NEWS BRITAINIS ‘INDANGER


OF THROWING AWAY ITS COMPUTERHERITAGE’


A LEADINGBritish IT entrepreneur haswarned that Britain is in danger of throwing away its proud computer heritage unless there is an complete overhaul of theway computing is taught throughoutUK schools. “It is quite astonishing that


basic computer literacy and coding are not part of our schools curriculumalready,” said Anthony Rushton, co-founder of Telemetry – the world's biggest online video delivery and analysis firm. Education secretary


Michael Gove has recently suggested that government is considering changes to the way information and communications technology (ICT) is taught in schools. The Royal Society –which


supervises allUK sciences – suggested that computing should be divided into separate disciplines like


BRITAIN’S COMPUTER


HERITAGE INCLUDES: lCharles Babbage, an Englishman, is considered


the father of the computer. lThework by AlanTuring (also English) and others at Bletchley Park during WW2was the foundation


of themodern computer. lEnglish physicist SirTim Berners-Lee invented the WorldWideWeb.


computer science and digital literacy. There has been a startling


drop in the number of students achieving IT qualifications in British schools – therewas a 57% decline between 2005 and 2010. “Theweb has greatly


democratised business opportunities. Anyonewho learns to code gives themselves access to the new businessworld, regardless of


SCIENCEMUSEUMPUTS


SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY GAMESONLINE


THE SCIENCEMUSEUMis launching Futurecade – an innovative online game suite, where teenagers can explore howscience and technology impacts on their everyday lives. The suite features four


online games – Bacto-Lab, Space Junker, Cloud Control and Robo-Lobster –which are simple, addictive and fun to play. The aimof the games is to engage young people in current and future applications of science in fields such as robotics, satellites and space junk, geo-engineering and synthetic biology. Created and testedwith


input fromboth scientists and


teenagers themselves, Futurecade aims to stimulate and promote discussion, be thought-provoking, provide challenges and rewards and make playerswant to find out more. Designed to be fun and


relevant to teenagers’ interests, the games are based on simulations of scientific and technological processes. They aimto raise questions about howthe underlying science and technology impact on humankind, and give young people the confidence to find their own voice.


Circle No.E29 Technology & Science in EducationNo.188 January/February 2012 3 Check out ourwebsite:www.technology-in-education.co.uk 4


background or privilege,” said Anthony Rushton. “There is a great deal of talent in Britain, butwemust do everythingwe can to safeguard the future.” Eric Schmidt, Google CEO,


said recently: “Iwas flabbergasted to learn that computer science today isn’t even taught as a standard in UK schools.Your IT curriculumfocuses on teaching howto use software, but gives no insight into how it’smade. That is just throwing away your great computer heritage. “In the 1980s the BBC not


only broadcast programming for kids about coding, but (in partnershipwith Acorn) shipped over amillion BBC Micro computers into homes and schools. Thatwas a fabulous initiative, but it’s long gone,” saidMr Schmidt.


Circle No.E27 EDUCATIONAL


SUPPLIERSGOALL OUT FOR EXPORT


STUDENT visitors take a close interest in a geared head lathe on the ChesterMachineTools’ stand at BETTME, staged at AbuDhabi recently.Chester, alongwith other educationalmachinery suppliers, continue to put considerable efforts into exporting their equipment to schools, colleges and universities abroad.


Eptsoft


puts STEM subjects on Kindle


EPTSOFT nowhave Kindle eBook versions of their popular V10 software titles, thereby enabling students to have their own portable, learning, reference and revision tools on their Kindle eReader. Or they can be viewed


through the Kindle App on their iPhone,Windows PC, Mac, Blackberry, iPad, Android orWindows Phone 7 for just £2.


The STEMScience,


Technology, Engineering andMaths version (Site licence as advertised on page 15) contains 130 chapterswith 750 topics covering electronics, PICâ micro,mechanics, computing, digital, microprocessors and mathematics. The eBook version has details for students or teachers to obtain an accompanying, fully interactive version on their PC for just £1. Go towww.technology-in- education.co.uk and followthe software links orwww.amazon.co.uk and search ‘eptsoft’.


Circle No.E28


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