Classroom Connect

We all know that holiday times and breaks from school routines can have an impact on children's learning. Learning loss can occur quite quickly when children are away from the day to day classroom environment, especially after holidays.

In this episode, Ian and Andrew discuss ways in which digital resources can help bring children back into the routines of learning, especially how they can help us to identify and address any gaps o...

Immersive technology, such as augmented reality, can utilise the senses to create learning experiences that were previously inconceivable.

How about exploring a Mayan Temple in your school grounds, or walking around a spaceship which has a crash landed in the playground, or comparing a life size shark to a plesiosaur in the school hall, or walking through a street during the Blitz? 

All of these can be achieved FOR FREE using Sandb...

School Improvement Plans are essential to whole school development, Ian and Andrew discuss how we can use and adapt digital tools to support all aspects of school improvement.

Key to this is being clear about how digital resources, when used effectively, can be adapted to suit your needs and serve the goal you are trying to achieve. Digital tools can be a fundamental part but of a SIP but rarely, if ever, the goal themselves.

Pleas...

In this special, extended episode Ian and Andrew meet our News and Topical Producer Ben Isaacs to explore how we can make news accessible and meaningful to children. He gives us some fascinating insights into how we actually make the news, including the decisions behind what to include and importantly how to make this appropriate for children, whilst not shying away from complex or challenging issues.

In our increasingly complex di...

School Breakfast Clubs not only provide the chance for children to have a nutritious start to the school day can be a great way for children to access additional learning support.

Just like a hearty breakfast the chance to build confidence through motivating digital learning tasks can help children make a great start to the day.

Ian and Andrew discuss ways we can provide opportunities for children to access resources that may not b...

In this episode Ian and Andre discuss ways in digital resources can be used to support children with different levels of educational needs. We can provide flexible options where layers of support can be peeled back or added quickly and efficiently to provide juts the right level of scaffolding at the right time.

How do you use digital to address different levels of educational need? Which resources work best for you and how do you ...

As an early career teacher it is important to explore ways to build your own style and pedagogical approach, digital resources can provide lots of options. Not only can they provide models as starting points but often they can be adapted to suit your own needs, both of which can be really valuable in terms of professional growth.

How has digital supported your development? Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions a...

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how when we work with pupils - for example by delivering model lessons - we can provide opportunities for professional development for teachers. These sorts of interactions can provide the chance for a teacher to step back and see how an approach can work with their children in their school.

Do reach out to us if you think that this sort of approach would benefit your school - we can then disc...

In this episode Ian and and Andrew discuss the importance and impact of the 4Cs both in the classroom and in children's lives and futures beyond.

They explore opportunities for developing collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. They also consider how it can be really helpful for children to recognise their growth in these areas and to become more conscious of them in learning and life.

Please email us with...

Join Ian and Andrew for this special episode with guest Maddy Austin, where they discuss the use of digital resources at home, supported by parents and carers.

Former teacher Maddy is a Product Lead in our direct to consumer (D2C) team, here she works closely with families to ensure they get the best out of digital resources in a home setting. Maddy shares with Ian and Andrew some of the ways we can adapt resources, and how parents...

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with David Trendell former teacher and senior leader who is now one of our team of school advisors, focusing on schools in our East region They discuss some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being provided by Discovery Education both...

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with Alex and Curtis school advisors for the West region and both former teachers. They discuss some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being provided by Discovery Education both locally and nationally.

Our team support schools right ...

Meet Jack Taylor, Senior Software Engineer at Discovery Education. In this special episode, Jack discusses with Ian and Andrew the ways he designs and builds software solutions for the classroom.

This episode also raises real world parallels with the design processes that Jack and his colleagues go through when creating solutions and the kinds of approaches we can take in the classroom. The group discuss computational thinking, des...

There are a wealth of different digital tools and platforms available to teachers, many of which can work effectively as a standalone resource, however combining different tools can enhance their impact and allow for richer, deeper learning experiences.

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways tools with different purposes can be combined to create more impactful lessons. How for example can video, Augmented Reality ...

Plenary sessions provide a great opportunity for children to reflect on their learning, to consolidate understanding, apply new knowledge and address misconceptions. Digital tools and resources can provide lots of flexible ways to enhance these crucial parts of the learning process.

In this episode Ian and Andrew share their ideas for how digital resources can be used effectively at the end of a lesson or during reflection time.

Pl...

In terms of professional development, the days of waiting for a course to be offered and teachers booking time out of school have long gone - now we as teachers we can access professional development in multi-modal hybrid formats. Webinars are one such method - but how can we make the best use of them and when are they most effective?

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how webinars can be effective and look at the ways we desig...

One way of connecting the real world to children's learning across the curriculum is to make links to events, festivals, anniversaries and special days. Our 'Calendar Picks' provide a wealth mini-lessons linked to events throughout the year. Whether you are celebrating Harvest Festival, recognising Eid Ul Fitr, exploring the events of D-Day, participating in Road Safety Week or remembering Holocaust Memorial day there are lots of c...

In this special episode Sophie Withey shares with Ian and Andrew the ways in which digital content is produced and the careful thought processes which go in to ensuring they enhance classroom practice. Sophie is one of our senior producers building the content which is used by children and teachers across the world. As a teacher herself Sophie talks about how this work is rooted in her own classroom experience.

Please email us with...