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
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
Empathy in Schools – A Basis for Constructive Change #EmpathyDay
I am indebted to Dr Debarshi Roy FRSA, author of Skinned Knees and ABCs, for this insightful model of how empathy can be embodied in the school curriculum as a … Continue reading
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
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
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
Future Proof Your School: The Process of Starting and Completing a New Initiative | Briefing Notes #6
In conversations with Headteachers when I ask ‘How are things?’ I habitually get the same reply ‘We are very busy with some new initiatives!’ I find a few queries at … Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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
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
How Games Can Have a Powerful Impact on Learning in School | Edutopia
A conversation between the writers of two new books on using games across the curriculum to promote social and emotional learning and civics skills. Read it here: How Games Can Have a Powerful Impact … Continue reading
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
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
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
Addressing ‘Readiness to Learn’: Social, Economic and Educational Perspectives
The Coronavirus pandemic, and the disruption of learning that it has wreaked, has thrown into sharp focus the interface between learning that takes place at home and that which takes … Continue reading
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
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
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
The Legacy of Sir Ken Robinson: the Challenge and Opportunities of a New Curriculum and Assessment Model
The sad death of Sir Ken Robinson brings the end to the good-natured and robust thinking about how the future of education might be built. Sir Ken not only defined … Continue reading
Finland – Showing the Way With a Subject-Less Curriculum
The idea that a curriculum can be constructed around subject knowledge has always been suspect… who decides which content and does the content reflect contemporary needs or historic antecedents? As … Continue reading
The Ideal Primer for the New University Student: Resolution by Ambrose Conway
What is life at University really like? A question on the lips of all those looking to embark on the new adventure of leaving home and starting their university career. … Continue reading
9 Picture Books for Preschoolers That Celebrate Diversity | Edutopia
Books about diverse families teach young children to appreciate—and celebrate—differences in race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. See the full list here: 9 Picture Books for Preschoolers That Celebrate Diversity | Edutopia
The Thinking School: Linking Culture, Quality, Systems and Teams for Better Learning
I’ve been realigning my portfolio for schools and have the following elements of support available for all. 1. Learning Renaissance Educational Professional Development Insights To gain an international perspective on … Continue reading
Beyond Coronavirus: Templates for sustainable improvement in learning for schools
As the summer term comes to an end in British schools, thoughts turn to the new academic year in September. The disruption brought by the Coronavirus has been fundamental and … Continue reading
For Flourishing’s Sake: A New Book and a Graphical Approach to Plenary Sessions
This from Kelly Hannaghan regarding a new book and a new approach to recording ideas. Well, maybe not new, but a fine example of its kind. We all know that … Continue reading
Collaborations: The Way Forward in School Improvement
I was very taken with this graphic when I saw it on a post of one of my LinkedIn colleagues. It seemed to perfectly sum up my conception of a … Continue reading
Beyond the Virus: Planning for a Better Learning Future in Your School
Now that we are well into the delivery of learning during the virus, it might be the opportune time to be thinking about and planning for the ‘new normal’ for … Continue reading
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