally on show, although my sense is they were, as always, dominant at the event despite representing a technology which must now be approaching 30yr old. It was Dave Leonard who pointed out the BETT futures area as a specific area of the BETT conference to visit focussed on the new startups and the new solutions, and I will admit it was here that I had the most interesting and useful stand based discussions. Data analytics and the use of the block chain to store certificates or identification documents being two of the more interesting topic discussions I engaged in.
Themes
Across the BETT event I believe there were a couple of themes which stood out for me. These were:
- Artificial Intelligence: this has the potential be a significant catalyst for change in the world of education representing many potentials and also a number of risks and challenges, and it is here, now! We need to seek to adapt to this new normal and to use this new tool in the best, most effective and safest way possible to support our learners.
- Digital Citizenship: I use the term very loosely to including cyber security, data protection, online safety and digital safety, however in an increasingly digital world this continues to be increasingly more and more importance yet the resources to address the challenges, principally time to discuss and educate students, teachers and parents, isn't currently there.
- Culture: The often used quote of "culture beats [or eats] strategy" is true in the importance of culture, but what does this actually mean? It makes for a nice one-liner when asked what the solution to the EdTech, or any other, challenge is, or what we need to focus on, but how do we seek to action "culture" and develop it across the board, in all our schools? This was a question well raised by Al Kingsley in a session he chaired and a question I think we all need to consider.
The mishap
OK so I have shared my reflections but as always BETT had to come with a mishap and it would be wrong of me not to share. This years mishap was a wardrobe issue in deciding to wear my new suit to the event. It hadn't been out of its suit carrier since purchase and I thought a nice new suit was perfect for BETT; Remember I am rarely seen out of a suit when on school business even if it means a trip to Blackpool zoo with students or on a history field trip. So as I headed out of the hotel room in the morning for BETT and just as I went for the door my wife noticed the back of the suit jacket still had a security tag on it, and it wasn't for budging. So no suit jacket for the duration of BETT. Doh!
And possibly more importantly I only brought a couple of cans of Irn-Bru so found myself having to drink Fanta instead; The BETT organisers had failed to ensure that there were vendors selling Irn-Bru on site. The horror of it!! Such a failure in their consideration of equality and diversity!
Conclusion
BETT 2023 was another useful event. Lots of walking, listening and talking. I do as always wonder if it delivers on the time and expense of attending especially given 3 or 4 hours on a train in each direction, plus hotel accommodation, but then this might be me just having unrealistic expectations of what the event can deliver. I know others that are far more positive of the event than I am so wonder if maybe I am doing something wrong or not making the most of the event? Flipping it on its head, if I didn't go, would I achieve similar value, and save money, in just attending school over the days of the conference? I suspect the answer to this flipped question is clearly no and therefore BETT continues to be the place to be. And maybe its as simple as that, that if you are involved in Technology in Education then for the duration of the BETT conference you simply have to be there, at least for some of it. As such I suspect 2024 will once again see me at BETT with a detailed plan in hand, still failing to adhere to the advice re: comfy footwear and clothes, but with more Irn-Bru to hand this time!
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