One of the most interesting videos on show, was this explanation of web 2.0:

Ian Usher has a good though (quite evaluative - opinionated?) summary of many of the sessions - just go to the blog through the link above.

Becta has just issued guidance on funding for schools and local authorities for 2007/08, which can be downloaded here.  The key bits of information seem to be:

1.2 Schools and LAs receive funding for ICT through the following grants:
• Devolved Formula Capital
• School Development Grant
• Grant 121: National Digital Infrastructure for Schools
• Grant 122: Electronic Learning Credits (eLCs)
• Grants 125 and 210: Computers for Pupils
1.3 Although the Devolved Formula Capital and the School Development Grant do not have a specific identifiable allocation for ICT, schools have flexibility and autonomy to decide how they spend their funding across the full range of learning technologies. The decision about how much a school spends on ICT should be based on its individual needs and priorities. Schools may wish to take advantage of the three-year carry-forward available for the Devolved Formula Capital to take a more strategic approach to their ICT investment.
1.4 There is greater funding available for ICT than ever before. It is therefore important that schools consider the grants as a whole and decide how they can be used strategically to achieve their individual aims and help meet the Government’s priorities for education.
1.5 Two of the grants remain ring-fenced. Grant 121, National Digital Infrastructure for Schools, is LA retained, with the greater proportion match-funded. Grant 122, eLCs, is also ring-fenced to Curriculum Online approved digital resources.

There is more detail in the document. 

A group of ASTs in Norfolk got very excited at the prospect of sharing their work, training and resources with colleagues all over the world.  They were introduced the the merits of Web2.0 and are now fully set up with their own blogs.....Blogging and social bookmarking

Sharing your work Online  

 The second group of advanced skills teachers also took to the blogging like ducks to water. Admittedly, not everyone went into the deep water straight away.  However, all ASTs could see the application of this technology in relation to their work. Hard graft is likely to be required to catch up with the thousands of hits that one AST blog has already had.  A useful discussion highlighted the need and some of the opportunities to share the blog with teachers during support, courses and other cpd arrangements.

What an interesting and full day!!

We visited two vocational schools/colleges with a very interesting profile of educational offers.  I took notes (20 pages!!)  and will include a synopsis of them here as soon as I get a change.  There was also an opportunity to observe an English and a Maths lesson, both of which utilised ICT in some way.  A lengthy introduction to the German School System in Saxony allowed me to get up to date with educational arrangements for pupils in my home country.  A short visit to some of the sights in the evening was followed by a great meal in a fantastic cellar restaurant (Sophienkeller).  We were joined by a colleague working for the ministry of culture (they oversee education), who is supporting schools in Saxony with an e-learning platform based on WebCT.  This allowed for some interesting conversations about the need to structure and the value of constructivist approaches to e-learning in school based education.  We also had a slightly different take on the importance of content organised into courses for teachers rather the by them and systems for quality control.

I will post the pictures in Flickr and update this post with a link.