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ICT & Computing in Education

Articles on education technology and related topics
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  • Search
  • Newsletters
    • Digital Education
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24 must-have features of computer labs UPDATED

June 26, 2019

If you still have, or are planning to have, a computer lab, then these 24 things are essential to include.

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In News & views, Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags computer suite, learning spaces, computer lab
Harmonicas by Terry Freedman

Harmonicas by Terry Freedman

7 Ways of Making the ICT and Computing facilities More attractive to use

June 26, 2019

How can you encourage other teachers to use the ed tech facilities? You may not know this, but there is not a lot of difference between a Lee Oskar diatonic harmonica (the type used by blues and folk musicians) and a Hohner Blues Band harmonica. The Lee Oskar is said to have been engineered to give a “sharper” edge to the tone, which suits the blues sound, whereas the Marine Band, being slightly “softer”, works well for folk music too. Unless you’re a purist, there is probably not much in it. As someone once said:

“A difference is only a difference if it makes a difference.”

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In Leading & Managing Computing & ICT, Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags ICT Co-ordinator, ICT in Education, cross-curricular ICT, marketing, promoting
Digital News Report 2019 from Reuters

Digital News Report 2019 from Reuters

Notes from the desktop: digital news report

June 20, 2019

The Reuters Institute’s report on Digital News 2019 has just been published. Here are a couple of extracts.

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In News & views, Research Tags Reuters Institute, Digital News Report, fake news
Money vector created by brgfx - www.freepik.com

Money vector created by brgfx - www.freepik.com

New prize draw, and updated information on our competitions

June 19, 2019

Good news: the prize draw for How to Think Like a Coder will be run very soon, for subscribers to the Digital Education newsletter. Here’s what you need to know.

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In Digital Education, News & views Tags prize draw, How to think like a coder, Digital Education
TPEA conference

TPEA conference

Technology Pedagogy and Education Association Conference news

June 14, 2019

Good news if you’re thinking about going to the TPEA conference in July.

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In Leading & Managing Computing & ICT, News & views, Professional development Tags TPEA, TPEA Conference
Trust Me, I’m Lying

Trust Me, I’m Lying

Quick look: Trust Me, I'm Lying

June 11, 2019

This book lifts the lid on the practices that various media use to promulgate fake news even while appearing to be squeaky clean.

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In Books in Brief, Quick Looks, Using and Teaching Computing & ICT, Digital Education Tags fake news, quick looks, review
Discussion before the discussion by Terry Freedman.jpg

Discussion before the discussion by Terry Freedman.jpg

Why outside help can be useful in educational ICT or Computing

June 11, 2019

This article summarises what I’ve learnt about the benefits of hiring outside help like an agency or a consultant, from my experience of doing so and also as (now) an ed tech consultant myself. I hope you find it useful.

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In Consultancy, Leading & Managing Computing & ICT Tags consultants, outside help
Assessment machine, by Terry Freedman

Assessment machine, by Terry Freedman

Artificial Intelligence and marking: pitfalls

June 10, 2019

I’m all in favour of making teachers’ lives easier, but automated essay marking is not the answer.

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In Assessment, Leading & Managing Computing & ICT, News & views, Unintended consequences Tags AI, artificial intelligence, Warner, confirmation bias, essay-marking
Forward 10 places!

Forward 10 places!

8 Ways to make physical computing work in the classroom

June 9, 2019

If you insist on getting the kids to make or use physical computing kits/robots in the classroom, here arte 8 suggestions for making sure it’s all useful.

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In Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags robots, robotics, physical computing
Wait! By Terry Freedman

Wait! By Terry Freedman

Virtual reality: a solution desperately seeking a problem

June 7, 2019

A lot of Virtual Reality ‘solutions’ I’ve seen are just a massive waste of time and resources.

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In Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags Bett, virtual reality
Be aware! By Terry Freedman

Be aware! By Terry Freedman

Is robotics a waste of time?

June 6, 2019

I’d rather teach pupils to program without going through the intermediary process of building a robot or anything else. Despite all the hype, I regard it as a massive waste of time.

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In News & views, Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags robots, robotics, physical computing, maker, maker movement
Big Data, by Terry Freedman

Big Data, by Terry Freedman

Data for its own sake is pointless

June 5, 2019

Unless data can be turned into information, what’s the point of collecting it?

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In Infographics, Leading & Managing Computing & ICT, News & views, Reflections Tags Bett, data, big data, pointless
Spreadsheet manual by Terry Freedman

Spreadsheet manual by Terry Freedman

Writing technology manuals for school: why, what and how

June 4, 2019

Do you really need software and hardware manuals in school? (Spoiler alert: yes.)

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In Using and Teaching Computing & ICT Tags manuals, instructions
Terry’s desk, by Terry Freedman

Terry’s desk, by Terry Freedman

Notes from the desktop: a prize draw, a damaged elbow and a conference -- oh, and posts about podcasts

June 3, 2019

Here are 4 useful bits of news. Topics covered: a forthcoming prize draw, podcast posts, a great-looking conference and my elbow.

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In News & views, Professional development Tags Richard Smith, Amazing ICT, conference, podcasts, elbow, prize draw, newsletter, Digital Education
Recent book reviews
Review: Social Media for Academics
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!

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Quick looks: VIBE Coding by Example
Quick 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
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
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 
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.

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Review: Extraordinary Learning For All
Review: 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
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
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
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
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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