Girls outshining boys on computers too

Girls have better computer skills than boys, according to research conducted by Tesco Computers for Schools.

Girls were more likely than boys to be able to successfully complete tasks such as finding what they needed using a search engine, or creating a document.

Only six per cent of girls said they lacked confidence using computers, compared to 10 per cent of boys.

However, both boys and girls were more tech-savvy than their parents, 57 per cent of whom relied on their children for advice on using the computer and internet.

Children's growing computer use

A quarter of five and six-year-olds have their own laptop or computer, according to research commissioned by the Guardian newspaper.

The study found that increasing numbers of children were using the internet, particularly younger children. Communicating with friends, through instant messaging or via social networking sites such as Bebo, was the biggest reason for using the net.

Children as young as eight were found to be signing up to social networking sites, sometimes using fake ages to get round minimum age safeguards.

Playing games was the second most popular reason for children being on the computer, followed by looking for information for schoolwork in third place.

Watching television was also found to have become more popular amongst children, and reading for pleasure less so, with young children in particular tuning in before going to school.

Five hundred and fifty primary school children were interviewed as part of the research, out of a total of 1,147 children aged below 17 from England, Scotland and Wales.

The survey was carried out by Childwise, a market research company.

School reports to go online

REGULAR electronic updates on children’s progress at school are to be sent to parents, as part of government plans to overhaul the traditional school report.

Parents should be able to access frequently updated, secure online information about their child’s achievement, progress, attendance and behaviour.

Communications may also be carried out via text message, school intranet or by video-conferencing.

All primary schools will be expected to have implemented ‘real-time reporting’ by 2012, two years after the target for secondary schools.

The plans were announced by Schools Minister Jim Knight at the educational technology trade show, BETT 2008.

Funding of £30 million was also announced to help low income families buy home computers and get broadband internet access to help with children’s school work.

ICT training for TAs "lagging behind" - Ofsted

Teaching assistants’ and teachers’ training is not keeping pace with changing ICT resources in schools, Ofsted has warned.

As a resoult the resources are not being used to their full potential.

A sample inspection found that in most schools there were not enough opportunities for children to build on their knowledge and skills in ICT.

“Great strides” were evident in the foundation stage and at key stage 1 in helping pupils to be more independent and creative with ICT, but at key stage 2 there wasn’t enough challenge for the most able.

ICT in primary and secondary schools. Ofsted’s findings 2005/7

Probe into video games harm to children

A ‘call for evidence’ about potential harm to children from video games and the internet was launched today.

Anyone with an interest is invited to respond to questions about the risks from exposure to inappropriate material, such as violent video games.

Clinical psychologist Dr Tanya Byron has been appointed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to head the independent review.

“New technology is giving kids opportunities to learn, have fun, be creative and communicate in ways that previous generations could only dream of,” she said.

“But many parents still feel ill-equipped to help their children navigate this technology safely.

“I want to start a debate about how Government, industry and society as a whole can support parents to guide our children into the virtual world, with the same confidence as when we show them how to stay safe in our local community.”

Byron Review

Computers help children do better at school

Computers in primary schools boost pupils’ performance, research has found.

Primary school test results were shown to improve during a four year study costing £34 million, undertaken by computer agency Becta.

The research also found that boys in particular made significant gains in writing skills – found to be a weakness nationally – through working on computers.

In the study, £34 million was spent on ‘high levels’ of hardware, software and training.

The money was split between 23 primary schools, as well as eight secondary and further education institutions, in the disadvantaged areas of Barking and Dagenham, Sandwell and Durham.

It is thought that one reason why primary school pupils showed greater improvement was due to a greater scope for flexibility in the curriculum.

Becta said the research also showed that computer technology was not taken into consideration enough during Ofsted inspections, a finding Ofsted deny.