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Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools

Education On Fire - Sharing creative and inspiring learning in our schools

By: Mark Taylor
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 Do you feel the education system is sucking the life out of you and the pupils you serve? I think many of us wish we could click our fingers and make it fit for purpose. A place of growth with shared learning that empowers pupils to be their best selves, so they can create a world they want to inhabit now and in the future. While a magic wand or a visionary politician might sound like the answer I believe change is already happening. Educators are changing futures one conversation at a time. New technology and the environments where we learn are beginning to look different both in and out of the classroom. I hope you are seeing this first hand and are excited about what you can share with your pupils. We are having conversations, sharing organisations and communities that are supporting education in a way that you may have not experienced. Educational change will come from us all working in way that supports the best interests of each of our pupils, personalised learning. Governments and policy makers will follow when they see fully how it can be different. So let us teach, coach, mentor and create an environment that fuels every child with feedback, inspiration, resilience and empowerment. The Education on Fire community is shining the torch, so no matter where you are in the world or how you are supporting children this podcast is here for you. ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.’Copyright 2026 Mark Taylor Education
Episodes
  • Primary Schools — Events & Resources for Educators

    Primary Schools — Events & Resources for Educators
    Apr 6 2026

    As we transition into the Easter break here in the UK, I will take the next couple weeks off to spend time with my family.

    But today I share the events and products produced by National Association of Primary Education. These include:

    • Reading Conference with University of Bedfordshire
    • Maintaining Curiosity in the Curriculum - Christian Schiller Lecture - London
    • Primary First Journal
    • Book release of 'John Coe - an Enlightened Voice for Primary Education'

    Links to more information below.

    Chapters:

    • 00:01 - Introduction to Education On Fire Podcast
    • 00:55 - Upcoming Educational Events
    • 01:51 - Upcoming Events and Lectures
    • 02:49 - Introduction to New Resources
    • 04:23 - Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward
    • 04:51 - The Essence of Education

    🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire — grab your FREE pdf of 10 guest resources:

    👉 https://www.educationonfire.com

    ☕ Support the show — Buy Me a Coffee, Merch & Sponsorship:

    👉 https://www.educationonfire.com/support

    Show Sponsor — National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)

    📖 Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape

    🎤 2026 Conference Keynote: Reading for Pleasure — Dr Roger McDonald Workshops: Writing, TESOL, Oracy, Drama & Storytelling, Poetry

    👉 https://educationonfire.com/reading

    📚 Maintaining Curiosity in the Curriculum - Christian Schiller Lecture with Claire Moloney-Banks

    https://www.nape.org.uk/the-schiller-lecture-2026
    Show More Show Less
    5 mins
  • BBC Bitesize Guide to AI

    BBC Bitesize Guide to AI
    Mar 30 2026

    Cerys Griffiths is the Head of BBC Bitesize, the BBC's free, online learning resource for students aged 5 to 16, their teachers and parents. Bitesize also aims to support educating the whole child through it's Careers, Study Support and media literacy offer, Other Side of the Story, as well as special educational initiatives like the Bitesize Guide to AI.

    Cerys was, for many years, a journalist in the North West, a TV and newspaper reporter and then an editor of news programmes for both ITV and the BBC. She is on the board of the Micro:bit Education Foundation and is an advisory board member for the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester.

    Key Takeaways

    Teen attitudes to AI are complex — BBC Bitesize's annual Teen Summit Survey found a third of teenagers are worried about AI's impact on their career prospects and the spread of misinformation, while 47% are already using AI tools for homework and revision.

    Confidence can be a blind spot — Many young people feel they already know enough about AI when in reality they don't fully understand its deeper implications. The challenge is helping them recognise what they don't yet know.

    Critical thinking is the core skill — Rather than focusing on specific tools (which change rapidly), BBC Bitesize's approach centres on equipping young people with the ability to assess, verify and question the information they encounter every day.

    AI as a collaborator, not a substitute — Cerys emphasises that AI works best as a companion tool. Young people still need to be thinkers, creators and developers alongside it — not passive users of it.

    A positive, empowering outlook — BBC Bitesize's Guide to AI uses real young people in real-world scenarios to show both the benefits and risks of AI, deliberately avoiding a fear-based approach.

    New resources to tackle misinformation — Solve the Story is a brand new episodic mini-drama for classroom use, where students must solve a fake news mystery across six episodes — a creative, engaging way to build media literacy skills.

    Trust is BBC Bitesize's superpower — All content is reviewed by practising teachers and education consultants, making it one of the most trusted sources of educational content in the UK.

    Chapters:

    • 00:03 - Introduction to BBC BiteSize
    • 06:08 - The Evolution of AI in Education
    • 09:35 - The Role of AI in Education and Misinformation
    • 18:55 - Introducing 'Solve the Story' - A New Educational Initiative
    • 23:20 - Educational Content Creation and Trust
    • 29:00 - Empowering Youth Through Education

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

    Instagram: @bbcbitesize

    🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.

    https://www.educationonfire.com

    🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities

    https://www.educationonfire.com/support

    #EducationOnFire

    Show Sponsor – National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)

    Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape

    2026 Conference

    Keynote : Reading for Pleasure – Dr Roger McDonald

    Workshops focusing on National Year of Reading : Writing, TESOL, Oracy, Drama and Story Telling, Poetry

    https://educationonfire.com/reading
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • The Kids Who Aren't Okay with Ross W. Greene Ph.D.

    The Kids Who Aren't Okay with Ross W. Greene Ph.D.
    Mar 23 2026

    Ross W. Greene, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and the originator of the innovative, evidence-based approach called Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), as described in his influential books The Explosive Child, Lost at School, Lost & Found, and Raising Human Beings.

    He developed and executive produced the award-winning documentary film The Kids We Lose. Dr. Greene was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over twenty years and is now founding director of the nonprofit Lives in the Balance. He is also currently adjunct Professor in the Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech.

    Dr. Greene has worked with several thousand kids with concerning behaviors and their caregivers, and he and his colleagues have overseen implementation and evaluation of the CPS model in countless schools, inpatient psychiatry units, and residential and juvenile detention facilities, with dramatic effect: significant reductions in recidivism, discipline referrals, detentions, suspensions, and use of restraint and seclusion.

    Takeaways:

    1. Dr. Ross Greene emphasizes the necessity of adopting proactive strategies in education to better support children facing mental health challenges.
    2. We discusses the importance of meeting each child where they are developmentally, rather than enforcing a one-size-fits-all approach in education.
    3. Dr. Greene's approach advocates for understanding and addressing the underlying problems causing concerning behaviors rather than merely modifying the behaviours themselves.
    4. The conversation highlights the alarming increase in mental health issues among children, which necessitates a shift in educational practices and societal attitudes towards youth.
    5. A focus on developmental variability is crucial in education, as every child's needs and experiences are unique and deserve tailored support.

    Chapters:

    1. 00:11 - Introduction to Dr. Ross Greene and Collaborative Solutions
    2. 08:17 - Meeting Every Kid Where They're At
    3. 10:54 - Understanding Developmental Variability in Education
    4. 22:34 - Understanding Student Behavior and Systemic Issues
    5. 32:54 - The Importance of Collaborative Change in Education
    6. 38:22 - Empowering Change in Education

    https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Kids-Who-Arent-Okay/Ross-W-Greene/9781668203903

    🔥 Discover more about Education on Fire, get a FREE pdf of 10 guest resources.

    https://www.educationonfire.com

    🔥 Support the show – Buy me a coffee, Merch and Sponsorship Opportunities

    https://www.educationonfire.com/support

    #EducationOnFire

    Show Sponsor – National Association for Primary Education (NAPE)

    Their Primary First Journal: https://www.educationonfire.com/nape

    2026 Conference

    Keynote : Reading for Pleasure – Dr Roger McDonald

    Workshops focusing on National Year of Reading : Writing, TESOL, Oracy, Drama and Story Telling, Poetry

    https://educationonfire.com/reading
    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
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