Planning a digital strategy without a planned budget

July 8, 2021

In my experience, few headteachers feel comfortable about a rolling commitment to spending money in a particular area, and even if they do sign up to the idea, circumstances can change.

Conference: The future of education technology UPDATED

February 15, 2021

* UPDATED * The folks at Westminster Forum are running a very timely conference on 11 March 2020, about the future of edtech.

Not So Fast (Updated)

October 29, 2019

I once worked out, around 10 years ago, that there was a new education initiative on average every two weeks.

The new DfE education technology strategy: a textual analysis

May 2, 2019

The recent ed tech strategy from the Department for Education leaves much to be desired, not least because it’s so boring to read. I ran it through a word cloud and a textual analysis application. Here are my findings, along with recommendations and the introduction of my new SnoreMaster Awards.

My summary of the new ed tech strategy

April 29, 2019

I’ve drawn a picture to illustrate my feelings about the DfE’s ed tech strategy.

Forward to the past? Becta’s startegy challenges. Photo by Terry Freedman

The Department for Education's Ed Tech Strategy: better late than never?

April 3, 2019

My initial reflections on the Department for Education’s education technology strategy which was launched today. A bit like the curate’s egg, parts of it are excellent.

Recent book reviews

Review: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Hopefully, neither you nor I will ever find ourselves in court, undergoing a medical procedure, or taking an important exam.

Review: Finding Fibonacci: The Quest to Rediscover the Forgotten Mathematical Genius Who Changed the World

Finding Fibonacci is a memoir of the authors’ quest to find out about Fibonacci.

The Teachers' Standards in Primary Schools.jpg

Quick look: The Teachers' Standards in Primary Schools

This is very well set out. It takes each standard, and gives you ideas on how to achieve it, and what success in this context looks like.

How Computer Games Help Children learn.jpg

Quick look: How Computer Games Help Children learn

When I was teaching Econnures I realised that I could have taught quite a chunk of the synabus if I'd been able to run Sim City on the school network.

Quick look: Reinventing Project-Based Learning

I can verify from first hand experience that PBL kept students highly engaged, and helped them to develop skills such as working with others and independent research.

Quick look: The Human Touch

Although this book is published by the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, the focus is not on IT at all.

Quick look: Better Living through science

I have often thought that I would have been much more interested in science at school, and been much more successful at it, had the teachers taught us anything of practical value.

Quick look: Tubes: Behind the scenes at the internet

We are all so accustomed to using the internet, searching the world wide web — "going online" — that most of us most of the time probably do not stop to consider the question: yes, but where exactly is it?

Quick look: Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) do leaders make a difference?

I have somewhat dichotomous views of this question of whether leaders make a difference, or much of a difference.

Review: Power Up, by Matthew Lane

This book looks at the maths concepts — and, to some extent, the physics concepts — hidden in popular video games.