EdTech Competition Launched Nationwide
Global education technology provider Promethean™, has announced the launch of the UK Promethean Grant 2018. Following the phenomenal success of the initiative in 2017, the company has identified a demand in the education sector for a second Promethean Grant in the UK this year.
Promethean has recognised that schools and colleges are increasingly faced with budget pressures and believes this should not prevent them from having access to the latest teaching technology. The Promethean Grant aims to give schools and colleges throughout UK an opportunity to win the latest edtech in a creative competition.
In 2017, the first Promethean Grant was launched in the UK and attracted exciting entries from over 250 schools throughout the country. The initiative was an overwhelming success and has since been introduced in Australia & New Zealand, inspiring more schools to get creative with the hopes of winning new technology.
All Saints HwB in Preston was one of 30 schools chosen by judges to win an ActivPanel® in the 2017 UK Promethean Grant. Mr Rory Dixon, Year 3 Teacher and Computing Lead at All Saints HwB, said: “The Promethean Grant was an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss out on. As soon as I told the children about the competition, they came up with so many ideas and were very enthusiastic. In our class, we’re really passionate about using technology for learning. When I broke the news that we won, the children were in complete disbelief, but we were thrilled. We even had a party.
From a teacher perspective, the ActivPanel is a great addition to the classroom. The connectivity from ActivPanel means that we can mirror and interact with all of our class devices. It’s beneficial to get instant feedback from the whole class. The grant is a generous initiative, and we’d like to say thank you to Promethean.”
In the 2017 Promethean Grant, Tottington Primary school’s entry attracted global interest and a video of Mr. Simon Hunt’s innovative ways of teaching using technology was shared on Facebook by BrightVibes, a platform that shares inspiring and positive stories attracting over 160,000 views.
Simon has been invited to be a part of the judging panel for this year’s competition. “As you will see from our entry last year, we had so much fun creating our video and getting everyone involved. I’m thrilled to be a judge this year, and I will be looking for schools to be more creative with their video entries and make them stand out. Show the judges how you embrace technology at your school, and tell us how an ActivPanel could transform your lessons. Promethean included great tips and guidance on their website for everyone to consider,” said Simon.
To participate, schools and colleges are invited to submit video entries explaining why they would benefit from winning an ActivPanel – the latest interactive front of class display. Entries will be judged on three criterias: creativity, need, and the impact the technology will have if they are successful. 30 winners will be selected to receive a fully installed ActivPanel package valued at around £3,000.
The need to run the Promethean Grant for a second consecutive year is underpinned by Promethean’s State of Technology in Education Report 2017/18, which has highlighted fears over school budget pressures in 2018. The report surveyed over 1,500 educators and found that 72 percent believed budgetary pressures would most impact student education this year. The statistic echoed an agreement by 100 percent of educators surveyed noting that the lack of funds was the biggest reason for unsatisfactory technology in schools.
Alistair Hayward, Promethean’s Head of UKI and ANZ markets, commented: “Schools are under increasing financial pressures. At the same time, they are expected to create state-of-the-art learning environments to improve attainment. As a company, we are incredibly passionate about education and believe all schools and colleges should be able to access technologies that are proven to enhance teaching and learning experiences, which is why we are pleased to host the Promethean Grant for a second consecutive year.”
The ActivPanel acts as a collaborative learning centre and can connect with other devices in the classroom such as laptops and tablets, enabling students to complete tasks from a handheld device or for small groups to use its multi-touch functionality.
A maximum of one ActivPanel can be awarded per school or college, but multiple entries are welcomed.
The competition will open on Monday 19th March and will close on Friday 15th June.
The video entries will be judged by a panel of education experts, including Tottington Primary School’s teaching sensation Mr. Simon Hunt and Charley Rodgers, Editor of Education Technology Magazine.
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