This is an article I originally published on 2 October 2017. The conference it refers to has been and gone, but I’ve added a few annotations relating to my methodology.
Read MoreTo put it Bluntly: Ofsted jargon revisited
Derek Blunt takes issue with inspectors' jargon. Should you ever find yourself looking for examples of what Kenneth Hudson referred to as “diseased English”, I think you could do worse than looking at Ofsted guidance or listening to Ofsted pronouncements. Ofsted is the name of the schools inspectorate in England,
Read MoreCase studies: A great tool in your marketing armoury
It’s all very well writing about the features and benefits of your product, but how do potential buyers know what it would be like to use in practice?
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What's the point of your product?
A few years ago I read a review of a new product in a popular technology magazine, and by the end of the article, I had a pretty good idea of whether or not the product was any good.
The only thing I hadn’t managed to find out was what it actually did.
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Question mark - Terry Freedman
National Coding Week: why?
I’ve always been of the strong opinion that (a) people should talk about programming, not coding, and (b) people learn best on a kind of need to know basis.
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My (somewhat jaded) view of most high-profile Government ed tech initiatives
The trouble with government education technology initiatives (Updated)
A possibly cynical take on government-funded initiatives for education technology in schools.
Read MoreTo be an ed tech maverick, you need to be sensible (updated)
What does it mean to be a maverick? To me, it means not going along with the general consensus about something, just because it’s a consensus. There is always a natural tendency to think “all those people can’t be wrong”, or “there’s no smoke without fire”, but in fact all those people could be wrong and there could be smoke without fire.
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exasperated, by Terry Freedman
Erm, thanks but no thanks. I write about ICT, not PMT
Have you ever seen an article on here about pre-menstrual tension?
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Frustration, by Terry Freedman
An archival experiment
The archive on this website keeps disappearing, and while the problem is easily fixable (temporarily), it’s extremely frustrating. Here’s my workaround.
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Zoom meeting, by Terry Freedman
Virtual conferences: are they worth it?
It’s good that although many conferences have had to be cancelled, or at least deferred, some transitioned to being online. However, are such events worth your money or your time?
Read MoreMission Statement? For heaven's sake!
If an organisation is so hung up on its image that it wastes time and resources on thrashing out a mission statement, what does that tell you about its priorities?
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Archives, by Terry Freedman
On this day: my blogging course contingency plan
Like many other people, last year I was in the position of having to run my introductory course about blogging online. Just in case things went pear-shaped, I came up with a contingency plan.
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EdTech books, by Terry Freedman
EdTech books received for review
Look out for my reviews of the following books.
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Old technology, by Terry Freedman
Choosing word processing software
It may be true, as we’re often told, that most people use only 20% of the features of Word and other “high-end” programs. That may tempt you to buy or rent less pricey software that do not have so many features. Although that makes sense, I think it’s a mistake.
Read MoreDomino effect
This blog post is dedicated to all those writers who are looking after elderly relatives, young children, holding down a job, dealing with gas bills, doing shopping etc etc etc.
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Conference, by Terry Freedman
TPEA Conference
News about a free conference.
Read MoreHow does your product really perform?
As a new Head of Department I discovered the reason that no teachers ever took their classes into the computer rooms.
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No mobiles, by Terry Freedman
Dear DfE: MYOB!
What next? Government guidance on seating plans in schools?
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Archives, by Terry Freedman
On this day: words have precise meanings (or should have)
On 25 June 2020 I wrote about words and their connotations. That was in the middle of lockdown, and was prompted by a specific news story. But the general principle still applies.
Read MoreEducation according to Oscar Wilde
I did find it annoying, and frustrating, though when a parent would sometimes tell me that they left school at 15 with no qualifications whatsoever, but that “it didn’t do me any harm”.
I always wanted to say, “How do you know?”
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