.NET Gadgeteer at the BETT Show in London
The BETT Show is a major event in the Technology and Education calendar in the UK and attracts over 30,000 visitors each year. This year BETT was held in the ExCel arena in Dockyards in London.
.NET Gadgeteer was showcased at BETT on the AQA (Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) stand, thus attracting many teachers interested in delivering Computer Science in the curriculum. AQA are a leading awarding body in the UK, now offering a new GCSE Computer Science qualification for 14-16 year olds. Sue Sentance (pictured) was able to demonstrate to teachers how to build a digital camera and explain how .NET Gadgeteer can be used in the school curriculum. Sue has been working with AQA to help teachers learn about .NET Gadgeteer by also running training days across the UK (advertised here).
.NET Gadgeteer can be used within the school curriculum as it is motivating to be able to build devices, but also can be used to learn new programming concepts. .NET Gadgeteer can be used with Visual Basic .NET, already a popular language taught in school, and materials are being developed to support learning VB in school with .NET Gadgeteer at https://www.gadgeteering.net .
At the BETT 2013 show there were thousands of exhibitors, with a strong focus this year on the development of Computer Science within the curriculum, as well as the use of technology in the classroom. There were dozens of inspiring talks as well as workshops, seminars and training sessions. It was a great opportunity for .NET Gadgeteer to be presented at such an exciting event.