January 2007 - Posts

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 10:10 PM

BBC Future School

Hope you caught the interesting feature on BBC Breakfast on the morning of Wednesday 31st Jan. Called Future School, it showed Broadclyst School, and interviewed students. There has been much comment on their website, with even the magic moonbeams argument re-surfacing. Broadclyst is different, for sure!

Interestingly, the item went out with an invitation to join in and show what schools are doing (not just about technology). Well? thats a challenge! I'd love to see some of the exciting things in Kent showcased!
Posted by AlanDay
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Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:51 PM

Farewell to floppy!

Couldn't let this go without a brief tear. Floppy is no longer with us!

Before you mourn the passing of one of the fluffy bunnies at the Rare Breeds Centre ...

Apparently PCWorld has decided that the floppy disc is to be given a decent burial. This means that it passes into history, and we no longer need to worry whether it ends with a 'c' or a 'k'.

I have seem many technologies go this way in my brief history of time. Indeed, most of the equipment I worked on as a young man are now only to be seen in the Science Museum! Makes you feel humble ... and old!

The non-ferromagnetic metal sliding door protects the 3½-inch floppy disk's recording medium.
Posted by AlanDay
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Wednesday, January 31, 2007 9:16 PM

Building Education Centres To Admire (BECTA??)

Ashford Learning Campus image

You'll have to pardon the pun in the title, but I couldn't resist it! The news item called it a 'super-campus', which I thought was part of the brain!

The first architectural images of a futuristic £50m education centre in Kent have been unveiled. The Ashford Learning Campus, part of South Kent College, aims to be open for September 2009, and will accomodate around 14,000 full and part-time students.

Acting principal Penny Wycherley described it as the biggest further education project in the country which will "help to lift Ashford". "I think it is really exciting... it will bring young people and a lot more adults into the town," she added.

It is hoped the futuristic and innovative design of the building will prove attractive to many students. The plans have been now been submitted to Ashford Borough Council for planning consent.
Posted by AlanDay
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007 8:04 PM

New Guidance for Schools - Young people's rights to access information about them held by schools

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published new guidance today explaining the rights that young people have to access information held about them by their school.

It aims to help primary and secondary state schools understand their obligations when dealing with information requests from students and their parents under the Data Protection Act. It explains what information should be provided and when information should not be disclosed.

The guidance also notes that students as young as 12 should generally be able to access their own educational record and other personal information held about them.

Where a young person cannot understand the nature of the request, someone with parental responsibility can ask for the information on the child’s behalf.Phil Jones, Assistant Commissioner, said: ‘The Data Protection Act gives us all important rights to access information held about us. Schools should treat students’ requests for their own personal information properly and requests for a student’s educational record must be processed within 15 days. As a general rule, students aged 12 and over should be considered mature enough to make a request for their own personal information, but as young people mature at different ages schools must treat each request on a case by case basis.”

Information requests should be made in writing and in most cases a fee can be levied. The guidance note also includes a list of information that should not be disclosed.

Posted by AlanDay
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Sunday, January 21, 2007 10:42 PM

BBC 'Jam'med!

Interesting to see that the BBC JAM (ex Digital Curriculum) has been halted. The issue of how well it was meeting its approval was brought forward last year by the Content Advisory Board but largely ignored by Ministers until recently. Not surprisingly BESA, representing the educational industry welcomes the review. With three quarters of all students using the current byte-size resources, the potential public value of an accessible and personalised digital curriculum should not be sacrificed. I believe any Public Value Test will demonstrate the supreme importance of open access to learning.
Posted by AlanDay | 2 comment(s)
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