The Read Aloud Cloud: An Innocent's Guide to the Tech Inside, Forrest Brazeal, Wiley, £18.99
What a strange book this is! At first glance, it looks as though it has been written for ten year olds. With large cartoons, and a rhyming script, it looks attractive but its childish appearance could put older students off. That would be a pity, because the topics it covers, from the evolution of the cloud to privacy concerns created by the internet of things, are very serious. Moreover, the ordinary text beneath the cartoons is straightforward and clearly written.
Although it covers a niche subject, “Cloud” could be drawn on to cover the Key Stage 3 requirement to “understand computer networks, including the internet; how they can provide multiple services, such as the World Wide Web, and the opportunities they offer for communication and collaboration”. It will suit non-techie teachers as well. The odd Americanism is slightly jarring, but not a deal-breaker. Definitely worth buying as a reference book.
This review originally appeared in Teach Secondary magazine.
Terry Freedman qualified as a teacher in 1975, has written for educational publications since 1989, and has published this website since 1995.
