update

Why the Apple event on Wednesday matters to teachers…

 Ideas, Information, Technology  1 Response »
Sep 102012
 

Not a fanboy.  Please try to keep that in the back of your mind.  Yes, I’m typing this on a Mac, yes I have an iPod.  BUT I have an android phone, several windows PCs and a healthy understanding of the real world.  So please, don’t think this is just a fanboy rant, it’s not.  What it is, is an attempt to point out that we’re at a tipping point in education technology and that the next step, probably made by Apple at their product launch in San Francisco on Wednesday, could change everything.

We’ve had the iPad since the Summer of 2010, an incredibly thin device which uses a touch screen and can fit in an A4 envelope. It can access the web, seamlessly handle your email, manage your media content and a host of other tasks through a wealth of apps. As Steve Jobs used to say it’s “insanely great”. The iPad launched an industry wide rethink of what IT is, what it’s for and who should have it.  Now just about every IT manufacturer has a tablet device, there are a variety of operating systems, and app development is a major growth industry. If you still think IT is sitting behind a massive grey box and a 15 inch CRT monitor or that Microsoft Word and spreadsheets is what the IT curriculum should teach you have missed this revolution completely.

Many schools have ridden the crest of this wave and already brought tablet computers into the classroom.  Schools which issue their learners with their own iPads do exist. Units are being written as we speak allowing you to use tablet computers and mobile devices in art, music and media exams. Companies are already writing apps for classroom teaching, classroom management, assessment and support. The education tablet revolution has started but it it is, at the moment, in the hands of the enthusiast.

It is widely expected that Apple will launch a smaller version of their iPad on Wednesday (I’m not an Apple pundit myself, but Engadget and Macrumors will back me up here) as well as a larger phone, refreshed iMacs and iPods. It could be quite a day. The smaller iPad is a very interesting idea as it comes hot on the heals of the Kindle Fire and a host of other Android based tablet devices.  A smaller screen would bring limitations but it would also bring a cheaper price and perhaps a price so compelling that buying a class set, or indeed one for every learner is financially wise. In the UK you can get an iPad for £329 from the apple store, it’s not the latest model but it’s cheaper than a typical PC laptop. The kindle Fire is £129, just how much would a smaller iPad cost?

The Apple argument will be that the iPad is the only real tablet proposition for schools as there are apps in place, robust app quality control and apps in every subject and for every use. Guaranteed learner engagement in a sleek, brushed aluminium case. Android and the new Windows operating system (which is just around the corner) might argue with that, but the condition is clear.  If Wednesday goes the way the pundits are telling us, we may well be seeing the argument crashing on our desks this week.

If you are not going in this direction, parents will want to know why.

Careers guidance… no, the pupils’ not yours…

 Information  No Responses »
Jun 272012
 

Just a quick note on the recently announced consultation from the education select committee on career guidance in secondary school.  The duty is, that from September schools should provide impartial and independent advice for pupils in years 9, 10 and 11.  Your school may well be doing that already, but many aren’t.  One 17 year old told me recently he had had no careers guidance in his school, spoke to no one about it, didn’t understand the options available to him after year 11 and thought the only thing that was available was to be found at the Job Centre.

If you have a view or some insight then the consultation is open now, details can be found here.

Briefing – Episode 55, Mac rumours

 Technology  No Responses »
Jun 192012
 

…and don’t even get me started on the difference between “want” and “need”.  The conversations recently have been “do I really need a laptop, should I get an iPad instead?” and I think I would walk away from that one too.  iPads are just amazing things in the classroom, great to teach with, super practical, very slick and helpful.  Perhaps the desktop machine is truly dead and the sensible choice is for a laptop and an iPad and we can re-claim the computer table.  Perhaps we can chuck the computer desk out of the living room at last and use the space for a new radiogram.

The Windows version of the iPad looks good as well, have a search for “Windows Surface” and see what you can find.

That’s enough technology for a while…. honest.

Briefing – Episode 52, The A* to G website

 Ideas, Information, Inspiration  1 Response »
May 212012
 

Our final celebration for the year, back to normal service next week!

Is there anything we’re not covering that you would like us to?  We’ve explored a few things and had to jettison them because they were just impractical but on the whole we’re up for just about anything.  We’d like to do more interviews but trying to get people to talk on camera is a problem.  We would also have liked to bring examiners to you, but again, there is a certain amount of sensitivity to examiners talking to media companies at the moment.

We’ve been asked for paper versions of the posts as not everyone is comfortable in viewing video and we’ll be bringing something to you in the next few months which will hopefully help there. In the mean time do please subscribe, tweet, Facebook and youTube us and we’ll see you soon.

Chalk 4 – One year in the life of A* to G

 Inspiration  1 Response »
May 182012
 

This week Stuart and I are celebrating 52 episodes of A* to G.  Can’t quite believe that we’ve been doing this for a whole year, but we have.  Over 4 hours of video!  Crumbs.

Here’s a little something to mark the first year, just as a thanks you for watching, subscribing and supporting A* to G for a year.

 

Briefing – Episode 40, Internships and work experience

 Policy  No Responses »
Feb 242012
 

Internships are essentially bad things, so how do we make them good?  If they are such a good thing then let’s fund them or build the funding into the system.  Perhaps we need an agency to make sure the best intern posts don’t always go to the kids of Dad’s golf buddies.  Hmmm, its a complex bag of pain.

My work experience was in the age before health and safety, I worked on a building site – no hard hat, no NVQs and I got paid in cash – it was great.  My work experience helped me make the massive career decision that I didn’t want to work on a building site.

So what do we do with work experience?  Let us know what you think in the comments section below and please subscribe here or over on YouTube.

Briefing – Episode 38, A briefing about briefings…

 Ideas, Information  No Responses »
Feb 162012
 

The A* to G team met up in York earlier this week and took the opportunity to make a couple of videos.  We both do a lot of travelling, normally Stuart is up in County Durham and I’m in South Yorkshire, so days where diaries allow us to meet up can sometimes be hard to find.  We’ve wanted to make a welcome video for a while, so we chased some pigeons away and filmed in an alley in York city centre.  We’ve also now got a “welcome” tab on the website, do have a look.

We also wanted to post an update explaining how the new website works – not that it’s rocket science, so here we have a briefing… about briefings.

We’ve got lots on the way for you leading up to our birthday in May when we’ll be doing a more formal “launch” and running some special events.  The next few months are all about trying to get A* to G out to as many teachers as we can.  We’re just getting our facebook and twitter pages set up so we’ll be wanting you to “like” and “retweet” and “#ff” to help us get followed and friended.

If you haven’t subscribed, please do and do get in touch at info@astartog.co.uk or leave a comment.

Briefing – Episode 29, The quality of teaching: Ofsted’s 11, part 2

 Inspection  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

Part two of our introduction to Ofsted’s 11 criteria that inspectors will consider when looking at the “Quality of teaching in the school”.  The complete document, which is OFSTED Reference number 110128 can be found here.

What training have you already received on the new framework?  Let us know by leaving a comment or by email to info@astartog.co.uk, and do please subscribe.

Briefing – Episode 28, The quality of teaching: Ofsted’s 11, part 1

 Inspection  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

The draft inspection framework has been out  since September 2011 so you are probably aware of it by now.  It’s not a horrible document, but as ever it is all about interpretation and implementation.  Once inspections get under way we’ll be after feedback so do let us know your experiences at info@astartog.co.uk and do subscribe.

Briefing – Episode 27, The importance of music

 Information, Policy  No Responses »
Nov 292011
 

The Importance of Music is available from the DfE website here. It follows on from the Henley review into music education which can be found here.

If you are you a peri in a local authority music service, keep your eyes and ears open for discussion and development of your Music Education Hub (I hope someone comes up with a funkier name other wise they will be known as the “Meh”).  Post some anonymous comments if you can and let us know what goes on as these hubs emerge.

Do subscribe and we’ll send you an email reminder when we post any new videos.

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