What if tools commonly used in the classroom threaten to inhibit the learning they were developed to support? Too often, a well-meaning teaching tool can get detached from the thinking which made …
Transform Education and Assessment (Just Not Yet)
Ch-ch-changes. After the trials and tribulations of the summer of 2020, renewed calls are being made to transform education and change how assessment is enacted in schools. For experienced teachers, it is …
The curriculum challenge…renewed
People have gone relatively quiet about the ‘c’ word… curriculum. Whilst schools grapple with the challenges of having all pupils safely attend school, then everything has to be considered anew. The careful …
The Hidden Lives of Learners and Me
When I was growing up I sought out books that mirrored my world. I can name the narratives that walked me through my tortured teens, or those books that helped me attempt …
Reading on Screen: A Warning!
Since the dawn of the internet and our ability to read on-screen, people have bemoaned its negative impact on learning. But is reading on screen any different to reading a traditional book? …
5 Successful Study Strategies
‘It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it ‘t ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it ‘t ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you …
Remote Learning and Making Plans
The reality of the Covid pandemic has seen millions of pupils thrust into a position remote home learning. A stark truth is that pupils learn most when they are in the classroom. …
6 Excellent Etymologies
When you explore the history and roots of a word – the etymology – you draw upon a rich story that can unlock understanding for our pupils in science, maths, geography, and …
The Surprising Secret of School Improvement
“In education, the only way to improve is to stop people doing good things, to give them time to do even better things.” Dylan Wiliam It appears like a trite piece of …
Closing the Reading Gap: ResearchED Home
On the 22nd of May, I had the great pleasure to join the researchEd Home gang to talk ‘Closing the Reading Gap (in the time of Coronavirus)’. A couple of years ago, …