Freaked Out: The Bewildered Teachers Guide to Digital Learning - Softcover

Pridham, Simon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1781351058 ISBN 13: 9781781351055

Publisher: Independent Thinking Press, 2015

Synopsis

When you are a teacher and new technology is all your pupils and colleagues are talking about it can feel like the loneliest, hardest place in the world to be, but it doesn't have to be this way.

No one knows this better than author Simon Pridham, who faced with this problem in 2010 set about improving his skillset as a head teacher and also developing a mobile device programme in his school. Drawing on his own experience, as well as other teachers and colleagues he has worked with, Simon openly discusses why this is so important in education and what to do when that tablet device is handed to you for the very first time by your head teacher or colleague. Simon will also take you on a journey which will highlight how empowered you feel when you reach the other side of the Digital Bridge.

'Freaked Out,' is packed full of information and useful tips as well as essential small steps, video tutorials and the story of Simon's journey to taking his school to one of the lead tech schools in the UK. The book covers everything from anxieties around taking that first step to empowering your pupils to become Digital Leaders so that this is a digital journey you all take together.

In among the helpful checklists, expert advice and practical tips, Freaked Out instills confidence, gives clear direction and a step by step guide on how you become an effective 21st century facilitator of learning in modern education. Inspire, engage and enthuse by reading Freaked Out today.

About this title

About the Author

Simon Pridham has successfully managed and implemented a mobile device learning programme as head teacher of Casllwchwr Primary which is seen as one of the lead in schools in using tech in the UK. Simon is Executive Head Teacher and Lifelong Intergenerational Furthering Education (LIFE) Programme Manager. He is also a member of the Welsh Government Practitioners Panel, National Digital Learning Council and the WG ICT Steering Group looking at the future of ICT in Wales.

Review

Freaked Out offers a lovely introduction to the iPad for digital novices as well as those with a bit more technical know-how. This book covers just about everything from turning the tablet on and off to security issues and pedagogical application. I've already started recommending Freaked Out to colleagues. --Philippa Price, Assistant Librarian (Education), Library and Learning Resources, University of Wales Trinity Saint David

This week we came across Simon Pridham s new book, Freaked Out: The Bewildered Teacher s Guide To Digital Learning. To say we were intrigued is an understatement, as this seems to be the first book of it s kind which addresses an often lonely and difficult problem that many teachers face. Technology is constantly evolving sometimes at an overwhelming pace. The great thing about Simon's book is how he manages to voice the concerns that many teachers are bound to have, but in a way that does not create a sense of panic. He uses a calm, conversational tone in his introduction and conveys the idea that technology is not something to be feared, but rather something to embrace as a challenge which can be greatly rewarding. This book really does start with the basics. And to the tech savvy, this could seem unnecessary and obvious, but that is exactly why this book isn't designed for those people. There seems to be an assumption amongst the tech savvy that using a piece of technology such as an iPad is straightforward. What Simon does brilliantly is he answers the questions that many teachers would be afraid to ask. Because let s face it, who really wants to have to ask how to turn on an iPad? Especially when you ve watched 3 year olds do it without batting an eyelid! But that's the key thing to remember here - not all teachers are part of this technological generation. Yet they are now faced with the age of digital learning which must be embraced in order to keep their classroom dynamic, up-to-date and engaging. The Bewildered Teacher's Guide to Digital Learning takes the reader through everything from downloading an app to benefits of Apple TV to safeguarding and much more. At the back of the book there is a handy FAQ section as well as a glossary which contains all of those words which we re expected to understand but really have no clue about. To summarise, the book is a great starting point for any overwhelmed teacher. Of course it doesn't explain everything but it's got enough information to get you on your feet. And why stop at teachers? I might just have to pass my copy onto my Mom who's recently been struggling to get to grips with her new iPad mini... --Ella Simpson, Marketing Executive, Terrapinn, blogger for Total Education

From turning on an iPad to keeping safe online, apps to QR codes, digital environment to digital leaders, this book is literally bursting with information and advice to help any teacher on their digital journey.

The 'welcome' sets the scene perfectly. It prepares the reader for a change of mindset needed to fully embrace the potential of the book in order to change digital learning. And it leaves no doubt as to why teachers should be on board the digital revolution. Ideas around transforming pedagogical delivery, digital environments and the big question, 'how?' will probably be in the minds of most readers by page 6. But any sense of feeling overwhelmed is immediately calmed down with the 'wonderful digital journey' being broken down step-by-step. The layout of the book is perfect for any bewildered teacher. 'Meet your iPad' may seem basic for tech-savvy teachers but it acts as a great leveler for all readers and perhaps answers questions that some teachers may feel afraid to ask! The following chapters move from a personal experience in getting familiar with apps to using the iPad as a powerful tool for learning. The digital tutorials are very useful and key to inspiring, engaging and enthusing the reader. The blend of adults and learners in the tutorials are great to see and highlights that the digital journey should never be made alone. There is a true essence of community cohesion in every chapter and a key fact that teachers and learners on a digital journey together is a powerful combination! Reading the book page by page or a 'pick and mix' approach to reading relevant chapters will undoubtedly enhance even the most bewildered teacher's digital competency and pedagogical skills. The book is written in an easy to read, conversational way. There are helpful tips, frequently asked questions and a very useful glossary all of which answer questions most teachers don't like to ask!

Simon Pridham's passion for digital learning is evident throughout the book and if only a small part of this empowers teachers to embrace technology in the classroom then it has done its job! Even the most bewildered of teachers must be tempted to have a go and explore the digital world after reading this book. It's a must for every teacher s digital toolkit. --Catherine Kucia, Deputy Headteacher, Glan Usk Primary School

This book has everything an educational practitioner, who is starting out on their own iPad journey, needs to help them on their way, told in an easy and informative manner. But also and this is the book's stand out feature it delivers it's advice using the very technology it is instructing you to use, as uniquely, it is a completely interactive book. The book starts with an excellent and helpful introduction which outlines the scene for the novice iPad educator, and mentions many of the problems you will no doubt already be facing, which in itself helps you realise that the author has clearly faced a similar journey to you. Then, helpfully, it gives an in depth, pictorial guide to all the buttons and functions of an iPad, which will be of enormous help to a new user. But then the fun in the book really begins. For the rest of the book, using QR codes (explained in the book) and augmented reality (also explained) we are taken on a practical digital journey by the author, using links to films, instructional videos, audio clips and many other visual techniques that really bring the book alive. This is a book that really does talk to you! Cleverly, the author has used footage of practical examples of students using the technology in the classroom, allied to master classes delivered by himself. This in itself gives confidence that the technology works, but another strength of the author is to provide a byline on how the specific piece of technology he is referring to can actually be used. For example, most people now know what QR codes do, even if we don t know how they do it. But not only does the book explain how they work and what they do, it also gives practical uses for them, from Head-teacher's creating weekly blog posts, to children using them to explain displays they may have created in class. What I would have given for such detailed guidance as that when I was trying work out how to switch an iPad on all those years ago! Nothing relating to modern, digital technology used in education is really left out in the book. In addition to all mentioned above, there are tips on how to use the iPad to inspire, engage and enthuse students, reviews and instructions of the best apps to choose out of the increasingly saturated market of apps, practical advice on displaying and storing the work of an iPad, especially when controlling its use in, say, a class of 30 children, or even more if your school has embarked on a complete 1:1 program. It even shares the author's best strategy for integrating iPads within the classroom by giving ownership of their use to the pupils, and by creating a structure using the pupils themselves as digital leaders. Importantly, there is also a chapter on security and control of the iPads, an issue sometimes overlooked in other publications. Frankly, there is not much that this book doesn't cover. Clearly and I speak from experience here the apps available for iPads in education can change and be updated on a regular basis, so it's almost impossible to create the 'foolproof' guide, but "Freaked Out" certainly gets as close as you can to that, and covers most bases, there is even a Q&A chapter at the end in which many frequently asked questions by educators are answered with clarity. --David Brayley, sports writer and education consultant

About this edition

• Publisher: Independent Thinking Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1781351058
• ISBN 13: 9781781351055
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200