Research-informed teaching and learning should be de-rigeur nowadays. It’s been great seeing the shift towards this in British Education over the last three decades of my career; it simply wasn’t a thing when I trained to be a teacher. For me, working from a point of knowing ‘what works’ is…
One of the most joyful aspects of working with young learners is watching their imagination take shape in unexpected ways. Whether sketching characters, inventing creatures or building stories from the world around them, children show us daily how naturally they think in three dimensions. As immersive tools develop, there are…
Introduction Engaging with research is an essential part of our profession. Whether shaping curriculum, refining pedagogy or making strategic decisions, teachers and leaders rely on evidence to guide thoughtful practice. Yet many academic papers can feel dense, technical and time-consuming to interpret, especially during a busy school week. Today’s Appvent…
Day 7 of the #24DaysOfAI Appvent Calendar brings another thoughtful contribution from Teresa Menton. Teresa has chosen a tool that sits firmly within the day-to-day reality of classroom life and one that continues to gain momentum among teachers looking for practical, time-saving support with core tasks. Her post explores how…
Thank goodness it’s Saturday and what a week it’s been here on the 24DaysOfAI Appvent calendar! On Monday, we introduced the calendar with Consensus. Then on Tuesday we had Intelligent Evidence. Wednesday saw Emma Darcy introduce Gemini from Google with me taking over Thursday’s mantle with Seesaw. Yesterday’s brilliant AI…
Welcome to Day 5 of the 2025 #24DaysOfAI Appvent Calendar! It is fair to say that today’s tool is one that I have mentioned in almost all of my 85 keynotes, inset days and workshops across 2025 and shared even more widely in conversations on social media and with educators…
Welcome to Day 4 of the #24DaysOfAI Appvent Calendar. Today’s focus is Seesaw, a platform already familiar to many primary schools for the way it connects pupils, teachers and families. What stands out this year is how Seesaw is beginning to weave AI into the routines teachers already use, supporting…
In education, when it comes to your ecosystem, the productivity suite and core tools that frame most of your use, you normally sit in one of two camps. For the most part, you can often undertake similar activities when it comes to things like word processing, presentations, working with numbers…
Inspection preparation is a familiar pressure for school and trust leaders. The expectations of the new Ofsted framework require clarity, alignment and well-structured evidence, yet you rarely have the time you need to bring everything together in a coherent way. What should be a professional conversation often becomes a last-minute…
The first day of this year’s Appvent Calendar sets the tone for the month ahead. With so much attention on rapid advances in AI, it feels right to begin with a tool that brings us back to what matters most in education: clear thinking, sound evidence, and informed professional judgement….
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been refining, checking, and double-checking my latest Periodic Table of AI Tools in Education. It isn’t exhaustive. It isn’t perfect. It isn’t meant to be. What I’ve tried to do is bring together genuinely useful AI tools that I know are already making a…
The BBC has launched a brilliant new campaign, the BBC Bitesize Guide to AI, to enable young people to thrive in an AI world. Thirteen informative, engaging and inspiring short films cover essential AI tool knowledge and showcase how AI is changing industry sectors and enhancing careers. I was so…
I am absolutely thrilled to share today the publication of ‘Embedding AI in Education: A Strategic Review of Practice at Woodland Academy Trust‘, a report that Julie Carson (Director of Education at Woodland Academy Trust) and I have co‑authored after a year‑long consultancy and training partnership. Our aim was simple: to…
It’s been a while since I last posted here. Not because there hasn’t been anything to say, quite the opposite. It’s been a relentless year, full of work I care deeply about, but also the kind that takes its toll when you don’t stop to take stock. So, here I…
Lesson planning takes time. We all know that. Crafting high-quality, engaging, and well-structured lessons that account for student misconceptions, differentiation, and assessment is an ongoing challenge. What if we had a way to refine lesson plans before we even step into the classroom? That’s exactly what I’ve been exploring in…
Back in 2023, I wrote an AI policy template that I hoped would be useful. What I didn’t expect was just how many schools would download and use it. Since then, I’ve considered updating it several times, but I held off. Schools tend to update policies on annual cycles, and…
If you saw any of my writing before the winter break that wasn’t the #24DaysOfAI posts, you’ll have been hard-pressed to not see me sharing about inclusion, accessibility and UDL (Universal Design for Learning). Technology can break down barriers and create truly inclusive learning environments. With the right…
Every year at BETT, we’re bombarded with EdTech vendors showcasing the latest AI-driven tools, each promising to transform teaching and learning. But how often do these pitches come loaded with technical jargon and buzzwords that leave you wondering what’s really under the hood? If you’ve ever nodded along while hearing…
Welcome to the final day of Appvent 2024. I couldn’t let this last day pass without highlighting something I emphasise year after year: the importance that educators play in every decision made about the use of technology in schools. So as has become the tradition, there is no app, platform…
Welcome to Day 23 of the 2024 Appvent Calendar! Welcome to the penultimate day of the 2024 Appvent Calendar! As we approach the final reveal, today’s spotlight is on a tool that makes creating high-quality video content accessible and achievable for everyone, no matter how busy or tech-savvy you are….
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