Writing was invented ‘only’ a few thousand years ago. It’s a fascinating story.
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Backlist: What I'm reading: Bounce
What does it take to become an expert? And what can the Computing teacher do about it?
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Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution
The title of this book invites curiosity: what were the other three ‘revolutions?
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A book review for your English department colleagues perhaps
Some of these stories are so richly told, it can almost seem as though you’re right there with him.
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Review: Pen Names
OK, so this has nothing to do with education technology, but we all read (I hope!). A very interesting examination of the pen names some authors have adopted, and why.
Read MoreReview: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History
There's a really interesting section in this book about how ceramic storage of data and information is probably the most likely medium to stand the test of time.
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A book review for your biology colleagues perhaps
The subject under discussion here is how human physiology has developed in different ways, in response to different conditions around the world.
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Review: Social Media for Academics
This book is very readable, and if I sound surprised that is because it’s not always true of academics!
Read MoreQuick looks: VIBE Coding by Example
For the time being, this book is free in Kindle format.
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Review: The Game Changers: How Playing Games Changed the World and Can Change You Too
Despite the relative paucity of immediately obvious National Curriculum links, teachers will find several of sections of this book to be highly engaging.
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Review: The Dictators: 64 Dictators, 64 Authors, 64 Warnings from History
In some respects one could view this book as a single warning repeated 64 times.
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Review: The Bookshop, The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: A History of the High Street
Taking readers from the Middle Ages to (more or less) the present day, Gray charts how the places where we do our shopping and what we buy have changed over the centuries.
Read MoreReview: Extraordinary Learning For All
As a source of potential ideas and inspiration, the book could be very useful indeed.
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Review: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them
One has the impression that the main role of the university these days is to maximise profit, while that of the majority of teaching staff is to ensure the ‘correct’ views are passed on to students. All the while, students’ main concern seems to be to seek protection from anything that might make them feel unsafe.
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Review: Next Practices - An Executive Guide for Education Decision Makers
Is a 2014 book on managing the computing provision in a school still worth buying?
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Still relevant (sadly): How to lie with statistics, by Darrell Huff
Although this book is over 60 years old, it is remarkably apposite for our times -- and especially in the fields of educational research and assessing pupils' understanding and progress.
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Quick looks: Bad Education: Why Our Universities Are Broken and How We Can Fix Them
It was a great source of pride to me, getting hundreds of students through their A levels and encouraging them to go to university. But for some time I have asked myself a question: would I recommend this route now?
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Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World
At first glance, you might take this to be one of those books full of affirmations and anecdotes designed to lift your mood.
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Review: Small Habits Create Big Change: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Thrive in Your Education Career
My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail.
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Review: Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning Through the Science of Failing
My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it is a little more detailed.
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