What I've been writing: articles around education technology: innovation, parental engagement, teaching programming and digital illiteracy

April 21, 2017

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".

We should expect people in education be technologically literate.

7 suggestions for how to treat willful digital illiteracy in education

April 20, 2017

Why does digital illiteracy seem acceptable in education? I think we should have higher expectations, which I have expressed in these seven suggestions.

The bare essentials: coffee, water, notebook, computer -- and a good book!

An education technology co-ordinator's spring-cleaning checklist

April 19, 2017

Well, it's spring again, and time for a good clean-up. Here is a checklist for the ed tech co-ordinator.

Planning is useful, but is it effective?

The importance of research in education

April 5, 2017

Is your lesson planning informed by research -- and does it matter anyway?

You could put this up on the doors of your computer labs! Photo by Terry Freedman 2017

11 ways to deter colleagues from using education technology

March 22, 2017

Why should other teachers get their hands on all that lovely ed tech? You can't tell them not to use it, but here are 11 tried and tested ways to make them not really wish to.

Digital Education: what's in the latest issue?

March 21, 2017

Assessment, Book reviews, Ofsted: just three of the topics covered in the latest issue of our newsletter, Digital Education.

The London Book Fair 2017 Photo by Terry Freedman

Interim report on the What Works Conference

March 15, 2017

A very brief note about the What Works conference I attended, with a link to my London Book Fair Bulletin #1.

What's in "Education Conferences: Teachers' Guide to Getting the Most out of Education Conferences"?

February 26, 2017

Why did I write this book, and what does it contain? Here's a list of the table of contents, and a short extract. I must have got something right, because so far it's received seventeen 5 star reviews on Amazon. I'm holding the price at £0.99/$0.99 for a short while longer.

Sir Bob Geldof at Bett 2017. Photo (c) 2017 Terry Freedman.

An interview with Sir Bob Geldof, and other articles

February 10, 2017

Here's some information about what's in the latest edition of our newsletter, Digital Education.

Bett 2017: Themes, Strategy and Economics

February 8, 2017

What were the main themes of this year's Bett show? And if you attended, how can you think about strategic decisions based on what you saw?

The state of teaching in the UK

February 7, 2017

Why do teachers leave teaching? Read on for an infographic, and for details of a Department for Education survey, plus a couple of surveys regarding computing teachers in particular.

12 ways to make an event successful

February 2, 2017

Planning a technology co-ordinators' day, a conference or a briefing evening? Here are 12 suggestions to help make the event a success.

Online safety with Romeo and Juliet

February 1, 2017

The technology may have changed, but children don't.

Bett Radio 2017, with Russell Prue

January 31, 2017

Relive the Bett 2017 experience with Russell Prue's Bett Radio. Four days'-worth of chat, interviews and observations. And it's free!

Thoughts on Bett 2017

January 30, 2017

Updated. Some reflections on Bett, plus links to other articles about Bett.

Bett Bulletin #7: two stands to visit at Bett

January 27, 2017

Two pretty good products to see at Bett 2017.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #6: What I've seen, what to see

January 26, 2017

Here's a summary of what I saw on the first day of Bett 2017, and the products and seminars I think worth looking at.

Bett 2017: Wednesday's seminars

January 25, 2017

A selection of seminars going on at Bett 2017 on Wednesday, the first day.

Bett 2017 Bulletin #5

January 24, 2017

More information about #Bett2017, including a seminar I'm chairing, links to previous Bett Bulletins, and information on how you can get more, erm, information.

Click the pic to be taken to book's Amazon page for your country!

Bett 2017 Bulletin #2

January 20, 2017

Read on for an opportunity to purchase this seminal work for a mere 99 cents or 99 pence.

Recent book reviews

Review: Effective Teaching: Evidence and Practice

Although this is a few years old now (2018), it has stood the test of time.

Review: One for maths teachers

This wide-ranging book takes in probability, fractals, astronomy, Babbage, Lovelace and a host of other areas and people.

Reviews: Two for History teachers

Two books on the Nazi era.

Review: One for English teachers

No book about the craft of writing seems complete without a stern chapter on the importance of eschewing adverbs and adjectives - but what to put in their place?

Review: The Great Formal Machinery Works: Theories of Deduction and Computation at the Origins of the Digital Age

If you’re of a mathematical bent this could be just the book to delve into.

Review: How to lie with statistics

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.

Review of Blueprints

I submitted my review of this book to Teach Secondary magazine, an educational magazine in the UK. The first review is what the magazine published. The second one is what I actually wrote! In substantive terms there is little difference between the two, but you may find it interesting to see what the editor altered.

Filming in progress by Terry Freedman.jpg

On this day: Review of the Flip Video

This seems like a hundred years ago! Since the introduction of the Flip Pocket Video Recorder a couple of years ago, several variations on the theme have been put on the market, both by rivals and Flip themselves.

Review: Cabinet of Curiosity - Developing a Superpower

School life ought to consist of far more than just a utilitarian pursuit of exam grades over all other considerations.

Review: Dr Bot - Why Doctors Can Fail Us-and How Al Could Save Lives

In this comprehensive and highly readable Dr Bot, Blease tackles a wide range of issues, including some that are apposite for those working in schools.