As technological advances are racing in what some believe to be the 4th industrial revolution, they open the door to the most innovative educational technology (edtech), and the Bett Show was an impressive demonstration of this.

After blowing away the Bett Show crowds last month, Minted Box are on a mission to help schools make 2018 their most disruptive year yet. The innovators behind technology used by Tesco, Vodafone, Royal Mail and hundreds of other companies are perhaps most widely known for their seating planner MINTClass, but it’s their new facial-recognition platform that’s likely to steal the spotlight this year.

I love the idea that Innovate My School is devoting a whole month to celebrating the mavericks and mayhem makers, the change agents and secret agents, the innovators and instigators and anyone not so classified who is trying to make change in education. I think I might qualify for inclusion. I was once profiled in a series entitled The Innovators. If you are ever desperate for distraction, you can use this link.

Ian Hunter is CCO at WCBS, a global organisation and market-leading supplier of next-generation true cloud information management software for schools. Ian has spent many years working in the edtech arena, and believes that WCBS has an outstanding product portfolio, delivering a transformational change to schools on a daily basis. Ahead of GESS Dubai (27th February - 1st March), Ian writes about why many schools need to rethink their information management...

Want to make a change for schools? Perhaps you are a teacher with a great idea, or maybe you are a small edtech business already trying to disrupt the face of education. Until 28th February, we’re calling on edu-aspiring disruptors to take part in the Cool Initiatives Education Challenge. This competition is all about finding technologies that can help address real-world education challenges. Cash prizes of up to £10,000 are on offer for the most interesting and innovative ideas, products and services aimed at schools and schools-age learners.

Education is ripe for disruptive change, leading to innovative practices that improve learning outcomes for our students. What might have worked in the past will not necessarily have the same impact today, as the world has changed dramatically in a short period of time. It’s safe to say that the seismic shifts we are witnessing as a result of technological advances will continue to reshape our world in ways that we could never have imagined. Disruption has become commonplace in the new world, and organisations have moved from adaptation to evolution in order to not only survive, but more importantly, thrive.

Want to shake things up in education? Some of them may balk at the idea of being praised as a positive disruptor, but these 15(ish) champions of change will help you to make a difference.

Teachers understand the power of visualisation in learning which is why the use of interactive whiteboards, projectors, virtual learning environments and tools such as mind maps are so prevalent. So why isn’t visualisation being applied to help schools manage their buildings and assets?

We posed this question to a selection of edtech leaders from a wide variety of backgrounds. These people come from a variety of organisations, countries and areas of expertise, taking in fields such as SEN, interactive displays, cybersecurity, computing and small, colourful Danish bricks.

With resource constraints, schools in the UK will be primarily focusing on their school improvement plans and staff retention. However, there are some edtech trends slightly over the horizon which we will start to see come into play beyond the immediate and day-to-day: