BBC Jam

It was reported yesterday on a number of blogs (Changing the game?; John Connell) and by the Guardian that BBC Jam 'will not be relaunched in any form after the troubled service was suddenly pulled last year, it emerged yesterday. BBC Jam, an ambitious curriculum online digital education aid for five- to 16-year-olds, was suspended last March by the BBC Trust in the first big ruling by the new body despite more than £75m of the budget having been spent.'

So again I ask. Where are the assets? Where are the valuable education resources now? I really do want children to get value for money here. It is not a matter of relaunch, there is a host of exciting resources available already to be used. Just where are they. I really do want what I and all licence buyers have already paid for.

I just cannot believe this statement: '... the majority of content prepared for BBC Jam, which included interactive games and projects linked to the curriculum, will have to be junked.'

It sound like 'sour grapes' ... you didn't let us play in the way we wanted to so we are taking our ball away ... and just so that no-one can play with it we are going to burst it and then hide it so that you will never ever find it.

This is just not good enough ... someone should be shouting foul and holding up a red card. This is a 'sending-off' offence!



PS

Further comment on this from John Connell and a comment on his blog by Neil Liversey.

Primary Education Report

Today BBC Education tells of a Cambridge-based report concerning the health of primary education in this country.

It doesn't seem long since I last blogged about this ...

'A narrowing of the curriculum has led to a decrease in the quality of English primary schooling, says a report.
"High stakes" testing of pupils has led to a system "focused on literacy and numeracy at the expense of the broader curriculum", it suggests.

The Cambridge-based Primary Review's report claims this has contributed to a "state theory of learning". '

Again the report comments on the damaging nature of the overload of testing and targets and states:

"The evidence on the impact of the various initiatives on standards of pupil attainment is at best equivocal and at worst negative. While test scores have risen since the mid 1990s, this has been achieved at the expense of children's entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum and by the diversion of considerable teaching time to test preparation."

So the concept of a broad and balance curriculum is alive and well in educators' minds but does not find its way wholly into classrooms and make the desirable impact on children's lives. Are we surprised by this?

The Government, rather predictably states:

"Once again we see a collection of recycled, partial or out of date research.
We do not accept these claims. We are currently engaged in a review of the primary curriculum, as set out in the Children's Plan, which will build on a decade of success in raising standards – success which has been validated on numerous occasions by independent experts.
The government does not accept that our children are over-tested."

Just as a thought :' The Primary Review is an independent inquiry which is looking at 10 major themes before publishing final recommendations in October 2008.' I wonder if the research will be out of date?

The 2008 Education Show

It was a bright Thursday at the Education Show in Birmingham and the place was full of bright , excited people all urgent to find out what is new. I could not get over the variety ( pun !!) of wheeeled (the extra 'e' was for emphasis) vehicles that were being towed around the stands by rushing teachers endeavouring to catch the 'freebies' and the 'less than costies' from a vast variety of stands. It always amazes me at this show the variety of people and companies and products and services and ... and ... and that go together to support our institutionalised education system. And it never ceases to surprise me that it is the 'hands-on' stands that get the most attention. If you want photocopiable anything then you can find it. If you want badges and stickers and boxes and crayons and pens and ... and... and ... you will find it, all being sold to you with the enthusiasm that goes with passion.

It is gratifying to know that the vast cross-section of people attending were all doing this out of an urge to find the best for this and the coming generations of our young people.



I did a 'gig'(in a very futuristic open 'tabernacle') about the '21C idea of teaching and learning' which can be found here. Just work your way from the bottom to the top of the blog and all will be made clear.

Easi-Speak

It has been a long time in the gestation but here it is ... the TTS Easi-Speak. A cunning little sound recorder that does more than you might think.

With it you can:

Record voices, sounds or music on the move.
Use it be the roving reporter or singing star, without being attached to a PC.

Easi-Speak lets you record directly into the microphone
It plays back remotely or download files straight to your PC through the attached USB

It has a 128MB memory that can record up to 2 hours (high quality sound)
Files are WAV or MP3 format
Audacity Music Editing Software is provided
Its built in battery charged through USB.

What more could you want?

PS

It is an interesting piece of kit as you can record into it and play back from it. So it isn't really a microphone but a combination of player and recorder.

To test out its playback quality I plugged it into my laptop and uploaded an MP3 track to it. The quality of the playback was excellent.

I have also now had time to test the quality of the sound recording itself. With the mic held about 20 cms away from my mouth there seemed to be very little distortion and the playback was equally good.

I look forward to comments by others.

TED

TED (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design) starts in Monterey today 27th February 2008 ... oh how I wish I were there !!!

'Many people come to TED seeking something out of the ordinary. A chance to mentally recharge. A chance to step back and consider the really big stuff that's happening. A chance to understand life in a richer way.

TED2008 will be our most ambitious attempt yet to deliver on that agenda. We're building our program around the biggest questions there are. And because it's TED, we'll be seeking answers not just from the sources you might expect, but by bringing together multiple voices from very different disciplines. The "Aha" moments often come from the most unexpected connections. The questions below will give you a flavor of the incredibly rich vein of possibility in this approach. Plenty of Profundity and Challenge, for sure ... but also plenty of room for Cool, Exciting and Whimsical. See the TED2008 Conference Program for details. We think you will like it very much:

Who are we?
What is our place in the universe?
What is life?
Is beauty truth?
Will evil prevail?
How can we change the world?
How do we create?
What's out there?
What will tomorrow bring?
What stirs us?
How dare we be optimistic?
And the point?'

School Matters - Online Social Networks - Friend or Foe?

Teachers.tv has tonight (Thu 28th Feb 20:00, Thu 28th Feb 23:00, Fri 29th Feb 05:00) a programme concerning the use of online social networks and their implication for the future of teaching and learning.

The synopsis reads well:

The rise of online social networking has brought a new dimension to social interaction. In this programme, we look at the technology behind sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Bebo, exploring the issues that they raise for teachers.

This is the first generation that has the technical means to offer a running commentary on every aspect of their lives. This fact has sparked a debate on whether this technology, an ever increasing part of children's lives, is a force for good, or an opportunity for cyber-bullying to proliferate.

If negative aspects can be dealt with, these technological advances could potentially alter the dynamics of future schooling; transforming the traditional lecture model into increasing group interaction and dialogue, into learning that's "caught rather than taught".

Experts and users explain how social networking is affecting the way this generation relates to each other in and out of cyberspace, and how the technology can be harnessed to benefit learning.

I am particularly interested in the section I have made bold. I wonder how long it will take for the institutions and the writers (me included) to stop highlighting the issue and simply get on with living with its evolution? The things we are doing now and the perceived problems will soon be reshaped and reused.

PS

Just listening and watching the video at this moment. So far it is putting over exceptionally positive messages. It appears that the adults seem to feel that they have to regulate use on the basis of 'too much of anything isn't good for you.'

The teenagers seem to feel confident about their use of social networking and it has certainly increased their self image. They have identified with a connection that is not necessarily governed by their geography. It is the extension of the human concept of personal networking and also considers the idea of 'trust'.Lyndsay Grant from Future Lab comments that many young people are well aware of the pros and cons of the way things work ... but there are always those who aren't. Neil Selwyn adds that ' Young people have always behaved in an inappropriate manner ... the difference now is that they have a much wider scope.

On the bullying issue there seems to be a recognition that cyber-bullying is on the 'up' ... but then it would be wouldn't it ... like road accidents when traffic increases ... I am interested if the online bullies are also the offline ones ! The programme points out the very worst of bullying ... it is awful ... but the adult comments that the onlineness of the action brought it to the fore. Good from bad.

It appears that there is not much different taking place in terms of bullying but it is that the media and the population at large get to hear about it and see it almost every day. This is not to excuse it but it does highlight it and it is at the front of people's social conscience.

John Potter highlights again that all of the 'bad' things existed before the medium of social networks was developed and he points out that the things we can/could do with them are so valuable that we need to work out ways of making everyone safe. It is an education thing.

Stephen Heppell expounds on the powerfulness of the tools that are available to all of us.

Teachers need to take on the mantle of engaging with young people in their place (we used to do this by watching Blue Peter!)The problem seems to be that they are one step (or more) behind.But one teacher uses the fantastic phrase; ' ... the children can have the voice to express ...' We ARE getting there, we are !! And she picks up on the idea that the children are not just being consumers but are now also the creators of content.

John Potter highlights the problems for teachers that are posed by new technology in that the systems need to be adjusted to take onboard the innovation ... He indicates that Scotland might well be leading here!

Stephen Heppell finishes off by saying ' Tomorrow's school is a place with a lot more joy.'

Phrasr

Creativity, in all of its forms, is never far away from my mind and I often show Ken Robinson's TED clip to people who 'don't get' what I am so passionate about.A quote from Pablo Picasso I picked up today on Tricia Neal's site “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Looking at some of the tools available to get people on the road to creativity I came across another of the Flickr apps that I had seen and neglected and just wondered (yet again) whether this might be the spark that lights someone's fire.

Phrasr works with Flickr. You type in a phrase or sentence and it selects pictures from the Flickr galleries that it has access to and produces a montage (?) to illustrate the text. Is it creative ... well I think it is possibly a good start to getting young people to express themselves in a bi-modal way.

It is FREE and there is no sign up ... you just do it. (There are, of course, safety issues here as once you have published you can see what anyone else has written.)

TOWARD A DEFINITION OF 21st-CENTURY LITERACIES

This is a straight quote from the website of The National Council of the Teachers of English based in Urbana, Illinois, USA ... picked from the blog of Will Richardson the writer of Blogs, Wikis and Podcasts. Will has written extensively about the 'read/write web'.

Adopted by the NCTE Executive Committee
February 15, 2008

Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies—from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms—are multiple, dynamic, and malleable. As in the past, they are inextricably linked with particular histories, life possibilities and social trajectories of individuals and groups. Twenty-first century readers and writers need to:

• Develop proficiency with the tools of technology
• Build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes
• Manage, analyze and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multi-media texts
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments

Will the New Framework for Literacy in England and the collected guidance on literacy in other countries manage to reflect this quickly enough to fit our young people for their demanding futures in a digital world? Or will the learners simply plot their own pathways through the institutional maze?

This has a direct link into Ewan's post today about 'The outcomes for Literacy in Scotland'. He picks out all of the best bits ... thanks goodness there are some really good bits ... and the definition of what makes a 'text' is little short of wonderful to my way of thinking to my way of thinking. Might have to buy a kilt soon !

Podcasting - have you done it yet?

I have, this year, spoken/demonstrated/discussed and expounded many, many times about the power of the Podcasting. Last evening at a school near Burton on Trent a group of teachers, after a long day in the classroom and a one and a half hour session on administrative matters came, at 5.00PM to a session using the Podium software from Softease. They were still there at 6.30 PM !! They were engaged, vocal, enthusiastic (difficult to manage at times) but focused because they could appreciate the implications of what they were learning for their children. From a standing start, they got to grips with the application, laughed at the sound of their own voices (some people are always children at heart ... thanks goodness) but, most of all, developed a facility with the software which gave them confidence and conpetence to move on. One teacher, about to leave, said, ' I just can't wait to get home and show them what I have done !' She had just emailed herself the url of the podcast she had made and was urgent to get home, open iTunes and subscribe to it. She had even emailed her friends so that they could listen.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating.(As they say)

My friend David Noble (of Booruch fame) interviewed me earlier this month for his Education Podcast Reflections series ... well worth subscribing to as an information source and a prompt for thought. Podcasting as a CPD opportunity for teachers in the field.

Softease has just released Podium MultiTracking and for all who bought the original version, this is a free upgrade ! ... of course, it is available to all others who wish to buy. Also added to this version is an updated Getting Started Guide together with a new keyboard shortcuts guide. This follows work undertaken with the RNIB by our own Jane Doran and the rest of the Podium development team, who have helped ensure that Podium is now even easier to use for the visually-impaired.

Speaking Freely

"Sitting at the Learning Support Services ICT Conference in Stockport. Terrific reponse to the concept of using Web 2 applications. Very enthusiastic group of people. Going to carry on this afternoon to do another session getting people to move forward with Textease Studio CT."

spoken through SpinVox

The future for our kids

I have long ( and often hard) struggled to come to terms with the institutional nature of our education systems and establishment. One particular theme always come back to me and that is that of 'learner reponsibility' (never mind learner voice for the moment.) I have always opted for change by revolution or productive cataclysm ... think of Noah and the Flood ... sort of what I had in mind for education. A world sized skip so that we could begin again.

David Warlick comments to a post on Will Richardson's blog: 'that the best thing we could teach kids today is how to teach themselves ... in a response to David's:

Our kids’ futures will require them to be:

• Networked–They’ll need an “outboard brain.”
• More collaborative–They are going to need to work closely with people to co-create information.
• More globally aware–Those collaborators may be anywhere in the world.
• Less dependent on paper–Right now, we are still paper training our kids.
• More active–In just about every sense of the word. Physically. Socially. Politically.
• Fluent in creating and consuming hypertext–Basic reading and writing skills will not suffice.
• More connected–To their communities, to their environments, to the world.
• Editors of information–Something we should have been teaching them all along but is even more important now.

The comments to this post (What Do We Know About Our Kids’ Futures? Really.) are well worth spending time on.

Further reading along the theme took me to Don Ledingham's Learning Log where he outlines the potential of 'Curriculum for Excellence' and sites 33 ideas which could together turn evolution to revolution.

They are worth a read in themselves to focus the mind but some in particular stick out to coincide with previous comments:

Young people over the age of 16 may devise their own curriculum by accessing courses available at their own school, other schools, further education and higher education institiutions learning and on-line learning environments.

Schools can use voluntary mentors who - following appropriate disclosure - can support the independent learning of students

All learners will have their own personal computer with wifi capacity which they can use at home and at school to access their learning.

Read about a maths lesson in 2020 ...

It seems to me that we have reached a sort of Tipping Point and that the way forward is to take a gigantic leap not based on all of our previous knowledge and experience but based on a leap of faith. We have too much information to compute quickly enough to make the radical changes that our young people need as they grow up in the digital world. (read about thin slicing)We are held back by our own fears ... it is time to grasp the light sabre in our hands and ...

Safeguarding children in a digital world

The Becta Conference held earlier this week in Birmingham brought to the fore some of the key concerns and the subsequent calls for action to protect young people growing up in a digital world. There was concern about digital awareness in a population driven by technology aired by a number of speakers. Jenny Simpson, Safeguarding Development Officer, Leicestershire CYPS, gave valuable tips on developing a Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCB) strategy taken from her own experience and she made clear points saying that:

'... in developing a co-ordinated response, it was important to recognise:
e-safety comes within the context of Every Child Matters
e-safety is part of the wider work of the LSCB
e-safety is not a technological issue
the importance of education, training and information

For me the key point here is the fact that this is not a technological issue. The safety of people in a digital world should not and must not depend on the producers of the technology. We do not hold television manufacturers responsible for the programmes we and our children watch. And you can't hold the BBC responsible for programmes watched by minors after the watershed.

It is down to education ... in our schools it is a PSHE issue and in our homes it is about knowledge and responsibility. Penny Patterson, ICT Inspector, London Grid for Learning (LGfL), London Borough of Havering made a very valuable point when she commented: children and young people should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own e-safety and those of their peers, and be given the skills so that they are better able to make the process ‘self policing’...

I totally agree here that it is up to everyone to invest time and effort into teaching and learning the necessary skills and techniques that living in a digital age necessitates. After all, we are all familiar with 'road safety' issues and this education has formed a part of the curriculum in schools for decades. Time to move forward. Road saftey is still important as is drug awareness, sex education and 'not going with strangers'. The e-safety agenda is another in the line of responsibilities we have towards our young people. To help them we may need some help ourselves.

Stephen Carrick-Davies, Chief Executive of Childnet International, spoke of the pressures on parents and their plight in trying to keep their children safe on the internet, when many are intimidated by their own lack of knowledge. He commented: Some parents feel intimidated by the internet and unable to help their children because of their own lack of internet knowledge. We need to continue to inform and develop adult confidence and competence so that our young people can feel supported not only at school but at home as well.
This is not an issue which will go away and so all of us must engage in it - collective responsibility must be the theme.

‘Raising achievement through podcasting’

Last Friday I did a session at the Guardian Newsroom, following my friend Baldev Singh, called 'Podcasting - let their voice be heard'. You can see the video of my bit here and you can read James Watson's excellent report of the event here.

There will be another similar event on April 25th.

Creativity, innovation, drama, collaboration ...

Not new but ...Tricia Neal sent me a link this morning to a video that really got me thinking about the power of drama and sense of audience that can be developed collaboratively. Shot in Grand Central Station, New York the drama reminded me of the 'Flashmob Opera' I saw in the shopping centre at Meadowhall in Sheffield. Awesome audience contact and high culture brought out of its power base.

I feel sure that inspired, innovative and creative teachers will take on board the incredible strength of such performances and, in keeping with the agenda to 'get out there and do it', will invoke groups to connect ! Me ... forever the optimist !

Where USA leads ...

Are we short of teachers? Are not the 'right' people applying for the jobs? Is the TDA recruitment programme in total disarray? It must be tough if the Government have decided to bring the armed forces in.

'Former soldiers should be retrained as teachers and used to bring military style discipline to tough inner city schools, a think tank has said.
The government is being urged to adopt a US-style programme ( I do hope you notice the url of this site !)which brings ex-servicemen and women back to school.' I can't think of an educational trend or aspiration that has come from the USA that I ever thought was a good idea and I don't think this will change that. I do hope someone will be able to put me right on this. You can read the full transcript of how it all works here.

I am just thinking about role models at the moment. The report suggests that: 'the fact that ex-soldiers had a macho image could help engender respect - particularly among boys.' I appreciate the word 'could' in there. The report goes on to add: 'Whether we like it or not, children from more deprived neighbourhoods often respond to raw physical power.'

If the stress was on the experience that the ex-service personel had to offer then that would be great but it all seems to be based on the miltary concept of discipline. I am just unsure how this fits with my concept of the personalisation of education and young people being responsible for their own learning.

I could be just getting this out of proportion. How many other professionals who, on the whole retire young, would make admirable teachers? I seem to need to review my concept of 'role model'.

A safer Internet - young people asked !

On 12th February a group of young people from all over Europe met in Brussels to give their views on how institutions should act to make the use of social networks safer for them.

The 'Safer Internet Day' was part of a global drive to promote a safer Internet for all users, especially young people. In 2008, the European Commission focuses particularly on the experiences and involvement of young people.
In celebration of Safer Internet Day 2008, the European Commission organises a Youth Forum on Safer Internet in Brussels where youth (14-17 year olds) from Austria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden .

One of the outcomes of the forum is: 'Based on these discussions the youth will identify the 10 most important online safety tips for their age group.' I wonder if they will follow adult trends or will the young have something really innovative to offer?

The BBC's report was written by Ammani,12, from West Yorkshire who was one of a group of children from across Europe invited by the European Commission to a conference to talk about children and online safety.

I find myself slightly worried the article and wonder about ( as one always would in these cases) validity of the group format and what can be read into their comments.
'We all believe that mobile and internet dangers are serious' was one of the comments and accepting that the forum was about safety there is no mention of excitement, stimulation, joy of connected communities etc. I suppose a forum drawn together to talk about safety will have this focus but when will we see the european Commission draw together a group to talk about the tremendous advantages to be gained from social (and other) networking.

Earlier this week Becta held a conference on a similar theme: Safeguarding children in a digital world. The presentations are now available and looking at the programme I have high hopes of some creative thinking from such a connected group.

Becta have produced a guidance document : Safeguarding children in a digital world: Developing an LSCB e-safety strategy

Speaking Freely

"This is me trying for the 1st time to use SpinVox to make a blog posting on dougmuses just to check that the voice to text works accurately so that I can use it in the future from anywhere that I am."

And now this is a typing me editing the text and adding to it. There were just two mistakes, a capital M for 'me' and it did not understand 'dougmuses' so used two words and then put a question mark in brackets after.

An excellent first experience which I would recommend for a try. There is currently a free trail up until the end of March of the SpinVox software.

Applications to help your day

I have recently blogged about teachers spending time extracting videos from Youtube and other sources so that they can 'safely' be used in a classroom to support a curriculum context. I have use 'unplug' - a FireFox plugin to do this and this has been successful and not too time consuming.

Today, reading through my feeds, I have come across iDesktop.tv in a post on Nik Peachey's Quickshout blog. It does the job quickly and simply ... no need to register or subscribe, just type in what you want and have a look to see if it is there. If so click on the 'save as flv button' and it will download to your desktop. What could be easier? I tried a number of searches ( Sir Ken Robinson, Oh Laura, cup stacking ...) and although the search was perhaps a little slow, it certainly came up with the videos I was looking for.

For those presenters of you this is another of those things that you can quickly see a curriculm application for. It is an autocue or teleprompter. Called The Online Teleprompter it is so simple to use it is hardly worth explaining. The instruction for use are: Write or cut and paste your script to the form below. Press the button to start the prompter.
If text needs editing, just close the prompter window and restart with the new script. Thats it ! This again from the trawls of Nic Peachey ... I wonder what he will find next?

Sir Ken Robinson and Creativity

Sir Ken Robinson's presentation on creativity at TED has been an inspiration to many and has opened up the whole debate that could easily fit with the Government's offering today on culture.

Radiowaves reporters interviewed Sir Ken Robinson at the Liverpool ICT Conference



Radiowaves reporters from Broughton Hall High School, Gateacre Community Comprehensive School and St Julie’s Catholic High School interviewed Sir Ken Robinson to find out more about transforming education through creativity and innovation.

Thanks to the blog of Merlin John for this information.

Let's hear it for culture

On 10th December I posted Mr Ball's offering on the primary curiculum:

A root-and-branch" review is planned into what is taught in English primary schools to allow more time for reading, writing and maths .... some set subjects and "clutter" would be cut to allow more flexibility and all primary pupils to be taught a foreign language.

The general outcry at the time, from the education world, was 'Please leave us alone to get on with what we are good at ... stop fiddling !'Now this morning I read from the BBC (it was their top morning news item) that our young people are now being promised access to high-quality cultural activities and the chance to pursue creative careers. This is just as it should be and something educationalist have been calling for ... I just wonder what Mr Ball's considers to be 'clutter'.

But where does it all fit? I feel sure we will hear more about this later today.

The way the primary school day is currently structured (constrained) by the National Frameworks really legislates against good primary practice. Those who can remember 'spider diagrams' before they became 'mind-maps' will be more than aware of how inspired teachers can develop awareness through a vast range of curriculum initiatives that centre on pupil involvement. There is no need for extra time for this initiative. All that is needed is for teachers to respond to the growing awareness that there is more to be developed in teaching and learning than the ability to manipulate text and numbers.

I feel confident that if left to their best devices practitioners will embrace this 'new' cutural initiative.

One of the problems that faces the initiative is in the text: "at least five hours of high-quality culture per week". We really don't have a shared definition of what 'high-quality' might constitute no more than we have a definition of 'good art' ( see the Turner Prize for the last few years ... particularly Mark Wallinger's bear.)

If Stephen Fry says its okay , then ....

The Guardian Online on 11th February announced the RM MinBook ... hmmm ... wonder where they have been for the last three months ... I first blogger about it on 10th November 2007 (and I was late to the party). Having said that the article is right. The MiniBook ticks the right boxes and ought to make changes in teaching and learning across schools all over the world. Let's just hope that people are innovative enough to use the power that it has and not try to force 'it' into doing all of those things that they could do anyway. It is interesting to note in the article that it is Microsoft who tell us all we want a 'Windows' machine !

Truth on the Internet

Who is it that teaches the students/children that all that is published on the Internet is not necessarily the truth? I remember earlier this year talking to my PGCE students at Leicester University about light (in a science context) and showing them the 'Dark Suckers' site as an example while explaining that there are much more sinister things to find.

Teachers all over the world are faced with getting this through to students/children and attempting to make them be discerning readers of the content they find. Today I find on the Kent Teachers Blog a really well developed teaching tool that could assist.

The web site is called All About Explorers.

It looks, at first, to be fairly well put together and seems to be the ideal site to find out about Explorers. However, on closer inspection, pupils will hopefully spot that all of the Explorer biographies on the site are in fact fictional. While some of the facts are true or based on truth, many inaccuracies, lies, and even downright absurdity are mixed in indiscriminately.

The website contains lesson plans for the teachers

"The Indians were excited by the newcomers and their gadgets. They especially enjoyed using their cell phones and desktop computers. " Christopher Columbus

An extreme form of sensorship

Utah Bill Would Block Wi-Fi Access to Minors

Trawling one of my US feeds I came across this;

A bill in the Utah state legislature would require public wifi providers to ensure that minors can’t access the Internet. If passed, Utah libraries and community networks could find themselves shutting down publicly accessible wireless networks that are essential for many young people to conduct schoolwork off-campus.

The Blog author writes:

As far as this bill is concerned, the choice boils down to “block all kids but give adults access to everything,” or “block lots of content and give access to everyone.” For lots of people, that won’t seem like much of a choice at all.

So much for freedom of information. I do hope the British Government don't read the same feeds as I do !( Whoops ... they might read this - but I doubt it)

More from Heligan

Some more excellent photos of the time spent in the Lost Gardens of Heligan with a group of Cornish teachers and children. These images were taken by Mary Neale of 'Photography and Design'.

Did you know ...

There is to be a New Inquiry into the National Curriculum.

The Children, Schools and Families Committee is to undertake an inquiry into the National Curriculum. Written submissions are invited for the inquiry.

The inquiry will consider:
*the principle of whether there should be a National Curriculum
*how the fitness-for-purpose of the National Curriculum might be improved
*the management of the National Curriculum and its articulation with other policies and strategies with which schools must work.

Submissions should arrive no later than noon on Monday 17 March 2008.

This is a chance to have a say in what will happen ... if teachers and parents do not take this opportunity then 'they' will not be in a strong position to argue that no-one asked !

New video release ( of me!)

My friend James Watson has just released new video footage of me at the Northern Launch of Softease's Honeycomb in Manchester.View at your own peril !! Also shown is Pete Sadler in a really smart suit!But much better than both of these is Dr Baldev Singh explaining his take on the future of technology in education in the 21st Century.

New this week are the Honeycomb demonstration videos which take you through some of the functionality of the application in a step-by-step way.

Were you listening? ...

Those of you who have been listening to me for any length of time will know what I feel about the moment our children begin their institutionalised education programme … they go to school. I have always said that it is too, too early for the formalisation that is foisted upon them and, in the end, it does harm rather than good.

The Cambridge-based Primary Review's report suggests starting school at the age of five may be too early and questions provision for the very young Our European neighbours have known this for a long time and their children begin their formal education at a ‘readiness’ point for most more than two years down the line.

Now this reputable report has been released saying the same thing! The BBC reported it this morning (as did The Independent, on their front page).
The report by the National Foundation for Educational Research will be widely regarded as positive by most educationalists. It is called:Primary Review: The Structure of Primary Education: England and Other Countries (Primary Review Research Report 9/1) by Anna Riggall and Caroline Sharp and asks the questions: When should children start compulsory schooling? What should they be taught? What is the impact on children's learning of different schooling structures? It is well worth reading section 6.1 The impact of age of starting school.

It is hoped that the conclusion from the report (one section of thirty-two) will influence the Government in the development of education provision especially in the early years. For me, one of the key things that come from this report are the comparisons with countries around the world and the use of the word 'assumption' in the way that we have developed educational provision.

After examining the research evidence Primary Review Research Report 9/1 concludes that:• Since the 1967 Plowden Report there have been a number of significant structural changes in English primary education, many of them initiated by or as a consequence of the 1988 Education Reform Act. These have resulted in an increased standardisation of primary school curriculum,teaching, assessment and inspection arrangements across the country.
• There has been an increased participation in educational provision among younger children. The number of small primary schools has decreased markedly during this period.
• A comparison of structural features across the six countries included in this study shows considerable variation in such features as age of starting school, length of the school year, average size of school and length of primary schooling. This diversity may be of potential interest to those wishing to consider alternatives to the prevailing structures in primary education in
England.
• While it has been relatively straightforward to collate information about elements of primary school structure, it is much more difficult to find evidence to evaluate their impact and effectiveness. One issue that has received greater attention from researchers is the impact of school starting age on attainment. The assumption that an early school starting age is beneficial for children’s later attainment is not well supported in the research and therefore remains open to question, while there are particular concerns about the appropriateness of current provision for four-year-olds in school reception classes. (the emboldening here is mine)
• The general lack of evidence on impact does nothing to reduce the relevance of structural issues for children, parents, teachers and decision-makers. Further research may help to illuminate some of these issues. It is, however, inherently challenging to identify the influence of specific structural arrangements when considering the many different factors that influence learning and teaching in
primary schools.

It is interesting to read details of the Compulsory age of starting school in European countries, 2007.

Add to this the article by Jenni Russell in the Guardian of Thursday February 7, 2008. Read down to Michael Rosen's comment and then on and on to the others ... several comment: How did it come to this? How indeed?

Kung Hei Fat Choy

A very happy New Year to all of my friends in the far east (and to all my friends everywhere). May the year of the rat be good to you and treat you all kindly !!

To go with the greeting music!

17th Shambles Newsletter

For those who want to keep up with what is happening in the Far East (from UK that is) the 17th Shambles Newsletter has just been published online.

The main 'feature' is the opening of the International Schools Island in Second Life. The slurl for this is here. If you already have a 'body' in SL then it is just a matter of click and go.... happy teleporting !

Heligan revisited with WildKey

Steve Gayler from WildKey has just emailed me the link to the data collected:

WildKey downloaded the data into a central database, and showed the group,how quickly they could redisplay this data as a webpage.Click on the points near peoples names to see personalised content, it will be on the right hand
side of the screen, so you may have to scroll over.

The Google Earth visualisation will be found here asap.

More creativity with the WiiRemote

Johnny Lee's video below continues his quest for extreme uses of a WiiRemote and has had 3,173,214 views and there are 5,572 comments. This is a really creative and innovative use of a piece of kit that is very, very available. I think that this is really clever stuff and further opens the gate for others ...

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

What a brave project for Cornwall LA, led by Linda Prideaux, for late January ... but the spin off was enormous.
On Thursday 31st January with the heavens bucketting down a group of teachers met to work with a group of children (and it was the children who were mentoring the teachers here !) in an exciting project in the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This will certainly, for me be a place for a future visit and I fancy for a good number of the participants too.

Wonderful ... you can follow the minute by minute blog of the whole event here.