There are times when my experiences in education and politics crossover more overtly. I guess this is no surprise: they’re both people-focused activities. This time the crossover was about communication, specifically message discipline. I’ve read a fair bit about educational leadership and change implementation. Consistent themes include the need to prioritise, checking people have theContinueContinue reading “‘The one thing’”
Tag Archives: Education
Knowledge and the curriculum in the age of AI
I have been reading Salman Khan’s book Brave New Words about the potential for artificial intelligence within education. Khan makes an interesting point about educationally-tailored AI, such as his own ‘Khanmigo’, being able to help students access courses, especially those that otherwise wouldn’t be available to them. This got me thinking about curriculum. While AIContinueContinue reading “Knowledge and the curriculum in the age of AI”
Making teaching rewarding
“Teaching should be a rewarding profession where teachers are empowered and supported to be the best creative professionals they can be” Dr Tristian Stobie in his forward to the Great Teaching Toolkit Evidence Review (2020) With the start of a new school term and a return to work, I am embarking on a new endeavourContinueContinue reading “Making teaching rewarding”
Hello Duo!
I have been bothered about not speaking a second language for a long time. It is an ability which I admire and respect in other people; I am not a little bit jealous! Moving to teach in an international school, the prevalence multi-linguists has made me all the more conscious of my lack of linguisticContinueContinue reading “Hello Duo!”
Be the change…
Slightly earlier than UK colleagues, I am preparing for the new school year which is about to begin at my international school and I have a new motto for the new year: Source: https://josephranseth.com/gandhi-didnt-say-be-the-change-you-want-to-see-in-the-world/ Ok, so Gandhi didn’t actually say those words. While still powerful advice, which I’m sure The Mahatma wouldn’t disagree with, youContinueContinue reading “Be the change…”
Coronavirus to a geographer: an example of how subject disciplines give us powerful knowledge and why that matters
Why having some expertise isn’t a bad thing and what on earth does ‘thinking like a geographer’ mean? While enjoying my daily exercise, despite the rain, I was again using the time to indulge my newfound taste for podcasts. Listening to The Intelligence (26th March edition, by The Economist) there was a piece about how theContinueContinue reading “Coronavirus to a geographer: an example of how subject disciplines give us powerful knowledge and why that matters”
The Joy of Curriculum
As I (willingly) slave away over my department’s geography curriculum, it has occurred to me that this latest shift in education has done a huge amount to rejuvenate my own passion for teaching. In what was going to be a blog reflecting on the practical steps involved in building a knowledge-rich curriculum, I have actually writtenContinueContinue reading “The Joy of Curriculum”
Knowledge organisers, retrieval practice and the knowledge-rich curriculum
As teachers swept up in the latest winds of change hitting UK schools and fans of early-era Soccer AM will tell you: knowledge is the bomb. Like many teachers (and Saturday morning telly fans), I wholeheartedly subscribe to the importance of knowledge. Unfortunately, amidst the clamour to become knowledge-rich, some teachers and schools may be missingContinueContinue reading “Knowledge organisers, retrieval practice and the knowledge-rich curriculum”
Geography Education’s Potential and the Capability Approach – a review
Richard Bustin has written an excellent book. As well as thoroughly explaining how powerful knowledge and capabilities can be combined, he makes a persuasive case for how this approach could underpin a brighter future for education in the UK. Powerful knowledge is a concept originated by Professor Michael Young, a physics teacher turned sociologist, whoContinueContinue reading “Geography Education’s Potential and the Capability Approach – a review”
Do teachers want powerful knowledge?
As education in the United Kingdom undertakes a ‘knowledge turn’, a growing body of research and practice around powerful knowledge potentially offers an intellectually and morally convincing framework to underpin a knowledge-rich curriculum. If a powerful knowledge-rich approach is going to work though, then teachers need to buy in. So a key question is: doContinueContinue reading “Do teachers want powerful knowledge?”