Ideas, Practices & Personal Insights

Protecting your Apple devices from theft

Best known for its sleek and easy to use consumer technology, Apple has made significant inroads into the field of educational ICT over the last two years. Boasting an online store with hundreds of educational apps and Apple Regional Training Centres ready to deliver workshops on creative ways technology in the classroom, Apple has become a firm favourite with schools around the UK. Although Macs, iPads and other Apple devices ...

The basics of good classroom management part 1: Prevention

Everyone knows the old adage “prevention is better than cure”. This is as true of classroom management as it is of anything else. Preventing disruption from occurring in the first place is far better than struggling to regain control when things have all gone pear-shaped. As staff mentor, I was once asked by a newly-qualified teacher if he could come and observe one of my lessons. He wanted, he said, ...

SCHOOL – Somewhere Continuously Helping Open Our Lives?

What is it like being at school? Were your school days the best days of your life? Are our schools today exciting our children and young people? Are they places in which we are opening the hearts and minds of every single child? Do pupils find that their schools provide a network of support, advice and friendship in which they can blossom and reach their full potential in the knowledge ...

The importance of communicating with your alumni

Schools and Colleges all have their own websites and this may be the first place an ex-pupil will visit to re-establish contact and possibly offer professional services and/or wish to make a donation. Similarly, your alumni database is your school’s business and you must get to know all of your supporters/members. With the aid of the right software this can be achieved easily and efficiently. ASI Europe ...

Choosing a book - part of the fun of reading

There are many different views on educational policy but one thing everyone agrees on is the importance of independent reading as a cornerstone of educational development. How to make reading attractive isn’t easy in a world where children are sophisticated consumers and budgets, space and time are limited. Competition for children’s attention is fierce and if we are serious about encouraging children to read more and develop a ...

Tips for keeping school mobile ICT safe and damage free

Compact, mobile and easily accessible for young children, laptops have always appealed to schools looking to use ICT beyond the constraints of a computer suite. Although portability is one of the main attractions of using laptops in the classroom, the fact that pupils can easily pick up and move devices can risk considerable wear and tear over time. Laptop computers can be costly to repair and replace, especially when they ...

How to engage parents in a cashless school

Is your school considering online payments for parents? With a steady decline in the use of cheques, schools are becoming increasingly concerned with the growing amounts of cash being handled on school premises. Not only is this an obvious burden for school administrative staff, it also represents a substantial risk to a school’s security, which results in an increase in insurance coverage. There is not a better time to ...

How life experience can shape the future of pupils in schools

Inspiring young people is not a new concept, but in a world of recession, job cuts and fewer opportunities in work, motivating pupils and getting them to be excited about their prospects after school is more important than ever. According to the latest news, unemployment is at a 17 year high and figures just released show the jobless rate of 16-24 year olds is a massive 21.3%. Nearly a million young people ...

What every parent should know about computers and the Internet

Technology, the internet, computers, are words that confuse, even frighten, many parents. In my blog, Ask a Tech Teacher, I post lots of tips, tricks, a list of hundreds of kid-friendly websites, self-help articles on how to address this in your homeschooled child's education. Every week, I get lots of questions from parents about the right way to address access to technology. Most want suggestions on how to make computer ...

The lost art of listening (Part 1)

In your work as a teacher, how often do you come into contact with music? Maybe you are a music specialist, in which case the answer might be ‘all the time’. Perhaps you work in dance or drama and see music as integral to your work there. You might incorporate songs within your teaching to help students better understand another subject altogether. Or perhaps you run an art department and ...

CRM database management – for Alumni activities

Value your database Proper planning and management of any fundraising activity will culminate in better results and managing your alumni database is no exception. What many schools often fail to recognise is that their Database is a vital business tool and it is also a core alumni fundraising asset. Regular maintenance will enable you to ensure that the correct data is retained and all relevant history and information to your ...

SPIES, shared values and productive school/family partnerships

What are the expectations of 21st-century education? Considering young citizens of school age, the global debate indicates that ultimately the answer tends to be broadly the all-round or holistic development of each person. Key to achieving this is thoughtful nurturing of the different aspects of individuals and their talents, at home and at school – and hence the SPIES!