My best IT training days -- index

September 26, 2020

Technology goes wrong from time to time, but isn’t it wonderful when the technology and the training go well?

My Best IT Training Days #6: It's like dating for the first time!

August 19, 2019

An interesting piece of feedback related to training in using education technology in lessons!

My Best IT Training Days #5: The girl with the website

August 12, 2019

Why knowing what the pupils in a class do digitally in their spare time can be a good idea.

My best IT Training Days #4: Using Year 7 kids

August 5, 2019

What were the benefits of using children to take a staff IT training session?

The Press Association, by Terry Freedman

My Best IT Training Days #3: A visit to the Press Association

July 29, 2019

In this article I itemise the things which made a teacher visit to the Press Association in London so valuable. Perhaps it can serve as a checklist of “like-to-haves” for any teacher visit that you are organising.

My Best IT Training Days #2: Website development

July 25, 2019

How can you ensure that teachers who have signed up for your training day get the most out of it? The answer may prove unintuitive.

My best IT training days #1: The Science Department

September 13, 2018

As a complement to my series of articles about my worst training days, I’ve started a series about my best ones. I believe we can learn from both sorts. In this article, I relate an experience of running a twilight training session for a secondary school science department.

Recent book reviews

Book review: The best writing on mathematics, 2016

I think this could be an excellent resource for teachers of mathematics.

For your Eng Lit colleagues? The Penguin Book of the International Short Story -- two reviews in one!

I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote!

Two reviews in one: Turner and Constable: Rivals and Originals -- art and history

One for your colleagues, perhaps: art, art history, ploitics with a small ‘p’.

Two reviews in one: State of Ridicule: A History of Satire in English Literature -- politics, history, English

One for your colleagues, perhaps. Sperrin has provided a wealth of information that can be used to provide a rich experience for students of politics, history and English literature.

Two reviews in one: A Little History of Mathematics

I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review below is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

The Learning Rainforest Great Teaching in Real Classrooms Great Teaching in Real Classrooms.jpg

Review: The Learning Rainforest: Great Teaching in Real Classrooms

This is a great book for dipping into in order to read about different teaching and assessment strategies, backed up by research.

Outstanding Formative Assessment Culture and Practice.jpg

Review: Outstanding Formative Assessment: Culture and Practice

This book contains numerous assessment for learning techniques.

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Review: New Media in the Classroom: Rethinking Primary Literacy

This provides a great deal of information about the different aspects of "literacy” and how digital tools can be brought into the service of literacy in the primary school.