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Talks, writing, podcasts and press

Speaking & media.

Public thinking, practice and contribution: national press, academic research, a forthcoming Routledge chapter, weekly writing and the Education Intelligence podcast.

Latest

New videos, posts and episodes.

Talks, podcast episodes and posts on curriculum, literacy and thinking in the age of AI.

Common Core Bootcamp, UAE

Speaker to 54 educators across UAE schools.

A virtual bootcamp for senior educators, May 2026.
“
I really enjoyed the workshop and found it both insightful and practical. The facilitator created a reflective environment where we were encouraged to think deeply about the challenges schools face regarding AI implementation and use. I especially appreciated learning about the key components of an effective AI policy and understanding how a clear framework can guide strong AI leadership within schools. The session was engaging, relevant, and provided valuable strategies that I can apply in my professional practice.
I really enjoyed the workshop and found it both insightful and practical. The facilitator created a reflective environment where we were encouraged to think deeply about the challenges schools face regarding AI implementation and use.
Juliane Karen Pereira
Assistant Head of KG, Emirates National School, Al Ain
Common Core Bootcamp, UAE · May 2026

Upcoming book chapter · Routledge · early 2027

“Should children be allowed to use AI tools? Twenty years in education have convinced me that we are asking the wrong question.”

How to Make AI Work for Your Primary School: Tools, Ethics, and Opportunities (eds. Emma Palastanga & Dilma De Araujo, 2027).
Routledge book cover: How to Make AI Work for Your Primary School

Research, writing & stories

Publications.

Research article · 2014

Knowing the Intentions, Meaning and Context of Classroom Assessment

A case study of teachers’ conceptions and practice of classroom assessment in Singapore. Studies in Educational Evaluation.
Kopi Cat series

Kopi Cat and the New Year’s Resolution

A children’s e-book exploring big questions through small, everyday moments.
Kopi Cat series

Kopi Cat and the Great Election

Curiosity, humour and the quiet observations of a watchful cat.
Kopi Cat series

Kopi Cat and Little Monkey

Stories that reflect on the world we are building, and the values that shape it.

Articles

Writing on curriculum, leadership and AI.

What We Tell Children at the Start of a New Year
Articles

What We Tell Children at the Start of a New Year

Why I don’t set New Year’s resolutions For as long as I can remember, I haven’t really set New Year’s resolutions. Not because I don’t care about learning or growth, but because the ritual has always felt slightly off to me. The idea that a new year should begin with a list of things I […]

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The School Year Started with a Poem
Articles

The School Year Started with a Poem

The school year didn’t start with policies, schedules, or reminders about uniforms. It started with a poem. The principal addressed all parents seated in the school hall and spoke to what many of us feel but don’t always say out loud. The first day of school is a big moment for children and a tender […]

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Class Size Matters. But Design Matters More
Articles

Class Size Matters. But Design Matters More

I used to think size doesn’t matter. Then I taught thirty-five students at once.That moment strips teaching down to its essentials. Because when numbers rise, there’s nowhere to hide. Every unclear instruction. Every duplicated task. Every assessment done out of habit rather than intention – it all compounds. In that class, I could see the […]

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Teaching Children How to Think in an Age of Instant Answers
Articles

Teaching Children How to Think in an Age of Instant Answers

Long before AI entered classrooms, I was already thinking about what happens after the lesson ends. I’ve always believed that learning doesn’t belong to the teacher. It never lived only in my classroom. My role was to create the conditions, then step back enough for children to realise they could carry learning with them. Making […]

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When Curriculum Expands, Something Has to Give
Articles

When Curriculum Expands, Something Has to Give

Back in 2012, long before AI entered everyday education conversations, I was working with teachers who were already grappling with a familiar tension. “The curriculum is expanding – and rightly so.” “But we, as teachers, are carrying everything.” Oracy. Collaboration. Assessment for learning. Cross-school exposure. All important. All necessary. And yet, each addition arrived with […]

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Seven Dwarves, Seven Roles, One Poison Apple
Articles

Seven Dwarves, Seven Roles, One Poison Apple

The final chapter of the LEARNER AI Framework You know the story. Snow White flees into a forest and finds a cottage where seven small figures live, each with a name and a purpose, each essential to the household. Together they teach her things no palace ever did. They taught her how to think harder, […]

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