Why create a subject library for Computing? And what should it contain?
Read MoreNew Education Secretary: some thoughts
No. 10 Downing Street, where it all happened. Photo is copyright of www.gov.uk.
Just as I was going to take a bit of a break from updating this website several times a week, in order to focus on a Bett guide, Bett preview and a couple of books, the Prime Minister decided to hold a cabinet reshuffle. So inconsiderate. Anyway, as part of that reshuffle, Justine Greening, the Education Secretary, resigned. She has been replaced by Damian Hinds.
I liked Justine Greening for two reasons. First, she struck me as someone who actually listened to teachers and other educationalists. Secondly, since she took over the reins at Sanctuary Buildings education technology and associated matters were back on the agenda. After several years of 'coding, coding, coding' there was suddenly a real possibility that issues such as digital literacy might be promoted -- really, not just as lip service.
Ms Greening was due to open the Bett show, which was also a good sign methinks, and I had been hoping to meet her.
So, I don't know where ed tech will stand on Mr Hinds' watch. I do know that he faces a few other challenges, such as teacher recruitment, school funding and, I should think, change fatigue. I was somewhat alarmed when I read somewhere that he is a reformist, because what I think we need for a while is a consolidationist, if such a word exists. On the other hand, he did tweet:
Delighted to be appointed Education Secretary – looking forward to working with the great teachers & lecturers in our schools, colleges & universities giving people the opportunities to make the most of their lives.
I note the use of the word 'with' as opposed to 'on' -- always a good sign!
If reform is back/still on the agenda, one especially welcome change would be the reintroduction of a wider variety of IT-related qualifications at GCSE and 'A' Level. As well as providing variety, it would probably go some way to encouraging more girls to take the subject to higher levels. (See the pretty grim statistics I cited in my article about the Royal Society report, After the Reboot.)
This website wishes Mr Hinds all the best in his new role. And if he needs any suggestions of names of educators who have been around for a few years and who also know about education technology I'd be happy to supply them.
Computing in the UK
The Royal Society recently produced its report into Computing, After the Reboot. Here are my notes and comments on that report.
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Bett2018 and other ed tech conferences: Preparing for a full-on week
UPDATED. The biggest ed tech event in the UK -- Bett -- is nearly upon us. But it's not the only conference going on that week.
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Image from Pexels Licence: CCO
What makes a good training day? 10 suggestions and a link
Training days don't have to be dire. If you have choice in how you spend at least some of the day, here are ten suggestions, plus a link to a humorous audio recording.
Read More3 education technology blog posts you should check out
A few useful articles that you may not have come across before. They cover:
- project-based learning
- teen depression and cyberbullying and
- how to reduce the possibility of having your training stolen.
Coming 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 MoreQualitative data is important too
I'm a great believer in using different kinds of data to measure how well pupils are doing, not all of which are quantifiable in the usual sense.
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Photo from Stencil. Licence: CC0
15 Ways To Make an Educational Technology Project Successful
How can you make an educational technology project, for example a school research initiative, successful? In a sense, the fact that it's to do with ICT in education is irrelevant. There are some generic 'rules' which ought to be abided by.
Read MoreInspecting Computing in schools: 6 research questions
The schools inspectorate in England (Ofsted) aspires to become a research hub. How might or should this affect Computing?
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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.
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Picture from GetStencil CC0 Licence
The latest Digital Education newsletter
Exclusive article about the forthcoming changes in the EU's data protection laws, pseudoscience (?), biological determinism, back to school resources and more are in the current issue of the Digital Education newsletter.
Read on for the full list of contents of this free newsletter.
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The early August issue of Digital Education is out now!
Fake news, bad algorithms and drones -- in the latest issue of Digital Education
Algorithms are based on maths, and maths is objective, right? You might change your mind about that when you've read Weapons of Math Destruction, which I've been reading.
You can read my review in the latest issue of Digital Education, plus information about drones, fake news, and going back to school after the summer break, plus a good money-saving offer on an online graphics application, plus a bunch of other stuff. Read on for more details and for a sign-up form.
Read More8 Possible Reasons Your Educational Technology is Underused
If you're the ed tech co-ordinator in your school, and the facilities just aren't being used by other teachers, here are some possible reasons why that's the case.
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 MoreIt wasn’t me wot done it, Sir! The depressing state of Computing as a subject
Here in England, students are voting with their feet: the numbers studying Computing at higher levels are going down. I hate to say "We told you so" but....
It's not as if nobody warned 'them'.
Read MoreMaking the Computing curriculum interesting
The Computing curriculum doesn't have to sound boring and nothing but coding.
Read MoreHow to get the most out of ISTE17 (and other conferences)
Listen to my interview with Vicki Davis about how to get the most out of #iste17 and other conferences -- and grab my book for £0.99/$0.99 or equivalent (plus VAT if applicable) -- a third of its usual price.
Read MoreWhere's the ed tech action? Maybe under your nose!
Not everything is a million miles away or up in the cloud, when it comes to education technology.
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