Rusul Alrubail is a literacy guru, TEDx speaker, writer, student voice advocate and social justice activist. Her tireless efforts in education are fuelled, in part, by her experiences as an Iraqi refugee. Now settled in Toronto, Rusul recently took the time to tell us more about her work and insights.
When it comes to traditional subjects - the ones that have been taught and used effectively for centuries without the use of technology - the co-existence of old and selective use of the new seems to be the best way to innovate the curriculum. As we get to grips with the ‘new’ GCSEs and learn more about the workings of the mind and memory, check tests, dual coding, factual recall ...
In the current climate of budget cuts and financial pressures on schools, it has become a challenge for school leaders and business managers to be as innovative as possible by stretching our meagre resources.
As someone in the education sector, you’ve probably heard about the exciting opportunities to use virtual reality (VR) to help students learn. Bringing the technology into a curriculum makes sense, especially because many individuals are already eager to start or continue using VR headsets. Doing so in the classroom makes learning more enjoyable.
Just over one year ago, Rocket Fund, the crowdfunding platform for schools, was launched by Nesta, the innovation foundation. Over this time, we’ve learnt what makes a successful school crowdfunding campaign, from creating a project to attracting donors.
Time and time again, when my colleagues and I speak to schools, they tell us that choosing and buying edtech is an increasingly difficult process. They simply don’t have the time – or the expertise – to create a detailed specification, go out to tender, evaluate lengthy technical proposals, interview suppliers and negotiate the best deals. On top of this process, there’s the ambiguity around financial budgets and the legalities ...
Until recently, ‘That Boy Can Teach’ was a whisper on the wind of education. Writing under a pseudonym, he quickly became a trusted, popular name in helping teachers and school leaders to reach their full potential (while being humble enough to balk at such a description). Now, however, Iron Man’s helmet has been removed, and Tony Stark - or rather, school leader Aidan Severs - has been revealed to ...
Schools throughout the world are beginning to plan for the upcoming academic year. The underlining aspect of the improvement process is how it can be achieved on a budget. For instance, if teachers want smaller class sizes, that will come at an increased cost to the district / local authority. If staff want to redesign the front entrance to the school, is it affordable? If the staff identifies curriculum as an ...
All schools are stretched. We know this, but as a brand-new school with only 120 students, our budget is extremely tight - especially when we factor in recruiting experienced staff. At Aureus School in Didcot, through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) specialism we are not only trying to teach our students how to be more creative. We, as staff, must do this as well in trying to make the ...
‘Being at the forefront of educational innovation' and 'never standing still' are two phrases that describe my faculty and school well. After we moved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding after our 2015 Ofsted inspection, the very next day our headteacher began to use the phrase “beyond outstanding”.
Want to innovate on a budget? It’s ideal to know where you can find fantastic resources at a low (or no) cost. Here, in no particular order, are 10 terrific places to start...
I spent the first years of my teaching career listening to students and parents talk about UCAS. University was the prime route young people took, and that was primarily because there was a limited understanding on the value of an apprenticeship as the first step into a career.
