BETT 2020 – The Revolution of EdTech
By Kate Gamble, Consultant for Education at Inspired Selection
When I think of my own time at school I think of the scraping sounds of chalk as it forced its way across the black board, of the exercise books that were so dull and uninviting we would cover them in our own patterned wrapping paper, and of-course the moment when our teacher would wheel in a television on a trolley with only three good wheels, at which point you knew you were in for a treat that lesson!
If there’s one thing I took away from BETT 2020, it’s a reminder that every opportunity to learn is a treat, and that every learning experience is a unique one, meaning the strategies we use to train the minds of today’s students should be too. With the implementation of new research, data and technologies in the education world able to give us much better insight into the learning needs of individuals and therefore more prolific solutions to connect and engage with pupils, it’s no wonder EdTech is becoming more successful and therefore more prominent in our classrooms.
London Excel was bursting with passion as thousands of innovative individuals shared how their products and services ranging from virtual learning experiences, to bright engaging workbooks, to educational games and apps, along with systems that give immediate access to performance data, would shape the vision of tomorrows future. All of them motivated by the prospect of creating a better education experience for today’s children to ensure they feel empowered, confident and therefore will have better access to a full range of opportunities in the future.
BETT certainly delivered what it promised – ‘an inspiring and thought provoking insight into the themes of Innovation, Wellbeing, Empowerment in Teaching and Learning, Future Tech and Trends, and Skills and Inclusion in education.’ Especially with teachers under more pressure and stress levels at an all-time high, many have expressed that the EdTech movement is helping them to see an improvement not just in the behaviours, engagement and performance of students, but also in their own productivity, as EdTech helps to lighten the workload on teachers and is therefore able to improve the wellbeing of our educational professionals.
The introduction of EdTech and its constant revolution has taken not just the classroom, but people’s homes by storm too, and pupils, teachers as well as parents appear to be welcoming it with open arms, with EdTech allowing students to take their lessons with them wherever they go - a teacher in their pocket whenever they need it.
Of course, these new platforms do come at a cost, and one of the main challenges and questions on everyone’s minds is just how schools will be able to afford these new technologies, with many educational leaders saying that budgets will make it more difficult for them to achieve their goals, and that budgets will ultimately have the biggest impact on a student’s education. Though, despite these challenges, EdTech companies seem positive, and remain excited for the implementation of their platforms in the learning environment in the future, with trends seeming to show growth year on year.
However, even though technology is becoming greater and is now a pivotal part of the educational curriculum, there was also a reminder to everyone that we must not forget to continue exposing our students, and all those learning, to people and society as well. We must continue to encourage learners to use their own minds and to think for themselves, sharing with them the importance of engagement with one another and the value of working together, as opposed to becoming reliant on the technology that is ever-growing around us.
If you are interested in finding out more about how we work with EdTech and education-focused organisations both within, and out with the publishing industry, or you are looking to explore the career opportunities within this field then please do get in touch with either Verity Hawson, Rhiannon Griffiths or Kate Gamble at Inspired Selection.
