The Edtech Podcast

In this episode, we welcome Edward Fitzpatrick, CEO of Conflow Power, to discuss the revolutionary "iLamp." Edward explains how he is transforming the humble street light from a "dumb," single-use utility into a smart, multi-functional device likening the shift to the evolution from a simple watch to a smartphone. He details the groundbreaking battery technology behind it, which allows these lamps to function off-grid by harvesting ambient energy, effectively creating a self-sustaining power source on every street corner. The conversation expands into the critical intersection of energy and Artificial Intelligence. Edward introduces the concept of "AI Factories"—off-grid data centers powered entirely by renewable sources. He argues that as AI's power consumption skyrockets, the traditional grid cannot cope, necessitating a move to decentralized power solutions that can rejuvenate rural areas and farms while supporting the next generation of computing without environmental cost. Finally, Edward highlights the immense educational potential of this technology, inviting schools and universities to witness these innovations firsthand at their site in Warwickshire. He believes that seeing "live physics" and tangible coding applications can inspire a new generation of engineers. You can learn more about these projects at ilamp.com, conflowpower.com, and aifactories.com

In this episode, we explore the intersection of technology, scalability, and human connection. We begin with Peter Lancet from My Trencher, who discusses the "numbers game" university career services face. He explains how his platform provides an "operational layer" that allows small teams to support thousands of students, moving from reactive advice to strategically identifying and assisting those most at risk. The conversation then deepens with Doug Delpha, a Professor at the University of Strasbourg and AI Engineer. Doug advocates for a return to the "Aristotle and Plato" style of mentorship, arguing that while teachers must become AI-proficient, their primary role is to be a protected human figure who can handle sensitive student crises that chatbots simply cannot. Crucially, Doug also issues a wake-up call regarding digital sovereignty, challenging international institutions to build "elasticity" into their systems rather than relying blindly on American infrastructure that could be impacted by geopolitical shifts or outages. We then turn our focus to the administrative side of inclusion with Andy Bell from Trellis. A winner of the CivTech award in Scotland, Andy shares how his team is using AI to alleviate the paperwork burden in Special Educational Needs (SEND) departments. By transcribing meetings and automatically creating first drafts of child plans, Trellis is helping councils and teachers reclaim valuable time, allowing them to focus less on administration and more on the students who need them most. Ready to learn more about the future of learning? This episode is proudly sponsored by Everway and Edmentum. Discover how they are transforming education by visiting https://www.everway.com/ and https://www.edmentum.com/.

In this packed short episode, we sit down with Matt from Canva on Day 3 of Bett 2026 to discuss how the platform has exploded to serve over 120 million monthly active teachers and students worldwide. Matt walks us through the "magic" of their latest features, including his personal favorite, Magic Sort. He explains how this AI-powered tool can instantly organize messy classroom brainstorming sessions into structured topics and documents with just two clicks, offering a massive time-saving advantage for busy educators. The conversation also dives into Canva's ambitious vision for 2026: becoming "truly local". Matt details how they are moving beyond simple translation to ensure design elements authentically represent local cultures and festivals, allowing every student to feel seen. We also hear about major milestones, such as the new partnership to equip every student in Northern Ireland with Canva , and an inspiring story from Thailand where a teacher transformed a dry science curriculum into an engaging, student-led TV show. Although Bett UK 2026 has come to a close, the innovation continues. Visit https://uk.bettshow.com/ to explore the highlights and stay connected with the community. This episode is proudly sponsored by Everway – visit them at https://www.everway.com/ – and by the Bett UK team.

We kick off this final day at Bett UK 2026 with a splash of joy as Dr. Ali Struthers and James from Taskmaster Education take us inside the "Taskmaster Club." They discuss how the beloved TV format is being used to assess the "unmeasurable" skills like collaboration, lateral thinking, and resilience while teaching children valuable life lessons about fair play and understanding that "not everyone is a winner". Turning to the structural side of education, we navigate the complex world of professional standards with Andy Donachie from The CPD Group, who issues a critical warning about the surge of low-quality, AI-generated training and emphasizes why true credibility must remain rooted in human expertise. Rounding out the episode, Michael Forshaw from EdTech Impact tackles the hidden challenge of "shadow apps," explaining how his new "Digital Audit" service helps schools uncover forgotten subscriptions and shift their focus from buying "shiny" tech to measuring actual evidence and impact in the classroom. Although Bett UK 2026 has come to a close, the innovation continues. Visit https://uk.bettshow.com/ to explore the highlights and stay connected with the community. This episode is proudly sponsored by Everway – visit them at https://www.everway.com/ – and by the Bett UK team.

We begin this episode with Andrew from the National Literacy Trust, who unveils the "National Year of Reading" campaign in response to a sharp decline in reading enjoyment among children. Andrew argues that in an AI-first world, literacy is more vital than ever, and shares how connecting texts to students' passions from gaming to sports can rekindle their "reader identity." Next, Connor Gaitley from Edmentum shifts the focus to "career-connected learning." Connor discusses how tools like Major Clarity are helping students explore diverse future pathways whether university or apprenticeships ensuring that education meets every learner where they are and closes no doors. We then explore practical AI tools for the classroom with Will from RedPen AI, a former teacher who turned his frustration with workload into innovation. Will explains how his platform bridges the gap between handwritten work and digital assessment, acting as a "second pair of eyes" to track progress without requiring 1:1 devices. Finally, Liz Crawford from Kahoot! joins us to discuss the platform's evolution from a simple quiz tool to an enterprise-ready learning ecosystem. Liz highlights their new AI generation features, deep integration with LMS platforms, and the 200+ independent research studies proving their impact on student outcomes. Although Bett UK 2026 has come to a close, the innovation continues. Visit https://uk.bettshow.com/ to explore the highlights and stay connected with the community. This episode is proudly sponsored by Edmentum – visit them at https://www.edmentum.com/ – and by Edruption, powering the future of learning at https://edruption.com/.