Re: [Dfey-nw-discuss] [Fwd: [sf-uk-discuss] HMI report "The importance of ICT in schools"]

[Chris Hilliard]

Thank goodness for this - I have only been saying this for several
years (i.e. since I did GNVQ ICT). Being taught how to change fonts,
use word art and create a folder is a bit of a joke, and the fact that
EDEXCEL specified Microsoft software as a requirement was an insult
(and one of the reasons I chose to fail the course on purpose - the
other being that I was misinformed on what the course entailed).

I think that skills such as basic programming should be taught as
standard, with the same going for skills such as basic web design, as
these skills are part of what makes the 21st Century so important -
these skills are what will change the world, and are as important as
physics or chemistry.

Not only are these advanced skills important to the future, but this
country is also woefully failing at producing enough people with these
skills as it is - the computer games development industry is
constantly crying out for good quality programmers, of which there are
few and far between, and there are even less women in these positions.
Making these skills a priority in education would go a long way
towards fixing these issues I believe.

As well as this, when we look at other universities in other
countries, such as France, Germany and Canada, their computer skills
seem to be far higher than ours, and this is an issue, work is being
stolen from the UK to places with better trained people coming
straight out of university, compared to students in the UK who are
told (as I was recently in a lecture to our entire school of creative
technologies) that we must spend at least a year working for free in
the industry before we stand a chance of getting a job. It should not
be this way, and creating a good foundation at pre-GCSE level is
needed before we create an unskilled workforce that are only capable
of pushing paper and writing reports, before we have no innovative
skills left. We need to be doing this to prepare for the world of the
21st century as it hits us hard and fast, before other countries such
as India and China take over and swamp us due to our inadequacies.

We can do this by implimenting more advanced skills into schools, and
that can be done through open source software at a minimal cost. There
are hundereds of langauges supported by open source software for
programming, and since this is not somewhere that Microsoft curently
have a lock on schools and other educational bodies too much, I would
sugest that we utilise this to give the schools the oportunity to cut
costs, especialy in this time of fiscal hardship.

The fact that the software is open source as well provides students
with a massive benifit - no longer will they have to deal with what
software they are given - they will have the oportunity to take that
software and improve it, evolve it, make it grow, and then pass out
those improvements to others, trying, experimenting and learning, what
I beleive school is for. Learining.

Thanks,

Chris Hilliard

p.s. I stopped before the rant went on to what school should not mean,
i.e. testing. But that's another rant for another time :p

On Sat, Mar 21, 2009 at 11:53 AM, Tim Dobson <address@hidden> wrote:
> ...wow! That's exactly what I've experienced.
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [sf-uk-discuss] HMI report "The importance of ICT in schools"
> Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:46:11 +0000
> From: Ian Lynch <address@hidden>
> Reply-To: address@hidden
> Organisation: The Learning Machine Ltd
> To: address@hidden
> CC: address@hidden
>
>
> http://tinyurl.com/dyhopm
>
> First key finding
>
> In both phases, higher-attaining pupils and students were insufficiently
> challenged, often spending time consolidating what they could already do
> rather than acquiring higher-level skills, particularly in some
> vocational courses at Key Stage 4.
>
> Over- reliance on a standard ‘office’ application and operating system
> restricted their opportunities to develop generic and transferable
> skills.
>
> Para 103
> For instance, open source operating systems and software are now a
> reliable and cost-effective solution, enabling the few schools that
> choose this route to achieve excellent value for money.
>
> A few schools have used open source software for establishing a virtual
> learning environment, enabling them to obtain several years’ worth of
> development with no licensing costs.
>
>
> NAACE is compiling opinions on the report. Would SF-UK/OSC like to make
> an official contribution?
>
>
> --
> Ian
> Ofqual Accredited IT Qualifications
> A new approach to assessment for learning
> www.theINGOTs.org - 01827 305940
>
> You have received this email from the following company: The Learning
> Machine Limited, Reg Office, 36 Ashby Road, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79
> 8AQ. Reg No: 05560797, Registered in England and Wales.
>
>
>
>
> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "Schoolforge-UK Discussions" group.
> To post to this group, send email to address@hidden
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> address@hidden
> For more options, visit this group at
> http://groups.google.com/group/sf-uk-discuss?hl=en
> -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
>
>
> --
> www.tdobson.net
> ----
> If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us
> still has one object.
> If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now
> has two ideas.   -  George Bernard Shaw
>
>
>