constraints — Terry Freedman's ICT & Computing in Education blog — ICT & Computing in Education

The value of constraints: a note about the Oulipo and computing

June 12, 2025

The early Oulipians in particular were interested in how mathematics and literature could be combined. Calvino, for example, wrote about using cybernetics in literature.

Feedback From A Course Called Writing The Oulipo

July 18, 2022

It’s been estimated that if you were to read one a minute for 24 hours a day it would take you around 200 million years to get through them all.

Applying constraints in the computing classroom

February 20, 2020

Constraints can be very useful for releasing creativity. This has been known for a long time in literature, but can it be applied in the ICT/computing classroom?

Innovation fund cover, by Terry Freedman

Constraints can be good for innovation - Updated!

February 4, 2020

UPDATED! Constraints may not always be a bad thing, and sometimes can even be positively advantageous.

Recent book reviews

Backlist: The Written World

Writing was invented ‘only’ a few thousand years ago. It’s a fascinating story.

Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce

What does it take to become an expert? And what can the Computing teacher do about it?

Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution

The title of this book invites curiosity: what were the other three ‘revolutions?

A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps

Some of these stories are so richly told, it can almost seem as though you’re right there with him.

Review: Pen Names

OK, so this has nothing to do with education technology, but we all read (I hope!). A very interesting examination of the pen names some authors have adopted, and why.

Review: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History

There's a really interesting section in this book about how ceramic storage of data and information is probably the most likely medium to stand the test of time.

A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps

The subject under discussion here is how human physiology has developed in different ways, in response to different conditions around the world.

Review: Social Media for Academics

This book is very readable, and if I sound surprised that is because it’s not always true of academics!

Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example

For the time being, this book is free in Kindle format.

Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too

Despite the relative paucity of immediately obvious National Curriculum links, teachers will find several of sections of this book to be highly engaging.