BETT 2024

Education Panel discussion on ” Using Assistive Technology in the Curriculum”

I can’t tell you how many years I have been coming to BETT but it’s more than a few years! This year was different in that unlike any other year two things happened.

I was approached to give my advice about Accessibilty at the show to an independent consultant who was advising on this for all the BETT shows around the world.
Networking – I kept bumping into colleagues I have worked with both in the past and present.

But what impressed me apart from those two things? Here goes:-

Scanning Pens of different types are appearing.

There is a new scanning pen ( not from scanning pens though) called Scanmarker Pro £199.06 . This scans text both online and offline, has a phonetic translator into different languages. A larger LCD display, It’s a touch screen and has a bluetooth and wifi connection as well. And more. I haven’t explored this yet so will write about it when I have.

Alos, the IRISpen Reader. Offers similar options including Photo translation, live recording and live translation. It also as a digital display and in effect is a portable scanner too with two versions the IRIS Pen Air which has the above functions and the cheaper IRISPen Reader which is a basic reader pen.

Cantoo Scribe is an innovative assistive technology software that can adapt content to suit student needs with all the access tools from text to speech to magnification and what excitied me the ability to OCR into PDF and magnify content such as a diagrams and geometric shapes and angles. Can’t wait to try this out too! I have one client I am excited to share this with. Designed by a French company I can see the potential.

A lovely set of people ( they come from Blackburn Lancashire!) not that I am biased have a comprehensive computer coding approach and they work in an inclusive way with pupils with special education needs. It was their first BETT and jamcoding offers pupils and teachers a tailored programme to help teachers understand and use programming even if you are not a computer buff to start with. It’s also got a CPD accreditation which you can put on on your CV. In essence it’s a curriculum.

Another company from abroad brought their dyslexia friendly teaching tool to the show C>onstructor has a visual and multisensory way of buidling words based on scientific research done on how the dyslexic brain works. It’s also able to build on visual memory to find the words you want.

On another front I was impressed with Digital Poverty Alliance who are trying to bridge the digital divide that exist in our national who refurbish and send out to schools and homes technology to help those who can’t afford it. Take a look at what they are doing at https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/ it’s really important and I was pleased to hear they work with AbilityNet too!

Back to software. Class is a virtual classroom that looks a bit like zoom but allows more accessible tools and perfect for Hybrid learning in drawing students and teachers together. It can also look and feel like Teams and this virtual classroom can work effectively in creating a more inclusive classroom. Especially important for us the UK when many pupils have not returned to the classroom since COVID. Take a demo at https://www.class.com/demo

Everybody counts is a online maths curriculum that is priced with school budgets in mind. There are characters of a diverse nature – culturally and disabled characters in the package.

Something I am definitely going to follow up is Teachers Talkk Radio. Over a million listeners this sounds a fantastic way to get information and get your messages out . Tune in at http://www.ttradio.org

Last I featured on Russell Prue’s BETT Radio this year. Take a look and listen at this website – go to Day 3 and 10 minutes in you should hear myself and Dave Presky give an interview about the Power of Assistive Technology film series. https://learnradio.net/home/bettradio/

http://bataonline.org/impact if you want to get your copies of the films designed to stimulate discussion in schools.

Awaiting our slot on BETT Radio

Testimonies

“1’d like to give a shout out to Myles Pilling, BA,M.Ed. and encourage anyone who needs training and support around assistive tech to reach out to him directly. was lucky enough to have several hours of training with Myles thanks to my Access to Work grant. Myles’ training though? Well, it was closer to coaching than training. He didn’t assume. He asked me to show him what I did so he could offer refinements and tweaks.

But the most important thing Myles did was question why I was doing what I was doing; what was the benefit, why was it needed, and if it was what was the most effective way of doing it? No more ‘stick a tech plaster on a Luddite broken leg’ – instead Myles helped me work most effectively with my tech, by helping me figure out when and how I needed it. The absolute best bit? Thanks to working with Myles, I never ever need to do filing again.

Seriously. Never.

Myles helped me set up a system that I would likely never have discovered without him, that allows my work to be recorded and autosaved without a single follow up step.” Leah , Consultant , Search for Serenity

“Accessibility Smyles continues to serve up timely information about the latest and best technology for individuals with unique needs. Always pleased to receive these helpful resources with related links. I share them with parents, educators and others who serve the many with reading and learning challenges. (Thank you, Myles!)” – Jean

“I’ve known Myles for many years, he’s my go-to expert for all this Accessibility, so much so that he’s our resident expert at Anderton Tiger Radio. Whenever we feature this topic he’s always there with excellent advice and guidance, in fact you can listen to him again here from our January radio show https://www.buzzsprout.com/695014/2586430-myles-pilling-talks-about-technologies-for-send-that-have-caught-his-eye-at-bett-2020 Highly recommended, Myles is most definitely one of the top 5 experts in his field in the UK” – Russell Prue, Anderson Tiger

“After one of your recent training sessions, I visited your Techsavvy session and discovered the virtual tour guides. A a result my husband and I enjoyed a splendid trip to Edinburgh. A city I have avoided for a number of years due to its challenges for a wheelchair user due to its very steep streets and cobbles. I think the sessions you have posted are really good and I hoped you would be happy if I suggested these to clients, I am assisting in my volunteering journey. I am also liaising with a local charity who are trying to encourage their older members and I think they too could benefit from your regular hints and tips so would like to suggest they pass on the Techsavvy links. You really are an inspiration.” –

Heather Sneddon

South West Scotland Coordinator , AbilityNet