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Schools to teach reading with Yahoo and geography with Google Earth
Tim Ross30 Apr 2009
Children will use Google Earth to study geography and learn to read by searching the internet under major reforms to primary education unveiled today.
Information technology will become as important as reading and writing, according to the proposed curriculum.
But the Government is expected to tone down its targets after an outcry from childcare experts. The changes form part of the biggest shake-up of the primary curriculum for 10 years, proposed by former Ofsted director of inspection Sir Jim Rose.
Ministers are expected to accept a recommendation that information and communication technology should be a "core skill". Sir Jim is expected to say teachers should be trained to help them stay ahead of "computer-savvy" pupils.
Teachers could use video conferencing to connect with pupils in other countries during language lessons and children will develop reading through search engines such as Yahoo.
Becta, the Government's technology agency, said if ICT is not built into the curriculum there is a risk that a "digital underclass" will emerge and a gap will appear between the "digital haves and have-nots".
Becta chief executive Stephen Crowne said: "We must recognise there is a wealth of technology which can complement traditional skills."
Reader views (4)
I like this
- Maisie, HOCACOTE, 02/05/2009 14:54
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I'm in my mid thirties and detested geography at school. I had no interest whatsoever as both the teaching and resources available were dire (dog eared map books and an old globe), and so I avoided taking it at GCSE. I have to say that having downloaded Google Earth, I find it amazing, I'm absolutely fascinated by it and have discovered quite a lot. If we'd had it to assist us at school, I think I would've enjoyed the lessons far more and it would have inspired me to take more of an interest. So long as there's a balance between 'fun' learning and a 'proper' education, I'm all for it.
- Fi, London, 30/04/2009 15:16
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I agree that kids need to be insprired, which comes from having teachers who are passionate about their subject. I disagree that everything has got to be entertaining. How do we teach work ethic if we insist everything has to be fun? No wonder kids attention spans are so short. This just leads to dumbing down.
- Mark, London, 30/04/2009 11:12
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The teachers will need to be the ones getting savvy not the kids.
I'm glad to hear lessons are taught in a more interesting way. I'm only in my 30s but my schools taught by rote learning and making us copy out maps. Which, for someone like me with a good memory and able to draw neatly ensured good exam results but hasn't exactly left me feeling like I was well educated and Geography and History were SO boring - it's only later in life, having travelled a lot, that my interested in those subjects is awoken. Kids are bright little sparks who deserve to be given more enthusiastic and motivating teaching methods. I fear, however, teachers are turgid, boring, and indoctrinated small minded people with authority complexes who have never left school. That is the problem.
- Real, London, 30/04/2009 09:33
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