Expect the unexpected at Bett 2015

Education Technology editor Rebecca Paddick gets ready for Bett, the leading learning technology event

Joe Lawson-West

Every year, thousands of education professionals come together to share ideas and offer advice at Bett, which takes place at the ExCeL London later this month. Last year was my first visit to world-renowned education technology gathering, and it was one with a very clear theme. As we kicked off 2014 the new computing curriculum was the talk of the town. Teachers voiced their concerns of bringing coding into the classroom and children shared their excitement of learning new edtech skills. Education experts from around the world were on-hand to provide essential advice and support to primary and secondary schools during this time of change.

So what’s on the cards for this year? I fully expect to hear and see plenty more about the curriculum changes, and I will be asking; how are our schools coping now? I’ve seen some real success stories over the past few months, where teachers and children alike have embraced the changes and are now storming ahead into the inevitable digital future.

This year though, organisers have said that the focus is specifically on enhancing access to education, through technology. A number of speakers will take to the stage to share their knowledge on how to innovate in the world of education. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan will be kicking off the speaker sessions with a ministerial keynote, whilst Jimmy Wales, Founder of Wikipedia will focus on ‘The new paradigm of open access to information.’

Show organisers also announced the launch of Futures, a new platform to nurture edtech start-ups. The project is being run in association with education think-tank, the Education Foundation, and involves a panel of educators selecting 30 new businesses with solutions that will have the most impact on education.

So, as organisers take a more general view of the edtech industry at this year’s show, I’ll be unmasking the key themes tipped to make waves in the sector over the next 12 months. Will MOOCs see further growth? Is BYOD on the up? And how is the new curriculum turning our classrooms into the learning environments of the future? Stay tuned to find out.

As always, I’d love to hear your views. What do you expect to see at Bett, and how do you think the edtech sector will change in 2015? Email me: rebecca.paddick@wildfirecomms.co.uk