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This week I, along with a number of colleagues, ventured down to London to represent Learning and Teaching Scotland at the International Handheld Learning Conference 2008 . It was held at the Barbican Brewery.

• Ollie Bray (East Lothian)
• Ian Stuart (Argyll and Bute)
• Mark Pentleton (East Ayreshire)
• Derek Robertson (Learning and Teaching Scotland)
• Laurie O’Donnell (Learning and Teaching Scotland)
• Ewan McIntosh (formerly LTS, now Channel 4)
• Anna Rossvoll (Aberdeen)
• Andy Pendry (Learning and Teaching Scotland)
• Jim Scott (Perth and Kinross)
• Margaret Cassidy (Stirling)

In addition to our own seminars and sessions, here are some of my highlights from my notes:

• Andy Black from Becta- as ever talking about the use of ‘cool’ gadgets to enhance Teaching and Learning.
• Andrew Davis from Clunbury CofE School , Shropshire- talking about using the Nintendo DS, blogging and the ‘3 stars and a wish’ method.
• Nick Hughs from Redbridge, London- talking about using robots in the Primary sector- Sharing, talking, creating, ordering, using robots and ‘Go Robo’ software.
• Gavin Hawkins from Wolverhampton Local Authourity- talking about using ‘SynchronEyes’ at Stow Heath Junior School. During this project pupils and staff were given their own PDA devices. These devices were used throughout the curriculum. You can find out more about his project here on the Learning2go website and the Learning2go weblog here.

There were so many seminars on offer and a number of them clashed, however I really feel excited about the evolution of handheld learning; memory becoming cheaper, devices becoming lighter and smaller and the development of VLEs.

I would like to congratulate my colleagues for their superb presentations. It was great to see how far ahead we are in Scotland with these technologies; And a big well done to Derek for scooping up the ‘Special Achievment Award’  at the awards ceremony on Monday night- well deserved I say! I would also like to thank Graeme Brown-Martin (Conference Chairman) for organising the event and for his outstanding hospitality.

I am sure my colleagues will share a few thoughts with you on their own weblogs

*PS- if you are ever attending an event at the Barbican Brewery please note the following:

1. Get off at the Barbican Tube station.
2. Head straight across the road over the traffic lights and then follow the yellow line for 300 yards.
3. It should then be on your right

-Something that OB and I could have done with knowing on Monday morning as we walked about randomly (being a Geographer, he usually brings a compass!)   

Photo credit: stevewheeler7