Here is a round-up of my most recent articles about how to teach online, based on my experience of teaching adults.
Read Morehazardous area by Terry Freedman
Think outside the box, by Terry Freedman
Technology and communication: less leads to more -- Updated
When it comes to communication, being restricted is definitely better, ie more conducive to effectiveness, than having no limits at all.
Read More
Zoom meeting, by Terry Freedman
Hybrid Learning
The first thing that struck me when doing the research for this article is how often the terms “blended learning” and “hybrid learning” seem to be used to mean whatever the writer wants them to mean.
Read More
Zoom meeting, by Terry Freedman
Converting an offline course to an online one
In 2019 I taught an introductory course on blogging, for adults. I was invited to teach it again. Then a small event called a pandemic intervened, so I was told that the course would be moved from a physical classroom to an online one. My reaction? Excellent.
Read MoreBarriers to purchasing education technology
This article outlines some general factors that prevent heads of department and other school leaders from buying products and services.
Read More
The scream by Terry Freedman
Judge not -- again
In my experience, an expectation of compliance was baked in to the system, and that really does mitigate against innovation.
Read MoreWhen it comes to PR, learn from the worst
At best, “corporate guff” deadens the senses of the reader, and is simply regarded as a written equivalent of background noise.
Read MoreReview: Teaching Computing in Secondary School
While the author is an experienced teacher and subject leader, what is striking about the book is the extent to which his suggestions are grounded in academic research.
Read More
Zoom meeting, by Terry Freedman
Working with schools during lockdown: 7 activities that work
A lot of edtech businesses and other organisations provide resources, and some provide lesson plans. Unfortunately, the resources on their own can become just one more free resource, and the lesson plans are often useless.
Read More
The 4 key elements of word of mouth
It’s a challenge to think of what to do in order to stand out, but from the examples given in the book, it doesn’t have to be anything fiendishly difficult.
Read More
On this day, by Terry Freedman
On this day #22: When to be over-cautious
I’ve seen a lot of half-baked initiatives emanating from schools. As for governments, well it’s almost what we’ve come to expect.
Read MoreResearch, teacher training, teachers' email addresses -- in the year 2000
“It seems to me that the folks at the Teacher Training Agency have not so much *lost* the plot as are still looking for it.” Another delve into the edtech issues of the day in the year 2000!
Read More
Discussing, by Terry Freedman
Discussing exam grades with students
Is there anyone in the Department for Education who understands that education is more than issuing edicts?
Read More
Conference, by Terry Freedman
Conference: The future of education technology UPDATED
* UPDATED * The folks at Westminster Forum are running a very timely conference on 11 March 2020, about the future of edtech.
Read MoreConverting an offline course to an online one: ebook
This is a fairly comprehensive account of the steps I went through to convert a course from one I taught in a physical classroom to one I could teach online.
Read More
Me after writing the article
Completed at last: my longest blog post ever
Adult learners may have different characteristics from younger ones (at least theoretically), but decisions like matching the technology to ones pedagogy, how to assess progress, what resources to use, how to conduct discussions — all these, surely, are pretty much the same challenge in both cases?
Read More
In the cloud, by Terry Freedman
Taking a course online
This morning I completed my magnum opus (nearly 3,500 words) on the process I went through when converting a course from one I’d taught in a physical classroom to one I could teach online.
Read More
On this day #19: Who's in charge
Target, by Terry Freedman
On this day #18: 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 MoreOfsted's guidance on "remote learning"
I think that this guidance is useful in making the idea of online teaching sound doable, but there are too few details or links to details that would make it truly useful.
Read More