In order to spread innovation to even more schools than before, in the new year we’ll be running three major regional speed dating events. These will take place in London, Manchester and Birmingham in March, and will offer school leaders from local Primary and Secondary schools the chance to meet some of the latest and most up-and-coming edtech innovations.

This month we’ll be heading out to Dubai for a major innovation speed dating event - the first of its kind in the Middle East. The event will be taking place on 24th November and will see 16 of the world’s most innovative edtech providers - both leading and up-and-coming - meet with school leaders from international school group GEMS Education at The Kindergarten Starters in Al Garhoud.

It’s been a busy year for UK schools, with new edtech, academisation and changes to the exams system on teachers’ minds. As a result, we’ve been working with more educators than ever before. The 2015/16 year saw 621 articles published and 62 speed dating events run, with three major Twitter projects and a new website on top. Here are some highlights from the past 11 months:

Innovate My School has partnered with the Bett Show to back the third Bett Futures. Launched in 2015, Futures brings Bett delegates the most exciting and inspiring edtech startups from across the world. Innovate My School joins BESA, Naace, Edspace Hoxton, The EdTech Exchange and WORLDbytes in getting involved with the future of educational technology. The Bett Show will take place at ExCeL London on 25th-28th January 2017.

Friday 1st July will see High 5 a Teacher Day, a new event celebrating top teaching practices. A Twitter-held holiday, #High5aTeacherDay will ask teachers, school staff, pupils and parents to high-five a teacher / teachers, and explaining what makes their high-fivees special. Those taking part are encouraged to include a video or (well-timed) photo to show off the occasion.

The very first Innovate My School Twitter competition has been launched, and will see one UK school receive a £150 voucher for stationary and classroom supplies vendors Viking. All teachers and school staff need to do is let us know what they’d do with these supplies via tweet to be in with a chance at winning. Entrants should ensure that they’re following us, because the winner will be notified by Twitter DM!

It’s with a tremendous honour that we bring you the Innovate My School Guide 2015/16. Bringing together 21 none-more-enthusiastic teachers, this publication examines 10 key areas of education to inform the year ahead. It discusses the benefits, pitfalls, learning outcomes and future trends of various pedagogic areas, allowing our experienced contributors to share methods and resource beneficial to schools worldwide.

Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy (OBA), a school for 11 - 18 year olds situated in Runcorn, has been singled out by Ofsted as a fine example. According to the Liverpool Echo, the Cheshire-based Academy works with “disadvantaged” pupils to bring the best education possible to the area. Ofsted will be sharing their findings of the OBA inspection with schools across the UK.

Teachers at Swiss Valley Primary are launching an innovative gardening project. According to the Llanelli Star, the school’s pupils were yesterday selling seeds and seedlings at the town’s Indoor Market. This activity mirrors a school garden in Canberra, Australia, where the garden and canteen enjoy a cyclical system.

Dublin’s Larkin Community College has been working with the Abbey Theatre to bring a terrific new surge of creativity into their classrooms. The legendary theatre, also known as Amharclann na Mainistreach and the National Theatre of Ireland, has been working with the local college on their Theatre-Making and Citizenship programme. According to the Irish Times, this initiative has seen students hugely invested in creative learning.

A Turkish student is leading her school’s mission for innovation with her amazing, magnetic shoelace-tying device. According to Anadolu Agency, eighteen-year-old Istanbul student Zuleyha Cakir has teamed up with four friends as part of Darüşşafaka High School’s technology and science project.

iPads are light, have great battery life and are ultra-portable, meaning that those of you who are tired of opening and starting up your PC, laptop or notebook to write a blog have a quick and easy means of doing so.

And with blogging on-the-go becoming increasingly popular with iPad owners, it is important that people have an app that they feel comfortable with.

We scour and sort through the mass of blogging apps to bring teachers the best ones that are easy to navigate, have great support and are rich with useful features.