Posts by eurisko

Development of ICT programming strategy in schools

I was in education and staff development training for 7 years and as annoying as Michael Gove can be he has hit the nail right on the head.

Schools and colleges have concentrated their ICT curriculum on teaching the soft skills of teaching office based products which, unfortunately as the article states, is embedded with the product lifecycle.

I was educated in secondary school as the BBC Micro was a part of the world of learning about computers and I learnt (mostly on my own time) how to work the machines and when I went to college the same ethos was adopted. There was no Word or Excel in the early/mid 80s we learnt how to tinker under the bonnet and how it works. This was lost in the 90s and 00s. I've seen the ICT syllabus and it's dire. It ticks one box and that's it. Yeah they know how to use a computer in a limited capacity and one that they cannot control unless it's with a gaming controller.

A Smartboard doesn't a computer programmer make. Makes good use of their hands!

Now they learn how to work a spreadsheet and a bit more but can they evidence that they have taught the Socratic method of learning to the students to allow them to continue to advance?

They haven't for many years and some teachers are very poor as well. I've seen it and something needs to be done about it. So as much as I dislike Michael Gove he's right. No messing. Finally someone with some vision for ICT.

Expanding the network?

BT should concentrate on sorting out the enabled exchanges they currently try to sell to people who can't get it.

I was offered it first in December 2010. Sales people are non the wiser.

Every month so far sometimes I can get as far as ordering and request a MAC from my current ISP. I go back to resume and find that suddenly I can't get it - it will be available next month. So every month since January I've waited for this miracle to happen. We have new cabinets in place but alas no service.

So BT, before you go disappointing 144 exchanges customers perhaps you'd better get your house in order in the areas that you say you've enabled.

You've done a crap job so far so don't make the mistake of expanding the perception of incompetence.