“Oooh!” “Ah!” “Oh my!”. Such were the collective gasps emanating from the Freedman household when I unpacked the Dell Latitude 2110 Netbook I’d been sent to review. Slim, striking and silent (but enough about me), the Latitude certainly makes the grade as far as aesthetics are concerned. But how does it actually perform?
two girls chatting in Post Office. Picture generated in Ideogram.ai
Kids Aren’t Stupid (Updated)
I overheard a great conversation yesterday. Two girls were chatting behind me in the queue in the Post Office. From their discussion about school options and examinations, I’d say they were around 14 and 15 years old. Here’s part of the conversation, it really made me smile….
Read MoreOn this day: What is good practice in ICT and Computing?
I suppose this article will ruin for good my chances of a knighthood, but I am finding it harder and harder to keep quiet on this subject.
Read MoreThe Scream, by Terry Freedman (with apologies to Munch)
Viruses and other nasties are a leadership issue -- updated for 2025
How vulnerable are schools to viruses and so on? Here are the results of a survey, plus some comments on the role of the ed tech leader in the school.
Read MoreThe importance of branding for computing in schools
One of the things you have to acknowledge, whether you like it or not, is that to some extent people do judge by appearances. So, how does your computing provision appear to others?
Read MoreSadly not my typical committee meeting room! This was taken in a House of Lords Committee Room, by Terry Freedman
The pros and cons of having an e-learning committee in a school
In my past roles as ICT Co-ordinator or e-learning co-ordinator, I have formed and chaired an ICT or e-learning committee. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having such a body?
Read MoreQuestion marks, by Terry Freedman
Understanding exam grading
As the GCSE and ‘A’ Level results days are almost upon us, here are some useful guides as to what the gradings mean.
Read MoreTerry self-portrait, cartoonified, black & white, by Terry
Hubris in the world of education technology (Amended)
I believe that there's a fine line between letting people know you're an expert, and displaying too much self-regard. If keeping on the right side of that line proves a bit of a challenge, here are three "rules" that could help.
Read MoreA cartoon robot, by Terry Freedman
Blogging with AI
In preparation for a course on blogging that I ran a few years ago, I wanted to see how far I could get using AI tools to help me with my intended audience, outlining a post and drafting a whole article.
Read MoreMust-have features of computer rooms
While it's fashionable to decry the use of computer labs, still they continue to exist in many schools. If you have, or are thinking of having, a computer lab, what ought it to look like? What should it contain?
Read MoreFeedback, by Terry Freedman
Feedback on my recent blogging course
Only one person left a comment. Still, quality not quantity, that’s what I say.
Read MoreThe great training robbery
Someone posted in a Facebook group recently that he thinks he's been ripped off. He was pretty sure that someone who had attended a training course of his had taken his materials and then run the training in their school. So, what can you do to lessen the chance of something like this happening to you?
Read Moreone classroom, no computers, by Terry Freedman
Computing for teachers – better late than never?
This is the text of an unpublished article. I wrote it in 1999 and sent it off to the education editor of The Daily Telegraph. He rejected it. Oh well. The article will give you some idea of the issues we, the teachers of computing and information technology, were grappling with.
Read MoreAll hype and no text
This article was originally published in, I think, 1998. I thought some people might find it interesting to read about what the department for education in England was trying to do back then in terms of providing resources for teachers, and the issues about it that I thought should be addressed.
Read More50 Ways to contribute to a website (Revised)
This a revised version of a previously-published article.
Read MoreQuick looks: Listen in: How radio changed the home
Back in the 1930s, radio was the cutting edge technology in the home.
Read More7 Ways to Involve Parents with Computing
Even the most technophobic adults can be persuaded to engage with their child’s IT studies.
Read MoreOld technology, by Terry Freedman
14 things to do with old IT equipment
Just because a laptop, tablet or printer isn't good for general or intensive use any more doesn't mean it cannot serve any purpose at all. Here are a few suggestions you may wish to consider.
Read MoreOn this day: Ode to Code
"I wonder if it's possible to write a poem about coding", I thought to myself. Well, it is, and here it is. First Chaucer, then Shakespeare, and now me. No doubt schoolchildren of the future will be studying this for their Eng Lit exams, but in the meantime you can read it here first! Enjoy.
Read MoreThe Value of Stating the Obvious
Do advertisers know something we don’t?
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