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Domain: dfes.gov.uk

Stories and comments across the archive that link to dfes.gov.uk.

Comments · 5

  1. Celebrity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Report Suggests That Nanny State Might Actually Not Be For the Best

    I just find it amusing that they have chosen the UKs top celebrity child psycologist to write this report. I'm not trying to belittle Dr Byron as I am sure her TV work has helped far more parents than just working in the NHS, but I do wonder if this report would have even been noticed if a non celebrity had written it.

    If you don't know her, her bio is here http://www.dfes.gov.uk/byronreview/biog.shtml and here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Byron

  2. UK by Cyram · · Score: 1 · on What Should One Know to be Truly Computer Literate?

    The UK has a set curriculum to teach computer literacy which is actually defined as not just how to use computers but more about how to handle information, improving your work, and audience.

    There's more here:
    http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/keystage3/respub/ ictframework/yearly_teaching_objectives/

  3. Re:Shyeah by dubl-u · · Score: 1 · on FCC Chair Says Broadband Top Goal

    Maybe its just me, but perhaps the Bush administration should focus on the US's literacy and mathematical skills compared to the rest of the globe, as opposed to our position in the world's broadband distribution.

    Personally, I think the two are tightly related. There are a lot of reasons that Americans are relatively poorly educated, and the Internet's no magic bullet. But there's a lot you can do with the Internet to improve education. Unlike TV, which ended up a wasteland, there are already many good free educational resources. And anything that helps parents monitor their local schools strikes me as helpful in improving the system.

  4. This gives me a great reason-To appreciate Flash. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative · on New Technique for Tracking Web Site Visitors

    "Woefully, this isn't why people use Flash. People use Flash because they want to ANIMATE, and animation is rarely a boon for the end-user."

    http://www.colorado.edu/physics/PHET/simulations/l ens/lens.swf

    http://www.colorado.edu/physics/PHET/simulations/b lackbody/blackbody.swf

    http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/maths/dicti onary2.swf

    http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/teachingr esources/mathematics/nns_itps/coordinates/num_itp_ coordinates_1_1.swf

  5. 'Technical' Schools by Blackstealth · · Score: 2, Informative · on Software Monoculture in Schools?

    Let's face it: these "technical" schools aren't the best place to find people who want more than to learn how to use computers enough to find themselves a comfortable job; that's what these schools are for. He may be able to find a few of these people at his school, but I wouldn't count on it.

    City Technology Colleges are a long running thorn in the British Education system, set up by the previous (conservative) government in the late 80's the current (labour) government tried to abolish them but came up against a lot of resistance so decided to create their own version known as 'City Academies'.

    To cut a long story short I attended a CTC (Dixons CTC to be precise) and the schools are not in any way designed to just get people a "comfortable job", roughly 90% of pupils go on study at university (not work in supermarkets as most UK school leavers seem to do). They actively promote wider thinking and encourage pupils to look behind whats visible and learn more than would be expected in mainstream schools. In my experience a shortage of students (and, to some extent, staff) willing, and wanting, to delve into IT aspects there is not.