Children in England will be required to cover subjects up to two years earlier than their peers in top-performing nations, a study suggests, BBC News reports. Education Secretary Michael Gove uses international comparisons to justify plans to bring forward topics such as fractions and decimals in maths. But some academics say “cramming” children with complex concepts “too soon” will not raise standards. The government says it makes no apology for having high expectations of pupils…
…Read MorePodcast Series: Innovations in Education
Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.
Old technology finds role in Egyptian protests
On 27 January, Egypt fell off the internet as virtually all international connections were cut following an order from the government. But older technologies proved their worth as net activists and protesters used them to get round the block, reports BBC News. Protesters are also circulating information about how to avoid communication controls inside Egypt. Dial-up modems are one of the most popular routes for Egyptians to get back online. Long lists of international numbers that connect to dial-up modems are circulating in Egypt thanks to net activists We Re-Build, Telecomix and others…
…Read MoreTech industry holds closed door talks on open internet
An industry body representing some of the biggest names in technology has hosted a closed-door meeting to discuss the future of the open internet, BBC News reports. Public advocacy groups said such back-room dealings were detrimental. The meeting follows the publication of a controversial plan by Google and Verizon that could allow net providers certain types of internet traffic to be given priority over others. Consumer bodies called those proposals an “internet killer.” Last week a crowd of about 100 people marched to Google’s headquarters in California to present boxes that they said contained 300,000 signatures upholding the values of net neutrality, a founding principle of the net that states that all web data is treated equally no matter where it comes from. The Google/Verizon plan suggests loopholes for mobile traffic and for some specialized content…
…Read MoreSwiss solar innovator wins Millennium Technology prize
The inventor of a low-cost solar cell that could be used to build electricity generating windows has been awarded this year’s Millennium Technology Prize, BBC News reports. Professor Michael Gratzel of the Lausanne Federal Technology Institute received the €800,000 (£660,000) prize at a ceremony in Helsinki. Professor Gratzel’s innovation mimics the way plants turn light into energy. Two British inventors also won prizes of €150,000 (£124,000) each. The three shortlisted entries were all vying for the world’s biggest technology prize, which is awarded every other year by Finland’s Technology Academy…
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