Now that web advertising has matured to a certain extent, is it time to revisit what is meant by “internet literacy”?
Read MoreC? I tld u so, didn't I? txtN isn't so bad aftr ll, unl ur /:-)
When, a few years ago, a 13 year-old girl wrote her entire English essay in texting language, people were predicting the end of civilisation as we know it. Now it turns out that research seems to suggest that texting can actually aid literacy. So where does the truth lie?
Linked-in
I’ve been encouraging subscribers to my newsletter, Computers in Classrooms, to join me on Linked-in, so I was quite amused with this cartoon in the Daily Telegraph today:
Read MoreWhy Is ICT Important?
Very nice video showing what (mainly) young people in Europe think about ICT and its importance. One student has been using a computer since he was 4 years old
Read MoreInternet Safety Issues
Why is there only one Monopolies Commission?
This was the plaintive cry of would-be politician Screaming Lord Sutch, and I usually find myself asking the converse of this when it comes to internet safety: why are there so many agencies?
Read MoreInnovation and Learning
If everything is working OK, is there even any point in innovating? What’s wrong in simply taking the view, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?
Read MoreIn Praise of Tedium
Why does everything have to be so interesting all the time? Here is my attempt to balance the scales by producing something incredibly boring.
Quick Looks
Here are some interesting things I’ve come across recently, but which I haven’t had time to delve into in great depth yet.
Read MoreNewsletter: Games-Based Learning #1
The latest issue of Computers in Classrooms is now available, with the following games-related articles
Read MoreRelated Articles?
Here’s a great example of the danger of using code to suggest related articles without having someone check the results. In an article in the UK’s Daily Telegraph entitled “Education secretary Michael Gove admits he was beaten at school”, there is a panel headed “Related Articles”. This is what it lists:
Read MoreWhy Is The Curriculum Like a Bus Timetable?
No, not a riddle, but a question which came to mind on reading Eric Juli’s second comment on my post Rules of Engagement.
Accessible E-Learning
Trudy Duffy-Wigman
Schools, colleges and universities are in the process of improving accessibility throughout, both in the physical as well as the virtual environment. It is important to enable students with disabilities to reach their full potential and as educational professionals, we try to be inclusive and not erect any unnecessary barriers for learners, be it physical or otherwise.
New Update on the Amazing Web 2.0 Projects Book
Web 2.0 case studies, from classrooms around the world. Great examples of innovative practice, and an insight into hurdles encountered and how they were surmounted. And it's all free!
What Skills Does an ICT Co-ordinator Need?
First, a quick translation. What we Brits call an ICT Co-ordinator, our American cousins tend to refer to as a Technology Co-ordinator. It’s all very confusing, and would never have arisen had the USA not broken away from us a couple of hundred years ago. But I digress.
Rules of Engagement
Do we need gimmicks, new-fangled techniques to keep kids engaged in lessons?
10 Ways to Use Voting Systems
Electronic response systems. A good resource, or a waste of time?
In a recent post, Stephen Downes says
Is The ICT Curriculum Too Masculine?
One of the apparently insoluble problems of the age is how do you encourage more girls to take up ICT or Computing? I think a lot can be done, and have done so myself, but I wonder how far a lot of the effort fails to get to the heart of the issue, which could be the curriculum itself, the way it is taught, or a combination of the two?
Shining Eyes
It’s said that the difference between secondary school and primary school is that in secondary school the teachers teach subjects and in primary schools they teach children. There’s probably some truth in that, but
Read MoreIs Net Neutrality a Good Thing?
In essence, the term “net neutrality” refers to the idea of everyone having equal and unfettered access to the services provided by internet service providers (ISPs), but in recent years it has often come to refer more specifically to tiered services and pricing. Basically, some people and companies advocate reserving fast internet traffic to those who are willing to pay, whilst everyone else enjoys a free, but slower, service.
Read MoreIn Praise of Entropy
Entropy, as I’m using it here, is a synonym for chaos or, at least, disorder. We strive against the onset of entropy in our lives, and nowhere is this more so than in our attempts to control the learning environment. That sounds eminently sensible. Is it?