What I've been reading: Living in a Digital World

December 6, 2018

The review in a nutshell: well-structured, well-written and informative.

Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash — Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash

Microsoft laptops and software evaluation

November 24, 2018

Over the summer of 2018 I evaluated and compared for laptops sold by Microsoft, and tested the software that was installed on them. Here are my findings.

What I've been reading: The Teacher's Guide to Tech 2018

October 2, 2018

Read this article for a review of this book — and a nice surprise!

Thumbnail sketch: Bad Choices: How Algorithms Can Help You Think Smarter

August 29, 2018

Here is a short review of this book about algorithms.

Machine Learning and Human Intelligence, by Rosemary Luckin

July 10, 2018

Some notes about this new book, plus information about a special discount to subscribers of the Digital Education newsletter, and a great prize draw coming up.

What I've been reading: Reflective Practice

June 26, 2018

This book looks at the benefits of writing in order to reflect on and improve your practice, and suggests numerous exercises for doing so.

A great example of virtual reality

June 5, 2018

Dinosaurs in the Wild is a fascinating virtual reality experience. Well worth going to if you can, especially if you can take some pupils with you. It’s a great educational experience.

Cover picture: from pixabay.com. Licence: CC0

What I've been reading: Closing the Vocabulary Gap

May 25, 2018

UPDATED!

What does a book on vocabulary have to do with teaching Computing? Believe it or not, Closing the Vocabulary Gap has some useful information and insights for the ed tech teacher. Read on for the review, and how you can enter a prize draw to win a copy of the book.

How to evaluate digital content: a 25 point checklist

February 15, 2018

Thinking of buying some software, or subscribing to an online platform of some sort? Use this handy 25 point checklist to help.

Review of Enhancing Learning and Teaching with Technology

February 5, 2018

David J Longman reviews this new collection of essays on the theme of what the research says about using technology to enhance learning and teaching.

Bett is a great opportunity for networking and discussion. Picture from Pixabay.com Licence: CCO

Bett 2018: A report

February 1, 2018

My review of Bett 2018. covering:

why it's useful to attend Bett, generally speaking
the main themes going on this year
a couple of wishes
where I'll be writing more about the products and services I saw

What I've been reading: The Trouble With Women

January 18, 2018

You would hardly believe the ridiculous things that 'genius' men have said about women's capabilities. I can't help thinking that if Ada Lovelace had been a man we'd have had computers at least one generation before we did. Anyway, here are my views on a book that deals with the issue.

Review of ASAP Utilities for Excel

November 16, 2017

A program to put Excel on steroids. Loads of utilities that can be applied straight away, no programming involved, and it's free!

Thumbnail sketch of the Raspberry Pi User Guide

November 2, 2017

I always dread having to open any kind of manual. For a start, it’s against the natural order of things. (I don’t ask for directions either, even when I’m hopelessly lost.) Secondly, they usually seem to be written for people for whom they are superfluous.

Imagine, then, what a pleasant surprise it was to open this book and discover that it is not only well-structured, but an enjoyable read.

I wouldn’t say it is bedtime reading exactly (mind you, I used to read books on Excel functions and VBA before retiring for the night). However, it is very comprehensive.

For example, if you are interested in setting up your Pi to take time-lapse video, this book takes you step by step through the process.

If you’re serious about pushing your Raspberry Pi to its limits, and even if you’re already pretty familiar with what it can do, this book is a must-have for your bookshelf or workbench.

Raspberry PI User Guide (Amazon affiliate link)

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5 Must-have conference apps

October 23, 2017

If you go to at least one conference a year, you should consider using these five apps.

What I've been reading: Weapons of Math Destruction

September 5, 2017

What's worse than being governed by algorithms? Not even knowing what the algorithm is doing. This very timely and readable book lifts the lid of what goes on in many walks of life.

Review of FotoJet

July 11, 2017

Fotojet is an online design application. Here's what I thought of it.

Droning on: Review of Drones in Education

July 4, 2017

What a fascinating idea: using drones as part of the curriculum. This book tells you much of what you need to know.

Our lives in data: privacy

May 16, 2017

How much data are you prepared to give away, and what are you prepared to allow organisations to do with it? The answers in my case surprised me.

Using Fiverr in schools

March 9, 2017

What's Fiverr, and why might it be useful to both teachers and school-leavers?

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