A lighthearted look at rubrics as a form of assessment.
Read More
Graphic by Terry Freedman
Professional Development in Technology (Updated)
The key question to ask about anything in education is “So what?”. If you can’t answer that question truthfully and convincingly in terms of students learning outcomes, then why are you undertaking that activity?
Read More
Backlist: The Fourth Education Revolution
The title of this book invites curiosity: what were the other three ‘revolutions?
Read More
Photo by Terry Freedman
Understanding adult education
The theory of teaching adults is known as “andragogy” (as opposed to “pedagogy”, which refers to the teaching of children) and comprises four basic tenets.
Read More
Black and white sketch photo of Terry Freedman
Every so often my natural masochistic tendencies kick in and I feel compelled to respond to people on Linkedin.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
The history of news is not simply the history of printing inventions
A few hundred years ago editors were more like collators. They would gather together bnits and pieces of news from various sources and writers and produce a pamphlet.
Read MoreOn this day: An example of how technology changes things
Nine-year-old Martha Payne writes a daily blog in which she uploads a picture of her school lunch and reviews it. Argylle and Bute Council has some sort of nervous breakdown.
Read MoreOn this day: The (digital) revolution comes to the London Barbican
I remember this exhibtion: it was pretty good, and I’m not somebody who is easily impressed. I thought the ideas were very creative, and I liked the interactivity.
Read MoreAn invidious comparison
I can say without hesitation that the most costly students in terms of my time are the ones who do the work and hand something in each week.
Read More
AI guides, and student involvement
I keep seeing blog articles and guides about using AI in education, and they mostly seem to be a form of painting by numbers.
Read More
Oulipo word cloud
The value of constraints: a note about the Oulipo and computing
The early Oulipians in particular were interested in how mathematics and literature could be combined. Calvino, for example, wrote about using cybernetics in literature.
Read MoreIs a ‘Digital Champions’ Scheme a Great Way to Provide Learning Opportunities, or Just a Budget Version of Tech Support?
There is little doubt that youngsters tend to be very quick at picking things up when it comes to technology, and are just as keen to pass on their knowledge to others.
Read More
Forward 10 places!
8 Ways to make physical computing work in a NORMAL classroom
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.
Read More
They're not that shocking, surely?
6 Outlandish things to do in your Computing lesson
Why not try something different in your Computing lessons? Here's a short list of suggestions.
Read More
Reasons to teach coding through problem-solving
Should you start with the raw components when teaching coding, or get the kids problem-solving immediately? This article argues in favour of the latter.
Read More
Be aware! By Terry Freedman
Robotics is STILL a waste of time
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.
Read More