data entry — Terry Freedman's ICT & Computing in Education blog — ICT & Computing in Education

Pupils don't always benefit from doing it themselves

September 28, 2015

We all know and love the concept of learning by doing. Because of that, many teachers get pupils to type out a program, create a Scratch program or populate a spreadsheet or database themselves. However, there are a number of problems that can arise from this approach.

Why should students type in data?

May 26, 2011

Is there ever any justification for getting students to type in huge amounts of data? It’s a point I raise in my book, Go On, Bore ‘Em: How to make ICT lessons excruciatingly dull.

Recent book reviews

Review: The Illusionist Brain: The Neuroscience of Magic

I was surprised to read some of the clearest explanations of neuroscience I've yet come across.

Review: Nature's Memory

One would think that the stories told by the exhibits in natural history museums are reasonably objective and factual, but apparently not.

On this day in 2010: Review of the Dell Latitude 2110

“Oooh!” “Ah!” “Oh my!”. Such were the collective gasps emanating from the Freedman household when I unpacked the Dell Latitude 2110 Netbook I’d been sent to review. Slim, striking and silent (but enough about me), the Latitude certainly makes the grade as far as aesthetics are concerned. But how does it actually perform?

Quick looks: Listen in: How radio changed the home

Back in the 1930s, radio was the cutting edge technology in the home.

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.