Book review: How to think like a coder

May 9, 2019

This book aims to teach you how to think like a coder, rather then merely learning how to code. How far does it succeed?

What I've been reading: The Teacher's Guide to Tech 2018

October 2, 2018

Read this article for a review of this book — and a nice surprise!

Thumbnail sketch: Bad Choices: How Algorithms Can Help You Think Smarter

August 29, 2018

Here is a short review of this book about algorithms.

Arduino: The ultimate guide to Arduino, including projects, programming tips & tricks, and much more!

July 17, 2018

Here’s a quick look at a book which takes you through the Arduino.

What I've been reading: Reflective Practice

June 26, 2018

This book looks at the benefits of writing in order to reflect on and improve your practice, and suggests numerous exercises for doing so.

What I've been reading: Weapons of Math Destruction

September 5, 2017

What's worse than being governed by algorithms? Not even knowing what the algorithm is doing. This very timely and readable book lifts the lid of what goes on in many walks of life.

What I'm reading: Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security

March 2, 2017

My first impressions of a new book about computers, networks and data.

What I've been reading: So you've been publicly shamed

February 7, 2017

A harrowing, but very readable, account of how public shaming affects the victims.

Articles on Ed Tech: Retrospective #5

September 23, 2016

Here are some articles you may have missed in the past week or so. Topics featured include inspection, book reviews and Word macros.

Review of Ada's Algorithm: How Lord Byron's Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age

January 4, 2016

Ada's Algorithm goes into minute detail about Ada Lovelace's life, and her influence on the development of Computer Science.

Recent book reviews

Review: How I review books on edtech

My views on what constitutes a book on edtech are fairly catholic. Indeed, it would me more accurate to denote the books I review as books for teachers of ICT, Computing, digital literacy etc etc,, rather than books on edtech. The latter tend to have titles like “How to teach Computing”, or “How to use Excel in the classroom”.

Review: Nuts and Bolts: How Tiny Inventions Make Our World Work

It's rather disconcerting when one considers that buildings like The Shard are essentially held together by nuts, bolts and washers.

Review: Love Triangle: The Life-changing Magic of Trigonometry

Like, I suspect, many people, I have never knowingly come across an isosceles triangle in my life, and wouldn’t know what to do with it if I did. However...

Review: Making Sense Of Chaos – A Better Economics for a Better World

Before you rush off on the grounds that this book has nothing to do with Computing, let me reassure you that it does.

Bjork & Bjork’s Desirable Difficulties in Action

The original work on which this volume is based has perhaps been honoured more in the breach than in the observance.

Review: Coderspeak – The language of computer programmers

This book won’t necessarily help a student pass a computing exam, but it will almost certainly make them a more aware, and thus better, programmer.

Review: Quiet Power, by Susan Cain

Introverts thrive by being allowed to be quiet, having time for reflection and not being required to 'perform' all the time.

Quick look: Desirable difficulties in action

The idea of desirable difficulties has always appealed to me. In my teaching I’m partticularly in favour of applying Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development.

Review: The Collaboration Book – 41 Ideas for Working Better

Most people would agree that collaboration is a good thing – so how can we collaborate more effectively in school settings?

Review: Listen: On Music, Sound and Us

This book might not directly address obvious aspects of the music curriculum, but it can certainly give teachers access to a rich seam of facts and anecdotes with which to embellish their lessons.