[English] ICT and the UK

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Perhaps of interest ..


* http://twitter.com/UKParliament

Name: UK Parliament
Web: http://www.parliament.uk/

* http://twitter.com/coigovuk 

Name: Central Office Info 
Web: http://www.coi.gov.uk

* http://twitter.com/Directgov

Name: Directgov - the official government website for citizens 
Web: http://www.direct.gov.uk

* http://twitter.com/uklocalcouncils

Name: UK Local Councils - all the news from UK Councils 
Web: http://local.direct.gov.uk

* http://twitter.com/DcsfGovUk

Name DCSF - the Department for Children, Schools and Families 
Web: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk


* http://twitter.com/DowningStreet

Name The Prime Minister’s Office 
http://www.number10.gov.uk   

For eg, recent tweets:

  Spring is in the air - take a look at the Number10 garden and its 
colourful array of flowers in our new gallery: http://tinyurl.com/db3soa
7:20 AM Apr 9th from web   

  PM sends support to Holly Shaw and the Battlefront Campaign aiming to 
boost organ donation register membership - http://battlefront.co.uk/
10:26 AM Apr 7th from web   

  Thanks to all of you for your feedback here and in our Cover It Live 
post. No10 admin bids farewell and will sleep for a week. 
10:38 AM Apr 2nd from web in reply to RuiPSousa  

  PM press conference and G20 communique now available at 
http://tinyurl.com/clzyev. Also, behind-the-scenes film at 
http://tinyurl.com/dkwonh 10:14 AM Apr 2nd from web   

  Read the 6 pledges of the #G20 leaders, and have your say at 
http://tinyurl.com/d5ehqm  7:42 AM Apr 2nd from web   

  Read the leaders' statement from the #G20 Summit 
http://www.number10.gov.uk/...  7:31 AM Apr 2nd from web

--

By Mike Butcher on March 25, 2009 
http://uk.techcrunch.com/2009/03/25/


The British government is proposing that Twitter is to be taught in
primary (elementary) schools, as part of a wider push to make online
communication and social media a permanent part of the UK’s education
system. 

And that’s not all. Kids will be taught blogging, p/casting and using
Wikipedia alongside Maths, English and Science.

The draft plans were due to be published next month, but have leaked
early to The Guardian. Children will also learn "fluency" in handwriting
and keyboard skills, and how to use a spellchecker.

It’s a big overhaul of current thinking. Teachers get a much freer hand
in what goes on in the classroom in the biggest changes to primary
schooling in a decade.

Traditional education in areas like phonics, the chronology of history
and mental arithmetic remain but modern media and web-based skills and
environmental education now feature.

The plans were drawn up by Sir Jim Rose, the former Ofsted chief,
appointed by ministers to overhaul the primary school curriculum, and
are due to be published next month.

--

Cheers,
Stephen