If you're considering using drones in your Computing curriculum, where do you start? This article has a few ideas.
Read MorePhoto from Stencil, CC0 Licence
What I've been reading: Weapons of Math Destruction
What's worse than being governed by algorithms? Not even knowing what the algorithm is doing. This very timely and readable book lifts the lid of what goes on in many walks of life.
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Photo from GetStencil, CC0 licence
Social media traffic sources: a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Where is your website and blog traffic coming from? In this article I discuss the problem of self-fulfilling prophecies, and suggest three ways to find out where your audience is.
Read MoreComputing Curriculum Conundrum: an analogy
A comic strip that, for me at least, encapsulates what has befallen the Computing curriculum in England.
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Photo by Jills, issued on a CC0 licence.
The Computing curriculum in England: A timeline of hopes and experience
Has the Computing Programme of Study been an unequivocal success? In my article It Wasn’t Me Wot Done It, Sir! The Depressing State Of Computing As A Subject, I said that many students were voting against Computing qualifications with their feet, and also that girls were under-represented. Moreover, I stated that the situation was entirely predictable (many of us indeed had predicted it).
In this article I set out what I see as the key milestones in the journey to where we are now. I have included quotes from the sources, and also given the source in each case so that you can check out the sources yourself.
Read MoreDroning on: Review of Drones in Education
What a fascinating idea: using drones as part of the curriculum. This book tells you much of what you need to know.
Read MoreMaking the Computing curriculum interesting
The Computing curriculum doesn't have to sound boring and nothing but coding.
Read MoreOur lives in data: London transport
How is your travel data used, and what the trade-offs in terms of private costs and benefits? This is the second post in a series about data and privacy, and artificial intelligence.
Read MoreOur lives in data: privacy
How much data are you prepared to give away, and what are you prepared to allow organisations to do with it? The answers in my case surprised me.
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Writer, by Waldryano. CC0 licence.
What I've been writing: articles around education technology: innovation, parental engagement, teaching programming and digital illiteracy
Here are links to a few articles I've written recently. They cover parental engagement, innovation, how to teach computer programming and, finally, "digitally illiterate and proud of it".
Read MoreMaking and coding
Is 'making' really an effective -- or cost-effective -- way of learning programming? Guest contributor Derek Blunt has his doubts.
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Don't let this happen to you!
National Backup Day: points for discussion, and 8 potential elements of a Computing project
Some topics to discuss arising from a recent survey, plus a possible Computing project for your kids.
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It was much easier in the old days!
More assessment resources, and a change of cover
I've been adding resources to the list for my forthcoming course, and changing the cover of my book.
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So what makes you think I love reading? Photo by Glen Noble.
What I'm reading: books on digital literacy and Raspberry Pi
Three more books coming up for review -- on the subjects of the Raspberri Pi and digital literacy.
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A very readable book.
What I'm reading: Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security
My first impressions of a new book about computers, networks and data.
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Maybe you should have checked the tech first! Photo from pixabay.com CC0
A useful rule of technology
What do trainee teachers or colleagues who are new to education technology need to know?
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Sir Bob Geldof at Bett 2017. Photo (c) 2017 Terry Freedman.
An interview with Sir Bob Geldof, and other articles
Here's some information about what's in the latest edition of our newsletter, Digital Education.
Read MoreBett Bulletin #7: two stands to visit at Bett
Two pretty good products to see at Bett 2017.
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Back to BASICs
Bett 2017 Bulletin #3
I know from past experience what next week at Bett will entail, so I've written a program to summarise it....
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Computers, life and work: some interesting 'background' reading
Here's a selection of very interesting and articles -- and one book -- about artificial intelligence, and how it does, or may, affect us. It includes a sobering list of jobs which no longer exist, and a debate.
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