The Learning Renaissance

Why Studying Is So Hard, and What Teachers Can Do to Help | Edutopia

Beginning in the upper elementary grades, research-backed study skills should be woven into the curriculum, argues psychology professor Daniel Willingham in a new book. As a professor, my students were … Continue reading

March 15, 2023 · Leave a comment

Future Proof Your School finds a Global Audience…

I must admit that when Julia and Di at Critical Publishing suggested the title of  ‘Future Proof Your School‘ for my book of strategies and approaches to encourage school improvement … Continue reading

January 16, 2023 · Leave a comment

The Big Idea: Do We All Experience the World in the Same Way? | The Guardian

Every human brain is different – it’s time to embrace the diversity of our experiences. …since we all have different brains, making slightly different best guesses, we will all have … Continue reading

November 28, 2022 · Leave a comment

The Big Idea: Should We Drop the Distinction Between Mental and Physical Health? | The Guardian

We live in a falsely divided world, which draws too hard a line – or makes a false distinction – between physical and mental health. The line is not now … Continue reading

October 10, 2022 · Leave a comment

Why it’s so hard to escape short-term thinking | Big Think

Short-term thinking is both rooted in our most primal instincts and encouraged by runaway technological development. How can we fight it? The rapid pace of technological development, particularly when untethered … Continue reading

October 3, 2022 · Leave a comment

What Adults Don’t Get About Teens and Digital Life | Wired

Well-meaning messages meant to keep teens safe can backfire. The key is to focus on judgment and agency, not rigid rules for screen time. PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE LONG recognized that we … Continue reading

September 21, 2022 · Leave a comment

Testing 3, 2, 1: Michael Lawrence Calls Out Standardised Education Practice

Like myself, my colleague Michael Lawrence is very taken with the Finnish education system and the reflection and professional thought that has gone into its creation. The welfare and development … Continue reading

July 25, 2022 · Leave a comment

Planning a Better Future with Fabienne Vailes

Another week, another great conversation with an educator passionate about change in education and learning. Fabienne Vailes has experience of education in most of its phases and can see clearly … Continue reading

July 18, 2022 · Leave a comment

The World Needs More Purple Schools by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart | YouTube

How do you make a purple school? It will take curiousity, sharing, hard work, and lots of laughs! Buy the book here:

July 8, 2022 · Leave a comment

Critical Mass: Forces for Change in Education Worldwide

I have been much heartened over the previous months by conversations I have had with educators worldwide who are rejecting the premise of current educational models. Increasingly they are putting … Continue reading

July 4, 2022 · Leave a comment

Creating a Classroom That Is Student, not Teacher, Driven: An Excerpt from ‘Teach More, Hover Less’ | Edutopia

Teachers can take a step back and create lessons that put student explorations at the centre of learning. A classroom free of micromanagement is not driven by a task-oriented approach. … Continue reading

June 22, 2022 · Leave a comment

Building the Curriculum of the Future: Can you help? An Appeal to Education Leaders Worldwide

Noting the general malaise in education reported in the Western world I’m keen to explore solutions. In the past, the standard response to widespread teacher dissatisfaction has been a pay … Continue reading

June 8, 2022 · Leave a comment

Transformational Change: From Random School Initiative to Capacity Building and Whole-School Cultural Development

  An initiative is needed in your school. It might be needed to plug a deficiency identified internally, or, more alarmingly, in response to a critical report. Most usually the … Continue reading

May 17, 2022 · Leave a comment

4 Core Purposes of Education, According to Sir Ken Robinson | Edutopia

There are a few terms that are often confused or used interchangeably – “learning,” “education,” “training,” and “school” – but there are important differences between them. Learning is the process … Continue reading

March 21, 2022 · Leave a comment

Future Proof Your School: Intelligence Report 2: Understanding School Culture and Building it Into Your Improvement Strategy

In its simplest form, culture can be defined as ‘the way we do things round here’. It is a foolish school leader who fails to factor school culture into improvement … Continue reading

February 14, 2022 · Leave a comment

Music Learning: the Work of Phil Rooke

Phil Rooke has been a friend for a number of years now. He brings passion, ingenuity and collaboration to all his work with young people. He has recently begun pulling … Continue reading

January 18, 2022 · Leave a comment

Future Learning 1: Understanding and Ameliorating the Learning Crisis in UK Schools

From any perspective, the past academic years have been challenging for all schools, and teachers and support staff have shown great professionalism and resilience in dealing with a fractured world … Continue reading

December 1, 2021 · Leave a comment

Swimming Against the Tide to Establish Emotional Resilience

Capitalism has at its heart the idea of markets and consumers, of enterprise designed to deliver profit. However, there is a fatal flaw in the capitalist model in that you … Continue reading

October 18, 2021 · Leave a comment

Awesome Audiobooks for Back-to-School Listening | Penguin Random House

Addressing back-to-school worries, making new friends, building self-esteem: these stories will have kids looking forward to the year to come. Read the list here: It’s Elementary: Awesome Audiobooks for Back-to-School … Continue reading

September 17, 2021 · Leave a comment

Future Proof Your School – A Perceptive UKEd Chat Review by Colin Hill

Always great when someone understands and appreciates the experiences that have gone into the compilation of a book. Such was the case with Colin Hill, who compiled this review of … Continue reading

August 24, 2021 · Leave a comment

Re-Examining Success: A time to review the fundamentals of British education

There seems increasing disillusionment in the UK regarding the purposes and practices of education and increasing numbers of teacher are looking towards a fundamental re-think of the whole education system. … Continue reading

June 15, 2021 · Leave a comment

Philosophy for Children – Enhancing Cognitive Skills

There have long been advocates of Philosophy for Children (P4C) who have promoted the idea that dealing with the elements of thinking in a rational and systematic way would promote … Continue reading

June 7, 2021 · Leave a comment

If You Can’t Reach Them You Can’t Teach Them – Building Effective Learning Relationships by Kevin Hewitson | Critical Publishing

So good to see friend and colleague Kev Hewitson’s book finally in print. The ideas behind the book have been over twenty years in the making and bring his extensive … Continue reading

March 19, 2021 · Leave a comment

Coping with Mental Health Challenges During COVID-19 | SpringerLink

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is a global challenge which resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. It has also adversely affected the economy and social integrity. There is rising … Continue reading

October 9, 2020 · Leave a comment

Future Proof Your School review

It is always gratifying when someone comments positively on your book. This is especially true when they so precisely define its use and function. Just as I intended… ‘I am … Continue reading

September 28, 2020 · Leave a comment

Student Life: Challenge and Experience

It is many moons ago that this picture was taken at the start of my first term at University. Happy days as I embarked on a new path that took … Continue reading

September 28, 2020 · Leave a comment

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