Product reviews for Freaked Out

The interactive nature of Freaked Out definitely offers something different to other books which brag to being a teacher's guide to digital learning. Colleagues I have shared the book with have commented that they really enjoyed using the apps such as -˜Aurasma' to engage with the pages in the book. They noted that this first hand interaction with the book with the very apps mentioned helps to reinforce and develop their own skills and confidence in using their digital devices. The videos help to bring the book to life and help to make the subject of digital learning become less daunting.

Working as a lecturer in University which develops trainee teachers I have been able share the messages in this book and to share extracts with students. I have received excellent feedback from students who have been able to use ideas from the book such as establishing digital leaders within their school placements. The use of tech in the classroom has been pushed by pupils who have been involved in the process and helped to establish this -˜digital environment within the class'. One student noted that at the start of their practice they were not confident in using the technology that was in the class. After a few emails back and forth I suggested that she read the -˜Freaked out' book, I had an email back after a few days to say that she bought the book which she used as a guide and “was almost a safety rope to use” through her practice. She noted “the steps were easy to follow to use apps and the content was easy to read with the light hearted narrative”.

Students who have bought the book have noted that the book is a reliable tool in their arsenal whilst out on placement. As with my experience, students have been turned to by school staff to answer all technological queries within the school. One student noted how they were able to use the first few pages of the book as a guide to school staff in how to use their iPad effectively. Colleagues in school have used the book as a quick quide to guide them through easy to follow steps in procedures such as creating an Apple ID account.

I personally have taken quotes from the book to back up points I have been making in my lectures such as my opening address to year 1 students in which we discussed the current education system and used ideas from the book to help to develop personal philosophies in pedagogy to help teach learners in the future. The passionately written chapter entitled -˜How to inspire, engage and enthuse' helped to rewire a lot of trainee teachers minds when thinking about pupils they will be educating in the coming years.

In reflection the book can be deemed as cost effective not just for myself but seen through the students and colleagues who have used the text. For a small price trainee teachers who are starting out and beginning to develop their own philosophies on teaching have been able to use this book as a guide for technology and teaching.

Current Professional Development within schools is limited with restricted budgets and limited time for teachers to leave classrooms. This book has been an ICT support life line for teaching collegues who working in a pressured environment and who are constantly looking for answers to problems quickly, have been offered resolutions to problems in bite sized steps. Along with the ever mounting targets and aims teachers are laden with, using technology within their class to develop learning seems to be at the top of most educators list of aims. With limited time this book offered readers information which has enabled them to build confidence in using the suggested technology and actually use the technology to interact with the book. The resource is by no means an answer to all teacher's problems with technology however it offers a common sense approach in an easy to follow and light hearted narrative, written by somebody who obviously was a teacher and can identify issues that will appear in every day school life.



This book in direct comparison to a training course about digital learning obviously would be a quarter of the price of that of an afternoon's course. For under '£20 readers are provided with a wide array of relevant information, resolution to problems and useful glossaries that they can interact with at their own pace. A training course that may offer these same attributes however the customer wouldn't be able to return to the course information at their own pace or be able to recall information whenever they wanted like they can with the book.