Sept #Edu resources - part 2??

Howdy folks, and welcome to the second newsletter of September, I know I've been slacking on my Saturday duties, but we should be back in full flow for October.

This is another "succinct" episode while I wrap up my authoring duties. I'm in those fun final stages of reading what I wrote three months ago and seeing if I still make sense. The good news is i do mostly, but a few tweaks definitely required ;)

I've had a very full couple of weeks since the last issue, meeting lots of schools and trusts, including Rebecca Geoghegan at SOUTH EAST ESSEX ACADEMY TRUST , Becci Denbigh and Clark Campbell at St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust , Don Wry at HEARTS Academy Trust and plenty of #EdTech folks at different stages of their journeys, including Jon Chippindall at TeachMateAI , Victoria Merrick , Vinit Shah at Edficacy , planning for the Texthelp conference, and just a chance for a long overdue catchup with the fab Carla Aerts as well a s a lovely visit at Dogsthorpe Infant School .

Wearing my grown-up hats, we had the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) board meeting last week, a Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Business board meeting, I attended the Oxford to Cambridge Pan-Regional Partnership board meeting a couple of days ago in London, joined a call with the Department for Business and Trade looking at initiatives to support SMEs, I chaired our regional SEND Board for Peterborough City Council and visited some organisations who have benefited from investments from our combined authority. All in all busy times. On a more personal note, not only have the team at NetSupport released a stonking new version of classroom.cloud , but behind the scenes, we also have something completely new to add to the mix in the new year.

#ComingUp

It's an even busier few weeks ahead, I'm going to be leading an event in Cambridgeshire called "AI in the Octagon" with the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce and also supporting their "Going Global" Export event wearing my DBT #ExportChampion hat. I'm supporting a Department for Education briefing event on #Governance, visiting Discovery Education Trust and then i'm jumping on a plane to Riyadh to speak at the Learn Event which should be a highlight. Sadly, for health reasons, i'll be grounded from flying for the remainder of the year, so I should get a chance for a serious power nap after that ;)

This is a condensed newsletter again this time, so I have arranged everything together for you to peruse rather than in separate sections. And of course, just like the very best gameshows, they are in no particular order ;)

#News

?? Bruno Reddy OBE shared that the "Maths Horizon Project" is launching a rapid review of the maths curriculum and assessment in England, aiming to address key challenges in maths education such as persistent gender gaps, low GCSE pass rates, and teacher recruitment issues. The review will explore different curriculum models and implementation strategies to inform the Francis Review. Sign up for the mailing list and find out more from here .

?? The folks at OpenAI introduced two new updated versions of their LLMs this month, OpenAI o1-preview -- which excels at tackling sophisticated problems and OpenAI o1-mini -- provides a smaller, more cost-efficient version of o1. A handy summary I read is that "As opposed to OpenAI's prior models, the o1 models are designed to reason better. That is, instead of just providing a response as quickly as possible and using the basic transformer approach of weights and understanding what word or words belong together, o1 "thinks" about what the right approach is to solve a problem. The process of reasoning about a given problem in response to a user query is intended to provide a potentially more accurate response to certain types of complex queries. Unlike previous models, the o1 series spends more time processing information before responding. The o1 models are targeted at tackling hard problems that require multistep reasoning and complex problem-solving strategies." Find out more here.

?? One I definitely want to flag is the brilliant work culminating in the "Shape of the Future: How System Leaders Can Respond to the Provocations of Artificial Intelligence" collated from 23 Multi Academy Trusts and schools. I most certainly doff my cap to Educate Ventures Research , Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith , Rose Luckin Dan Fitzpatrick , John Murphy , Dr Neelam Parmar FCCT Duncan Ogilvie MA, PGCE , Martha Lane Fox , Jim Knight , Prof Miles Berry , Erika Twani and all those involved. Do please take a look at the report from this link .

?? If you want to get a sense of how others are making sense of Ai in education, then check out this excellent summary from Drew Mayhills FAIM where he reflects on a week of conversations. Take a look here .

?? I am always trying to find ways to help, or perhaps this might be taken as a hindrance, but a reminder to sign up for the Naace - The EdTech Association EdTech Survey for a chance to win me free for a half day at your school or trust to talk all things digital. As I say, this may or may not be seen as an incentive, but either way, fill this out (please) .

?? One of my favourite folks, Caroline Keep wrote a great article titled "lost in the maze: navigating neurodiversity in the built environment" you can see her post here which links to the publication (you'll need to sign up to read it fully).

??Following this theme, Prof. Amanda Kirby MBBS MRCGP PhD FCGI shared a great resource to help us understand what neurodivergent biases are, and why it is important to consider them when trying to be more #neuroinclusive and #equitable? From here .

?? Manjit Sareen and the fab team at Natterhub shared their new 23/24 Data report, covering the anonymous insights of more than 50,000 primary students. The report showcases the online experiences of 5-11 year olds, from #usage to #cyberbullying to #wellbeing and much more. Take a look at their report from here.

??I penned an article for GESS Dubai and their #GESSTalks magazine, tilted "Virtual and In-person Education – Will Students Soon Be Able to Choose?" See if you agree from here .

?? The Headteacher shared an article titled "Leadership in schools – The attributes great headteachers need", i like to mix up the content each week and so hopefully this is an handy read and aligns with your own perceptions. Have a read here .

?? Rick C. reminded us all that #Cyberattacks on UK schools are rising, leaving schools vulnerable and IT teams stressed. And that Prevention is key! If you plan or do protect your systems with MFA and want to ensure your school follows DfE standards then check out this handy blog titled "Cyber Attacks on Schools – Why They Are Increasing and What We Can Do" from this link .

?? Chester Freitas shared that Sajid Gulzar OBE has developed the Headteachers Essentials Programme for the Association of School and College Leaders . This program, tailored to complement the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), offers new headteachers in England the practical tools and insights essential for success in today's dynamic educational landscape. You can find out more here .

?? Clara Lin Hawking shared a very handy guide titled "Top 10 Executive FAQs about the EU Ai act". She highlits that AI governance is an entirely new framework that requires significant dedicated resources, specialized oversight, and collaboration across departments. You can read it here .

?? Lisa L. Templeton shared a recently updated version of her faculty's "Bloom's Taxonomy Revisited" for #Ai. There are loads of handy resources available, but I really liked this one, so grab it here .

?? In a similar, but to contradict myself, completely different way, Steve Taylor at ROBIN HOOD MULTI ACADEMY TRUST shared their "AI Highway code" as a resource for their staff to access, and which explains Artificial Intelligence and how they can best explore using it. It's well worth taking a look and seeing what might work for your trust. Access the Google Doc from here .

?? Now I know quite a few readers have taken their #AI skills a lot further than others; Darren Coxon shared a great recording of his adventures creating iPad apps using ChatGPT o1 mini. Take a look here.

?? Another one for the #AI aficionados was a summary of the "Ranking and Classification of Top Generative AI Applications for 2024", from Jaroslaw Sokolnicki which is a handy summary, even if its likely to create a bit of challenge and dispute. Take a look here .

?? Cristóbal Cobo signposted a recommended read in the form of a report titled "The Unintended Consequences of Artificial Intelligence and Education" which explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence on education, highlighting the benefits and risks of AI in education, and the role of teachers and teacher trade unionists in ensuring that AI is used in a way that aligns with the principles of social justice and human rights. You can find a curated summary alongside the report from here .

?? The always insightful Jason Gulya highlighted that we need more student-centered activities that promote AI Literacy. He also shared an example of one he designed for his students on writing and research. You can read about his "Beat the Bot" activity from here .

?? Charles Sosnik shared a new digital magazine that wasn't on my radar, titled "Educate Ai" it's full of a mixture of ideas and perspectives which you may find interesting. Take a look here .

?? Murtaza Sinnarwala shared a really handy blog and slides on "Embracing AI in Education: Key Takeaways from the UNESCO AI Competency Framework" also signposting some good folks to connect with. You can take find it here .

?? I'm a big fan of Jamie Clark and his brilliant visualisations and posters. He shared one this week on X, on Classroom Management highlighting principles and top routines from "the classroom management handbook" by Mark Dowley and Oliver (Ollie) Lovell . You can find it and many more fab resources from here . And you can find their book on my resources list at the bottom of the newsletter.

?? One for the Vendor's and other SMBs, I shared an article with Forbes Technology Council asking "Is AI Right For Your SMB? Consider These Five Points First", you might find it interesting. Here .

?? Matt Jessop shared another suitably searching question this week (amongst many) "What if Head Teachers could focus purely on what truly matters, handing significant work and other key pressures (budget, safeguarding, health and safety…) over to regional teams to allow them to focus on pupils?" I know this sounds like the MAT model, but he talks at a much broader level. Well worth a read here .

??This topic often causes a hearty response, so when I saw this journal article, "Simple techniques to bypass GenAI text detectors: implications for inclusive education," I thought I should share, as there are some who still seem to think detectors work or are the way forward in schools ( they aren't). Have a read here .

?? It's also Suicide Prevention Month for September, so a friendly and supportive reminder that it is good to talk and let's collectively work together to promote mental health, challenge stigma and create a world where everyone feels valued and supported. Some great resources here .

?? The folks at the British Assistive Technology Association shared an article by ReadSpeaker which shared insights into their work on Universal Design for Learning #UDL and AT. Read their article "Where the inclusivity magic happens: the intersection between Assistive Technology (AT) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)" from here .

?? There is a brand new issue (8) of the RISE Magazine featuring educator topics on Wellbeing, SEND, EdTech, Online Safety, and much more. Have a read and subscribe from here .

?? As usual, you can find loads of resources from Mark Solomons with his newsletter, this week he had an edition titled "How to tell if a school is good or bad, What schools get wrong about workplace culture, Ofsted Academy, AI Agents & much more..." which was full of resources to dive into. Take a look here .

?? One to have a peek at this week is John Dolman 's article for his excellent "Ai Bytes" newsletter, where he discussed Google LM and its latest audio feature where you can take written content and it will transform it into a discursive podcast. Well worth a read here .

?? The always great value Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is doing a webinar next week (25th) titled "Keeping up with Edtech" focusing on how educators can use instructional tech for better teaching outcomes. Rachelle always gets my thumbs up, so sign up for the session here .

?? Now mine is hopefully going to be available in the new year, but it looks like Dan Fitzpatrick is well on the way with his latest book "Infinite Education - Four Steps for Leading Change in the AI era", it's bound to be excellent, so head over to his website and get on the waitlist.

?? Now if you take Dan Fitzpatrick and you add in Matthew Wemyss , Eric Curts , Dr. Sabba Quidwai and Aileen Wallace what do you get? You get "The Back to School Ai Webinar" which was on thursday night. If you missed it, have a watch here .

?? With all the talk of late of new iterations of #Ai platforms, I spent a bit of time exporing the latest updates with Google's NotebookLM, as John Dolman did above, I was keen to check out its capabilities in creating for me a discursive podcast, based on my book, My Secret #Edtech Diary. It condensed 260 pages of content into a 10 minute discussion between the two virtual podcast hosts and captured plenty from the topics I covered originally. It's by no means perfect, but as a stepping stone to introducing concepts and discussion, it gets a thumbs up from me. Have a listen below, and see what you think.

(and then buy a copy of the book to check how accurate it was ;)

Right, well seeing as I can't fly in November and December, here are a few events I'm really going to miss:

#Events

?? GESS Dubai on the 12-14 November - always a fab event. Find out more here .

?? International Schools Partnership Network (ISPN ME) on the 19-20 November - new to the region, but based on their UK events, will be well worth attending. Find out more here . Jack Jacob Chester Freitas

?? EdRuption Event for teachers and leaders in Abu Dhabi on the 9th November - deep dive into ADEK’s digital policy and discover how to build an end-to-end digital strategy tailored for your school. This event will guide you through practical steps to align policy with practice, ensuring a holistic and impactful digital learning environment. Find out more from here . Philippa Wraithmell

And a few closer to home....

?? The team at John Catt from Hodder Education have their online EdTech Conference: AI for educators on the 21st November. I'm going to be speaking as well as Rose Luckin , Mark Anderson FCCT , Olly Lewis and Patrick McGrath - so guaranteed to be fun. Sign up here .

?? The Reconnect Conference in Swansea is a new one on the calendar and well worth checking out from here . It's on November 28th.

?? The ANME - Association of Network Managers in Education have an event at The National Museum of Computing on the 1st November. Foolishly they have asked me to come and speak, and I will likely be distracted by all the techie fun around me, but you can still come and join the fun from this link here .

?? The MAT Partnership Network (MATPN) Midlands event is on the 25-26th November, i'll be there, fingers crossed. Find out more here .

?? Don't forget to get your ticket for Bett Global 2025 on the 22-24th January. Registration is from here . It's going to be a cracker this year.

#Books

I've updated my #Edu, #Ai and #EdTech recommended list with loads of additional books, take a look and see if any could find a home on your reading list. Al's Book List .

Right that's a wrap for today, back onto the book edits for me. Huge Thanks, as always, for your support and the amazing resources being shared. This week's?#CandleClub?goes to everyone working across our schools, and I'm sending positive vibes to you, one and all, and in particular John Magee ???? UK Kindness Ambassador For Schools ?? , As soon as my book writing is concluded, I'll be back up to full speed on?Saturday mornings.

Al (& Ferdi).

P.S Please don't forget to give this a share across your channels, or just hit the share button on this page.

You can book me to come and cause some fun and disruption at your event via Katie Cavill and The Learning Line via this link . Please also reflect on the diversity and representation of your speakers and panels at your events when reaching out.

??2022 EdTech Leadership Awards winner - EdTech Digest

??2023 Edufuturists of the Year.

??2023 Outstanding Achievement winner - Educational Resources Awards (ERA) Awards.

??2023 Inspiring Leader winner - British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) Awards.

??2023 Education CEO winner - EdTechChronicle .

??2024 Top 100 Influencers in Education - District Administration magazine.

??2024 Top 25 Education Technology Influencers - Feedspot .