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Back to basics F


‘Education: A Very Short Introduction’ by Gary Thomas is available from Oxford University Press priced £7.99


rom Oxford University Press comes a very short introduction to the very big topic of education


‘Education: A Very Short Introduction’ by Gary Thomas has landed on bookshelves to provide even the most primitive educationalist with an overview of the evolution of education. The book explores the methods of teaching worldwide, progressive and formal education, theories theorists and including Piaget and Vygotsky, and how education might change in the future.


From the schools of ancient times to the present day, Thomas explores how and why education has developed as it has. He explains the way schools work, noting how curricula are remarkably consistent around the world. Delving into some of the big questions, Thomas also considers various teaching styles such as progressive versus formal and looks at the big issue for teachers: what should be taught, and how should we teach it?


Is it any good?


Thomas is well placed to offer his thoughts on education, having spent his career working in education, first as a primary school teacher, then as an educational psychologist, then as an academic in five universities. He is currently a professor in education at the University of


Birmingham where his research and writing focus on inclusive education and the methods used in social science research.


It is from this vantage point that Thomas provides a brief history lesson referencing Platos Academy and even our Homo Sapien ancestors. How long have we actually been on earth? Anywhere from 30,000 to 200,000 years apparently. Either way, our brains were the same then as they are now except argues Thomas, we have greater tool for thinking that have been passed from one generation to the next. This is education in action. After moving on from ancient civilisation, Thomas discusses contemporary teaching practice. He looks at classrooms and groupwork, competition and testing and extols the virtues and disadvantages of both. Thomas looks at American influences on education around the world, in particular referencing John Holt’s ‘How Children Fail’. Thomas’s book may not have quite the same ground-breaking impact as Holt’s, but nevertheless this is a sturdy and insightful book that anyone from an NQT to a seasoned headteacher could benefit from.


Any downsides?


It will come as no surprise that this ‘Very Short Introduction’ is a somewhat brief journey across the education landscape, with many stones left


unturned. In the preface, Thomas himself notes: “This isn’t just a short introduction it’s a very short introduction. As such, it’s going to be prone to oversimplification, shallowness, omissions and banality.” This criticism seems a little harsh when looking at the finished product. In a bid to say as much as possible in as little space as possible, Thomas says he focused on ideas rather than facts. It is in this way that he offers a refreshing take on a much-debated topic.


Engineers of the future T


he IET Faraday website has been re-launched and now includes a wide variety of curriculum-linked classroom activities that are free to download, including film clips, online games, posters, careers resources and activity days. To coincide with the re-launch, the IET is running a number of activities and events to showcase our new resources and support teachers of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) to inspire students to keep studying these subjects.


The Faraday Challenge Days are one of our main outreach activities for students aged 12-13 years. This is an annual engineering-based competition where teams of students compete against one another to design, create and promote the best solution to a genuine real-life engineering problem.


The top three teams from the 2012-13 season will go head-to-head at the National Final on 21st June in an attempt to win up to £1000 for their school, but if you missed out, we are now looking for schools to take part in our next season of Challenge Days running from September 2013. The closing date to receive applications is Friday 12th July 2013. The application form can be downloaded at www.faraday.theiet.org.


Can’t wait till September? Take part in our brand new competition to find the IET Faraday Student Innovator of the Year 2013. Students must identify a communications problem and use their engineering skills to develop a solution. The student with the best idea can win an iPad for themselves and £500 for their school. The competition is open to students aged 11-14 years old, with a closing date of Friday 28th June 2013.


To keep up to date with IET Faraday news and events why not follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or sign up for the Education e-Newsletter.


uwww.faraday.theiet.org June 2013 www.education-today.co.uk 19


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