“Why should I be studying for a future that soon may be no more, when no one is doing anything to save that future? And what is the point of learning facts when the most important facts clearly mean nothing to our society?” - Greta Thunberg 2019 has seen millions of schoolchildren across the world strike … Continue reading UnsustainED? Why ESD isn’t working.
Blogs
COBIS and researchED Dubai: takeaways
I spoke at the Innovation in Education conference last week at Dubai College for COBIS and researchED, which was a great chance to catch up with friends and meet new people working in the Middle East. Here are a few thoughts based on the sessions I saw. Becky Allen - @profbeckyallen This is always a pleasure, because … Continue reading COBIS and researchED Dubai: takeaways
The Ship of Theseus: the Nature of Change in Schools
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” - Heraclitus This is about a philosophical thinking problem, and the messages that emerge for teachers and school leaders. If you know your philosophy, you can skip to the second half. If you don’t, … Continue reading The Ship of Theseus: the Nature of Change in Schools
Scottish EduTwitter
At the start of 2019, UKEdChat.com published a lengthy list of educators to follow in both the UK and abroad. Without wishing to sound parochial, I was frustrated at the presence of just a couple of people based in Scotland. The list is made up by nominations, so it’s not necessarily anyone’s fault. However, I … Continue reading Scottish EduTwitter
The Effect Size Effect
There’s nothing more satisfying than winning a staff-room or pub argument about what works and what doesn’t by quoting effect sizes. There they are, in black and white: stats that show you are right. Homework is rubbish, class sizes don’t matter, feedback is king. However, my concern is that effect sizes in the hands of … Continue reading The Effect Size Effect
The Vantage Point: Lessons of a First Year in Leadership
The Vantage Point: Things I've Learned this Year I’ve just finished my first year in a senior leadership role at a new school and wanted to get across some thoughts about what I’ve learned. A version of this will feature on Craig Barton’s podcast so if you’d rather listen to that (and hear from much … Continue reading The Vantage Point: Lessons of a First Year in Leadership
LGBT History Month: Tales of an Orange Juice Boycott
This article is an adaptation of an assembly I gave recently to mark LGBT History Month. 1969 was a landmark year for LGBT rights with the Stonewall riots in the USA. As a consequence, the 1970s saw a dramatic level of engagement and activism, but the history of this period is far less well known … Continue reading LGBT History Month: Tales of an Orange Juice Boycott
The self-evident truths of staff wellbeing
A recent blog post by Kevin McLaughlin prompted me to write this piece. His heart-felt article, entitled ‘The Depressed Teacher’, outlines his journey from being rated as an ‘outstanding’ teacher by Ofsted to being evaluated as ‘requires improvement’ by the new headteacher only one month later. From 2012 to 2016 his health suffered so badly … Continue reading The self-evident truths of staff wellbeing
Harnessing the power of the testing effect
The power of the testing effect has wide currency and is identified by Dunlosky et al as the most effective method that pupils can use in order to build long term memory. This sounds wonderful, but there’s a problem. Does telling a pupil to self-test actually lead to them self-testing? And if they do, are … Continue reading Harnessing the power of the testing effect
Designing a Supercurriculum
This is an old post previously published on the Wellington College Learning and Research Centre website, but I'm reposting it here in light of a recent conversation about the need to go and above and beyond what a national curriculum can offer. This blog is based on a talk given at the Wellington MAT inset … Continue reading Designing a Supercurriculum
