In light of the issues and policies affecting teaching and learning today, including a review of the national curriculum and a much tighter budget, it is becoming increasingly apparent that schools will now need to consider carefully the resources required to meet their development plans. Exclusive offers and discounts from exhibitors at the show provided unique opportunities for cost-effective procurement that visitors were eager to take up.
The Education Show 2011 also hosted a variety of exciting and well-received feature areas. Resources Live was a new zone offering practical demonstrations of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) resources in action, enabling teachers to pick up inspirational new ideas to use in the classroom and help bring these subjects to life.
Advice for those teaching pupils with special or additional educational needs was particularly valuable following the announcements of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Green paper just prior to the show and the subsequent changes set. On hand to provide this guidance were nasen, the UK’s leading SEN organisation, manning the Information Point. Visitors could visit a range of exhibitors to compare and test resources designed to improve outcomes for SEN students.
2011 also saw the return of two popular zones that offered teachers a taste of the innovation to be found throughout the sector. In its second year, the BETT Zone was dedicated to showcasing the best of technology in education and allowing practitioners the chance to experience the latest products and gain advice on the practical implementation of technology. With technology moving at an ever expanding rate, the BETT Zone exhibitors were ideally situated to offer insight into the way in which technology is changing the direction of teaching, learning and the management of schools even in a time of ongoing change in the sector.
The Innovation Zone was testimony to the belief that innovation drives industry and education forward. Education is and always should be a sector in which innovation is nurtured, but it can be difficult for the smaller business to thrive. The Zone uncovered a host of never before seen ideas, resources and suppliers from some of the smaller start-ups to engage teachers and students alike, celebrating the diversity of the sector and a range of imaginative and inventive ideas.
For the first time in 2011, the show offered over 80 free accredited peer-led CPD seminars and workshops to enable teachers to discover the latest and most effective teaching methodology across all subject areas and key stages. Entitled ‘Learn Live’, the sessions were delivered by leading practitioners and addressed all areas of education in a series of targeted sessions designed to inspire, provide best practice examples and practical ideas for attendees to take back to their own classroom.
Also new to the show this year was a series of popular workshop sessions. The ‘Achievement for All’ workshops presented an ideal way to improve access and achievement for SEN pupils. Based on a national project developed by the Department for Education (DfE) and in partnership with the National College and National Strategies, the workshops offered advice, guidance and inspiration for educators on assessment and learning, pedagogy and parental engagement. Literacy, numeracy and phonics were also key to this year’s show with a comprehensive free workshop programme delivered by leading publishers Scholastic, Oxford University Press and Pearson.
The Education Show returns from 15-17 March 2012. To discover more, and for a comprehensive directory of educational suppliers, visit the Education Show website.
