Sensei

Book Worm or Computer Nerd?

Are we ready to say bye to books was the provocative title of a BBC article last Friday on Kindle DX, an e-reading device nearly as big as an A4 sheet of paper.  After spending some time discussing how it will work and how much it will cost, the article never really gets round to answering its own question.

Dawn did a better job in her blog this week of weighing up the pros and cons.  For her, it all boils down to a matter of choice – both/and thinking, not either/or.  Although from the enthusiastic feel to her blog title – The Kindle is Reborn! – I think we can sense her positive vibes towards it.

All I want to do is quote a few relevant sentences from my main man Neil Postman.  Yes, I know I’ve waxed lyrical about his stuff before.  But, well, its my blog, frankly.  Plus a want to give another perspective from the usual technophile one that dominates the internet. Read more…

Current Events Schedule

This term at QUB, we have three new workshops for the working professional: Assertiveness and Workplace Confidence; Managing Customer Experience and Emotional Intelligence Goes to Work. These workshops are hosted by the School of Education, Short Courses Programmes (CPD).

For eveyone else, there is the School of Education’s Open Learning Programme.  This term, we’re running the following events: Read more…

Dumbing Down or Smarting Up?

OK, so you’ve heard me go on for some time now about the crap (that’s a technical term) state of our education system: too narrow, goal-less, unilateral in teaching method, one-size-fits-all, target-driven, test-ravaged, non-applied, faddish, etc.

Well now it seems that someone up there in the clouds of politik-land agrees with me.

Not that I can claim personal responsibility for the proposed primary school subjects overhaul.  But every little helps.  What they’re planning is to replace traditional subjects with broader ‘areas of learning’ in order to give teachers more flexibility and pupils the skills they will need – and do need! – in the real world.

What caught my eye was that one of these areas is entitled understanding health and well-being.  A government adviser said that there must be “greater emphasis on life skills, including making lessons about emotional well-being and social skills a compulsory part of the curriculum.”  Pupils should have the “personal, social and emotional qualities essential to their health, well-being and life as a responsible citizen in the 21st Century”.  Read more…