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What a Wonderful Web

16/3/2011

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First, let me make a confession.  Whilst I'm not a complete technophobe, I do have my limitations when it comes to new technology.  After all, when I left school many years ago at the age of 16, the 'personal computer' as we now know it had not even come onto the mass market.  I'm old enough to be able to tell my children about when 'playing a computer game' meant moving two blips backwards and forwards on a screen.  Having said that, over the years I've got to grips with quite a few bits and pieces of ICT - I've created several websites, including this one you're looking at right now.

In the past I've had my concerns about the over use of technology in education - where the teacher relies too heavily on that electronic whiteboard, and forgets to get the children hands on with actual, living things.  Equally, I've wondered how schools are going to come to terms with the dilemma of the mobile phone.  That is to say: your school policy says confiscate the evil items on sight, but actually if you do that, you're denying the huge potential for learning that these new web enabled gadgets offer.

Well, this week I've been convinced of the educational merits of one particular technological advance - the one with which I'm talking to you right now - yes, the humble Blog.  It makes sense, really - as a writer, the Blog offers a whole new way of communicating with readers.  Anyway, I was doing some training last week for some new teachers, and one of them got in touch with me afterwards, and said 'do look at our class blog, to see how we've been using some of your techniques'.  Well, knock me down with a feather - it was wonderful!  There were photos, film clips, writing, examples of the children's work.  And all there, for the parents to see (and indeed the world to see, as well).

So it was that I created a Blog in a similar vein for our little village preschool, to counter parent comments about 'not knowing what my child does while he is at preschool'.  That Blog will let us communicate, instantly, with any parent who has access to the internet.  What a wonderful web indeed!
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    Elephants in the Classroom

    You know that saying, about there being an 'elephant in the room': something everyone knows is there, but no one wants to mention?  In teaching, there isn't just one elephant in the classroom, there's a whole herd of them, rampaging through the room. In this blog I plan to turn a spotlight on some of the unspoken and sometimes unpalatable truths about our noble profession (and the good stuff too). Because if we can't be honest about what makes a good learning experience, an effective school, or a good teacher, and equally what makes a bad one, then everyone loses.

    As the saying goes: 'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.'

    There's no point in denying these truths, because they will still be there when we turn back around. Or to put it another way, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean there no one's following you.

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  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Extracts >
      • The Seven E's of Reading for Pleasure
      • The Seven R's of Great Group Work
      • The Seven T's of Practical Differentiation
  • Training
    • Live Online Training
    • Behaviour Management
    • Differentiation
    • Thinking Skills
    • Voice Training
    • Writing Skills
  • Teachers
    • Lessons I Love
    • Free Downloads
    • Teachers TV
    • Practical Strategies >
      • Low Level Disruption
      • Students being argumentative with each other
      • Pacing lessons so that students maintain focus
      • Motivating boys to write
      • Tapping/wandering while you are talking
      • How do I know when to deal with/ignore behaviour?
      • Getting the class back to you
      • Arrogant/don't care/poor attitude
      • Arguing back
      • Calling out/shouting across the room
      • Controlling noise levels during group work
      • Engaging students who 'just don't see the point' in a subject
      • Giving feedback, efficient marking and showing progress
      • Refusal to start a task
      • Work life balance and time management
  • 100 Ideas
    • 100 Nursery Rhymes
    • 100 Tips for Artful Educators
    • 100 Books for Teens
    • 100 Tips for NQTs
    • 100 Tips for Writers
    • 100 Books for Little People
    • 100 Female Education Authors
    • 100 Tips on Behaviour
    • 100 Funny Poems and Poets
    • 100 Books for KS2
    • 100 Tips for Developing Young Writers
    • 100 International Classic Books and Authors
  • Blog
  • Conferences
    • Bury Secondary Headteachers
    • Cambridgeshire NQTs
    • Children with Special Needs Contact Day
    • Teach First
    • Firm Foundations
    • Football Association
    • Association of British Schools of Chile
    • NUT Reading for Pleasure
    • Sweden