9th June 2018
How to use “Backward Essays” to cover lots of content at high speed
Overview When covering content-heavy programmes of study, time is always tight. Rather than delivering lengthy, in-depth lectures or getting students to [...]
7th February 2018
Using “unlock the chest!” puzzles to develop out-of-class learning
Overview Obtain a date padlock (day / month / year), and set it to the exact date of a particular historical event. Use this to lock a chest, inside of [...]
18th September 2017
Data-driven history lessons: “How could geographers help us to answer this question?”
Overview In a subject like history, a common pitfall for students is to make sweeping assertions which are not backed up with hard data. This is often the [...]
12th December 2016
Design a theme park based around the study topic
Overview After hearing of a genuine plan to build a theme park centered around the Emperor Napoleon and the story of Freedom Land theme park in the USA, I [...]
14th November 2016
Create customised Google Search Engines for the classroom: How and WHY
How? A relatively little-known feature of Google is that students and teachers can create their own customised search engines. Simply input a pre-approved [...]
10th May 2016
Use Google autocomplete to formulate research questions
Whenever you start typing a search query into Google, it will try to anticipate what you are looking for with an autocomplete function. This can be a [...]
23rd July 2015
QR Code Treasure Hunt
7th February 2015
“Google Hangouts” video conferences are a superb way of bringing fresh voices into the classroom from anywhere in the world. It was by using Google Hangouts that my students interviewed Professor Orlando Figes at Birkbeck University recently with great success. Best of all, by choosing ‘Hangout on Air’ you get your video published directly to YouTube for future reference / downloading / editing!
Professor Orlando Figes being interviewed by students at the International School of Toulouse
I put together this Google Hangouts for Teachers – Quickstart Guide to provide myself and my interviewees with a handy point of reference – I hope you find it useful!
Google Hangouts for the Classroom: Quickstart Guide
3rd February 2015
For extended essays, internal assessments and personal projects, Google Books is fast becoming an indispensable research resource for both teachers and students. I put this 3-minute guide together after making extensive use of Google Books during the research and writing of my forthcoming textbook on “Luther and the European Reformation” (available as from Easter 2015 from Hodder Murray).
Google Books for Student Research: 3 minute video guide
3rd February 2015
Students design a cover image for their topic packs
Overview: When you provide your students with a printed work pack, or even if they have their topic notes in a ring binder with separators, ask them to [...]
31st January 2015