I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

Learn the truth about bullying in the 21st century: what to look for and how to cope with the social problems faced by today’s kids.

Whether dealing with bullying issues or worrying that they might occur, parents are faced with more challenges than ever before. In the age of the internet and social media, traditional approaches to bullying haven’t kept pace with new realities, and new problems like cyberbullying have emerged. Parents searching for ways to prevent or copy with bulling are flooded by a deluge of advice, opinions, and strategies - often conflicting or, even worse, potentially harmful. 25 Myths About Bullying And Cyberbullying helps parents understand the causes and consequences of bullying, determine if something is truly a problem, and effectively deal with problems when they arise.

This practical guide enables parents to appreciate how modern digital environments impact a young person’s communication and relationships, recognise the most prevalent types of psychological bullying and cyberbullying, and know when and how to intervene. The author dispels common myths related to confronting bullies, victims seeking revenge on bullies, keeping kids off their phones and computers to prevent cyberbullying, the links between bullying and suicide, and many others. Backed by the most recent work in bullying and cyberbullying research, this book helps parents:
- understand what causes, prevents, and stops bullying and cyberbullying
- tell the difference between bullying issues and normal ‘growing pains’
- recognise the signs and effects of psychological bullying
- know when intervening is helpful, and when it can be destructive
- reduce social anxieties and the potential for bullying issues in children and young adults.

25 Myths About Bullying And Cyberbullying is an important resource for parents of school-age children and young adults, as well as staff in educational environments.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Elizabeth K Englander is Founder and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State University and an expert in bullying, cyberbullying and children’s use of technology. This easy-to-read book is aimed at parents and educators that tackles myths and worries surrounding bullying and cyberbullying. It’s a reassuring read that offers suggestions for appropriate action but is a little repetitive at times.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Find your mojo.
Stay hopeful.
Get back on track.

Whether facing assessments, a big change or making up for lost time, head teacher Matthew Burton is here to help students get motivated again.

From ways of managing the tough times and looking after your mental health, to skills for beating school stress and tapping into your potential, this is the one-stop guide for kids who are in need of a bit of hope, some soothing words of advice and a good old pep talk to get them going in school again.

Discover how to plan, prepare and preserve … and get back on track!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Matthew Burton is a secondary school teacher who featured in 2013’s EDUCATING YORKSHIRE. This is a warm, compassionate book aimed at readers aged 12+ about navigating secondary school in a post-COVID world, from establishing routines to handling setbacks, developing an exam smashing skill set and when to ask for help). It’s perfect for any reader worried about making the transition to secondary school or how to get the most from their time there.

BACK ON TRACK was released in the United Kingdom on 22nd July 2021. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Daisy Christodoulou asks why ed tech - with all its potential - hasn’t yet had the transformative impact on education that it has long promised.

Rooted in research and written from an educationalist’s perspective, Teachers vs Tech? examines a broad range of topics, from the science of learning and assessment to the continued importance of teaching facts, exploring international examples from both big brand digital platforms and smaller start-ups.

Daisy Christodoulou draws on her experience working in classrooms and within the education community to outline a revolutionary vision for the future: one where technology is developed in conjunction with teacher expertise and is ultimately used to improve education outcomes for all.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Daisy Christodoulou is former Head of Assessment at Ark Schools and Director of Education at No More Marking. This is a well researched, clearly written, fascinating and informative book that looks at the psychology of learning and teaching and how that ties in with the technology available to teachers (including initiatives from tech companies) to explain why tech hasn’t been as transformative for education as you’d expect it to be.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Knowing how to stay on top of stress is a vital life skill.

Manage Your Stress equips you with practical, effective techniques to manage life at uni in a stress-free way.

- recognise and understand your body’s response to causes of stress
- learn techniques for changing stressful thinking patterns
- build your resilience so you can handle stressful situations

Succeed at university with Super Quick Skills.

Giving you the tools and advice you need to progress your skills and excel in your studies and life.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Clare Wilson is a lecturer in Applied Psychology at Portsmouth University. This is a broad guide to dealing with stress that’s aimed at university students and offers a combination of techniques and exercises plus a variety of further resources. It’s a useful starting point that I think can be used by people in the workplace as much as students but the illustrations are incredibly random and some of the graphics difficult to read.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Recent policies have replaced direct government funding for teaching with fees paid by students. As well as saddling graduates with enormous debt, satisfaction rates are low, a high proportion of graduates are in non-graduate jobs, and public debt from unpaid loans is rocketing.

This timely and challenging analysis combines theoretical and data analysis and insights gained from running a university, to give robust new policy proposals: lower fees; reintroduce maintenance awards; impose student number caps; maintain taxpayer funding; cancel the TEF; re-build the external examiner system; restructure the contingent-repayment loan scheme; and establish different roles for different types of institutions, to encourage excellence and ultimately benefit society.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Jefferson Frank was founding head of the Economics Department at Royal Holloway University and Norman Gowar is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of London. This informative, if at times a little dry, book offers a good summary of how we got to the existing model of university funding in England, how it’s created perverse incentives and increased dissatisfaction across students and academics alike and suggests ways to improve it.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.