What is it? Well, it’s not a county-sized bacon sandwich…

If you haven’t already heard of it, BLT actually stands for Better Learning using Technologies, a ‘grass-roots’ network of teachers and educators from the county, focusing on how technology can enhance learning. They’re an inspirational group of individuals, mostly from the schools sector, who freely share their ideas and practice, with a view to identifying successful ‘pockets’ of innovation in teaching and learning and helping to make them part of common practice.

Green screen filming setup at the REAL centre

The group report regularly on projects and case studies – if you’re interested in knowing more about what they and their kids are doing with technology, check out the blogs (which are all collected on the website), twitter (search #NorthantsBLT) or attend one of the group meetings (think TeachMeet but with a specific technology slant).

I attended one of these meetings on Tuesday, held at the RM REAL Centre (Rethinking Education and Learning). The Centre has lots of examples of technology that can be used in schools, and really gave me an insight into the kinds of technologies kids will already be using, often as a matter of course, long before they arrive at university.

Creating animation using webcams and software

Imagine your kids using green screen filming to report ‘on location’, at the Houses of Parliament or the top of a volcano; using an iPod Touch to answer multiple choice questions in class, or to go out and take pictures which can be instantly shared on the whiteboard; using drag-and-drop software to program robots to perform tasks, or simple webcams to create animations…

The day was a lot of fun (as I’m sure you can imagine!) but it wasn’t just about play – this kit can help kids get to grips with the concepts or skills they need, and the NorthantsBLT network is busy making that happen.