Lau provides a useful article that contains much information, based on research, that not everyone will have been aware of.
Read MoreZoom meeting, by Terry Freedman
Why are some teachers reluctant to use educational technology?
In the following archived issue of my newsletter, you might find the following articles in particular interesting:
Why do it? (This reports the results of a survey enquiring into why some teachers shy away from using technology).
Responses to a problem posed in the form of a scenario, about teachers using technology as a reward or a time-filler rather than for serious work.
A preponderance of tech, by Terry Freedman
24/7 Learning vs 24/7 Teaching
I wrote this article , in which I discuss the importance of students having 24/7 access to technology, in 2005. And in 2020 we’re still talking about it.
Read More
On This Day
On this day #15: Technical support
I would say that these days an efficient and effective technical support function is more important than ever. I have been at the sharp end of technical glitches in Zoom and so on, and although I was able to figure them out for myself, it was a very frustrating experience.
Read MoreLosing the Plot: the Importance of Asking, "So what?!"
If, by the end of a lesson, the students are none the wiser about the topic in hand, all that's been achieved is that the teacher can tick off the topic in the scheme of work.
Read More
fake news by Terry Freedman
16 articles and resources about fake news
The following links were included in a recent issue of my newsletter, Digital Education.
Read MoreTips for teaching online -- get it while stocks last!
A few weeks ago I put together a collection of articles on using Zoom, good practice, etc etc, and bundled them into a PDF. You can get this for free just by signing up to my newsletter, Digital Education, but time is running out! The offer ends at 11:59pm on 20th December 2020.
Read More
Target, by Terry Freedman
Hitting the target but missing the mark?
In my opinion, not implementing such changes is at best thoughtless, and at worst indicative of a lack of understanding of the pressures schools are under at the best of times, let alone now.
Read MoreReflections on Technology in Schools in the time of Covid: Part 2
The potential for the education of blockchain technology is huge. It’s largely associated with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but it has far wider implications.
Read MoreInformation technology in schools in 2000
“78% of full-time teachers participated in courses in the past 12 months about the integration of educational technology in their own subject. The perceived usefulness of such courses was directly related to their length.”
Read More
Reflecting, by Elaine Freedman
Reflections on Technology in Schools in the time of Covid: Part 1
A major thing that the Covid-19 pandemic has done is to give us all a huge kick up the backside. We’ve had the technology to enable working from home for years, but there was not much incentive to implement it very widely. It’s a testament to the commitment and flexibility of companies and educational institutions that the educational system didn’t simply collapse.
Read More
On This Day, by Terry Freedman
On this day #12: usability, assessment, tiffs, pointless data and Computing
Gosh! I don’t know if there is something special about the date December 6th — like the Ides of March, say — but I seem to have been astonishingly prolific on that date.
Read More
On this day, by Terry Freedman
On this day #10: Important questions to ask about speakers
Given how much competition there is for our time now that so much is on offer online, I think these suggested questions are as important as ever.
Read More
Who?
Does anyone know Adam from Adam?
I have to say I think it is really insulting to have someone who looks like he has just finished studying for ‘A’ Levels himself telling us why exams are best.
Read MoreOn this day #7: Marking workload reduction
The only thing worse than feeling tired but knowing you have to mark 30 books by tomorrow morning is that feeling of ennui at 5 o-clock on a grim Sunday evening when all you want to do is curl up with a mug of tea and watch a movie, but having those exercise books smirking back at you.
Read MoreThank goodness for the wayback machine
I always find it mildly depressing when I click on a link in an old blog post and discover that it no longer “works”.
Read More
Question, by Terry Freedman
On this day #6: Do we still need schools?
The great and the good who pontificate about how school is no longer needed are the worst kind of hypocrite. They have benefited from a good (traditional) education themselves, and then tell the world that school is no longer needed or relevant.
Read More7 rules for ICT teachers, co-ordinators and leaders (Updated)
Here is a set of rules that I hope you will find useful.
Read MoreOn this day #4: Government initiatives
Well, this is very timely. On 12 October 2018 I wrote an article stating that I have grave doubts about governments getting involved in ed tech initiatives because, somehow, they usually mess them up, or at least the initiatives don’t work. Yet now there’s a report calling for more government involvement in ed tech. No thanks!
Read MoreKeeping your "customers" happy during Covid-19
Just to be clear, I’m not referring to “customers” just in the traditional sense of the term.
Read More