Terry Freedman's ICT & Computing in Education blog — ICT & Computing in Education

12 things I've learnt about assessing Computing and ICT

September 30, 2016

I've been thinking about, doing, and running courses in the art and science of assessing what kids know, understand and can do when it comes to Computing and ICT for a long time. Here are 12 things I've learnt.

What I've been reading: Digital Literacy Skills for FE Teachers

September 27, 2016

Although this book is aimed squarely at teachers in Further Education, I think it would be a useful resource for school teachers too, and even university lecturers.

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.

Big data infographic

September 22, 2016

Here is a big data infographic I produced in 2014.

Review of the Thule Gauntlet Laptop Bag

September 21, 2016

An expensive mishap concerning my laptop led to my buying a Thule laptop bag. Here's what I think of it.

11 attributes of the ideal ICT and Computing inspector

September 20, 2016

If ICT or Computing is inspected in your school, what attributes would you like the inspector to have?

A useful book for your education technology library

What I've been reading: Academic writing and grammar for students

September 19, 2016

A well-structured book that will prove a handy reference in the secondary classroom and beyond.

To put it Bluntly: Ofsted jargon

September 16, 2016

Derek Blunt takes issue with inspectors' jargon.

Articles on Ed Tech: Retrospective #4

September 15, 2016

Here's a collection of articles you may have missed, on a variety of subjects including Brexit, Master teachers and ebooks.

What I've been reading: How to read journal articles in the social sciences

September 14, 2016

While not specifically concerned with Computing or education technology, this is a very useful book for students undertaking research in journals.

Computing discussion topics 2016-09-14: Brexit and biometrics

September 14, 2016

It's very important to cover the Computing curriculum in a way that relates it to what is actually going on in the real world. Here are two more discussion topics to help you to do that.

Project-based learning in Computing: micro and mini projects

September 11, 2016

You can't just give kids half a term to solve a problem and expect them to be able to just get on with it. This article suggests a simple approach that will help them get used to working on projects.

EducationTechnology News: 4 forthcoming events

September 9, 2016

News of 4 forthcoming events, including one that takes place tomorrow.

Recent book reviews

When AI can write as well as this, I'll worry! Plus a prize competition.

To paraphrase what Arthur C Clarke said about teachers, any writer that can be replaced by a computer probably should be.

Review: The Shortest History of Music -- two reviews in one!

The music programme of study requires students to possess an understanding of the music they perform and that which they listen to, as well as a grasp of music history, and an appreciation of different musical styles.

Review: The Art of Uncertainty (two reviews in one)

The Computing department would find the section on facial recognition interesting, because apart from possible ethical concerns, the fact is that even if the system has high accuracy, most of its identifications will be wrong.

Review: The Newsmongers: A History of Tabloid Journalism (two reviews in one!)

I was intrigued to discover that a popular news magazine of the sixties had been anticipated by Defoe.

Quick look: AI For Educators

There are some good ideas here, especially for prompts.

Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich -- Extended review

Nearly a hundred years after the Nazi phenomenon people are still asking the question: how could apparently ordinary or, in some cases, highly cultured, people commit such terrible crimes.

Education book reviews of 2024

This pdf contains the reviews of mine that were published in Teach Secondary magazine in 2024.

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...

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