Ideas, Practices & Personal Insights

Using SOLO levels to revise; lesson 1: writing prep

As the end of this academic year draws ever nearer, our GCSE pupils may be in need of a little guidance in preparation for their forthcoming English exams. I can remember being unsure how best to revise for English when I was at school. It is not always as simple as learning facts and regurgitating them in order. Once you know that poem or that story, what do you do ...

Today’s threats are tomorrow’s headlines

Protecting your school's IT systems, infrastructure, business and students' data is vitally important. School information is one of education's most valuable assets, and critical information such as financial data and student records can be very difficult to replace. Whilst data protection is paramount, network security goes far beyond that. Network security threats and challenges are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and difficult to analyse, having multiplied rapidly in recent years with ...

The 7puzzle blog

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a few tweets from @7puzzle aka Paul Godding. These were number challenges that were being shared each day through Twitter. Now I don’t know how many people were using them, had tried them with their class or had even seen them, but I suggested to Paul about making a blog. Through various emails and tweets I offered to create one for him ...

iPad trial – reflective discussion

iPad Trial Considerations: 1. Wireless network2. Support3. Listen (reflective discussion and concerns) Wireless network The number one consideration for iPad implementation is a wireless network. When the network functions, any issues with iPads can be overcome and usually are linked to the user not the technology. However, if the wireless is intermittent, learning with the iPad can be really hampered for some, particularly those who don’t have a firm grasp ...

"Oh, is that what you mean by a word?"

An 11 year old boy (we’ll call him Joe), in his final year of Primary School, was being tested recently for Visual Stress - the syndrome often associated with dyslexia that causes words and letters to distort or appear to “jump around” on white paper. At the time of the assessment, which puts a series of different coloured overlays on the page to tint the background colour, he was unable ...

Programming in schools: Lessons from language learning

When we learn to write, we don’t start by studying the process through which the ink travels from the cartridge to the nib of our pen and on to the paper. When we learn to speak another language, we don’t first study buccopharyngeal anatomy in the hope it will facilitate the production of difficult foreign sounds. When we learn to drive a car, we worry more about making ...

Show sound design: The Cinderella of the school production

We've all been there: an expectant hush falls over the audience as the houselights go down, only to be shattered by the sound of distorted music from a CD player which is then abruptly cut off as the curtains open.

How to ensure your school’s ICT is sustainable

For today’s schools, sustainability should entail far more than being green.

Learning with word clouds

Word banks have long been part of lessons right across the curriculum, provided to pupils to extend their vocabulary, support their writing or expand their understanding of a subject. They can be a simple but very powerful tool for learners of all ages. When I was at school, I remember that my word banks were contained in small notebooks that we kept on our desks for easy access, in which ...

Marketing your school’s image and getting the right message across

With the advent of Marketing Awareness and the increase in the number of schools who now have Marketing Managers or Marketing Departments, Headteachers are becoming increasingly aware of the power of marketing at many levels: how good marketing can effect how a school is perceived and, in many cases, how this affects pupil numbers.

3 ways to make your school funds grow

Setting up an after-school club, purchasing new books for the school library, updating computer equipment, and installing specialised playground equipment – these are all important projects for the creation of a diverse learning and social environment at school but they are often the first things to go when budgets are tightened. Taking matters into their own hands, more schools and colleges are looking for new and inventive ways to boost their ...

6 ideas for teachers when launching an iPad deployment

Here are six pieces of advice I would pass on to anyone leading the teaching and learning side of an iPad deployment. I’ve learned as much from our successes as our shortcomings and hope you find this helpful. 1. Start with the learning Bringing new technology into your classrooms will evoke change, but it won’t improve poor pedagogy. It may provoke new reflection as the old routines and engrained ...