EduTait

After a visit to Parliament this week to contribute to the discussion around this, here’s my thoughts and reflections on how we might be going after the wrong target by simply banning phones in schools - it’s the social media companies that are deliberately designing platforms to intentionally steal our young people’s childhoods that deserve more of our scrutiny.

Distraction by design: Why we need to stop blaming children — EduTait We often blame children for their struggles with smartphones and social media, but are we blaming the wrong people? Digital platforms are not broken; they are working exactly as they were designed. This article explores how technology companies compete for attention, why current solutions fall short

🆕 Blog post: ‘Swipe, Watch, Repeat’ 📲
In my latest article, I explore how the habits shaped by short-form content (constant scrolling, quick hits of information and rapid switching) are influencing attention, memory and learning in the classroom.

If our children are conditioned to consume content in seconds, what does that mean for how we design lessons? 🤔 If you’re thinking about memory, attention, and lesson design, this might resonate 💭

Swipe, Watch, Repeat: The New Rhythm of Childhood Attention — EduTait What happens to childhood attention when every few seconds brings a new video, a new image, a new stimulus? From a shopping centre observation of a toddler immersed in short-form social media to comparisons with traditional cartoons, this piece explores how different media shape focus, imagination,

New article 📃 AI tutoring could transform access to learning, with the potential to support hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged pupils. But its success depends on one key factor: thinking 🤔 If these tools simply provide answers, they risk creating passive learners. If they provoke deep thinking, they could genuinely enhance learning and help level the playing field 📈

AI as a Personal Tutor? Only If It Makes Students Think — EduTait AI tutoring could transform access to learning, with the potential to support hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged pupils. But its success depends on one key factor: thinking. If these tools simply provide answers, they risk creating passive learners. If they provoke deep thinking, they could genu

What can a swimming coach teach us about feedback? 🏊‍♂️ Quite a lot, it turns out.

Recently I watched a coach working with young swimmers. His feedback was constant but simple: clear instructions, quick adjustments, then straight back into practice. The swimmers improved in real time because they could act on the feedback immediately. One small detail also stood out. When giving individual feedback he bent down to the swimmers’ level rather than towering above them from the poolside.

A reminder that effective feedback is not just about what we say, but how we say it. It made me reflect on how feedback often works in classrooms and what we might learn from coaching environments.

I’ve written a short piece about it here 👇

From Front Crawl to Feedback: The Timing of Classroom Feedback — EduTait Watching a group of children at a swimming lesson reminded me of one simple truth about teaching: feedback only works if learners can act on it immediately. This article explores how we can borrow techniques from sports coaching to make feedback more timely, practical, and genuinely effective in the

We plan lessons - but do we plan for memory? 🧠
If learning is about retention, then what happens after the lesson matters just as much as what happens in it…and sleep might be the most overlooked part of the process 😴

I’ve shared a short piece on why sleep might be the missing lesson in school:

Recharge to Remember — EduTait Sleep is the brain’s save button for learning. During the night, it replays, reorganises and stores what was learned, transforming fragile memories into durable knowledge. Without adequate rest, attention falters and retention weakens. You cannot out-teach sleep deprivation; biology ultimately set...

The ‘cheap seats’….where are they in your classroom? And does this change based on the time of day or the position of the sun? ☀️

Beware of the cheap seats in your classroom — EduTait Discover how classroom seating arrangements can impact student engagement and learning. From identifying “cheap seats” to enhancing visibility, this post offers practical insights to create equitable learning environments. Take the guesswork out and start to view your classroom and your presenta...

Do you know where the cheap seats are in your classroom?

Beware of the cheap seats in your classroom — EduTait Discover how classroom seating arrangements can impact student engagement and learning. From identifying “cheap seats” to enhancing visibility, this post offers practical insights to create equitable learning environments. Take the guesswork out and start to view your classroom and your presenta...