Primary school kids could soon be taught about Web 2.0
applications such as Wikipedia and Twitter in the classroom if a
leaked document seen by the Guardian is anything to go by.
According to the Guardian the plans were created by Jim Rose,
the former Ofsted chief who was appointed by ministers to overhaul
the primary school curriculum.
Children will be expected to leave primary school familiar with
blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter.
They must also have good keyboard skills, and learn how to use a
computer spellchecker.
Recent research from ntl:Telewest Business revealed that
children are keen to use the internet to support their studies.
Of the children asked what Web 2.0 applications would be useful
in the classroom, 44% said Wikipedia, 35% chose instant
messaging,and34% selectedYouTube. But the same survey revealed that
less than a fifth of teachers use Wikipedia as a resource in
classrooms and only 5% useYouTube.
Stephen Beynon, managing director at ntl:Telewest Business, said
this could close the
gap between the tools that pupils want to see in the classroom and
what teachers are actually using.
"However, the key to using Web 2.0 tools effectively is having
the right infrastructure to deliver them. It is only a matter of
time before social networking takes on a more extensive role in the
classroom, so schools and colleges must provide sufficient
bandwidth for media-rich applications."