Education on the Internet
Number 132: 29th September, 2004
Introduction
Introduction
Education on the Internet is published by Spartacus Educational every week. The newsletter includes news, reviews of websites and articles on using ICT in the classroom. Members of the mailing list are invited to submit information for inclusion in future newsletters. In this way we hope to create a community of people involved in using the Internet in education. Currently there are 49,267 subscribers to the newsletter.
All reviews are added to our web directory. There are sections on Internet Services, Online Seminars, Primary Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Modern Languages, History, Geography, Design & Technology, Business Studies, Special Needs, Media Studies, ICT, Sociology, Music, Politics, Economics, Photography, Art & Design, Theatre Studies, Physical Education and Religious Studies.
John Simkin
Online Seminars
Productive, Purposeful, Pertinent Plenaries: Inspection evidence suggests that the plenary is often the least successful part of the lesson. This seminar led by Steve Illingworth aims to help teachers appreciate the benefits of taking time to plan an effective plenary. It will consider strategies to make the conclusion of the lesson more successful and provide lots of practical examples which could be adapted to several topics at Key Stages 3 & 4. The focus will be on activities which involve as many pupils as possible and which help them to reflect not just on what they have learned, but also on how they have learned it. If you have views on this subject, register with the Education Forum and join the debate.
News and Articles
Wraparound Childcare: Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Brighton today, Charles Clarke said the most important challenge involved a "revolution" in early years education and childcare. Every primary school would offer learning, sport and cultural activities from 8am to 6pm. Clarke offered a crusade "to give every child an excellent start in life and parents affordable childcare, to ensure schools inspired pupils to learn, to create the most highly skilled workforce in the world." A criticism of the government's plans for "wraparound childcare" and extended schools is that details have not been given of how they would work and what the likely costs would be.
Etre et Avoir: Georges Lopez, a 58 year old teacher, was the star of the Etre et Avoir, a documentary about everyday life in the rural classroom in France. The film was a great success and has so far made an estimated €2m (£1.3m) profit. Georges Lopez, a teacher in the village of Saint-Etienne-sur-Esson, was filmed over a 7 month period. He felt it was only fair that he should be paid for his role in the film and has asked for payment of €250,000 (£170,000). Lopez argued that his teaching methods, made famous by the film, were his intellectual property. This week a Paris court disagreed and ruled that Lopez had no grounds to receive this money. It has now been announced that the families of seven of Lopez's eleven pupils are now going to court to seek payment of €20,000 each for their part in the film.
City Academies: Tony Blair wants to create 200 city academies across the country, but has had problems attracting sponsors. In desperation the government has accepted an offer by the Entertainment Software Charity to fund its new academy in Paddington. The companies behind the charity include the American firm Take Two Interactive, the makers of violent video games such as Manhunt which is promoted as a "brutal blood sport". It also produces Grand Theft Auto, described by one lawyer as a "training film for mass murders". As sponsors of city academies are able to dictate key aspects of the curriculum, it has raised concerns that pupils could be cultivated as potential customers of future games.
Independent Schools: According to a report published this week, independent schools should be forced to spend as much on helping needy children as they gain in tax breaks if they are to keep their status as charities. The report by MPs and peers point out that tax concessions to which independent schools are entitled as charities saves them more than £88m a year. The law currently assumes that fee-paying schools are charitable in nature because they are committed to the "advancement of education". The proposed Charities bill would replace this assumption with a "public benefit" test.
Website Reviews: English
English Resources: This site is maintained by Teresa and Hastings McKenzie, but it would not have become what it is today without all the resources of its visitors. Started as an idea hatched up in a pub late in 1998, English Resources went offline for a short period of time in 2002 but soon reestablished itself on the relaunch. One million visitors a year currently benefit from English Resources, which translates into millions of pages of resources accessed every year. It is non profit-making as its founders do not support the current trend of pay-per-view resources sites.
Language in Use: These materials, written by Duncan Grey, have been developed to give you an overview of AS/A Level English Language, its course requirements, specification content, and standards. The material available includes content to help students learn about and teachers teach the study of language. There are tasks to help work through the material, expert advice and strategies for identifying unknown texts.
Internet Public Library: The Internet Public Library (IPL), is a public service organization and learning/teaching environment at the University of Michigan School of Information. It provide library services to Internet users. Activities include: finding, evaluating, selecting, organizing, describing, and creating information resources; and direct assistance to individuals. It uses a learn-by-doing approach to train information professionals and students to work in an increasingly digital environment.
Book Section
Teaching Contemporary British Broadcasting: A comprehensive overview of significant events and trends in British broadcasting, written by a broadcasting industry insider, this guide gives you everything you need to introduce this complex and fascinating area to your students. Major developments, e.g. the Broadcasting Act 1990 and the new Communication Act are explained in clear straightforward terms and set in context. The various broadcasting organisations are profiled and their roles explained and key concepts such as audience classification and scheduling are thoroughly explored. (£19.99)
