What's in the November 2018 issue of Digital Education? — ICT & Computing in Education

It’s all go! Illustration by Terry Freedman

What's in the November 2018 issue of Digital Education?

November 25, 2018

Here at Freedman Works we’ve been throwing in ideas, reports, books, magazines, blog articles and pictures into the writing machine I invented some time in 2017, and out has popped the latest issue of Digital Education. Here’s a taster of what’s in it:

Events coming up.

Ed Tech Predictions 2019.
Case study: Knights Templar School.
Prize draw winner.
What I've been reading.
Another four prize draws, for two books.
Competition.
Staying cybersafe: how can schools protect themselves from attack?
Microsoft hardware and software under the microscope.
Articles that may be of interest.
Useful resources.
Amazing ICT.
Marking time, or how I became more efficient at marking and got my life back.
Focus on... Disconnectionism, or Why I've eased off social media.
Last word.

If that sounds good, then do subscribe here: Digital Education. It’s free!

Recent book reviews

Review: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them

One has the impression that the main role of the university these days is to maximise profit, while that of the majority of teaching staff is to ensure the ‘correct’ views are passed on to students. All the while, students’ main concern seems to be to seek protection from anything that might make them feel unsafe.

Review: Next Practices - An Executive Guide for Education Decision Makers

Is a 2014 book on managing the computing provision in a school still worth buying?

Still relevant (sadly): How to lie with statistics, by Darrell Huff

Although this book is over 60 years old, it is remarkably apposite for our times -- and especially in the fields of educational research and assessing pupils' understanding and progress.

Quick looks: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them

It was a great source of pride to me, getting hundreds of students through their A levels and encouraging them to go to university. But for some time I have asked myself a question: would I recommend this route now?

Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

At first glance, you might take this to be one of those books full of affirmations and anecdotes designed to lift your mood.

Review: Small Habits Create Big Change: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Thrive in Your Education Career

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail.

Review: Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning Through the Science of Failing

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it is a little more detailed.

Review: AI Snake Oil: AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail.

When AI can write as well as this, I'll worry! Plus a prize competition.

To paraphrase what Arthur C Clarke said about teachers, any writer that can be replaced by a computer probably should be.

Review: The Shortest History of Music -- two reviews in one!

The music programme of study requires students to possess an understanding of the music they perform and that which they listen to, as well as a grasp of music history, and an appreciation of different musical styles.