Classroom Connect

Join Ian and Andrew as they discuss how to turn the everyday screen into a launchpad for curiosity. What starts as a sound-off video - looping as children enter the classroom - becomes a conversation starter, a memory hook, and the spark for deeper investigations. Listen as they reveal how video is more than footage: it’s a text packed with visuals, narration, and cues that teachers can mine to assess, challenge, and inspire. Through practical examples—silent loops to prime discussion, embedded quizzes for real-time formative checks, and video-driven scaffolds for hands-on lessons—they show how to move learners from recognition to real understanding. Whether you teach habitats, art styles, or scientific processes, this episode unfolds a clear, human story about using digital video to build context, surface prior knowledge, and free classroom time for problem solving and creativity. Consider how a single clip can change the way students think, remember, and create. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Ian and Andrew are lucky to work with lots of different schools in diverse settings with widely varying needs and experiences. In this episode they discuss how case studies created to share these experiences can be used by colleagues to make in difference in their own schools. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Ian and Andrew discuss some of the effective ways digital can help children to engage and make connections to prior learning quickly. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how collaborative conversations with teachers have a real impact on practice by making connections between digital resources and practical pedagogy. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Here at Discovery Education we are privileged to be able to connect to classrooms around the world both virtually and in person. In this episode Ian and Andrew share some of their learning derived from working with schools from all corners of the world. They discuss how we can all learn from one another's insights and unique perspectives. Every school is different and yet we all have so much in common, so that wherever we are developing a globally collaborative approach to education benefits us all. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Ian makes most of his school PD visits on his bike - covering hundreds of miles as he does so! Join Ian and Andrew as they reflect on ideas and insights they have been gathering as they visit schools across the UK. This is the true heart of our Classroom Connect approach - connecting you to teachers in other classrooms and to us here at Discovery Education. Want us to visit your school? Reach out on the email below or for Doodle users contact your School Success Advisor. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

We all know that sharing ideas really helps us all to grow as teachers. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how this can work across schools and at a wider level by developing a partnership approach to professional development. Ian and Andrew share experiences of how, as they travel the country delivering PD, they can gather and share amazing ideas developed by teachers in varied contexts with diverse experiences. Developing a partnership approach helps to create powerful learning opportunities for all involved, as Ian and Andrew reinforce by talking about how they are constantly learning from others whilst they are 'on the road.' Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

We all know that holiday times and breaks from school routines can have an impact on children's learning. Learning loss can occur quite quickly when children are away from the day to day classroom environment, especially after holidays. In this episode, Ian and Andrew discuss ways in which digital resources can help bring children back into the routines of learning, especially how they can help us to identify and address any gaps on an individual level. They also talk about how these tools can be used to reduce the impact of holidays and times away from class, by helping children to maintain their skills in motivating and low impact ways. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Immersive technology, such as augmented reality, can utilise the senses to create learning experiences that were previously inconceivable. How about exploring a Mayan Temple in your school grounds, or walking around a spaceship which has a crash landed in the playground, or comparing a life size shark to a plesiosaur in the school hall, or walking through a street during the Blitz? All of these can be achieved FOR FREE using Sandbox AR, which enables children to build life size immersive environments they can explore, even recording their experiences to support further work in the classroom. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways immersive tools can impact children's learning, by creating emotional and physical responses. They also explore how this can support differentiation, for example by inspiring more reluctant writers. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

School Improvement Plans are essential to whole school development, Ian and Andrew discuss how we can use and adapt digital tools to support all aspects of school improvement. Key to this is being clear about how digital resources, when used effectively, can be adapted to suit your needs and serve the goal you are trying to achieve. Digital tools can be a fundamental part but of a SIP but rarely, if ever, the goal themselves. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this special, extended episode Ian and Andrew meet our News and Topical Producer Ben Isaacs to explore how we can make news accessible and meaningful to children. He gives us some fascinating insights into how we actually make the news, including the decisions behind what to include and importantly how to make this appropriate for children, whilst not shying away from complex or challenging issues. In our increasingly complex digital world where information is a commodity and open to manipulation in many ways it has never been more important to teach children how to engage with news and how to identify trusted sources and think critically about what the read, hear and see. We also discuss ways to use news in the classroom and how this can support learning right across the curriculum as well as developing children's learning skills, empathy and cultural capital. As always we would love to hear from you about how you engage with news in the classroom. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

School Breakfast Clubs not only provide the chance for children to have a nutritious start to the school day can be a great way for children to access additional learning support. Just like a hearty breakfast the chance to build confidence through motivating digital learning tasks can help children make a great start to the day. Ian and Andrew discuss ways we can provide opportunities for children to access resources that may not be available to them at home, particularly in more relaxed informal ways. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss ways in digital resources can be used to support children with different levels of educational needs. We can provide flexible options where layers of support can be peeled back or added quickly and efficiently to provide juts the right level of scaffolding at the right time. How do you use digital to address different levels of educational need? Which resources work best for you and how do you adapt them? Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

As an early career teacher it is important to explore ways to build your own style and pedagogical approach, digital resources can provide lots of options. Not only can they provide models as starting points but often they can be adapted to suit your own needs, both of which can be really valuable in terms of professional growth. How has digital supported your development? Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how when we work with pupils - for example by delivering model lessons - we can provide opportunities for professional development for teachers. These sorts of interactions can provide the chance for a teacher to step back and see how an approach can work with their children in their school. Do reach out to us if you think that this sort of approach would benefit your school - we can then discuss the best options for you. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this episode Ian and and Andrew discuss the importance and impact of the 4Cs both in the classroom and in children's lives and futures beyond. They explore opportunities for developing collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking. They also consider how it can be really helpful for children to recognise their growth in these areas and to become more conscious of them in learning and life. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Join Ian and Andrew for this special episode with guest Maddy Austin, where they discuss the use of digital resources at home, supported by parents and carers. Former teacher Maddy is a Product Lead in our direct to consumer (D2C) team, here she works closely with families to ensure they get the best out of digital resources in a home setting. Maddy shares with Ian and Andrew some of the ways we can adapt resources, and how parents and carers can utilise them to really enable children to take ownership of their learning, which in turn boosts their confidence and progress. They also share thoughts around how schools can ensure their is a 'continuity of learning' between home and school and how digital can be at the heart of this. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with David Trendell former teacher and senior leader who is now one of our team of school advisors, focusing on schools in our East region They discuss some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being provided by Discovery Education both locally and nationally. Our team support schools right across the country and are available to support you and your colleagues with ideas, guidance and resources, through video calls, webinars, face to face events and via email. If you subscribe to any Discovery Education products you will have a member of the team assigned to support you personally - please do share their details with colleagues. You can also reach out to the team using this link. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with Alex and Curtis school advisors for the West region and both former teachers. They discuss some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being provided by Discovery Education both locally and nationally. Our team support schools right across the country and are available to support you and your colleagues with ideas, guidance and resources, through video calls, webinars, face to face events and via email. If you subscribe to any Discovery Education products you will have a member of the team assigned to support you personally - please do share their details with colleagues. You can also reach out to the team using this link. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Meet Jack Taylor, Senior Software Engineer at Discovery Education. In this special episode, Jack discusses with Ian and Andrew the ways he designs and builds software solutions for the classroom. This episode also raises real world parallels with the design processes that Jack and his colleagues go through when creating solutions and the kinds of approaches we can take in the classroom. The group discuss computational thinking, design thinking, the 4Cs of learning and other skills based aspects of learning in the classrooms of today. Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

There are a wealth of different digital tools and platforms available to teachers, many of which can work effectively as a standalone resource, however combining different tools can enhance their impact and allow for richer, deeper learning experiences. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways tools with different purposes can be combined to create more impactful lessons. How for example can video, Augmented Reality and shared documents support writing when used together? Please email us with your questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Plenary sessions provide a great opportunity for children to reflect on their learning, to consolidate understanding, apply new knowledge and address misconceptions. Digital tools and resources can provide lots of flexible ways to enhance these crucial parts of the learning process. In this episode Ian and Andrew share their ideas for how digital resources can be used effectively at the end of a lesson or during reflection time. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In terms of professional development, the days of waiting for a course to be offered and teachers booking time out of school have long gone - now we as teachers we can access professional development in multi-modal hybrid formats. Webinars are one such method - but how can we make the best use of them and when are they most effective? In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss how webinars can be effective and look at the ways we design and deliver these to maximise their value. At Discovery Education we offer PD in a wide variety of formats to suit different needs and purposes - get in touch with your School Success Advisor to access the PD which works best for you and your colleagues. [email protected] Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

One way of connecting the real world to children's learning across the curriculum is to make links to events, festivals, anniversaries and special days. Our 'Calendar Picks' provide a wealth mini-lessons linked to events throughout the year. Whether you are celebrating Harvest Festival, recognising Eid Ul Fitr, exploring the events of D-Day, participating in Road Safety Week or remembering Holocaust Memorial day there are lots of choices across the whole year, with around 80 events covered - with versions for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 included in Espresso! Find them in your Key Stage Home Page. Ian and Andrew discuss some of these and the ways these events can impact on children's learning throughout the year. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Another Spotlight on Strategies special. Join Ian and Andrew as they discuss the use of the 'Close Encounters' strategy and explore other ideas for enhancing learning with effective strategies linked to digital resources, which are designed to develop children's skills. Espress users can access all of our SOS resources here Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this special episode Sophie Withey shares with Ian and Andrew the ways in which digital content is produced and the careful thought processes which go in to ensuring they enhance classroom practice. Sophie is one of our senior producers building the content which is used by children and teachers across the world. As a teacher herself Sophie talks about how this work is rooted in her own classroom experience. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

For educators in the modern classroom inclusion is at the forefront of our minds. It is essential that each child is helped to feel valued for who they are and what they are. Digital resources can ensure that children are supported and challenged in ways that meets them at the point of need, thus ensuring they feel a sense of agency over their learning, especially when they find something challenging. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss ways in which digital tools and resources can be used to empower children whatever their individual needs or challenges are. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the features of effective professional development. Andrew suggests that professional development 'should be motivating and not just for the motivated.' Which in turn means successful PD creates commitment and excellence not simply compliance or competence. PD comes in many form but relevance, immersion, reflection and active participation in tasks and discussions all contribute to positive outcomes for teachers by connecting new ideas or approaches to the reality of their classrooms and teaching style. All of this helps teachers to find 'THEIR right answer' not 'THE right answer.' Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

There are a wealth of ways in which digital tools can support planning. The ability to adapt our planning (including content provided by others), enables us to iterate our lessons as we seek better outcomes and more personalised learning. Collaboration within and beyond school can further develop this, all of which results in much more flexible learning sequences and a more accurate match to the needs of our pupils. Ian and Andrew discuss some of these options and look at ways we can maximise the value of lesson planning. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this special extended episode dedicated to Phonics, Ian and Andrew meet Sophie Pickles, Early Years expert, instructional designer and part of the team behind the Time for Phonics DfE-validated SSP programme. Sophie begins by outlining 'the why' behind Time for Phonics and gives us the lowdown on how it was created. Next Sophie discusses with Ian and Andrew the importance of Phase One phonics, how they impact on children's ability to make secure progress with phonics. She highlights ways we can support progress and how we can provide a solid foundation for children's future success. The conversation continues with Sophie sharing ideas for interventions, acceleration and remediation, looking at how these can be supported by digital tools and resources. Finally, Sophie shares her thoughts and insights on the benefits of different forms of classroom grouping. She also talks to Ian and Andrew about what research suggests and how digital can provide flexibility to support the needs of each cohort. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Our fourth Phonics special episode explores ideas around grouping and streaming. Sophie shares her thoughts and insights on the benefits of different forms of classroom grouping. She also talks to Ian and Andrew about what research suggests and how digital can provide flexibility to support the needs of each cohort. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this third Phonics special episode Sophie discusses ways we can support children who may struggle with phonics. She shares ideas for interventions, acceleration and remediation with Ian and Andrew, looking at how these can be supported by digital tools and resources. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In our second Phonics special episode Sophie discusses with Ian and Andrew the importance of Phase One phonics, how they impact on children's ability to make secure progress with phonics. Sophie highlights ways we can support progress and how we can provide a solid foundation for children's future success. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

In this first special episode dedicated to Phonics Ian and Andrew meet Sophie Pickles, Early Years expert, instructional designer and part of the team behind the Time for Phonics DfE-validated SSP programme. Sophie begins by outlining 'the why' behind Time for Phonics and gives us the lowdown on how it was created. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Inclusive learning and creating equitable access to learning are essential considerations for all teachers to ensure all their pupils can succeed. In this episode Ian and Andrew explore some of the ways digital tools and resources can support with inclusion and equity. Flexibility, adaptability and access to authentic relatable experiences are just some of the ideas covered. They explore ways to support children to be consistently working in their zones of proximal development, which in turn promotes increased engagement and progress. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with Jonny Thelwell a school advisor for the North region and former teacher. Jonny shares with us some of the ideas, opportunities and activities being provided by Discovery Education. Our team support schools right across the country and are available to support you and your colleagues with ideas, guidance and resources, through video calls, webinars, face to face events and via email. If you subscribe to any Discovery Education products you will have a member of the team assigned to support you personally - please do share their details with colleagues. You can also reach out to the team using this link. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Online safety is of course a major concern for parents, carers and educators as we try to ensure our children can participate fully in the digital world and benefit from the huge learning opportunities it affords. This week, Ian and Andrew share their thoughts, ideas and experiences concerning online safety. In particular they explore ways to give children appropriate levels of independence to develop the critical thinking skills needed to recognise the voracity of information and content they are experiencing. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Access to digital devices can have a huge impact on the ways children can learn using the power of digital. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some options for ways to increase availability and access to devices, in order to ensure greater equity. Andrew also shares some of his experiences working with vulnerable refugee communities in the Middle East and discusses some possible lessons we can learn from these challenging situations. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Phonics are the foundation for literacy and learning. A secure understanding of phonics is essential and requires a range of effective resources to teach, reinforce, embed and, where needed, remediate this crucial aspect of learning. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways digital resources can support here, including whole class, group or independent work, how they can support interventions, work at home and also their potential for older children with additional needs or who are new to English. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

At Discovery Education our advisory team work across the country in regions, developing a deep understanding of the schools we work with. In this special episode Ian and Andrew spend some time with Ellie Fraser a school advisor for the South West region and former primary school teacher. Ellie shares with us some of the ideas, opportunities and activities she is involved with in her area. Our team support schools right across the country and are available to support you and your colleagues with ideas, guidance and resources, through video calls, webinars, face to face events and via email. If you subscribe to any Discovery Education products you will have a member of the team assigned to support you personally - please do share their details with colleagues. You can also reach out to the team using this link. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Carefully deploying a range of digital resources can help to support the continuity of learning by making effective links between home and school, providing opportunities for children to secure, develop and apply their learning. This includes keeping children engaged through holiday periods. Ian and Andrew discuss a range of ideas and options - from the use of gamification to support skills practise to more creative ideas like designing apps in DE Coding, or using our free Sandbox AR app to create exciting immersive learning experiences with Augmented Reality. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Most teacher like to start the day with purposeful activities to get children thinking as they arrive in class. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways digital resources can provide a wide range of options to make these starter tasks rich and engaging, whilst also saving teacher time. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

A key measure for the value of a digital resource is - "Will it improve children's learning?" However this goes hand in hand with - "Will it save me time as a teacher?" If the answer is 'yes' to both of these questions then we can be sure the resource is truly valuable to us as teachers. Ian and Andrew discuss how we can evaluate resources with examples of assets that deliver on both. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Ian and Andrew are back to discuss some more teaching strategies which can enhance teaching and learning through the use of digital resources. This time they focus in particular on the use of senses to help children to think and connect to learning in richer, deeper ways. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

One of the powerful benefits of digital learning resources is that they can provide a wealth of opportunities for children to receive immediate feedback and can be rewarded for their engagement and personal progress. In this episode Ian and Andrew discuss some of the benefits of rewards and feedback and how they can really support children's agency in learning. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Enquiry based learning can be a really effective way to create deep learning experiences for children, this requires us to formulate questions that spark curiosity and inspire children to seek the solution to a problem or understand a topic in real depth. Digital resources can provide access to so many sources of up to date sources of multi-modal information to support this kind of learning. Ian and Andrew consider some of the ways that we can build skills and knowledge in rich, flexible and adaptive ways through an enquiry based approach. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

As teachers we all develop our own style, we also know our children best and so it is essential that lesson planning is flexible and enables us to create unique experiences in the classroom. Digital resources can have a real impact on the ways on which teachers can plan in flexible ways best suited to their classroom. Ian and Andrew discuss some of the ways we can plan in flexible, adaptive and responsive ways meaning we can address the needs of our pupils as effectively as possible. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]

Digital images can be used in so many flexible ways to inspire learning, they can spark curiosity, develop critical thinking or provide contexts for making connections between learning. In this episode Ian and Andrew consider some of the ways images can be used in the classroom to provide rich learning opportunities. Please email us with questions, ideas or suggestions at [email protected]