What I've learnt from online classes: chatting and messaging

April 14, 2020

Over the years I have taken part in, and hosted, a number of online talks, webinars and discussions. Until Covid-19 changed everything, I hadn’t given much thought to what I’ve actually learnt in terms of the process involved. But now I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learnt.

How to work from home

March 31, 2020

I’ve been working from home for several years now, so I thought I would share some strategies I’ve found that work for me. These won’t be entirely relevant if you are now spending most of your time teaching online, but I hope that at least some of these suggestions will help.

Applying constraints in the computing classroom

February 20, 2020

Constraints can be very useful for releasing creativity. This has been known for a long time in literature, but can it be applied in the ICT/computing classroom?

Goal-setting. Screenshot by Terry Freedman

How to automatically allocate time for an activity in your Google calendar

October 3, 2019

If you use Google Calendar then you can use the goal-setting function to whiz through your diary on your phone and find suitable times for an activity to wish to pursue.

It won’t be as bad as you think! Picture: Terrified, by Terry Freedman

8 Tips for NQTs

September 3, 2019

Your first day at school may seem terrifying, but hopefully it won’t be as bad as you think! Here are 8 tips you may find useful.

How to fix a paper jam that doesn't exist

August 14, 2019

If your printer keeps telling you there’s a paper jam when there isn’t, you aren’t necessarily going insane. This suggestion worked for me.

Illustration: Death by PowerPoint, by Terry Freedman

Problems in the ed tech classroom #4

April 16, 2019

PowerPoint can be a very useful tool — if used with care.

ed tech problems: no paper, by Terry Freedman

Problems in the ed tech classroom #3: printer paper

April 4, 2019

Something as simple as the printer’s paper tray being empty can cause mayhem. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with it.

Problems in the ed tech classroom #2

March 31, 2019

What kind of problems might you experience with an ordinary flipchart? And are flipcharts preferable to interactive whiteboards? Plus details of how to get hold of a free guide to getting the most out of your interactive whiteboard.

Problems in the ed tech classroom #1

March 19, 2019

In this the first article in this series, I look at the problem of permanent markers being used on the whiteboard. Believe it or not, there is a more useful response than “Aaaaaargh!”

Reading efficiently is a must for teachers of Computing and information technology

February 16, 2019

With more and more to read, and with the ever-changing landscape of education technology, teachers of Computing and related subjects need to be able to read more in the same amount of time. Here are some tips that I’ve found useful.

Discipline in the classroom: what, why and how (Updated)

February 11, 2019

UPDATED What is classroom discipline? Why is it needed, especially in lessons where technology is being used? How can it be established?

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.