Although I slowed down over the Easter break – at least in terms of writing blog posts – I did write a few articles. Here is a selection that you may find interesting and useful. While you’re reading those, I shall be working on the next edition of the newsletter Digital Education.
Read MoreMore testimonials about my Assessing Computing course
I don’t usually like to blow my own trumpet/toot my own horn, but I thought these comments were so nice that I’d share them. I’m one of those people who, if I see a delegate looking a bit fed up, I start to wonder if they are going to storm out and demand their money back or something. I mean, it could be that they are worried about their gas bill, or that that is just their normal expression, but I start to worry anyway. So nice comments are always a bonus. Look at this one, for example:
Handsome, debonair and erudite, the presenter dazzled us with his brilliance and –
Oh, wait a minute. That’s my own self-evaluation.
Why you should collaborate on a Computing scheme of work
At the end of the article 7 Characteristics of a good Computing Scheme of Work I said that people should work with other people on their Computing scheme of work. Why?7 Characteristics of a good Computing Scheme of Work
So what are the attributes of a good ICT and Computing scheme of work? Here's the list of what I've always looked for:
Read MoreAn article that I suppose might be called an infomercial
"Erm, tell me, Terry. How do you actually earn money?" This is a question that I am constantly asked because, I think, I don't do a lot of self-promotion as far as drumming up work is concerned. I've tended to rely on word of mouth referrals, but in order to pre-empt the question I quoted at the start of this paragraph, and because I think I ought to be a bit more overt in my approach, I thought I'd write some articles about what I do for a living.Send in the e-Cadets! Making kids responsible for e-safety
I came across the eCadets scheme recently, and mentioned it in the special e-safety edition of Digital Education. I thought it sounded very interesting. With schools looking for more sustainable eSafety solutions I caught up with the co-founder of the innovative eCadet scheme, Henry Platten, to find out how to create a lasting eSafety legacy in your school. Ever come across those schools where the e-safety “policy” consists of a Local Authority template with the blanks filled in with the school’s name, and stuck in the bottom of a filing cabinet in the headteacher’s office? Well, the e-Cadets scheme aims to change all that by giving the children themselves responsibility.Safer Internet Day
In time for Safer Internet Day, we published a special e-safety edition of Digital Education, the ezine for those with a professional interest in education technology. Here is some information about three of them.
Read MoreTaking stock of the new Computer curriculum: 5 key questions
Now that the new Computing curriculum in England has been running for nearly a term, it's a great time to stand back and take stock. Actually, I recommend doing that even if you are not in England and/or have not needed to change anything. Here's a list of 5 questions you might care to ask yourself:Should philosophy influence educational policy?
You might think that philosophy has little to do with education in general or Computing in particular, but the concept of “smart thinking” espoused in the following article by Mel Thompson certainly has resonance with “computational thinking”.
Read MoreEducation Technology Research Focus: Steve Wheeler
Steve publishes the Learning with E's blog. The articles are not only very thought-provoking, they often also include references so you can follow up the reading for yourself. At the moment, Steve is writing a great series on learning theories. I asked him to tell me about his current research.My Informatics scheme of work part 1
I thought it would be interesting to dig out my scheme of work for Information Technology – as it was then then – from 1997. It was based on the Informatics scheme of work published by the now defunct organisation Acitt. Acitt was a subject association for ICT Co-ordinators. I helped to shape the Acitt scheme of work, but the one I used myself was a variation, adjusted to meet the circumstances pertaining to my school. I’ve reproduced it below.Assessing Computing: the need for a manual override option
When I was crazy about film-making as a teenager (see I was a teenage geek) I never liked using fully automated cameras. Yes, they were convenient, and they saved you the bother of having to think too much, and the results were passable. But they left no room for exercising one’s professional judgement. Using a camera with a manual override button enabled you to find out what the camera “thought” the aperture and other settings should be, and then use them as a basis for your own decision.Big ideas for ed tech leaders: Know your data, part 2
I have already looked at the data you need in your role as leader of the subject Computing or ICT or similar. What sort of data do you need as e-learning co-ordinator or similar? Here’s what I think. Not every item on the list will be applicable to everyone’s situation, so take the bits that work for you and ignore the rest. I hope you find this list useful.
Read MoreBig ideas for ed tech leaders: Know your data, part 1
Although I was good at statistics at university, it’s not an area that I especially warm to. However, even if terms like “grade point average” leave you cold, I think you have to collate some data to be an effective leader of education technology.Big ideas for ed tech leaders: What’s your self-talk?
When I was in my teens I wanted desperately to get involved in television production, especially the filming and editing side. So I was delighted when one day there was a the start of a new behind-the-scenes series about how television studios operate. Well, the presenter started off by saying, “This looks boring, all these cables and wires everywhere, but…”. Then, a few minutes later, “This is a boring part, but…”. After 15 minutes I switched channels. I’m not even sure that the series was completed. Who wants to be told that the thing they have given up their time to watch is ‘'”boring”?Getting the Best out of Bett 2015: a reminder
Bett 2015 kicks off in a few hours' time, so this is just a reminder that my guide to Bett 2015 is now available. It contains over 200 hints, tips, suggestions and opinions. It even contains a detailed floor plan -- the first such guide to do so! It's in pdf format, but as it's quite hefty I suggest you download it onto your phone or tablet and read it on the screen.Big ideas for ed tech leaders: Who’s in charge?
Unless you’re fortunate enough to be able to have carte blanche over the design of your school, your technology budget, how Computing or ICT is taught, and who teaches is, you are going to be the inheritor of someone else’s legacy.
Read MoreBig ideas for ed tech leaders: Don’t focus on the goal
As an education technology leader you need to have a vision, you need to have goals. But once you have established the vision and goals, it’s a good idea to forget about them.
Read MoreBig data: is small beautiful?
According to the 2014 Horizon Report for K-12 education (ie Kindergarten to 18 years old), big data and analytics will be adopted by education within the next two to three years. Big data. It’s the current buzzword in education (one of several, at least), but what exactly is it? And is it really of any practical use? And should we be using it anyway?When it comes to coding, how secure is your network?
Darren Bartlett outlines the options.
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With a new Computing curriculum that focuses on students learning to code and writing simple programs it’s important for school ICT and Computing heads, teachers or those responsible for ICT/Computing to make sure their school network is secure and able to handle the new requirements without compromising the rest of the system.
Here are a few considerations to help with that and make sure your data is safe and the students can enjoy exploring new learning securely.