Education Inspirations [Work In Progress]

I'm not sure what inspired Tom Bennett to write his blog post his education inspirations last weekend (see <here>), but a friend (not a teacher) send me a message last night asking for edu-blog recommendations. My short answer was "the people I had beers and curry with on Saturday", but realised that actually writing a list on my own blog was probably more useful.  

In no particular order, and I am sure I will update with blogs that I have forgotten, here we go:

• Scenes from the Battleground - THE education blog? Quoted by ministers, certainly one of the oldest edu-blogs, and always a well-researched read - Andrew Old
• The Behaviour Guru & TES - Not just behaviour... Tom has gained a reputation for his work with ResearchEd, reviewing "Educating..." TV shows and general entertaining writing about the profession - Tom Bennett
• The Wing to Heaven - Is there anyone better that Daisy to talk to about assessment? I don't think so, Cricket? West Ham? Same. Make sure you also read her book, 7 Myths - Daisy Christodoulou
• The Learning Spy - David is happy to admit in the past he has been wrong, and is happy to share (after extensive reading) what is wrong in education. He saves me a lot of reading. Since starting to teach part time, his output has been significant - David Didau
• Blogs About School -  John's blog has been a repeated source of information and inspiration. One of my real favourites - John Dexter
• LeadingLearner - Stephen's is exec director of a Catholic MAT in Blackpool. He frequently maps out his vision and steps to getting there in his insightful blog. An amazing demonstration of leadership, useful to all schools - Stephen Tierney 
• This Much I Know About... - A beautifully human and well written blog about being a headteacher, teacher, father and human being - John Tomsett
• Zest For Learning - A mixture of teaching and leadership. Tom's blog has given me a number of ideas to try out in the past and continues to reflect upon his journey of headship - Tom Sherrington
• Outside In - A Catholic teacher and Blue Labour supporter. Insightful reflections on many aspects of education - Michael Merrick
• Evidence Into Practice - Nick's blog has been really helpful in understanding key elements of the psychology useful in teaching. He has a great ability to make the complex very accessible - Nick Rose
• To The Real - A really insightful blog which cites Plato as an inspiration: that beautiful mix of philosophy and Maths. Kris always has something interesting to say - Kris Boulton
• Esse Quam Videri - A blog which covers so many different topics. Having met Heather at one of the early blogger curries, I have only recently started reading this. No idea why it took me so long!? - Heather Fearn
• Othmar's Trombone - This blog is now even better that we know James actually exists, A must follow on Twitter too - James Theobold
• The Quirky Teacher - One of the few anonymous bloggers left...
• Reading All the Books - Jo writes quite a lot about English, yet there is something for everyone here with her excellent blog - Jo Facer 
• Stack of Marking - Another must follow on Twitter. Teaches in FE. Only person to recommend their own blog, but fully justified - Tom Starkey
• Surreal Anarchy - It's impossible to not love Martin. Likewise, it is impossible to not love his blog - Martin Robinson
• Laura McInerney - How Laura still has time to write for this while writing for Schools Week, I have no idea. So much good stuff on here - Laura McInerney
• Filling The Pail - A lot of evidenced based sense all the way from Australia - Greg Ashman
• Chronotope - A source of good evidence and reflection linked to Carl's work as Wellington's Director of Research. Follow on Twitter for trolling of Dida and Bennett - Carl Hendrick
• Pragmatic Education - Joe is excellent on knowledge and it's importance. What else do you need to know? - Joe Kirby
• MM Learning - Mary is an OFSTED inspector and RE champion. She's ace - Mary Myatt
• Clio Etcetera - Michael's blog is often history focused by very useful for other humanities - Michael Fordham
• Bodil's Blog - Sometimes Maths, sometimes not. Always excellent - Bodil Isaksen
• ICT Magic - Martin knows nearly everything about ICT. His list of recommendations is second to none - Martin Burrett
• ICT Evangelist - Alongside Martin, Mark also knows nearly everything about ICT too - Mark Anderson
• Tabula Rasa - Katie writes lots of English related things, but also about education more generally - Katie Ashford
• New To The Post - Amjad is a generous member of the edu-blogger community, always sharing - Amjad Ali
• TeacherToolkit - No need to mention really - Ross Morrison McGill
• Governing Matters - One of the few excellent blogs written by a committed governor. If only they were all like this.. - Naureen Afzal
• "Splogs": Hey Miss Smith - My favourite primary blog, reminding me (informing me?) what it's like teaching the little ones - Jane Manzone
• Mr Lock's Weblog - Writing a little less now he is a head, I always enjoy Stuart's in depth posts - Stuart Lock
• Daily Genius - Another head (where do they find the time?) who takes the time to explain his vision and what he is trying to achieve. It's great to share the journey! - Kev Bartle
• ChocoTzar - A headteacher who often blogs about pastoral issues with great humility. I love this blog. - ChocoTzar

Recommendations

I also had some recommendations via Twitter that I now need to discover and to my read list:

• The Traditional Teacher - Anthony Radice
• Mr Histoire - Toby French
• Teach Well - Tarjinder Gill

The RE collection

This deserves it's own special section. I have the privilege of running the The RE and Philosophy Education Chamber. These are some of the blogs I return to again and again:

• To Learn Is To Follow - The sharp mind of Jonny has given a real fresh way of looking at how to teach RE - Jonny Porter
• Miss D Cox - Dawn is one of the most forward thinking and reflective teachers I know. Her blog should have a very wide readership. Not just RE, - Dawn Cox
• Mr Sheptsone - Still technically part of the RE gang, despite teaching Maths - Mark Shepstone 
• The Cursed Figtree - After much nagging and behind the scenes rants, we convinced Neil to blog. He's great - Neil McKain
• Becky Sefton's Ramblings -Becky really should blog more, all she writes is excellent - Rebecca Sefton 
• The Golden Calf - The voice of reason in a world of mad RE. Some excellent take-downs, especially of EdExcel and aspects of GCSE RS - Rob Orme

There are more excellent RE bloggers here

Staffrm

This is a lovely site with a real community feel. People to check out;

• Helena Marsh
• Stephen Lockyer
• Leah Sharp
• David Rodger
• Jennifer Hart
• Abigail Mann
• Jill Berry
• Claire Bracher

Starter For Five

A special mention for this blog project for those new to teaching with lots of 'Top Tips 5': here

Who have I missed?

Image: http://thegunnrange.com/2015/10/08/pixar-releases-the-release-dates-for-future-sequels-including-the-incredibles-2/

#UKEdMag - The 10 Commandments of Tweets with Students

My third artcile for UKEdMag appears in the October edition. It features something I have written about a number of times and presented about at TeachMeets too. I hope it is useful to those who are trying to see how Twitter can be of use for learning.

Read my article in full <here>. There is also an abridged version on UKEdMag's website <here>

Image courtesy of UKEdMag

TMHavering also gets a mention <here> and Don't Change The Lightbulbs gets a mention too <here>

As always, feedback always welcome!

Find out more about UKEdMag <here> - you can now order printed copies!

The 10 Commandments of Tweets [with Students]

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

I began Tweeting for my students in January 2012. It was initially an experiment to see if there was any value or worth in using Twitter to communicate with students. I mentioned it to my Head of Department, who mentioned it to our Department line manager. There were a few brief discussions, but as it became clear I knew what I was talking about and had considered the implications, potential risks and consequences, I was left to get on with it.

Having watched The Social Network and working out I was probably in the first 100,000 Facebook users in 2004, and having used Twitter personally for several years, I was fully aware of the power (and the dangers) of such social networking tools; I had, in many respects, grown up as an adult with social networking.

I liked the idea that on Twitter students would 'follow' and not be 'friends' and that everything was transparent and could be checked by any member of my SLT. They could see my interactions, everything was public and could be read by anyone. There was also the great power of the Retweet!

However without a set of guidelines, or policy, advice or even really having an 'in school' sounding board, I needed some kind of personal framework. I spent a lot of time considering how I would utilise Twitter. It is also important that you never forget the risks, and that you are always aware of what you are Tweeting and to who. I devised a little reminder to myself, and to share with others (it's RE themed, naturally...); 

The 10 Commandments of Tweets with Students:

1 - Don't use your personal account for school; don't use your school account for personal.

2 - Don't follow students back [Justin Bieber news is widely available elsewhere].

3 - Don't just endlessly RT [It's boring and misses your chance to be personal].

4 - Don't just RT without checking [you need to read it and make sure it is suitable in content].

5 - Don't be available 24/7 [It's okay to take some time off as a teacher].

6 - Don't DM students [The good thing about Twitter is that it is very transparent].

7 - Don't use long, boring hashtags - it's not cool [Do add inconspicuous subject tags though – i.e. #REteacher #REchatUK]

8 - Don't just post links [Why should I click on it? Who is it of interest to?]

9 - Don't assume that just because you Tweeted it, and students follow you, that they'll read it.

10 - Don't be a boring Tweeter - sometimes it okay to say something a little fun!

Image courtesy of StickyJesus

I spoke to colleagues via Twitter and got some interesting feedback about what some schools are saying...

One staff handbook said, "On no account should staff involve themselves on social networking sites with children" only via school email. However the school had a number of Twitter accounts including a whole school one which were clearly not covered by this policy. This seems typical of the lack of guidance given to many teachers. Other schools insisted on 'locked' accounts and vetting each potential follower.

Another school had put together a policy, which is not overly complex but covers most areas:

The Purpose
To allow departments to disseminate key information relating to KS4 that will ensure pupils have access to important online resources that can be used in preparation for the exams.

The Benefits
• It allows us to model using social media responsibly
• It is a great way to communicate using the technology that many of our pupils use already
• It is instant access when new information is released by exam boards, key authors, well known speakers and relevant news agencies
• To share resources for revision etc (all information will also be available on paper for those who don’t have access to the internet)

Safety considerations
• Nothing is private. Teachers will not be following any pupils
• Everything that is written is available for everybody to see
• It won’t be accessed in school
• It will be only for KS4
• We have contacted numerous schools that already use it to discuss safeguarding concerns
• All accounts will be monitored by the teacher responsible for the twitter account and by [Senior Management]

Reminders [to staff]

• Never follow a pupil, make this clear to pupils

• Never retweet an article or image you haven’t checked first

• Bear in mind that not all pupils will have access to the internet

• Only use with KS4

• Always remind pupils about safety for example: nothing you write on the internet is ever private. Only write things you wouldn't mind your parents, teachers or future employers seeing. What you put on the internet will be used to judge what sort of person you are. Never write anything negative or unkind about anyone else.

[Hope this is okay to publish? It's the best one I've seen so far!]

I think this is a great starting point. It has been circulated to staff, students and parents, so everyone is clear on its purpose, use and potential.

The problem to overcome is the fear of social networking. Sadly some staff see it as an evil. I agree, it can get ugly, and many staff have had to deal with social networking causing a variety of problems in the school. It is hard when other staff do not have an interest in social networking. In the worst cases, you will receive a flat no. At the other extreme, you are left with no policy to fall back on for protection (me...).

There is lots to consider. Lots. It needs constant review too. There may be something you haven't thought of, an issues that arises. It needs to treated sensibility, in a considered way. A member of staff may make a mistake... just like in the classroom. Will the school then ban Twitter for everyone?

One of the most important things I read about social networking and schools was that "Every school has a social media and social network presence - are you going to ignore it or engage in it?". Your school and your staff will be discussed on Twitter, Facebook and numerous other places. If you have a school Facebook page comments and questions can be put there and answered accurately. I was told by students that I wasn't discussed on Twitter because I use it!

There is so much potential. SO much. I love using Twitter with students and it has been incredibly useful. I answer questions, help with everyday questions ("What week is it?"), homework help, last minute exam prep. I link it to my blog [here] and it's amazing how much students pick up, from the news and links I tweet too. Sometimes a 6th form lesson will begin with something they've seen on my Twitter.

I am not an expert. I am still learning. I still make mistakes. But this is the same as in the classroom right?

Don't just set up a Twitter account and start Tweeting. Speak to your school, follow any policy or guidelines in place. Talk to students, what do they want? Take your time, consider your purpose, what will your Twitter identity be? Try it, evaluate it, persevere with it, re-evaluate it, keep using it, don't give up, have a little fun...


Read more:

#TMLondon (11/12/12)
My first TM presentation, 'Using Twitter with Students': PPT & Full Audio & Video - 10:25:00 to 11:10:00

#TMEssex (18/3/13)
A new improved Tweeting with Students presented: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Prezi

#UKEdMag - Jobs: "The Times They Are A-Changing'"

Back in early April, I posted on my blog to help my school find a new member of staff (see <here>). I also used Twitter to help me with an internal job application (see <here>). These two experiences helped me to write my most recent contribution to the excellent UKEdMag - subscribe <here> if you haven't done so already! 

Read the full article <here>

Martin is always looking for new article writers so get in touch with him <here>

Presentation & Video on Blogging and Tweeting

Image courtesy of Against The Wind

I was very kindly invited by a friend from my Cambridge undergrad days to speak at a conference in Wales for RE teachers from Independent Schools. My remit was simple... blogging and social networking. Luckily this is an area where I can claim some expertise and put together a 25min presentation. 

• Google Presentation Slides
• Video (if embedded version doesn't load)

There wasn't any questions on the day, but feel free to ask any and I will update this post.

Thanks for this opportunity Rhiannon 

Thank You, Twitter (New Appointment to HoY)

Image courtesy of EXSS Impact

I didn't want to make it a big thing, so last Friday night, I sent one short tweet asking if anyone was a Head of Year (<here>). I was fortunate to have a number of responses. 

By the end of the evening, I had an offer to proof-read my application letter plus various questions, tips and other exemplar letters being emailed to me. I was genuinely overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers. The variety of people who offered their help was also wide ranging, a pastoral deputy head, a head of KS4 who line manages HoYs, existing HoYs, aspiring HoYs (who had struggled first time round and shared their mistakes). What more could I ask for?

It is important to discuss things with people in your own school, but sometimes for a variety of reasons you can't do that. Perhaps they are involved with the interview process... maybe they are also applying for the job... maybe they have some other interest... sometimes we don't want to be asking around everyone publicly as it becomes 'staff room chat'. Sometimes you just want to hide behind an avatar and a handle to ask for help.

Thankfully, I did also have a few people in school who greatly helped out, but this combination was great as it enabled me to put together a whole variety of information, prepare myself fully and feel confident there was nothing more I could do.

As a result, on Wednesday, I was able to celebrate my new promotion to Head of Year (Y10).

Thank you all SO much if you helped with advice, emails and tweets. Twitter really is the best possible staffroom.

I'm sure I will be blogging soon about the help I will need moving forward... 

#UKEdChat - RE Subject Special

RE Special: Thursday 15th May 2014 

8 - 9pm

UKEdChat takes place all through the week on Twitter but has a big presence over a few slots. I am hosting the RE subject special and hope many of you can be involved!

If you don't know how UKEdChat works, see here: http://ukedchat.com/how-to/

The only other thing is to consider some questions to be addressed during the hour long slot... please add suggestions to this blog post.

Also posted on the RE Online Cafe: http://www.reonline.org.uk/forums/topic/ukedchat-re-special/

Questions, as voted by YOU:

Q1) What's your favourite RE lesson?

Q2) How will the forthcoming Government reforms affect the content of both GCSE and ALevel RS syllabi?

Q3) How can we make GCSE or A-Level RE better?

Q4) How do you promote and raise the profile of RE in your school?

Q5) What's the most important question we can ask as RE teachers?
Q6) What is your best online resource?

Read about it <here>