A Week in London #bettuk2026 #bett26 Part Three BETT

 #Bettuk2026 Wed -Friday 21st-23rd January 2026

Here is my usual summary and observations

2nd year at BETT when there were no feet on the ground from Education Scotland.  A travel ban apparently. Shame when the biggest educational technology event in the UK is on and senior folks from all major IT companies are in London and not least the UK and international educational community. 

It is a bit of a scandal really. Scotland should be on the map at this event. I spotted Wales and Northern Ireland on the UK stands. Great to see EdTech's from schools, colleges, universities and local authorities found the ways and means to get down from Scotland. Education Scotland's sponsoring department please note.

Queen Elizabeth line to Excel continues to be a revelation for travelling to and from venue and opens up possibility of accommodation across London. I stayed initially with my daughter in her student flat over in Deptford and then moved for two nights to an amazing hotel hostel in Rotherhithe. Really brilliant value and proof that you can do BETT on a budget. Made for an interesting free short ferry commute in morning. 

It was very much AI every where - some pretty random and some very focused on the challenges discussed over the previous two days. AI can write your essay and mark it. Message really is that assessment has to change and that centres really need to learn about CASE and MCP servers to make most of their data and content. 

Bridget Phillipson Secretary of State for Education's address picked up on much I had heard on the two preceding days with OECD and 1Edtech. Good to see her back ( see last year's BETT post) . Highlighting the transformative potential of AI and EdTech to make learning more inclusive, support teachers, and improve outcomes for all learners. Announces new safety standards, new digital skills pathways for teacher training, and a £23 million expansion of the EdTech Testbeds programme to build a strong evidence base for effective tools. 

I achieved everything in my original plan and then some. 

Squeezed into a smaller area of Excel this year but having spoken to the organisers, more exhibitors and certainly high footfall. Great to have themed stages with keynotes distributed around exhibitors. I spent most of my time in and around FE/HE zone. Still think could do with a bit more from ALT, Jisc , QAA and perhaps some more focus on Colleges and vocational learning.  

Great to see many of the Scots who made it down at the Scottish gathering kindly supported by SmartBoards. Good too to get great update on their products. The training and support they give users is first class- liked new mike through smartboard- and still like smartboard mini. 

Nice to see more thought on design and layout of the start up zone. Though apologies nothing really fired me up this year.  

TeachmeetBett26 on Teachmeet's 20th Anniversary. Many thanks to BETT organisers for super on site support. 

I did a two minute plug for learning design , Open Education  and for membership of ALT. Thanks too Everway/Texthelp for sponsoring cracking social at 02 Battle Bar and for old pal Dawn Holly-Bone from 2Simple for chairing so well. Was great to see new faces embracing Teachmeet methodology. Presentations here and tribute to Teachmeet history.  Every College should hold one at least once a year. Challenge is out to all attendees to organise one.

Here is very quick run down of what caught my eye and attention and some of my chats .

• Microsoft - sat through a few sessions to be up to speed with their new roll outs. I didn't go to all of their sessions mainly the What is new session. But you can get all of their sessions here.
• Google - Similarly spent some time getting on inside track . Some great sessions on using Notebook LM for research.

I am still really amazed that every College does not have tenancies on both Microsoft and Google platforms. It can be done at no cost, if you know how. Both are promoting a range of new tools within existing licensing costs and the best way to prevent any shadow IT developing. 

In main auditorium, teaching and learning theatre and Higher Education theatre - some practical workshops particularly around how AI is changing up operational areas of Colleges and Universities - from data to track skills and employment opportunities , answering phones and even students using vibe coding to create their own booking systems. Had quick coffee and catch up with Paul Mckean and Sue Attewell on Jisc AI work.  

Lots of AI with everything sat through presentations  and visited some of these stands. Last year Teachermatic was out in the lead for teacher content creation, now everyone is at that game , including Microsoft and Google.  More significantly emergence of tools using CASE and MCP.

Many amazing stands - big budget items. The Egyptian Education Authority had built a pyramid. 

Lots too on esports - which I still don't quite get.  I do get it as a gateway to games development and programming.

VR and AR it is still ClassVR leader of pack and interesting new tools for simulating interviews.  Metaverse learning and Body Swaps territory . Think every College should have a class set of VR head sets for appropriate activities. 

Liked this juice bar vending machine as an alternative to fizzy drinks. 

A few stands that I thought were selling Vapes - were really selling Vape detector systems. A sign of the times. 

Great conversations with ClickView , Cisco Training Academies and BodySwaps - it is great to hear they are going from strength to strength. Met some old Spanish friends who do lot around improving data and learning material flows for Colleges and Universities. I spent some time too revisiting C-Learning and their Merlyn Mind product. 

Useful conversation with Newcastle College group who are doing the right thing and rolling out CMALT to all of their educational technologists. Follow up conversation with their Rob Wraith on how they manage access and costs around tokenisation in Microsoft Co-Pilot. Basically how they set up permissions and controls so that the institution does not get additional bills. ( this is issue for many institutions moving ahead into this space) So critical that learning technologists and IT work together around this. 

Only spotted one awarding body - which may also be sign of times - assessment and certification really need to change.

But back to my theme of week it was really AI with everything - have a look at BrainFreeze stand useful to see they are explaining how their tool uses CASE and MCP.

Sorry to miss a sit down and proper catch up with Vic Boyd and Scott Renton from City of Glasgow College who were around too and many more colleagues from across vocational learning. We will catch up soon. 

On way down I spotted a very negative post about BETT from a 'leading' Scottish educational academic who I think has attended one BETT in the past- it was very down on the technological hegemony - but on all technology really. 

Yes, lots of selling of fantasies but some really useful learning for all. People make BETT not the technology. Everyone working in learning really needs an understanding of technologies - it is the only way to actually move classroom, institutional and global learning forward.  We all need a bit more #openscot. 

And a final big thanks for all the hospitality and good company I enjoyed. 

My week in London Reports

• Part One with OECD
• Part Two with IEdtech.
• Reports on Previous BETT conferences here.

I miss Wakelet as my tool of choice for summarising events like this. 

Visiting #BettUK2026 #Bett2026 #tmBett26 #teachmeet20

It's that time again and I'm packing bags this weekend for a series of meetings in London while in and around #BettUK2026 #Bett2026

• Monday I am with OECD Exploring Effective Uses of Generative AI in Education.
• Tuesday I am with 1Edtech Why AI in Learning Needs Standards: Shared Context, Shared Trust.
• Wednesday I am @Bett - if you are down from Scotland please sign up for Scottish Clan gathering at 2pm . Many thanks to Smart Technologies for facilitating this - click logo for signup 

• Thursday I am @Bett and attending Bett Teachmeet which is also a celebration of 20 years of teachmeets  - Click Logo for signup - you don't have to present you can just come along. 

• Friday - I am trying to keep free for a general prowl around the exhibition area.

Over days at Bett I will catch up with latest developments from Microsoft , Google and the other big players and attend sessions around digital transformation in further and higher education.  I'm not presenting this year. 

If you are about and fancy a chat about UK educational market place then please get in touch. I am looking forward to catching up with old friends and new.

You can catch up with my previous BETT adventures here. 

As ever, I will summarise any useful leads here and I will bring opportunities back to relevant colleagues in colleges and Scottish education. 

Open Badges , Digital Credentials and Open Standards #Bett2024 #Bett24 Digital Badging Commission #openscot

Surely time for all qualifications to be digital !

This post reflects on a London 1Edtech gathering and the work of the UK Digital Badging Commission.  

Pre #Bett24 I was kindly invited to contribute to cross sectoral meeting with 1Edtech along with delegates from across the UK University and College landscape.  Thanks to Gill Ferrell who now leads for 1Edtech in Europe for kind invitation.

As an aside, I was amazed by transformation of StErmins Hotel a far cry when it was a run down hotel and the cheapest option for Westminster meetings. 

The meeting in London was excellent for highlighting the adoption of open standards around the world and the relative intransigence of the UK as a whole. It is worth having a dig into these slides from CEO of 1Edtech Curtis Barnes.  There were some other really excellent presentations and great discussion on day. If you really don't know what I am talking about here have a look at the standards themselves. Open standards are important - what allows you for instance to get emails on lots of devices. 

I led some national policy developments here from 2013 and I carried the lessons forward into my practice.  In a College setting we adopted Canvas partly as Canvas Credentials (formerly Badgr) brings open recognition for all learners. Having awarded badges to students and lecturing staff for two years I moved on just as our curriculum team were rolling out badges for meta-skills to the students.

It will be interesting to see how this approach develops and what reception this has from our learners.  There is huge scope here, if the College can push this on. Interesting too to see that Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities have adopted Canvas to support their micro-credential initiatives. 

It is concerning to see how slow progress has been around adoption of open standards for digital certification. I am glad to be a contributor to the UK Digital Badging Commission.  Being well led out by Patrina Law. 

In a global first, Ufi VocTech Trust and The RSA have launched the Digital Badging Commission to broaden the understanding, development and adoption of digital badges by accrediting organisations and employers.

Have a look at work to date of the UK Digital Badging Commission and you will see some green shoots. 

I was surprised and pleased  to see developments here between SQA and Skills Development Scotland around ways to display credentials in MyWorldofWork. But perhaps more impressed by the nascent Department for Education record of Post 16 learning. The vision is that  a learner can enroll on a course simply by a scanned QR code and can maintain their own record of achievements. See presentation above for details on these projects in development.  

I think biggest blocker here are the policy makers. A special shout out to City and Guilds and NCFE in England who have pushed on with developments in this space and as a Scottish Employer SCCC for pushing on badges for workforce accreditation. It would be good to see a fresh vision piece in this space from Scottish Government. 

The Digital Badging Commission includes representatives from educational organisations, awarding bodies, tech companies, and others interested in the future of learning and skills recognition.

Key themes and points discussed recently - 

Opportunities for Acceleration: The group discussed policy developments that could accelerate the adoption of digital credentials, including the potential of a national digital learner record and linking it to work experience data. DfE's "Project Titan" and the "Digital Wallet" work by DSIT were mentioned as relevant initiatives.

Barriers to Adoption: Several barriers were identified, including:

• Familiarity with paper-based credentials.
• Lack of a centralized wallet/store - perhaps not needed.
• Complexity and intelligibility for users.
• Perception that the metaphor of badges is not useful and devalues qualifications. The need for clearer definitions and a unified taxonomy was emphasized
• Confusion around terminology (badges vs. micro-credentials vs. qualifications).
• Quality assurance challenges.
• Employer scepticism and or lack of awareness.
• Recruitment processes lagging behind in recognizing digital credentials.
• And or many HR and OD systems don't use open standards.
• Lack of joined-up thinking across the UK's different educational systems.

Driving Change: How things might change 

• Regulatory mandates for awarding bodies to provide digital certifications and wallet adopting open standards. 
• Starting with smaller-scale projects (e.g., Foundation Apprenticeships) to test and build infrastructure.
• Focus on qualifications issued to schools, colleges, and work-based learning providers.
• Developing case studies showcasing the real-life use of digital credentials.

The ongoing conversation highlights the potential of digital credentials to transform learning and skills recognition, but also captures the challenges that need to be addressed to achieve widespread adoption and ensure that these credentials are valuable for both learners and employers.

I know Patrina and team are keen to talk to employers large and small about their view of digital certification. If you are a Scottish employer please reach out to Patrina using LinkedIn contact above. 

My own view it should be digital qualifications supported by open standards for all. You don't need a centralised store just verifiable credentials. Learners without digital access should always be able to access a paper or alternative format. 

#Bett25 #Bett2025 How Was My Bett

I think I say this most years. I am really lucky to have time to attend BETT and given that privilege it is important that I share my own reflections.

Will be remembered as year of big storm up north. I think everyone from Scotland will have a travel tale as all trains and planes cancelled at one point on Friday and trains on Saturday too. We made it home on Sunday. 

Here is a quick summary of who I met and what I discovered at this year's BETT25 Conference . It was nice not presenting this year and just being able to move around. I missed last year as I was in Ankara with Turkish Qualifications Authority. 

I was a guest and contributor at an excellent Tuesday pre conference event held by 1EdTech really around global intransigence to adopt open standards - I'll blog about that next.

This was the year when - shock horror - private consultants and private companies had to pay to attend BETT. I am chair of an educational charity and got my ticket that way. It seems fair enough that private sector folks pay for entry as a stand at Bett is a really expensive investment. Still lots of scope for meetings in an around London during event. I did notice that the World Education Forum has moved from the Monday and Tuesday of this week to a later date in April. I wonder if that will in time impact international policy makers attendance at BETT.


Here is my quick summary and observations

1. Queen Elizabeth line to Excel is a revelation for travelling to and from venue and opens up possibility of accommodation across London. ( though others will have spotted that last year)
2. I was staying between St Martins Kings Cross and Excel, to make it easier to catch up with daughter. Whitechapel was great fun, even managed a curry night with old city pal in his favourite spot. Tayyabs , the lamb chops amazing - I'll be back.
3. Ministerial address really excellent and on point - though I've heard a few good ones in past. Challenge is that the changes actually happen ( and also the education minister lasts more than a year) but sense that a vision is in place. But sense too from delegates that things on the technical front/blended learning agenda, have slowed down. I do think that the content is king rather than competency based models are winning the arguments at moment in terms of curriculum design. See too the anti-mobile phone lobby. Some bits of system are just so wilfully backward.
4. Probably less stands but still two halls full and busy on Wed and Thursday and a lot to get around.
5. Huge esports area, seems to have got bigger and large global area taking up one side of exhibition space. In centre a UK pavilion and lots of action from Department for International Trade ( will this lessen now world education forum not on as present ?) but no real Scottish exhibitor and or agency presence. The international stands made UK pavilion look puny.
6. Smartboards still everywhere but getting better and better , AI with everything and loads of programmable robots for every stage of learning.
7. Start Up areas kind of spread about - so not as easy to find and talk to new companies - did meet some Scottish edtech start ups - I hope they got value from BETT. If I can help them I will. 
   
   
   
8. I attended some key notes and sessions. Perhaps just me but I found particularly those in HE Advance area to not be well enough organised or themed and/or well that relevant. Perhaps organisers need to work more closely with Jisc and Association of Learning Technology - but may just have been my timing. I know I missed some great sessions on assessment on day one and on AI on Friday. So may just have been sessions that I attended.
9. Apple Education seemed to have more of a presence than previous years - perhaps trying to play catch up with Microsoft and Google but while I heard about great developments on Apple classroom front - hard to see how they can make up lost ground.
10. The size of London Grid for Learning Stand almost as big as Canva and Kahoot. Figured out why and lessons to be learned. They run an Appstore for schools and vendors pay to get inside this. Sensible really and good model for GLOW. The London system supports more schools , teachers and learners than GLOW - I sense too eye on rest of England in terms of services for schools and academy trusts.
11. Well done Smartboards for facilitating a Scottish edtech gathering on Wednesday afternoon. Was amazed no one from Education Scotland along at this - and indeed at Bett25 - really not a good idea to have no feet on ground. 
12. Panel session with English old guard Mary Bousted, Jim Knight , Robert Halfon - agree with one statement that English system has an obese curriculum thin on skills and competencies and weighed down with too much content.
13. TeachmeetBett25 I got to for a change and did a two minute plug for learning design and for membership of ALT - thanks too Everway/Texthelp for sponsoring cracking social at Millennium Dome and for old pal Dawn Holly-Bone from 2Simple for chairing so well.
14. Bonus additional day in London. We walked from Whitechapel across London to the West end, stopping for pie and mash in Smithfield and ending back at Aldgate - for excellent fresh pasta at Emilia's. ( a new chain to me) 

As usual I targeted having 30 minute meetings with 10 minutes in between to get around conference. It made for a busy two days but best way to make most of BETT.

Useful bits and bobs with some plugs at end -

Adobe 

Express is so good for education and now with more AI built in great for animation https://www.adobe.com/education/express/?

Microsoft - marching on on many fronts. Got along to some great sessions from Mike Tholfsen. He has helpfully blogged about these sessions and included his presentations. Here are some direct links. Liking particularly some of the new Canvas by Instructure integrations. Not sure about the Microsoft Designer plug by offering all attendees a chance to create our own badge avatar - but Microsoft designer is cool. 

AI for Educators from Microsoft useful on line course https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/training/paths/ai-education/
More AI for Educators Resources https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/educator-center/topics/ai-for-education
AI classroom Toolkit https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/educator-center/instructor-materials/classroom-toolkit-unlock-generative-ai-safely-responsibly
Overview of what is new https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/educationblog/whats-new-in-microsoft-edu-bett-2025-edition/4291951

Google - again moving on many fronts attended some excellent sessions AI and other developments all summarised in one place https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/bett-2025/ 

Really interesting stuff is Google integration of Gemini, Video, Sheets and Docs and on going development of Notebook LM. 

You can find that in link above. You find 11 new ways Google can help you here https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ai-tools-education-2025

IBM Interesting stuff from Justina Nixon Santil https://www.ibm.com/think/insights/ai-skills-you-need-for-2025

Intel 

Still plugging their excellent Skills for Innovation programme

https://www.intel.co.uk/content/www/uk/en/education/intel4education/programs.html

Shameless Plugs 

Great to see and chat to Teachermatic Team Bett Gold award winning solution.

Caught up with Louise Jones and Thinglink - an amazing platform and still not used widely enough in Colleges and schools.

Padlet , Canva and Wakelet still brilliant. 

This for English composition looks interesting https://olex.ai/ and another competitor for Grammerly https://lex.page/

The  Daiverse Project  looks interesting for inclusion https://daiverse.eu/

On hunt for some funding - this potentially useful 

Though Colleges and training providers should be looking at grant funding from https://ufi.co.uk/

Great to see 

All the Scottish Edtechs who made journey and stayed the course and everyone else of course

- special mention to Graham Brown-Martin and Tony Parkin who I haven't seen at Bett for years and Mags Amond from Ireland doing her stuff at Teachmeet and Dawn Holly-Bone 2Simple and Charlie Love - Bett award winner. 

Sorry to miss around conference arena 

Dom Lukes , Vikki Liogier , Stuart Walker , Matt Wingfield , Elyan Ezekiel, Dan Fitzpatrick, Sara De Freitas, Debs Hill,  ClickView team , Scott Renton from City of Glasgow who made decision to head north before storm hit. 

And special shout out to  Prof Stephen Heppell who is normally a fixture but laid low - still found time to offer advice on Brick Lane Curry spots. Get well soon. 

For me funniest moment - International Teachmeet on immersive rooms - a really good session from Finland. Where Finnish colleague repeatedly asked us if we were "aroused"  apparently we should always ask students how 'aroused' they feel. You must be 'aroused' to learn. 

I'll not take that approach with Scottish staff ;-) . In fairness what was showcased was an immersive learning space - four walls of any image you want with suitable sound effects from forest to nightclub rave.   

Reflections on #BETT23 #Bett2023

 

#BETT23 , #BETT2023 What I will be up to.

I'll be around for another flying visit to Bett23 - I wonder how much Artificial Intelligence will be on display ? Is that a pun? 

I'll be around Thursday and Friday  

At moment I am visiting and/or meeting and presenting  

• ThingLink
• Genially 
• Intel  ( presentation Thursday lunchtime)
• Fujitsu
• Click-View 
• Microsoft Education 
• Google Education 
• Advantis Systems/Class VR
• Instructure Canvas  
• ALT Session ( Association of Learning Technology) 

I am looking for innovative partners and potential sponsors for our next year's Learning and Teaching Conference potentially March 2024 . A great way to bring innovative solutions to the Scottish College Sector as well as interesting partners and projects I can bring to a large and ambitious College.

I think I have figured out way to bring AR/VR to the College in a cost effective way but always open to opinions and solutions.

My focus on hybrid learning and how best to support a large ambitious metropolitan College with 30,000 student population and broad curriculum. 

I don't need new MIS, VLE, Assessment , Proctoring or Video capture systems etc 


My diary is almost full - if you want a meeting reach out to me on twitter @joecar


I look forward to meeting friends old and new.


Reflections last few years BETT

And some tips from seasoned BETT visitor 

#BETT22 , #BETT2022 Overview and Report

#BETT22 , #BETT2022 What I will be up to.

 

I'll be around for another flying visit to Bett22 . I think there will be lots of good things to share and I am sure the educational community will be excited to be back together again.

I'll be around Thursday and Friday - as usual heading home as #Teachmeet Bett stars 

At moment I am visiting and/or meeting 

• ThingLink
• Intel 
• Fujitsu
• Click-View 
• Microsoft Education 
• Google Education 
• Advantis Systems/Class VR
• Instructure Canvas  

I am looking for innovative partners and potential sponsors for our annual Learning and Teaching Conference scheduled for Tuesday 28th June 2022. A great way to bring innovative solutions to the Scottish College Sector.

My focus on hybrid learning and how best to support a large ambitious metropolitan College with 30,000 student population and broad curriculum. 


My diary is almost full - if you want a meeting reach out to me on twitter @joecar


I look forward to meeting friends old and new.


Reflections last few years BETT

And some tips from seasoned BETT visitor 

#bett20 #bett2020 #Wakelet A snapshot of Bett

#Bett20 , #Bett2020 , #Bettshow2020 Welcome to the roaring twenties !

Here we go again .

I am heading down to #BETT20 early on the Wednesday morning for some pre-meetings and then the usual busy schedule in and around the conference.

I'm expecting to catch up with Google , Microsoft , Fujitsu , Click-View among many others. 
I'll be around until Friday afternoon.

I can't claim to have been every #BETT but I've attended since last century  Reflections over last few years here and some guides for #BETT newbies. 

My diary is pretty full, but  if  you have something unique and engaging aimed at any part of the assessment , e-portfolio space, digital skills for vocational teaching staff landscape  or you have some genuinely open learning or you are looking for meaningful partnerships with a school , college or vocational learning space either in Scotland or internationally,  then I would be interested in talking to you. 

The College I am working in currently offers a great space to launch new ideas and systems in to the Scottish vocational sector and has a strong international reach. 

You can find out more about me through my linkedin profile   or just do a google for 'Joe Wilson and UK Colleges,  or open education.  

I am easy to get hold of - just tweet something to @joecar and I'll respond. You can find out about me and my institution  here or get me through the new BETT app  , it has improved over the years. 

I am looking forward to meeting friends old and new and, above all,  being inspired. 

#bett2019 So that was #BETT2019 !

That's #BETT18 #BETT2018 #BETTShow #Bettshow18

Joe Wilson cc Leon Cych @eyebeams

That the delegates , exhibitors and conference organisers never seem to be quite able to agree on a unifying hashtag probably sums up the UK's biggest Educational Technology gathering . There is at once something for everyone and always that feeling that the really interesting , paradigm shifting piece of the jigsaw is tantalisingly missing , perhaps it is a virtual piece or in some other augmented reality ( no shortage of augmented and virtual reality in the show)

This year for once the meeting app worked well but the wifi I'm told was abysmal as usual.

If there was a unifying theme among the polished rabble of  hawkers , vendors , sideshows and keynote speakers this year,  it's probably the theme of 'Industry 4.0 '  This sits well with our mission to transform learning at City of Glasgow College through Citylearning4.0

It is a great privilege to get to gatherings like this and with that I think comes an obligation to share! 
I wonder what those I spotted from Education Scotland and SQA thought of this year's show.

Day One 

The usual running order and , as is often the case at BETT,  a new Education and Skills Minister. They appear to be upgraded every two years , like phones , but rarely come with new features.  The change of guard often comes in a new year reshuffle which can make it a tough gig for the incoming minister . While Anne Milton set out the stall
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/anne-milton-speech-at-bett-show-2018 many folks knew that there was a more ambitious vision that had been prepared for her predecessor. I hope some of these ideas around digital literacy for all  arrive later in the year. It does present a more unifying vision than you find in other parts of UK . Also in this sphere it was  interesting that a new coding institute was announced not at BETT but at World Economic Forum  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-announces-20-million-institute-of-coding in same week.

I had my usual schedule of meetings with those I think have the tools and ideas to move learning on . Here is a quick summary of what I was having a look at.

Unio by Harness
https://uniobyharness.com/ 
Already used by growing number of schools across globe, I can see the attraction in schools space.
I think some of this capacity already in side GLOW for schools in Scotland.

Lucas Nuelle
https://www.lucas-nuelle.com/
When someone says 'these are the training systems used inside the German apprenticeship system', you need to have a look. Highly developed and finished training systems for most kinds of engineering . The sort of kit that many Colleges and Universities need for training learners for both the practical and theoretical elements of industrial learning. Yes, some of this can be virtualised now, but nothing beats setting up and working with real equipment.

ITSI
https://www.it.si/
From South Africa now a global player. A provider of digital text books along with a layer for note taking , additional support materials and assessment. Pushing into the school space. The College and University sector with virtual learning environments make assumptions around how digital texts are used in their own systems - interesting to see new models to encourage better embedding of digital texts coming from the school sector.

Magic Software Inc
https://www.magicsw.com/ 
A super Indian company working out at the cutting edge and delivering content and learning solutions for publishers and large global corporations. A great example of the small world we now live in when it comes to accessing and harnessing innovation from anywhere in the world.

Techcamp / Invent Ed
https://www.techcamp.org.uk/ https://www.invent-ed.uk/
Interesting to see this summer camp model emerging in England . Wasn't there to explore that. They have developed lots of simple robots , circuit boards and bots that they use as part of these technical summer schools and are now marketing these too. There are lots of robots and circuit boards about at BETT this year. At least you know these models have been tried and tested through the techcamps.

Frog Education
https://www.frogeducation.com/
This was a select gathering of Scottish Schools folk to have a look at a simple way of comparing learners materials against national standards . Something you might think that primary and secondary schools would have at the heart of their learning infrastructure. I am sure we will be hearing more about this innovative system over next year.

INTCAS
https://www.intcas.com
An early evening meeting with the innovative team behind Intcas, who are well on the way to developing a system that will change the face of international student recruitment and worth tuning into. A superb system for verifying and tracking international learners, it will become invaluable to institutions, learners , their parents and sponsors - through the ingenious use of social media and the harnessing of big data.


Day Two 

Starts with a quick dip into a session on Education and Industry4.0 chaired ably as ever by Bob Harrison with input from the new College of High Speed Rail  . I think there is now a pretty standard slide deck doing the rounds on what Industry4.0  it is delivered well ,  but also some invaluable insights around how the new College will be using virtual and augmented reality in teaching and assessment.

We also hear how well funded all of this is . I think I would have preferred to hear that this was being delivered and funded by a set of pre-existing colleges. But all credit to new college for its vision. I think a trip to see it in action will be a must for many Colleges across the UK.

Annoto
https://www.annoto.net/
A layer ( this is becoming a recurrent theme) that helps teachers and learners make more effective use of video resources no matter what format they are in. The tool can be embedded into any VLE. Interesting and parallels with some other systems I am aware of . Also captures learners interaction with content for learner and for institutional analysis.

Microsoft
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/education
They have a house this year at BETT - maybe they are betting their house on another successful year in Education and learning ? .  As always a lot of good things happening, if anything it reminded me I am overdue a sit down with Andy Nagle and the team in Scotland - they have a big part to play in raising learner and teacher digital literacy . I'm glad to see less minecraft this year and a sharper focus on digital literacy for teachers and learners.

Canvas by Instructure
https://www.canvasvle.co.uk/
If you have spotted some of my postings over the last year - you know I am a Canvas fan. It is just so learner friendly and now adopted by both Stirling University and Glasgow School of Art . There will be some more conversations with Canvas over the next few months and I expect other Scottish Colleges will join in too.

Blended Learning Consortium
http://www.blc-fe.org/
Grabbed some lunch with Peter from the BLC . Is it the best model ?  - I'm not sure - but it works for many Colleges across the UK and I know we are going to enjoy the benefits of becoming a member.

Google Education
https://plus.google.com/communities/103577237113072846685
I've used the link to the Scottish Google Educators Group. There is lots on the open web about Google for Education - there was one announcement around a paid for enterprise edition which I think some universities and training organisations will probably be interested in.

This was biggest gathering I've seen for a while of Scottish school learning technology folk at BETT for any offering, even free drink . The excitement was palpable and Google Apps for Education are excellent.  We will get all of this embedded in our own College's delivery. All learners really need to know their way around microsoft and google products. They should also be shown around a range of open source tools.

Fujitsu Education
http://www.fujitsu.com/uk/solutions/industry/education/
A pleasant dinner with the team from Fujitsu and their partners Intel , Netapp and more,  who are driving out an ambitious learning programme supporting learners and teachers - we look forward to supporting the programmes roll out in Scotland.

Day Three 

Like to Be
https://www.liketobe.org/
Well any excuse to catch up with Steve Wheeler . But the system is worth a look - linking employers to school learners at every stage and doing the important bits that careers guidance still falls very short on. While English and Welsh systems are different I've promised them an introduction to Skills Development Scotland.

Bonadrone
https://www.bonadrone.com/en/
This I think is innovative,  a drone that you print using a 3-D printer , build and at same time  build and create a controller and comes with all the associated teaching and learning materials. A small inside version and a very large drone for flying outside. Looks great for engaging learners of all ages in STEM

ReadSpeaker
https://www.readspeaker.com/
A really nice team and a very welcome cup of tea . I liked what I saw but I do wonder how the authentic voices they use will fair in a world of increasing artificial intelligence and automated voices.

Ollie Bray
http://olliebray.typepad.com/
He is so innovative and fast moving he is not keeping his blog up to date - lunch and a quick chat around both the movement and inertia in Scottish Education.

London CLC and Education Development Trust
https://londonclc.org.uk/
A quick chat about impact CLC and more broadly how the Education Development Trust has supported school transformation and teacher development in England . There is so much that could be learned here by Scottish system. See comment above about inertia.

Nisai Academy
https://www.nisai.com/
A flying visit to say hello to Dhruv and team  - and disbelief that Scottish system is still using peripatetic teachers to visit learners who can't make it to school - when  the learner could be part of an online class with a teacher and classmates everyday - see inertia ;-)

Texthelp
https://www.texthelp.com
Free for teachers still a superb tool grabbed a quick refresher course as I headed for the door

Northern Ireland Stand
https://www.investni.com/bett.html
I'll not rehash arguments I've made in previous years about why Scottish Education needs a stand at BETT . On one stand public education agencies and private companies that support learning in Northern Ireland

Surely one of these years SDS , SQA , SFC , Education Scotland and some of the upcoming learner companies in Scotland might get together ( maybe some Colleges)
Nice to be told I was doing a great job selling Scottish Education by my Northern Irish Colleagues as I ran for the airport.

Someone noted that Department for Education had a large stand - but it did not feature on the BETT Event map ! . The largest stand in the arena this year appeared to be that of CAPITA - shows how much money you can make 'delivering' services to the public education sector in UK.


That's it, quick shout out too to Tony Freedman, Charlie Love,  Lee Ballantyne , Malcolm Payton  and many others I met as I flew around the exhibition area to meetings and a wave to the  NoTosh team who were about too

You've got to move fast at BETT

I headed north just before Teachmeet Bett - looked good - but could not hang around longer.