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 disc…

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 di…

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 su…

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…

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 ar…

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. Madd…

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 …

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 provide…

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 a…

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 com…

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 r…

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 episo…

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, partic…

Another Spotlight on Strategies special. Join Ian and Andrew as they discuss the use of the 'Close Encounters' strategy and explore other ideas for enhancing learning with effective strategies linked to digital resources, which are designed to develop children's skills. Espress users can access all of our SOS resources here Please email us with que…

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 talk…

For educators in the modern classroom inclusion is at the forefront of our minds. It is essential that each child is helped to feel valued for who they are and what they are. Digital resources can ensure that children are supported and challenged in ways that meets them at the point of need, thus ensuring they feel a sense of agency over their lear…

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the features of effective professional development. Andrew suggests that professional development 'should be motivating and not just for the motivated.' Which in turn means successful PD creates commitment and excellence not simply compliance or competence. PD comes in many form but relevance, immersio…

There are a wealth of ways in which digital tools can support planning. The ability to adapt our planning (including content provided by others), enables us to iterate our lessons as we seek better outcomes and more personalised learning. Collaboration within and beyond school can further develop this, all of which results in much more flexible lea…

In this special extended episode dedicated to Phonics, Ian and Andrew meet Sophie Pickles, Early Years expert, instructional designer and part of the team behind the Time for Phonics DfE-validated SSP programme. Sophie begins by outlining 'the why' behind Time for Phonics and gives us the lowdown on how it was created. Next Sophie discusses with Ia…

Our fourth Phonics special episode explores ideas around grouping and streaming. Sophie shares her thoughts and insights on the benefits of different forms of classroom grouping. She also talks to Ian and Andrew about what research suggests and how digital can provide flexibility to support the needs of each cohort. Please email us with questions, …

In this third Phonics special episode Sophie discusses ways we can support children who may struggle with phonics. She shares ideas for interventions, acceleration and remediation with Ian and Andrew, looking at how these can be supported by digital tools and resources. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at classroomconnect@discov…

In our second Phonics special episode Sophie discusses with Ian and Andrew the importance of Phase One phonics, how they impact on children's ability to make secure progress with phonics. Sophie highlights ways we can support progress and how we can provide a solid foundation for children's future success. Please email us with questions, ideas or s…

In this first special episode dedicated to Phonics Ian and Andrew meet Sophie Pickles, Early Years expert, instructional designer and part of the team behind the Time for Phonics DfE-validated SSP programme. Sophie begins by outlining 'the why' behind Time for Phonics and gives us the lowdown on how it was created. Please email us with questions, i…

Inclusive learning and creating equitable access to learning are essential considerations for all teachers to ensure all their pupils can succeed. In this episode Ian and Andrew explore some of the ways digital tools and resources can support with inclusion and equity. Flexibility, adaptability and access to authentic relatable experiences are just…

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 Jonny Thelwell a school advisor for the North region and former teacher. Jonny shares with us some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being prov…

Online safety is of course a major concern for parents, carers and educators as we try to ensure our children can participate fully in the digital world and benefit from the huge learning opportunities it affords. This week, Ian and Andrew share their thoughts, ideas and experiences concerning online safety. In particular they explore ways to give …

Access to digital devices can have a huge impact on the ways children can learn using the power of digital. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some options for ways to increase availability and access to devices, in order to ensure greater equity. Andrew also shares some of his experiences working with vulnerable refugee communities in the Midd…

Phonics are the foundation for literacy and learning. A secure understanding of phonics is essential and requires a range of effective resources to teach, reinforce, embed and, where needed, remediate this crucial aspect of learning. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways digital resources can support here, including whole class, g…

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 Ellie Fraser a school advisor for the South West region and former primary school teacher. Ellie shares with us some of the ideas, opportunities and act…

Carefully deploying a range of digital resources can help to support the continuity of learning by making effective links between home and school, providing opportunities for children to secure, develop and apply their learning. This includes keeping children engaged through holiday periods. Ian and Andrew discuss a range of ideas and options - fro…

Most teacher like to start the day with purposeful activities to get children thinking as they arrive in class. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways digital resources can provide a wide range of options to make these starter tasks rich and engaging, whilst also saving teacher time. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at classroo…

A key measure for the value of a digital resource is - "Will it improve children's learning?" However this goes hand in hand with - "Will it save me time as a teacher?" If the answer is 'yes' to both of these questions then we can be sure the resource is truly valuable to us as teachers. Ian and Andrew discuss how we can evaluate resources with exa…

Ian and Andrew are back to discuss some more teaching strategies which can enhance teaching and learning through the use of digital resources. This time they focus in particular on the use of senses to help children to think and connect to learning in richer, deeper ways. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at classroomconnect@disc…

One of the powerful benefits of digital learning resources is that they can provide a wealth of opportunities for children to receive immediate feedback and can be rewarded for their engagement and personal progress. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the benefits of rewards and feedback and how they can really support children's agency…

Enquiry based learning can be a really effective way to create deep learning experiences for children, this requires us to formulate questions that spark curiosity and inspire children to seek the solution to a problem or understand a topic in real depth. Digital resources can provide access to so many sources of up to date sources of multi-modal i…

As teachers we all develop our own style, we also know our children best and so it is essential that lesson planning is flexible and enables us to create unique experiences in the classroom. Digital resources can have a real impact on the ways on which teachers can plan in flexible ways best suited to their classroom. Ian and Andrew discuss some of…

Digital images can be used in so many flexible ways to inspire learning, they can spark curiosity, develop critical thinking or provide contexts for making connections between learning. In this episode Ian and Andrew consider some of the ways images can be used in the classroom to provide rich learning opportunities. Please email us with questions,…

Carefully scaffolded challenges, usually with defined criteria for success and reward, can be a great way to motivate children and increase their engagement in their learning. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways we can use challenges to support learning, including how this can also develop connections with families and carers. Examples of Chall…

Across the year there are lots of events that schools connect to, these may include religious festivals, charity appeals, awareness raising days or memorials to events in the past. Ian and Andrew discuss ways these can used to enhance learning, drive cultural capital and enable children to make connections between their lives and the experiences of…

Building children's skills is an essential part of our work in the classroom. The 4Cs are a particularly important set of skills we need to build to prepare our children for their futures. Communication Critical Thinking Creativity Collaboration In this episode we consider how collaboration fits in to this eco-system and explore ideas for building …

This time we discuss how Adaptive Learning is the differentiation of the digital age, and how we can start to use it effectively in the classroom. Key its use is the way we can adapt in the moment for each learner. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]…

In a complex world it is essential children have the skills to understand the events and issues that affect them. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the benefits of engaging with real world news, with a particular focus on how this helps to develop their critical thinking skills. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at classroomconnect@…

With so many options available to us, what are some of the best ways to engage children in their learning? Ian and Andrew share their thoughts on some great ways to ensure children are engaged in order to deepen their learning. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]…

With access to so many digital videos how can we maximise their benefit for children's learning? Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways that video can be used to enhance learning in your classroom. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected] Andrew Tidswell

Ian and Andrew share some of their favourite, easy to implement, teaching strategies. There are plenty of other ideas in Discovery Education's Spotlight on Strategies collection. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected] Andrew Tidswell

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss the potential benefits of adopting some simple approaches to flipped learning and the impact this can have in the classroom. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected] Andrew Tidswell

In this episode Ian and Andrew consider some of the ways that digital resources can support accelerated learning, by making the content, concepts and ideas sticky. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected] Andrew Tidswell