Learn Chemistry has launched!
No sooner has the new year begun than we've been as busy as proverbial nectar-drinking social insects.
Learn Chemistry, our new RSC Education resource website, went live on Wednesday 4th January, to coincide with our appearance at the Association for Science Education conference and show in Liverpool.
[Some of the RSC Education team, in front of the spectacular Visual Elements cake. From L-R: Duncan, Lorna (Doyenne of Learn Chemistry), Kat, Nicole, Rio, Ellen, and Amanda.]
Read on to find out about RSC Education and our International Map of Delegates! at BETT 2012...
We spent four days demonstrating Learn Chemistry and our new
Visual Elements Periodic Table in Liverpool, gaining valuable user feedback in the process.
On Saturday RSC Teacher Fellows past and present gave a fabulous, and well-attended,
demonstration lecture, and then we all scooted back to Cambridge to prepare for BETT (British Educational Training and Technology Show).
For some dramatic pics from the ASE demonstration, read
Declan Fleming's excellent post.
So to London, Olympia, and our somewhat more modest stand at BETT. Our space was smaller than at ASE, but no less busy with teachers, administrators, IT personnel and businesspeople from all over the world.
Given the commercial focus of BETT, we sometimes had a hard time convincing visitors that Learn Chemistry was about
Free Chemistry Education Resources. But once we'd reeled them in (sometimes with unconventional leaflet presentation techniques), our visitors were convinced.
The stand was on the terrace level in the 'software zone', looking out over the £100,000+ Microsoft, HP, etc stands in the floor below.
The 'software zone' featured rather nice green stand trim, which unfortunately made the whole thing look sturdier than it was. Every time one of us leant on the stand to talk to a visitor, the whole thing leaned ominously.
But we got over such minor inconveniences to dispense a pile of leaflets, postcards, and information about our new site. Ellen, Alex, Ros, and Ruth all stepped into the breach to assist during a busy week.
It was encouraging to see at BETT how many non-science teachers, TAs, librarians and IT coordinators spoke to us, promising to tell their science teacher colleagues about Learn Chemistry.
If there was a disappointing side, it was that many primary teachers, when asked if they were interested in free chemistry resources, would say "we don't do chemistry, we're primary teachers..." And we wanted to say: "Really?"
But if we can use Learn Chemistry to change that attitude, and reach out to primary students and teachers in the process, then we'll have done well.
BETT is a very international affair. Visitors from as far afield as Colombia came just to see the latest in educational tech. It was exciting to know that we'll have a few more Learn Chemistry users in Iceland, Denmark, India, Singapore, and beyond. In fact, we got so excited about our international visitors that
we decided to map them all, geeks that we are.
When Saturday came, and BETT closed, we were pretty much exhausted. But it was a privilege to have had the chance to talk to science teachers and spread the word about Learn Chemistry.