There was an interesting article in the UK’s Daily Telegraph about the film The Bling Ring. Entitled “Is the Facebook generation anti-social?”, the article presents what I think is a fairly balanced view of how teens seem obsessed with recording every moment of their lives. Well, balanced in the sense that the writer, Tim Stanley, attempts to present it as something we have always done. He cites the example of people in years gone by insisting on showing their (boring) holiday snaps to their friends and family. Now they upload them to Facebook instead (thank goodness!).
Read Morescribefire test
I've been having a play around with Scribefire, which is a blogging application you can use from within your browser. In this test, I tried the 'blog this page' feature, which enables you to, er, blog the web page you have open.
Read MoreBring Your Own Technology Book Review
Here’s an interesting review of Mal Lee’s Bring Your Own Technology.
It’s good because, in my opinion, it’s pretty spot on. I also think the format is interesting.
Alternatives to Google Reader
I have just updated my article entitled What’s RSS and why is it useful?
Read More2 conferences about educational ICT
Here are a couple of conferences coming up which look pretty good, and which are taking place in England in the near future.
Read MoreL is for lesson observation
I watched an episode of that seminal contribution to English culture, Waterloo Road last week, for the first time in ages. I wrote about Waterloo Road in What makes a good ICT role model? if you’re interested, but basically it’s a soap set in a school which has to be the most dysfunctional school anyone has ever come across. The kids are alright (as some pop song said once), on the whole – but the adults…..
Read MoreShould websites have tip jars?
In case you’re unfamiliar with the term, a tip jar is a device whereby people can contribute a donation to a website – a bit like the jars in cafes in which customers can drop a few coins by way of a tip to staff. Indeed, the websites I’ve come across that have tip jars tend to ask visitors to help them buy their next coffee in Starbucks.
Read MoreBefore we can go any further, is this an educational issue? I believe it is, or could be, for the following reasons
When it comes to mobile learning, timing is everything
I was discussing with a colleague the fact that some of us were trying years ago to introduce mobile technology into education. I can’t speak for others, but certainly for me it was an insight into how Sisyphus must have felt. He, as you may know, was the hapless guy who was condemned to push a huge rock to the top of a hill, only to see it roll all the way down again within inches of reaching the top. Doing that once would have been bad enough, but he was sentenced to do it forever.
Read MoreEverything you wanted to know about video voiceovers -- but were afraid to ask?
Why not experiment when teaching ICT?
It’s amazing what you can achieve with a paintbrush and a fork. Yesterday morning I watched in helpless horror as the lid of something fell down the plug hole in the bathroom sink. I could see it, just about, using the flashlight app on my smartphone (I knew there was more to smartphones than just being connected), but couldn’t reach it.
Read MoreTwo effects of new technology
Here are a couple of interesting cartoon strips about the (possible) effects of new technology. Yesterday’s one is more about unintended consequences, while today’s is really about how apparently intelligent software and monitoring systems might be fooled.
Read MoreBuilding schools for the past?
Bob Harrison, a well-known thinker and speaker on the UK’s educational technology scene, has warned against building schools that are fit for the past rather than the future. Apparently as a result of this, he has been removed from the programme of a forthcoming conference.
Read MoreICT and computing lessons should be organic
Stephen King, in his book ‘On Writing’, makes a very interesting point. Going against just about all the advice proffered in books and magazine articles, he says:
Read MorePlot is, I think, the good writer’s last resort and the dullard’s first choice.
You might be inclined to dismiss that as hogwash, but given King’s phenomenal success as a writer I’d suggest that would be unwise.
Perspectives on The Computing Programme of Study
I thought this graphical representation of a curriculum applies really well to the proposed Computing Programme of Study. (See My response to the ICT/Computing consultation for more information about that.)
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