Clare Balding

Wow, wow, wow . . . so 10 minutes before my presentation at ‘BETT Show’ (Bett Global) I get a telephone call to say that Clare Balding would like to come along and watch your session!!! Not only was it incredibly humbling to have Clare sat in the audience and to be so actively engaged, but she then spoke to me at length at the end of session about how inspired she had been by my presentation and how it would change how she posts on social media (she gave example of animating the dogs at Crufts) and also discussed a wide range of ongoing BBC projects which I could potentially get involved with her on. When Clare Balding asks for your business card, you know that you’ve had a good first day at BETT!!! Huge thanks to each and every person (not just Clare) who attended my ‘Tech in the Classroom: Bringing the Curriculum to Life’ session this afternoon. Was amazed with how many people attended, with the room absolutely jammed packed and people sitting on the floor and standing room only. Incredibly touched by the lovely feedback both in the room and online afterwards. A massive thank you to Kim Antoniou and Vicki Edgar from Fonetti for bringing Clare along to my session. Clare is the brand ambassador for Fonetti and like me sees amazing potential in this product as a way of engaging children in reading. Huge thanks also to my fellow Geordie Carol Allen for being the host for my session. No-one who I would rather share this wonderful experience. Great to also have my Lanchester EP headteacher Jane Davis in the audience too and to be such a great supporter of our involvement as a school at BETT. Definitely a day and an experience that I’ll never forget! #bett2022