Are Computers Good for Children?On a couple of occasions last year, I was asked by students to point them towards information which documented the potential harmful effects that using computers could have on children. So perhaps some of you will be interested in a recent piece of US / Austalian research; the report is entitled Are…
Free Social Care ResourcesAlready missing lectures and work..? ;-)If you've an interest in social care and related issues, then you might want to look at a free collection of e-learning resources which have recently been made available by the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE). You will need to register with the sit…
Taking RisksI recently heard a recorded speech by Sir Ken Robinson about creativity. He told a story of a teacher who was asking one of her students what she was drawing. The student replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher responded, "Well, no one really knows what God looks like." To which the girl said, "T…
New DCSF ResearchTwo recent reports from the DCSF should be of interest to many of our students:The first is entitled Extended Schools: Testing the Delivery of the Core Offer in and Around Extended Schools and looks at how this key area of Every Child Matters is currently being delivered.Also new is Family Intervent…
New Early Years Foundation StageIt's Early Years Week on Teacher's TV, which means that their schedule is dominated by programmes relating to younger children. In particular, the channel is helping school staff to make sense of the new, forthcoming Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) by showing relevant episodes from it's EYFS Tod…
Look at the Princess!We just finished tending three of my grandchildren for a week at their home in California. We had a blast. Except for one case of strep throat, it was a delightful week and I look forward to doing it again soon. One of the highlights of the trip was my two-year old granddaughter's entrance down thei…
Listening to Children about ChildcareThe Daycare Trust is currently undertaking a project entitled 'Listening to Families about Childcare'. As part of this, last week they released a report entitled Listening to Children about Childcare; this is a short piece of research which reports back on interviews which the Trust carried out with…
Bercow ReportA few months ago I posted about the Bercow Review, which was commissioned by the DCSF to look at services for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Today sees the publication of the final report, which you can access here; to read a summarised version, follow this link.Among…
Global LearningA survey by educational charity DEA has suggested that many children in England are being left 'globally illiterate', as their schools are not educating them about the wider world. DEA has recently launched a new project entitled Our Global Future: How can Education Meet the Challenge of Change, and…
Parents SurveyLast week saw the publication of the DCSF's Survey of Parents in England 2008. This is a short(ish) piece of research which looks at how satisfied parents are with the schools that their children attend, and their feelings about their local authorities' role in providing educational services.Also, f…
Stay Alert!I've written on here before about the usefulness of free alerting services such as OnTheWeb and Childlink's Weekly Update, which will send you relevant information to your subject area without you having to go hunting for it. So if you want to stay on top of developments in children-related matters …
