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"Move over, Space Camp: Coding is quickly growing as a popular activity for kids, and not just for those who dream of being programmers when they grow up. The logical thinking required to code can help kids succeed in school and other day-to-day activities-it's no wonder why big companies are getting behind the effort to help students learn the needed critical thinking skills.  If you want to help them get started, there are a number of visual, kid-friendly apps that teach users how to build games and code other simple activities on their own."

"If we are to be completely honest with ourselves, the concept or theory behind computer science in the curriculum is not new, well not within Early Years Education. If we stop and think for a minute, what is happening when we code? We end up with - Problem Solving. Plain and simple……Computer programmers, computer scientists……solve problem! Our young learners spend every day solving and overcoming problems and obstacles. As educators, we set up scenarios, we pose problems and we guide the children towards finding strategies. These challenges are often in Maths and Science lessons but we sometimes see them in Physical Education and language classes too. We always strive to relate these problem solving skills to contexts, it makes sense if children can relate to real life scenarios. And this is where coding fits in."

"What really works in education, schools and classrooms around the world? Every week Sarah Montague interviews the people whose ideas are challenging the future of education, like Sugata Mitra, Sir Ken Robinson and the headmaster of Eton College Tony Little. In August John Hattie, Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, was her guest at BBC Radio 4. You can listen to the whole interview with John Hattie following this link (28 mins). Here are some quick takeaways:" Full Interview http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dmxwl

When you look at your kids playing video games, you might worry they're wasting time and energy passively staring at a screen and pressing buttons. But what if their play time was actually a creative outlet that fostered their imaginations? More and more games, apps, and websites are letting kids as young as kindergartners create anything they can think of -- and it doesn't have to take a ton of time. Even better, most of these tools don't require kids to be skilled programmers or computer experts to design and build creative, entertaining experiences. Whether your kids enjoy creating fun new game elements, editing existing game content, or fully designing their own games from scratch, these programs can help bring their ideas to the screen.

"My cat is pretty unflappable, given that she shares a house with four children. But when a three-wheeled robot trundles into the living room, even Lola can't belt out of the cat-flap fast enough. Perhaps it's the barking that spooked her. The robot is called Dash, and like its smaller, stationary friend Dot, it's the work of technology startup Wonder Workshop. It's excellent at yapping cats off the sofa, but its real goal is teaching children to code."

"Introducing kids to coding is the hot new thing. Even President Obama is promoting it. By teaching children how to write code, we enhance their understanding about how computer science makes so many things work. Using their new coding skills, budding programmers can create their own games and solve problems, while also practicing logical thinking, math and reading skills. Here are some of the best free ways to start kids down the path of coding."

MOSEP (More Self-esteem with my ePortfolio) is an innovative project that started in August 2006 for a 2 year period and is being funded under the European Commission's Leonardo da Vinci Programme.

Control a robot by giving it commands. Use programmer-style logic for more complex levels that include functions to re-use. From AllMyFaves | Free Online Games |

"What are your kids doing with all of their 'cognitive surplus'? Not sure? OK, let's take a step back. What is 'cognitive surplus'? 'Cognitive Surplus' is a term coined by author and professor at NYU's interactive telecommunications programme, Clay Shirky. Regarded as one of the leading thinkers on the Internet, technology and its impact on society, Clay introduced the concept in his fascinating and aptly titled book, Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age."

"This post is about a topic and app close to my heart. Computer programming is the engine of modern life and dream maker for tens of thousands. More and more countries are introducing the subject as compulsory schooling at surprisingly young ages. The UK is introducing a national school programme in september this year whilst also funding yearofcode.org to increase momentum. Code.org is pushing an international message with big-name endorsement. Even small countries like Estonia have their 5-year-olds taking their first steps into logical problem solving. A site I've used for years is codecademy.com"

"Entrepreneurship is often associated with people who assume the risk of starting a business venture for financial gain. However, entrepreneurs exist in many forms: They may be writers, carpenters, computer programmers, school principals or fundraisers, to name just a few examples. What they have in common is an "entrepreneurial mindset" that enables them to see opportunities for improvement, take initiative and collaborate with others to turn their ideas into action. Everyone is born with some propensity for entrepreneurship, which at its core is about solving problems creatively, according to Yong Zhao, a professor at the University of Oregon's College of Education. He is the author of several books, including, most recently, "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? Why China has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World." "We overemphasize the deficits of children, and that's not a good starting point. … If we let people flourish in their own ways, hopefully everyone will find something they want to do." Unfortunately, the current education system doesn't support the development of an entrepreneurial mindset, Zhao says, because of its reliance on standards, tests and a prescribed curriculum, which are all fundamentally incompatible with entrepreneurial thinking. Studies have shown an inverse relationship between countries' academic test scores and entrepreneurship levels, and between years of schooling and entrepreneurship levels."

"Teaching your kids to code is just a matter of playing the right games, says Camille McCue. You don't need to be a programmer and it's great fun! "

"If you don't yet know, BBC Radio 4 have lined up a series of 8 interviews with the leading lights of the education world. In the second programme of the series, Sarah Montague interviews professor John Hattie on 'what works' in education. Here it is. Whatever your opinion of effect sizes and meta-analyses, Visible Learning has changed the way many of us think about teaching and Hattie has become one of the most respected and widely known academics in the field of education. For those too busy or too uninterested to invest 25 minutes of their lives actually listening to the broadcast, I'll summarise it below:"

"PBL (Problem Based Learning) has long been an important aspect of my teaching programme. This term in my Year 6 Mathematics Class we have been learning about Fractions and Decimals. After doing some learning about how to use and manipulate them effectively and developing an understanding of chance, the students have been set a problem based around filling a gap in the market.   The students were set a problem based on filling a gap in the market. The problem was: "The educational board game market is severely lacking fraction, decimal and chance based games to support learning"."

"YouTube has been around for quite a long time. You'd think that, by now, we'd have got the hang of it. Yet most of us are pretty passive users - watching videos when they're emailed to us or we spot them on social media. We see a link, click and sit back. Hardly any of use use the playlist facility, for example. Those of you who use YouTube to host your own video, and channels, really ought to get with the programme on this one. Playlists allow you to organise you users' viewing - you can place videos in a logical order so that things make sense. And the videos auto play, so that your viewers will follow the programming you've given them, and watch for longer - and it's that viewing time that seriously helps in the optimisation (fundability) of videos on YouTube."

The West Bengal government awarded a Rs.103 crore contract to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for designing and implementing ICT solutions for the rural employment guarantee scheme in the state. The state government's panchayat and rural development department Friday signed an agreement with the IT major for the purpose. TCS will design, development, implement and maintain the end-to-end ICT solution for MNREGS, the flagship social development programme of the central government for providing 100 days work to the rural households, for five years in the state.

This animation was produced on behalf of the Australian delegation to the Global Education Leadership Programme (GELP). It makes the case for making big changes in education, to keep up with the big changes that are taking place in society.

"This fact there are over 14 million iPads in schools illustrates how many 'decision makers' have chosen the iPad as a tool for learning. As we continue to integrate the iPad into schools, it is worth reflecting how the initial setup and training can have a real impact on the success or failure of a 1-to-1 programme. The recommendations below are borne out of a desire to help teachers without overwhelming them and to model good practice to students. There are many apps that could have been chosen, but those mentioned below are generic and able to serve a purpose across the curriculum."

"Not all screen time is bad for toddlers as iPads and smartphones can help them learn in the same way as interactive play, scientists have found. Last year the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended that children should have TV-free days and limit screen time to a daily maximum of two hours. Yet new research from the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Cork University Hospital in Ireland suggests that touch screen technology has a different impact on the brains of toddlers to simply passively observing a programme."