How Teaching Happens by Paul Kirschner, Carl Hendrick and Jim Heal

This blog has lay (lain/layed???) fallow for nearly two years. Partly due to a relentless year in my last Deputy Head (Pastoral and Safeguarding) role and then a long summer of travelling, cycling and sleep. But as I began to look around for a new challenge it became clear that I would probably need some

The ResearchEd Guide to Assessment Edited by Sarah Donarski

I think I have read all the ResearchEd guides so far and felt that this was the most enjoyable yet. The opening chapters written by Wiliam and Hill were outstanding in terms of the clarity of the ideas outlined. Dylan Wiliam started by describing the key qualities of assessment as clearly as I have read

The Craft of Assessment by Michael Chiles

This is a short sharp book. Focused on assessment it is based around a model of:  Condensing knowledge Reflective learners Assessment being responsive  Feedforward  Targets drive improvement  Not sure it quite works but it is a pretty effective structure. I liked the opening chapter and it made me reflect on my current teaching of Year

Teachers vs Tech by Daisy Christodoulou

I have always enjoyed books by Daisy Christodoulou, she writes with an exceptional clarity that she shares with Dylan Wiliam and David Didau. Her first book on myths is one of the best in that area and her analysis of assessment in her last book is compelling.  This book works through the key aspects of teaching

Responsive Teaching by Harry Fletcher-Wood

This is an extraordinarily rigorous and thought-provoking book. It is basically about AiFL/formative assessment as first highlighted by Dylan Wiliam and Paul Black in “Inside the Black Box”. Wiliam is now deeply frustrated by how his ideas were applied and he questions whether the titles used were the problem. He has now suggested that “responsive

Embedded formative assessment by Dylan Wiliam

I have always loved listening to Dylan Wiliam talk about education. When I first joined the profession I watched his presentation to Glasgow Head Teachers about ‘Inside the Black Box’ many times. I have also relistened to his interviews with Craig Barton, in the Mr Barton Maths Podcast on several occasions. When listening I am

Leadership for Teaching and Learning by Dylan Wiliam

This book outlines a holistic approach to improved teaching and learning through promoting effective formative assessment. When I first read it, I think I misjudged what it was attempting to do as I thought it was promoting a new Wiliam designed teaching programme. What I hadn’t picked up on was the justification for focusing so

Making Good Progress by Daisy Christodoulou

Christodoulou is one of a handful of incredibly consistent educational writers who shine a light on an aspect of teaching and give it wonderful clarity. This was Christodoulou’s second book after her excellent ‘Seven Myths About Education’. In this one she focuses on an area of clear expertise, how we can create valid and reliable