T&L offers a preview of new products and services to be unveiled at BETT 2012. Taking place January 11th-14th at Olympia in London, BETT attracts more than 600 educational suppliers and around 30,000 visitors for four days of innovations and inspirations, and provides a venue where education professionals can evaluate and purchase a comprehensive range of ICT products and services.
AbleNet (www.talktrac.com) has unveiled a new product for the TalkTrac line, the Wearable Communicator. The device, designed for children and adults on the autism spectrum, features four messages and two levels for a total of 8 individual messages. The device can be used as an ice-breaker to communicate with friends, family and classmates, or be used to record personal information and to-do lists.
Bamzonia (www.bamzonia.com)
Bamzonia is an easy to use, online resource that teachers students (ages 7-18) about personal finance in a fun and engaging way. It teaches lessons from coin recognition to pensions, wages, budgeting and saving. It’s ideal for traditional or virtual classrooms, and can be used for individual or group learning. Teachers do not need any pre-lesson content preparation to use the resource, and it includes progress tracking features throughout the program.
Britannica Pathways: Science (www.pathways.eb.com)
Encyclopedia Britannica has developed Britannica Pathways: Science, an online teaching resource that helps teachers explain difficult concepts and supports independent learning. The resource encourages the development of key skills, including critical thinking, discussion, research and evaluation. It offers interactive classroom activities and encourages students to examine evident and test hypotheses.
Maths-Whizz (www.whizzeducation.com)
WhizzEducation is showcasing its award-winning system Maths-Whizz at BETT. The system helps improve learning outcomes by building confidence and encouraging linked learning at home and in school. Teachers, parents and students have access to whole-class interactive tools, online personalized tutoring and best practice support. (Visit stand U50 at BETT).
PlayBrighter (www.playbrighter.com)
PlayBrighter combines computer gaming with studying in a unique online platform that offers educational games to engage students. It can be used to teach any subject, and teachers can choose from a database of over 2000 question sets or input their own questions. The subscription package includes high-quality Flash games that focus on a “mission” set by teachers. The results are accessible to teachers in the form of a detailed breakdown of results, and the students receive a mission grade.
Vision2Learn for Schools Course (www.vision2learnforschools.com)
The online learning provider vision2learn for schools has released its latest Full Level 2 qualification, Business and Administration, to help UK students gain practical, relevant skills. The course is one of over 50 accredited online units and resources for levels 1 and 2. The course has an easy to use interface, interactive elements, and graphics to help reinforce key messages such as the principles of supporting change in a business environment. (Visit stand SW4 at BETT).
