Post on 06-Sep-2014
description
The current state of web education in
schools
The current state of web education in
schoolsAnna Debenham
Anna Debenham
Mozilla Drumbeat
Mozilla Drumbeat
http://www.neopets.comhttp://www.neopets.com
I learnt HTML playing NeopetsI learnt HTML playing Neopets
http://www.neopets.comhttp://www.neopets.com
I typed it into a box on the website
I typed it into a box on the website
http://www.neopets.comhttp://www.neopets.com
The site had a set of HTML tutorials for kids
The site had a set of HTML tutorials for kids
http://myspace.comhttp://myspace.com
I learnt my first CSS customising a Myspace profile
http://scrunchup.comhttp://scrunchup.com
I created Scrunchup for young people learning web design.
Here’s why:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/brighter-horizons-for-web-education/http://www.alistapart.com/articles/brighter-horizons-for-web-education/
“Schools that teach web design struggle to keep pace with our
industry, and those just starting their curricula often set off in the
wrong direction because the breadth and depth of our
medium can be daunting.”
“Schools that teach web design struggle to keep pace with our
industry, and those just starting their curricula often set off in the
wrong direction because the breadth and depth of our
medium can be daunting.”
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/elevate-web-design-at-the-university-level/http://www.alistapart.com/articles/elevate-web-design-at-the-university-level/
“Let’s face it. Technology moves fast; academia doesn’t.”
“Let’s face it. Technology moves fast; academia doesn’t.”
“The problem is that many of the pre-higher education age group have nowhere to go if they want
to be taught web design or development.”
“The problem is that many of the pre-higher education age group have nowhere to go if they want
to be taught web design or development.”
Chris Mills http://my.opera.com/ODIN/blog/2009/08/19/how-do-we-educate-the-web-standards-kidsChris Mills http://my.opera.com/ODIN/blog/2009/08/19/how-do-we-educate-the-web-standards-kids
“Europe is about to face a shortage of 70,000 skilled
workers in the tech sector by 2010”
“Europe is about to face a shortage of 70,000 skilled
workers in the tech sector by 2010”
http://goo.gl/VrCIhttp://goo.gl/VrCI
“One reason for this is the general level of understanding
among today’s students…”
“One reason for this is the general level of understanding
among today’s students…”
http://goo.gl/vG4Thttp://goo.gl/vG4T
“…their use of technology often outstrips that of their teachers.”“…their use of technology often outstrips that of their teachers.”
http://goo.gl/vG4Thttp://goo.gl/vG4T
http://goo.gl/8WeMhttp://goo.gl/8WeM
Article by the Royal Society “ICT and Computer Science in schools - damaging to the UK’s
future economy”
Article by the Royal Society “ICT and Computer Science in schools - damaging to the UK’s
future economy”
http://goo.gl/8WeMhttp://goo.gl/8WeM
“…students’ understanding and enjoyment of the subjects is
severely limited.”
“…students’ understanding and enjoyment of the subjects is
severely limited.”
“…we risk a future workforce that is totally unskilled and unsuited
to tomorrow’s job market.”
“…we risk a future workforce that is totally unskilled and unsuited
to tomorrow’s job market.”
http://goo.gl/8WeMhttp://goo.gl/8WeM
http://goo.gl/Iddxhttp://goo.gl/Iddx
ICT specification for next years’ GCSE students
33%in 6
years
A-LevelICT
Number of students taking exams in this subject in EnglandNumber of students taking exams in this subject in England
57%in 8
years
A-LevelComputing
Number of students taking exams in this subject in EnglandNumber of students taking exams in this subject in England
“Semantic HTML is the use of HTML markup to reinforce the semantics, or meaning, of the
information in webpages rather than merely to define its
presentation (look).”
“Semantic HTML is the use of HTML markup to reinforce the semantics, or meaning, of the
information in webpages rather than merely to define its
presentation (look).”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_HTMLhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_HTML
Wikipedia definition of semantic HTML
Excerpt from an Open University textbook for a course on computingExcerpt from an Open University textbook for a course on computing
Definition of HTML by the largest academic institution in Europe
http://goo.gl/k64Khttp://goo.gl/k64K
2009 Ofsted report on “The importance of ICT”
based on a 4 year study of almost 200 secondary and primary schools in England on their
performance in ICT
http://goo.gl/k64Khttp://goo.gl/k64K
“Higher-attaining students were insufficiently challenged.”
http://goo.gl/k64Khttp://goo.gl/k64K
“the number of girls choosing to study
computing post-16 has fallen to an all-time low.
… and the number continues to decline.”
http://goo.gl/k64Khttp://goo.gl/k64K
“Schools do not challenge sufficiently the value of deploying a set of adult productivity tools
to help pupils and students develop their ICT capability.”
“Just up-ing the number of PC's in schools won't get you
anything.”
“Just up-ing the number of PC's in schools won't get you
anything.”
http://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-levelhttp://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-level
(Teacher comment)
“We have no idea what we are supposed to be doing with all this
stuff”
“We have no idea what we are supposed to be doing with all this
stuff”
http://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-levelhttp://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-level
(Teacher comment)
“All we're gearing our kid's up for is a life in an office. No wonder there's no stampede for that
career path.”
“All we're gearing our kid's up for is a life in an office. No wonder there's no stampede for that
career path.”
http://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-levelhttp://www.itpro.co.uk/626212/ict-education-fails-at-a-level
(Teacher comment)
http://message.uk.comhttp://message.uk.com
“I coded my first plain HTML website when I
was 11, using Frontpage. It was
horrible, but I thought it was freakin'
awesome!”
“I coded my first plain HTML website when I
was 11, using Frontpage. It was
horrible, but I thought it was freakin'
awesome!”
Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/
Upload RobotsBuilt by 5th graders
Upload RobotsBuilt by 5th graders
“Being so young, VC backing was not an option as it’s too risky to
invest in a couple highschoolers.”
“Being so young, VC backing was not an option as it’s too risky to
invest in a couple highschoolers.”
Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/
“We also have to constantly conceal our age because we are dealing with people’s important documents, and they might not
trust us because people, including ourselves, are
inherently ageist.”
“We also have to constantly conceal our age because we are dealing with people’s important documents, and they might not
trust us because people, including ourselves, are
inherently ageist.”
Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/Nick Cammarata and David Merfield from http://uploadrobots.com/
Matt MullenwegMatt Mullenweg
Photo by kris krüg from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/98025271Photo by kris krüg from http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/98025271
Created Wordpress before he could legally buy a drink in his country
“We are now watching the enthusiasm of the next
generation waste away through poorly conceived courses and
syllabuses.”
“We are now watching the enthusiasm of the next
generation waste away through poorly conceived courses and
syllabuses.”
Professor Steve Furber, Fellow of the Royal SocietyProfessor Steve Furber, Fellow of the Royal Society
“We need school curricula to engage them better if the next
generation are to engineer technology and not just consume
it”
“We need school curricula to engage them better if the next
generation are to engineer technology and not just consume
it”
Professor Matthew Harrison, Director of Education at The Royal Academy of Engineering
Professor Matthew Harrison, Director of Education at The Royal Academy of Engineering
Let’s fix thisLet’s fix this