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Becta Government & partners - Research - Reports and publications -

UK has axed the education IT government quango BECTA. What's more, UK is looking at Open source software and the Dell Streak. But John Spencer predicts anarchy.

UK has axed the education IT government quango BECTA. What's more, UK is looking at Open source software and the Dell Streak. But John Spencer predicts anarchy.

Becta commissioned University of Nottingham in conjunction with London Knowledge Lab and Manchester Metropolitan University to research Web 2.0 technologies for learning at Key Stages 3 and 4.

Revised implementation plan for delivering the Harnessing Technology strategy in the Further Education and Skills sector, 2009-2012.

The virtual world opens up new opportunities for learning and creativity, but it also means thinking ahead of new risks. This section sets out the basic elements of good practice to keep our learners safe.

We also need to recognise that, largely, those teachers who use technology the most effectively and lead the way with its use are also, by and large, excellent teachers with or without the technology. This helps us see what many of us appreciate already: the one biggest element of improving education, making learning more creatively inclined and entrepreneurial, is the teacher. It's not curriculum, class sizes (though smaller class sizes make the teacher's life easier) or even assessment. This is something I've been reporting back from research for two years (and which I've been blown out on more times than I can count). It's not about letting students lead the way with technology and "show us teachers" how it's done. Students are generally quite narrow in their knowledge of how to harness technology or creative venture. No, it's how teachers and parents teach that is important. It is, to use a piece of edu-jargon, pedagogy, both at school and at home.