I’m a teacher, should I write a blog?

For any individual whether you’re an educator, academic, professional or student  ̶  writing your own blog may have been something you’ve considered at one point or another. Regardless of your background or expertise there is one principal question to ask yourself before you start and that is; Why? why should I invest in creating and maintaining my own blog?

For many who have expertise in a certain subject or specialism, a blog can be a powerful platform to share and discuss topics, ideas or to offer an alternative standpoint on an area of interest. For others writing a blog can offer commercial or financial value, building an individual’s online profile or supporting the SEO strategy for a particular business or website.

As well as ensuring your reasons behind starting your blog are convincing and worthwhile, there are some other considerations that you should be aware before launching your own blog site.

How to find the perfect tutor

Tutoring can be an effective way for parents to support their child’s learning development. Traditionally the term tutor suggests a teacher offering one-to-one support, however there are a wide range of other and often more cost-effective forms of tutoring available.

In recent years online tutoring services have become increasingly popular, enabling students to learn, revise and test themselves according to their classroom syllabi’s. Whether on their desktop, tablet or smart phone device these e-learning resources can encourage students to study for longer and more sporadically.

Other alternatives include independent tutoring services that cover core subjects in group formats or larger often franchise-based learning centre’s that offer large classroom based learning sessions.

3k exhibitors, 20k new products… it could only be the Consumer Electronics Show 2013!

It’s that time of the year again where over four days 3,000 exhibitors, many of which are tech leaders in their respected markets, descend upon the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to showcase this year’s most innovative and inventive tech products.

First held in New York City in 1967 the show has a long history of announcing some of the world’s most influential tech products such as the VCR (1970), CD player and camcorder (1981), DVD (1996, HDTV (1998) and the Microsoft XBOX in 2001.

Pearson invests in Barnes & Noble’s e-book

Pearson UK is one of the largest multinational publishing and education companies in the world so when the news hit that they would be investing in an e-reader, debate quickly unfolded.

Pearson has announced that they will invest $89.5 million (£55 million) in return for a 5 per cent share in Nook Media LLC. The move means Pearson will now have a financial stake in Nook Media’s subsidiary parts that include its e-reader and tablet, its online bookstore and the Nook retail stores based in over 650 US college campuses.

Does this spell the end of traditional print textbooks?

Ever considered using your iPad in class?

Found yourself on the nice list this year? Finally got that iPad that you’ve wanted for a while now?

You don’t need us to describe the excitement − if you’re anything like me then you would’ve spent most of Christmas Day loading all of those games and goodies you’ve had your eye on.

After playing around with it for hours I began to consider the ways that the iPad could help me in my lessons.

I’m an English teacher at an academy school in London and although my students show great enthusiasm in my class, their attention does waiver. Unfortunately, the current batch of school iPad resources are restricted to the ICT suites, but what if they weren’t, how would I use the iPad for teaching and learning…?

How can social media be used in the classroom?

Social media can be a daunting prospect but it doesn’t have to be. In this article we offer a good-practice guide to managing your school Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest accounts.

The use of new communicative technologies remains a topic of wide debate with both arguments for and against.

Festivities shouldn’t replace revision necessity

The countdown to Christmas has begun, advent calendars are half-open, online shoppers are in full swing and even the snow has made an early appearance.

Yet, with all the excitement, students can overlook the importance of revision.

December and January are always difficult periods with mock exams, resits and modular exams all falling within a short space of time. You don't need us reminding you but we know it can be difficult to keep learners focused over the festive season, especially once they're out of the classroom.

Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre is facing this challenge like schools up and down the country.