Ballyclare teacher speaks at prestigious conferences

Gareth Shaw, from the Geography department at the Rashee Road school, showcased the use of Minecraft in Geography, at the BETT conference.

The conference, which was held recently, is the world’s biggest education-technology show.

Exhibitors from around the world use this show to promote their business and professionals attend seminars on the latest developments in teaching and technology.

Mr Shaw explained how students at the Newtownabbey school built the town of Ballyclare on Minecraft and in the process learnt about settlement theory whilst developing vital skills such a working with others, being creative and problem solving.

He said: “The opportunity to showcase Ballyclare High School on the global stage was great, the whole show has delegates from around the world and its great that our school puts itself out there in the good practice we all do.”

Gareth also presented at the School Leaders Summit on the advantages of using games in the classroom and the challenges faced by teachers whilst using ICT in their classrooms.

He added: “All in all it was a great show. The school has gained valuable insights into what the new trends in teaching are and how our pupils at Ballyclare High might benefit from them. We also got to connect with companies and software developers who want to offer pilots and free equipment to schools, and there’s no way we want to miss out on that.”

BETT provides people with an opportunity to experiment with the latest technology, hear from inspirational figures and experts in the industry and meet peers from far and wide.

The Intel School Leaders Summit showcased the talents of the Intel Education Visionaries programme. This programme is comprised of an elite group of 40 education leaders from around the world who are at the forefront of classroom transformation. If you’re interested in following the Visionaries or becoming one in the future, follow the programme on Twitter @IntelEDU #intelvisionaries.