Is adopting automation always a good thing when it comes to ed tech?
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Picture from Stencil. Licence: CC0
5 ways to develop critical thinking in ICT and Computing
How do you encourage pupils and students to think critically in the context of educational technology? Although we can devote a lot of time and energy to setting up the "right environment", I can't help thinking that really it all comes down to some pretty simple questions, and very straightforward approaches.
Idea! By Terry Freedman
6 articles with ideas or resources for the classroom
A collection of hopefully useful links for the ed tech teacher.
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Ask them to explain what they think they've learnt. Picture by Kidaha on Pixabay.com CCO
7 questions to ask pupils during lesson observation
If you're observing a lesson, here are seven questions to ask the pupils.
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Review of Enhancing Learning and Teaching with Technology
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.
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Start a teachers' reading group. Picture from Pixabay.com Licence: CCO
Creating a culture of innovation, part 4: Spreading good practice
Where are you most likely to discover good practice? And how can it be spread more widely?
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Picture from Pixabay. Licence: CCO
More Bett thoughts and recommendations
Going to Bett? Here are some do's and don't's for Day 2 of the great show.
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Picture from Pixabay.com Licence: CCO
Bett thoughts and recommendations
It's the first day of Bett, and here are a few new product announcements plus a few useful-looking talks.
Read MoreWhat next for ed tech in 2018?
What's on the horizon for education technology in 2018? And what are the challenges that schools are likely to face? I invited 43 organisations to share their views. Read on for more information, and a link to the free resource that resulted from this exercise.
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Bett2018 and other ed tech conferences: Preparing for a full-on week
UPDATED. The biggest ed tech event in the UK -- Bett -- is nearly upon us. But it's not the only conference going on that week.
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Waspish behaviour. Picture from Pixabay. Licence: CCO
Intimidation in public life, and education technology
Should social media platforms be regarded as mere repositories of content, which by implication is thus not their responsibility, or publishers, subject to the same laws and restrictions as other publishing media, such as newspapers? This is one of the discussion points arising in this interesting report about the intimidation on social media of members of Parliament and other public figures. It's especially interesting given the fact that this week the German government brought into effect a new law regarding social media companies.
Read More10 reasons to use comics and cartoons in the classroom
There are at least ten good reasons to use cartoons or comics in your lessons. This article explains what they are, with links to research and useful resources.
Read More14 things to check when using education technology
This article was originally published in 2008. Apart from a few obvious points, such as the references to CDs, large monitors and, in some schools these days, computer rules, very little requires changing in terms of the advice. But the interesting aspect of the article is, I think, what is implicit. Having two computers out of commission would have been an issue in those days. Bring Your Own Technology had yet to be a possibility for most pupils. Laptops were still expensive enough to make class sets of them something to dream about. There were tablet computers, but the iPad was still two years in the future. The reference to planning to use the internet: nowadays it's virtually unavoidable because so much is online. When you think about all that, it is hard to remember that the article was written less than a decade ago!
Read More3 education technology blog posts you should check out
A few useful articles that you may not have come across before. They cover:
- project-based learning
- teen depression and cyberbullying and
- how to reduce the possibility of having your training stolen.
The Raspberry Pi User Guide 4th Edition
Thumbnail sketch of the Raspberry Pi User Guide
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)
This review was first published in Digital Education, our free newsletter. To find out more, and to sign up, please visit the newsletter page. We use a double opt-in system, and you won't be spammed.
Coming soon in Digital Education
I'm in the process of planning a few themed issues of my newsletter, Digital Education. Read on for the low-down.
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This is an image I created using pulpomizer.com. Thanks to Julian Wood for drawing my attention to this application in one of his talks.
A cornucopia of comic-making applications
If you like to use comics and cartoons in your teaching, and encourage students to do so too, you'll like this collection of comic-making utilities.
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Robot, by Terry. OK, so I'm useless at drawing. Get over it!
Robots, artificial intelligence and all that
Call me a dreamer, but I think AI and robots are developments to be welcomed in education, not to worry about.
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Presentation: 10 stimulating ideas for the Computing curriculum
Here is some information about the EduTech conference in general, and my session in particular.
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Photo from Stencil, CC0 Licence
Drones in the Computing curriculum
If you're considering using drones in your Computing curriculum, where do you start? This article has a few ideas.
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