Many moons ago I started my own podcast. It was called Terry Freedman’s Education Technology podcast, and it consisted of useful hints and tips for teachers of Computing and related subjects. I have to say that I found it hard going.
Read MoreThe value of case studies
Could it be worth compiling case studies of success stories of people who have used education technology or completed a Computing course in your school?
Read MoreWanted: ex-teachers -- by the Department of wishful thinking
The Department of Education in England is hoping to recruit an army of retired teachers to help plug the gap when teachers fall in from Covid. Here at Freedman Towers we’ve been waiting for this for the past 18 months.
Read MoreThe hazards of writing software manuals
Writing software manuals or books, or even mini tutorials on how to do something in a particular program comes with a huge occupational hazard.
Read MoreOfsted, National Curriculum and other edtech stuff
This newsletter, from 2001, demonstrates four main things….
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Image by Gerd Altmann
What are good communications (and what should your strategy include)?
When I took up a senior management position in a local authority, an irate headteacher phoned me on my second day. She had had her laptop taken away for repairs two weeks ago, and had heard nothing since. I told her I’d look into it. I had the following conversation with the relevant team…
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On top deck of a number 8 bus, by Terry Freedman
A Touch of Humanity (updated)
It is a sad but incontrovertible fact that one of the unfortunate effects of technology is that it provides some people with the excuse they need to abrogate all sense of personal responsibility or discretion.
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Christmas at Selfridges, by Terry Freedman
End-of-year message from ICT & Computing in Education
Unfortunately, my end-of-year message got a bit mangled, but I’m posting it here anyway. See if you can figure out what it is supposed to say.
Read MoreTiny Noticeable Things: The Secret Weapon to Making a Difference in Business, and leading Computing in a school
The original version of this article was first published on the Bee Digital marketing website in August 2021, and was aimed at businesses. In this updated version I’ve added some thoughts on how the ethos of the book might be adapted by leaders of Computing or co-ordinators of education technology in schools.
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DigEd xmas, by Terry Freedman
Coming soon: Digital Education Christmas 2021
Coming soon (probably tomorrow, 21st December 2021), a bumper small edition of my esteemed newsletter. It contains some interesting stuff, including advanced notice of a fantastic prize draw in which you can win a ‘credit card'-sized microprocessor that allows you to create projects and then download them to the device. It includes 25 LEDs and a sounder allowing you to create music.
Read More7 Mistakes made by education technology leaders
So, you’ve landed a great new job, an important one at that, as an ed tech leader or co-ordinator. But in your eagerness to make an impact, are you making some fundamental mistakes? Here’s a quick guide about what not to do.
Read MoreThink you're too popular? Then hold back information
If you really want to make yourself unpopular, then not providing enough information is a sure-fire way of going about it. If you’re a teacher advising your Headteacher, you need to provide sufficient information – whether you’ve been asked for it or not.
Read MoreProvide timely information (even if it makes you unpopular)
You would think that providing timely information would be just the thing to get you applauded. However, as the song from Porgy and Bess tells us, it ain’t necessarily so. It really all depends on what the information is, and to whom you’re making it available.
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Too protective by half?
Why I dread the thought of benign algorithms (Updated)
Science fiction writers would have us believe that intelligent machines will either enslave us or get rid of human beings altogether. But what if they were extremely benign and protective towards us? What could possibly go wrong?
Read MoreComing soon (ish): my top ten education books of 2021
I’m thinking that even if I gave a book I reviewed a rave write-up and five stars, it might still not make the list if a book I deemed deserving of four stars is comparatively better.
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Wow! By Terry Freedman
Inspection of a Computing department in the form of a really bad TV documentary 2021
Fortunately, such an inability to explore interesting and sensible questions would not be found in a real inspection. Would it??
Read MoreWho needs "21st century skills"?
Has there ever been such a frenzy of thinking and activity over a concept which does not even exist? I am referring, of course, to the ridiculous notion of so-called '21st century skills'
Read MoreCreating filler text: useful tools for teachers
If you produce the school’s newsletter, or a departmental newsletter, or a newsletter for parents, filler text will enable you to quickly test a new template without worrying about the actual content.
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Hazardous area! Photo by Terry Freedman
Must you always obey instructions?
The short answer to the question that forms the title of this article is “Yes”. Even so…
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Burglar! By Terry Freedman
The Great Training Robbery
There must surely be few things more annoying than, having put a lot of work into a course, you discover that someone has ripped you off. They are using your materials in their course. They might even be selling your materials somewhere online.
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