Delighted to be starting work as a lecturer at Durham University this week. Real honour to have been asked to deliver the Computing element of both the Primary PGCE and BA courses this year.
END OF AN ERA TODAY . . . after 11 wonderful years today was my last ever day at
@LanchesterEP
Been so many incredible experiences and fabulous memories during my time there and I feel honoured to have been a part of this amazing school for over a decade. Been an absolute
It was fiercely competitive, but
#EduFootyAid
was not about the result! 10 months ago
@ICT_MrP
(Lee Parkinson) suggested to me that we have a charity football match involving teachers. Today we staged our second match and have now raised several thousand pounds for
@MindCharity
IT’S BACK . . . after a five year absence
#EduFootyAid
is back today
@LanchesterEP
(Co.Durham). Educators from all over the UK are coming together to promote teacher well-being and raise valuable funds for mental health charities.
Today I take my ‘All Stars’ team into battle
#EduFootyAid
Champions 2019 - The North East Elite!!! So proud of my amazing team. Brilliant comeback win, but more importantly each and every one of them travelled and gave up their weekend to raise awareness of mental health issues and to raise funds for
@MindCharity
⚽️ 🏆
Was great to spend time chatting to inspirational Michael Rosen at ‘TES SEND Show’ today. Such a lovely man and such an amazing force for good in the world of education. Look forward to seeing him again at ‘BETT’ in January. He is always so friendly and hospitable with my pupils.
Incredibly humbled that
@clarebalding
asked to attend my ‘Tech in the Classroom: Bringing the Curriculum to Life’ presentation at
@Bett_show
this afternoon and then was so complimentary afterwards. Very memorable experience.
#Bett2022
As a young aspiring goalkeeper in the school playground in the 1980’s
@NevilleSouthall
was THE number one. Thirty years on and I’m still being inspired by him. Great to see someone who has achieved so much and been idolised talking openly about mental health issues.
#MHTakeover
Huge thanks to my
@LanchesterEP
caretaker Mark Gill for his efforts yesterday during
#EduFootyAid
He was on site at 8am and didn’t leave until after 7pm. These events don’t happen without the support of people like him.
@StrikerBoyBook
Definitely been suffering from ‘BETT Fatigue’ this week, but looking back at these images has really made me smile this morning and helped me to remember the wonderful conversations and interactions which I had at
#bett2024
As always BETT will be as much about the people as it is
NEW ROLES AFTER EASTER . . . I have been incredibly humbled by the many fabulous offers of work which I have received in recent months, but am delighted to now be able to announce what my new roles will be after the Easter holidays. I will be working as Computing Subject Leader
CELEBRATING MY 11TH BIRTHDAY TODAY AS ANIMATE 2 EDUCATE. Very proud to have brought my business idea to fruition and that 11 years on it still continues to still go from strength to strength. Thanks to all who have supported me on this journey. Here’s to another great year ahead!
If you are attending
@Bett_show
it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming (especially if attending for the first time) and so here are 15 recommendations of stands for you to visit if attending
#bett2024
over the next three days:
@RoboticalLtd
,
@2SimpleSoftware
,
@busythings
,
ANIMATE 2 EDUCATE IS 12 TODAY . . . Incredibly proud to be celebrating my 12th birthday today as Animate 2 Educate. One third of small businesses end within two years and over half don’t survive five years, so to still be going strong and continuing to develop after 12 years is a
Can highly recommend ‘Acropolis 3D’ app by
@MozaikEducation
for anyone studying ‘Ancient Greeks’ as a topic in KS2. Really helped to bring the curriculum to life with my Year 6 pupils
@LanchesterEP
on Friday.
Honoured to have been elected to the
@Bett_show
‘Advisory Board’ for the next 2 years. Will be looking to facilitate and increase attendance for my North East schools and also to promoting the ‘pupil voice’. Want others to gain as much from BETT as I have over the past 2 decades.
What an amazing game! A 3-1 win on penalties for my North East Elite against
@ICT_MrP
North West Warriors after an incredible 7-7 draw. Delighted to have lifted the cup for a second time, but more importantly to have raised awareneess and funds for
@MindCharity
#EduFootyAid
⚽️ 🏆
Highly recommend using ‘ColorSplash for iPad’ app when teaching remembrance this week. So simple to use, but producing stunning images that can then be used as a great stimulus for writing, poetry etc.
Arrived safely in Romania and been given a warm welcome by all in Bucharest. Looking forward to presenting to over 200 Romanian teachers tomorrow. Presentation focuses on how best to develop early Computing skills. Very flattered to have been booked to present at their event. 🇷🇴
A trip to
@Bett_show
can be a daunting experience regardless of whether you go for one day, or for all three. Easy to come away thinking you have missed some gems. I have suggested 15 great companies for you to visit and to help you start planning your BETT trip.
#Bett2023
An absolutely packed house in the ‘BETT Academy Live’ theatre as we kick-off a fantastic line-up of CPD at
@Bett_show
BETT is absolutely heaving and there is already an wonderful buzz around the Excel.
#Bett2023
Honoured to have been asked to be the host of today’s
@ICTforEducation
conference today at St.James’ Park (Newcastle). Looking forward to being physically back at a conference again today for the first time in over 18 months. Hope to see some of you there.
NEW JOB NUMBER 2 . . . Delighted to have started work today as a consultant for the fantastic
@2SimpleSoftware
I’ve had a long-standing relationship with 2Simple for almost 15 years now and have loved using their products in the schools at which I have worked and delivering
Used
@scratch
3.0 on iPads for first time today with my
@LanchesterEP
pupils (Scratch is now in HTML5 so is fully iPad compatible). Really like the new cleaner, sleeker look and pupils found it easy to navigate. Well worth checking out. ⭐️
CELEBRATING MY 8TH BIRTHDAY TODAY . . . did my first day’s work as
@Animate2Educate
on 9th March 2012 at
@BirchwoodPrim
(Tamworth). Couldn’t have dreamt how things would grow and develop since then. Huge thank you to everyone who has supported me and been part of the journey.
Delighted to have been approached to appear on the ‘Primary Education Voices’ podcast. Recording my episode this evening and will be released in the next few weeks. There is already a great catalogue of podcasts from Matt Roberts and Primary Education Voices. Available from all
Real honour to be interviewed and to have a photoshoot with
@NETimesMagazine
today. Very flattered that they are going to feature me in their April issue that is focusing on the EdTech sector in the North East.
Loved my first day as a member of staff at Birchwood Primary School (
@BirchwoodPrim
) today. Almost 30 years ago Birchwood headteacher Neil Coleman (
@neilcola
) and I became good friends whilst training to become teachers at university Birmingham. Today was our first ever day as
TODAY - delighted to be appearing on
@bbcnewcastle
again. My follow-up interview will be broadcast on
@LisaShawRadio
between 10am - 11am. I will be joined by my
@LanchesterEP
head Jane Davis. Employer and employee talking openly about mental health.
Off to meet my
@LanchesterEP
colleagues and pupils for breakfast in London. Helping to celebrate and to hear the amazing stories after we won PRIMARY SCHOOL OF THE YEAR at the
@Chance2Shine
awards ceremony in London last night. 🏆
Celebrating my 9th Birthday as Animate 2 Educate today! Been a tough last 12 months, but proud of what I’ve continued to achieve in these unprecedented times. Huge thank you to everyone who has supported me since I delivered my first session
@BirchwoodPrim
on 9th March 2012.🎂 🎉
Looking forward to taking my ‘North East Elite’ to Manchester tomorrow for
#EduFootyAid
2. Hoping to defend our title against
@ICT_MrP
& his ‘North West Warriors’. Raising awareness of mental health issues in education & funds for the work of
@MindCharity
Great Day 2 at
@Bett_show
yesterday. Wonderful to present twice and to receive such amazing feedback from those who attended my sessions. Lovely as always to have the chance to meet-up and to chat with friends old and new too. Watched some fab other presenters too.
#Bett2020
Always a day of mixed emotions . . . today is my birthday, but is also the anniversary of the day I came close to taking my own life. Today though I celebrate 11 years strong! This past year or so has tested me like so many. Yes I struggle, I struggle a lot. I just don’t quit!!!
Just two of the many amazing Digital Leaders that I’ve had to say goodbye to at
@LanchesterEP
today. Been a privilege to work with them throughout their time at the school and to see them present at the likes of
@Bett_show
@besatweet
#LearnEd
Roadshows and with
@Jigsaw24Edu
London bound now for
@Bett_show
Always one of my favourite weeks of the year! Look forward to meeting up with lots of friends and making new contacts too.
#Bett2024
Great day in Wakefield today. Delighted to invited by British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)
@besatweet
to be part of their ‘School Leader Panel Discussion’ at their EdTech Exchange networking event hosted by good friend
@davesmithict
and also featuring another good
I have just noticed that I have now passed 5000 followers on Twitter. Very flattering and humbling that so many people want to hear from me each day. Huge thank you to each and every one of you. Your amazing support has enabled
@Animate2Educate
to continue to grow and develop.
One year ago I appeared on Radio Newcastle with
@LisaShawRadio
discussing
#EduFootyAid
, mental health in education and the ‘Striker Boy’ campaign. Delighted to have continued to promote, support and organise and 12 months on almost £14,000 has now been raised for
@MindCharity
BETT is always as much about the people, as it is about the products. Delighted to have shared my
#Bett2023
experience with these wonderful people and to be part of such and an amazing community . . .
Four months ago during
@socceraid
Lee Parkinson
@ICT_MrP
and I had a chat about doing something similar involving the education world. Yesterday
@LanchesterEP
the first ever
#EduFootyAid
took place and Lee and I were able to hand over a cheque to support
@MindCharity
for £10,000.
Wasn’t the result I was wanting and performance (particularly second half) showed the huge amount of work to be done, but great to be back at SJP again and atmosphere at start showed how special things can be. Great to meet John Beresford and to spend time with
@almohannad_ali
Great article from my good friend Andrew Jennings (AKA
@VocabularyNinja
) in latest issue of
@TeachPrimary
magazine about the positive impact that increased vocabulary can have on pupils. Well worth a read.
Great day of bringing the curriculum to life
@RyhopeJuniors
(Sunderland) today. These images show Y6 using ‘Let’s Create Pottery’ app linked to their Greeks topic. They designed & created their own Greek vases and then used augmented reality to make them appear in the classroom.
I’ve been lucky to meet some amazing people during my 23 years in education, none more so than the fantastic
@dawnhallybone
Was lovely to spend time with Dawn in both Durham and Newcastle this weekend and she was fundamental in the success of
#EduFootyAid
on Saturday. Did a great
Hungary bound today. Looking forward to a week in our partner school in Ajka and to visiting Budapest with my pupils and colleagues from
@LanchesterEP
as part of our
@erasmusplusUK
project. Should be a great week. 🇬🇧 🇭🇺
Brilliant day at the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) ‘Summer Business Insight Day’ at The Oval cricket ground in London yesterday. A packed event full of amazing educational suppliers and educators and I was proud to lead a session all about collaboration between
Delighted that the wonderful
@FoxInTheBox05
(Ruth Fox) will be taking part in
#EduFootyAid
next Saturday at
@LanchesterEP
She has also kindly donated a copy of her soon-to-be released new book ‘Within the White Lines’ for the raffle. The event is raising funds for
@MindCharity
Hoping that people around the UK (not just those
@campusnorthuk
) will join in the conversation using
#talkonthetyne
between 7pm - 11pm tomorrow night. My events are often trending in the UK and be great to do so again tomorrow night.
#talkonthetyne
Bett is always one of the highlights of my working year. Such a great buzz about the event and so many amazing experiences spent with truly wonderful and inspirational people. Looking back now on a great week in London last week.
@Bett_show
#Bett2023
I’m delighted to have been asked to present at
@SENDShowUK
in London for the first time next month. I’m delivering a session called ‘Using technology to bring the curriculum to life for children and young people with SEND’ on Friday 13th October from 12:30pm - 1:30pm. Register
What an absolute pleasure it was to go into battle yesterday with
@mr_v_turner
as our two teams clashed at
#EduFootyAid
My ‘All Stars’ team ran out 2-0 winners on the day, but the biggest winners were
@wearebey0nd
who have already received over £1000 in donations. You can still
Enjoyed having a day off today and helping my dad to celebrate his 86th Birthday alongside my sister and my cousins. Huge thanks to the fantastic ‘Ardallan Kitchen’ in Felling for making such a fuss over dad on his special day. Great to have somewhere like this this in Felling
Celebrating 7 years today as
@Animate2Educate
On 9th March 2012 I delivered my first paid session at
@BirchwoodPrim
creating Olympic 2012 mascots and bringing them to life using
@Zu3D
Thank you to everyone who has supported me in the 7 years since and made this journey possible.
MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT HAS BEEN HACKED . . . please note that if you are friends with me on Facebook, that my account was hacked last night. If you receive a message on Messenger, THIS IS NOT FROM ME. A number or my friends received a message last night asking if I could add them as
No clipboards! No worksheets! iPads taken out onto trip with pupils from
@BirchwoodPrim
&
@LanchesterEP
yesterday. Shouldn’t have pupils Googling images of things they have been stood in front of! Take selfies, use variety of different apps. Create eBooks with
@BookCreatorApp
Six weeks tonight until ‘Talk on the Tyne’ TeachMeet at
@campusnorthuk
(Newcastle). Book your FREE tickets now for a ‘geet canny neet of teaching ideas’ and a fantastic keynote from
@FoxInTheBox05
#talkonthetyne
Delighted to deliver ‘Effective Remote Learning’ via Zoom to over 50 head teachers, senior leaders and coordinators from the London Borough of Havering this evening. Shared our approach
@LanchesterEP
throughout 2020 and my tops tips. With thanks to
@davesmithict
and
@HES_orguk
He’s a top bloke, he’s a top teacher, he’s a top class player in
#EduFootyAid
and now he’s a top author too!!! Proud to be able to refer to
@VocabularyNinja
(aka
@MrJenningsA
) as a friend and can highly recommend checking out his new book from
@BloomsburyEd
. . .
A HUGE thank you to
@garycbeckett
who travelled all the way from Kent to referee
#EduFootyAid
on Saturday and to his company
@NewlineEurope
for making this possible. In addition Newline also sponsored both the EduFootyAid trophy and the ‘Player of the Match’ award. EduFootyAid
Many of you will have heard me banging on for ages about brilliant
@nowpressplay
is. Love using at both
@LanchesterEP
& in
@Animate2Educate
sessions. Well last night they won ‘Best Digital Device’ at
#BettAwards2019
Over the Moon for Alice, Tilly & all the team. Richly deserved!
Online Safety Day at
@RyhopeJuniors
(Sunderland) today. Delivered workshops to all pupils throughout the school, as well as staff training and three parental workshops. Always such a warm welcome from all members of the Ryhope community.
Another thousand pounds was raised on the day yesterday
@LanchesterEP
and the fundraising efforts of
@StrikerBoyBook
and
#EduFootyAid
now stands at a remarkable £11,802.41 Huge thank you to all who have made this staggering total possible.
DIGITAL DETOX NOW OVER . . . Had a lovely summer holiday and enjoyed the break from social media and time spent in front of digital devices. Feeling refreshed and raring to go now for the new academic year. Look forward to sharing ideas & working with you all in the coming year.
The power of Twitter once more . . . after engaging with author
@tbradman
on Twitter whilst reading his book ‘Viking Boy’, my Year 4 pupils
@LanchesterEP
were delighted that he agreed to have a Skype session with them, so that they could ask him lots of questions about the book.
Year 4 had an amazing experience this morning.
@tbradman
author of Viking Boy, kindly gave up his time to answer all of our questions. It was very inspiring and we are going to order some of his other books for our class reader.
Thank you again
@tbradman
After 11 years of magnificent memories and wonderful experiences, tonight was my last ever Digital Leaders session. A huge thank you to all the pupils who have been wonderful ambassadors for the school during that time, to the Year 6 pupils for whom it was also their last ever