With Bett Show having to be cancelled this year due to lockdown restrictions, Hyve Group managed to organise a fantastic alternative in the form of BettFest. This free virtual event was a collection of webinars, masterclasses, and networking opportunities such as Teach Meets. Alongside the sessions there were opportunities to chat with other attendees, ask questions and access resources.
My Highlights
I was able to attend some of the many fantastic sessions on offer. Here is a very brief summary of the sessions that I attended.
Primary Masterclass- Teaching with Technology Martin Bailey
A really helpful master class that included looking at how to use apps in different ways and making the most of the tech you have already got. For example, using an app like picture collage to record learning in different ways.
Supporting mental health in students and staff Sarah Griffiths, Becki Lee, Laura Dickinson and Dr Sadie Hollins
A welcome addition to the agenda. Mental health is so crucial yet often overlooked due to academic pressures etc. Great advice, strategies and resources were shared for lockdown and beyond.
EdTech Demonstrator Schools: Scalable and sustainable change Ty Goddard, Sarah Morgan, Bruce Wilson and Amy Hollier
A really informative session where some EdTech demonstrators shared what they have implemented, the impact, and what they have learnt. All helpful info for supporting others to make scalable and sustainable changes in their own settings.
The Innovation Accelerator: Forging a path for equitable learning Delia DeCourcy and Shayla Rexrode (In Partnership with Lenovo)
Lenovo shared technology they are developing and talked about the ways they have been helping communities to tackle the digital divide. They discussed the future of learning and the role companies such as themselves play in this.
Improving access and skills for students at all levels Madge Thomas, Laura Stephens, Chris Dyson, Joysy John and Paul Gardner
Fantastic session about how educators have been supporting their education community including ways they have been tackling the digital divide, providing meals for children not in school, supporting pupil well being and more.
Building strength and resilience in your teacher and student community Bruce Daisley
A really refreshing session. I really liked how Bruce covered the importance of work/life balance and the benefits (including some surprising ones) of taking breaks.
Exciting News!
On Friday 22nd November at 5:30pm the Bett Awards finalist list was shared and NetSupport has been shortlisted in not one, not two, but three categories! Classroom.cloud is is a finalist in the ‘Whole school aids for learning, teaching and assessment’ category, NetSupport DNA is a finalist in the ‘Leadership and management solutions’ category, and our company is a finalist in the ‘Innovator of the year’ category! We are so pleased to have been shortlisted amongst such fantastic entries. Here is the full shortlist.
Evaluation
All of us at NetSupport really missed attending the Bett Show this year. Each year this is a real highlight for us where we enjoy reuniting, networking, exploring and learning. We really hope that next year we can all meet again at Bett but in the meantime we are proud to have sponsored BettFest. This event was great value. High quality content and accredited CPD that attendees could access completely free. Additionally, attendees can watch back the sessions they missed to gain even more from the event. Well done to the Hyve Group for organizing such an excellent virtual event and thank you to everyone who presented. All the sessions I attended were a fantastic learning experience and I look forward to listening back to the sessions I missed to learn even more!
More about BettFest