AROUND THE globe, educators are coming up with innovations in teaching and learning techniques - but where can you find out about them?
The United Nations education and science body UNESCO has been maintaining an online collection of world-wide educational innovations since 1993, at http:www.ibe.unesco.orgInf_DocInnodatainno.htm
The site contains descriptions of 700 pioneering projects and is set for another update at the end of November.
An example, which will be familiar to many UK teachers, is Cognitive Acceleration in Science. There is an extended description of this technique by Philip Adey of King’s College London at http:www.ibe.unesco.orgInf_DocInnodatamonogrs.htm One of its key ideas is from the Russian psychologist Vygotsky that “the only good learning is that which is in advance of development”.
Children can understand the complex science demanded by the national curriculum - but they need to be challenged and helped.
Teaching pupils thinking and learning skills as a separate part of the curriculum for secondary pupils is explored in a report at the same address. Joseph Giordmaina looks at the merits of the idea during his assessment of a controversial Maltese innovation, the “Systems of Knowledge” programme.
Readers can email suggestions on future Internet Insights to Sam Saunders at J.P.Saunders@leeds.ac.uk
Education researchers who wish to disseminate their findings in The TES should send summaries of no more than 750 words to:
David Budge, Research Editor, The TES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX david.budge@tes.co.uk
