Britain has an opportunity to reinvent how it teaches information technology
A recent editorial in the Guardian newspaper wrote that Britain is in danger of producing a generation that doesn’t know how Google works. As such, the editorial states that this is a prime opportunity to overhaul the education system and bring information technology education into the 21st century.
Is North America any better? Maybe a little. Our kids know to how to download an app or a song and we’ve raised them to think of Google as a verb as much as a company, but are we providing them with the right tools to invent the next Google? In the current and old system, kids learn how to use specific programs, but what does that do when the essential programs completely change every few years? Schools should instead be teaching information systems. Read more...
2. Do dads-to-be need a last hurrah before the baby comes? Yeah, that’s what dadchelor parties are for.
3. Last week Michael Aggar wrote about the need for Google Kids. Now he’s done a little research and his initial plan might need some work.
4. Wrestling, pillow fights, chasing one another around, — general roughhousing: It’s a good thing. It helps get in some much needed physical activity, lets parents get in tune with their kids and promotes bonding. Roughhousing releases oxytocin, the same chemical released by breastfeeding moms to their babies.
5. This dog seems so sweet, why don’t these kids want to play fetch with him? Read more...
5. Let’s all take a moment and think about our dance moves circa 1991, shall we? Also, this is a lesson to always record your kids doing awesome stuff that they will LOVE seeing 20 years from now.
The legendary author would have been 76 today. He may be dead, but his books live on.
Today marks the 76th Birthday of children’s author Roger Hargreaves, and while you may not be familiar with his name, you have most certainly read his books. Hargreaves was the author of the ever-popular Little Miss and Mr. Men series, beginning with Mr. Tickle in 1971. According to the Telegraph, Hargreaves published 46 Mr. Men books and 33 Little Miss books, on top of his other unrelated works. To date, the Little Miss and Mr. Man series has sold more than 85 million copies worldwide, has been translated into over 20 languages and now features many spin offs, special editions and even four television shows. There’s also a feature-length animated film in the works.
Today Hargreaves’ son continues to publish new books in the series, even completing stories of characters his father had begun before his death in 1988. Read more...
3. No need to throw out those Fruit Loops just yet, artificial dye has not been found to cause hyperactivity. — New York Times
4. Canadians say “sorry” a lot. For some of us, it’s just an involuntary reaction. And given the frequency with which we say it., maybe we’re devaluing the word. One Babble blogger in New Jersey is teaching her kids not to say they’re sorry, because she says, “kids say it largely to appease adults, and the word has very little in the way of meaning or impact.” Read more...
