Introducing Open House @ BETT
Emap Connect is pleased to announce that The MirandaNet Fellowship, an e-community of practice for international ICT policy makers, educators and commercial developers, is among the first partner organisations to take advantage of a new feature of the annual BETT technology event.
Taking place on Saturday 15 January, the Open House @ BETT programme will consist of a number of meetings, workshops and seminars organised by not-for-profit subject associations, teachers’ associations, organisations and networks. Meeting spaces and audio visual facilities will be offered free-of-charge to partners taking advantage of this programme. Groups running Open House @ BETT sessions will also be offered the opportunity to design their own guided tours of the huge exhibition.
Joe Willcox, content director at Emap Connect says: “We are aware of the financial restraints under which many education sector associations and networks find themselves operating, and we understand that these pressures are set to be felt ever more sharply. With this in mind, we were keen to offer partners such as MirandaNet the opportunity to organise meetings, workshops and networking events without incurring venue costs. As further groups confirm their participation in the Open House @ BETT programme, I feel sure we will be reaching out to people for whom visiting BETT is a new experience.”
MirandaNet’s one-day iCatalyst conference will provide an opportunity for international educators visiting BETT 2011 to share best practice and pool knowledge about how technology can be used innovatively to raise the achievement of learners. Participants of this free session will have the chance to collaborate with potential partners from around the world in the design of action research projects based on their choice of innovative educational practices. These include: managing change in teaching and learning; the applications of specific tools; how ICT is embedded in specific subject areas for specific stages of education to enhance learning opportunities. The projects will be published on the World Ecitizens website www.worldecitizens.net.
Christina Preston from MirandaNet says: “BETT 2011 provides the perfect opportunity to bring MirandaNet colleagues together to discuss our plans for an action research project for schools. It is much better to have face to face meetings before developing a proposal, than to do all this online. So far MirandaNet members are coming from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, India and The Netherlands as well as from the UK.
“I have not missed BETT for the last 20 years since it was at the Barbican. I work remotely and BETT, therefore, is my professional village. I cannot think of any kind of substitute for the specialised experience I gain every year from the seminars, meetings, events and parties of course. Many of our best opportunities for projects have emerged from meetings with international government and company colleagues at BETT.”
Emap Connect’s Willcox adds: “MirandaNet is the first Open House @ BETT partner whose participation we are able to announce. Other announcements are imminent as discussions progress with more organisations. Free slots do remain, however, so I would encourage any group keen to take advantage of this programme to get in touch at the soonest opportunity. I am particularly excited about the bespoke guided tours we will be offering to groups who sign up for Open House @ BETT. The groups will be asked to select the exhibitors of most relevance to their work. My team will then be pleased to set up a timetabled series of meetings, arranging for every exhibitor on a tour to have on hand personnel with the expertise to deal with the group’s enquiries. I feel this really adds value for exhibitors and visitors alike.”
For more information on the offerings at Open House @ BETT, and to register for your free visitor pass to the show, please visit www.bettshow.com. You can also check out BETT 2011’s Twitter page www.twitter.com/BETT2011 and become a fan of the Facebook page www.facebook.com/BETT2011.
