A program to put Excel on steroids. Loads of utilities that can be applied straight away, no programming involved, and it's free!
Read More
The Raspberry Pi User Guide 4th Edition
Thumbnail sketch of the Raspberry Pi User Guide
I always dread having to open any kind of manual. For a start, it’s against the natural order of things. (I don’t ask for directions either, even when I’m hopelessly lost.) Secondly, they usually seem to be written for people for whom they are superfluous.
Imagine, then, what a pleasant surprise it was to open this book and discover that it is not only well-structured, but an enjoyable read.
I wouldn’t say it is bedtime reading exactly (mind you, I used to read books on Excel functions and VBA before retiring for the night). However, it is very comprehensive.
For example, if you are interested in setting up your Pi to take time-lapse video, this book takes you step by step through the process.
If you’re serious about pushing your Raspberry Pi to its limits, and even if you’re already pretty familiar with what it can do, this book is a must-have for your bookshelf or workbench.
Raspberry PI User Guide (Amazon affiliate link)
This review was first published in Digital Education, our free newsletter. To find out more, and to sign up, please visit the newsletter page. We use a double opt-in system, and you won't be spammed.
Keep going. Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0
10 ways to prepare for teaching Computing
If you're told you'll be teaching Computing from now on, but don't feel competent to do so, what practical steps can you take in order to get up and running?
Read MorePlanning for the Computing curriculum
At first sight, it seems bizarre that despite the fact that many teachers urgently need professional development, and time, in order to be ready to teach Computing, headteachers are not always allowing them to attend courses during school time. A business planning approach by ICT leaders in school could help.
Read MoreComing soon in Digital Education
I'm in the process of planning a few themed issues of my newsletter, Digital Education. Read on for the low-down.
Read More
A screenshot of a print-out of a screenshot
A Visual Basic School Calculator
Back in 1994 I wrote a program for a school-oriented calculator to help me manage my departmental budget. Here are some retrospective reflections on my first Visual Basic program.
Read More
Presentation: 10 stimulating ideas for the Computing curriculum
Here is some information about the EduTech conference in general, and my session in particular.
Read More
Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0
Women and girls and technology: a matter of biology?
Are girls and women biologically predetermined to not be natural programmers? No, I don't think so either. This article contains some interesting points based on recent discussions, and links to (hopefully) useful articles.
Read More
Photo from Stencil CC0
8 Reasons to use project-based learning in computing
I’ve long been an advocate of project-based learning, or PBL. Done properly, it can be much richer in terms of learning opportunities, and more fun. I believe it is entirely applicable to the teaching of the new Computing Programme of Study, for the following 8 reasons.
Read More
Photo from Stencil CC0 licence
Why recipes are a poor way of teaching algorithms -- and why they're not
Recipes as algorithms is one of the themes I'll be exploring in the next issue of Digital Education, which will be out soon.
Other themes include 'Is educational research worth the paper it's written on?' and much, much more.
Read More
Photo from Stencil, CC0 Licence
Drones in the Computing curriculum
If you're considering using drones in your Computing curriculum, where do you start? This article has a few ideas.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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 More