BBC News - Campaign calls for new teacher-training 'infrastructure'

This is an interesting article about shifting the focus of Computing teaching to include Computer Science and Programming

Campaign calls for new teacher-training 'infrastructure' - BBC News - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17190910 - 28 February 2012.

"The UK needs a new 'infrastructure' to support the teaching of computing in schools, the chancellor has been told.
Leading education and industry groups have signed a letter asking George Osborne to fund new computer training for teachers.
Next Gen Skills, which organised the call, said teachers would need support ahead of possible curriculum changes.
The government is consulting on a new flexible curriculum more focused on computer science and programming."

Digital Researcher Online 2012 - 20 February 2012

Digital Researcher Online 2012 - 20 February 2012 - http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/346891/Digital-Researcher-online.html.

This is an event organised by Vitae who provide support to researchers, and which is being run online as well as the meeting itself which is oversubscribed.

This is from Vitae's description -

"Designed for both postgraduate researchers and research staff within any UK institution, Digital Researcher Online is the online programme of the oversubscribed Vitae Digital Researcher event, offering all those who could not physically attend the event the opportunity to tune in and get involved with the day's activity.
Digital Researcher Online will explore how new technologies and tools (microblogging, RSS feeds, social networking and social citation sharing) can be used to enhance your research and raise your professional profile."

"What to expect as an online participant...
10:00 - Introduction
•A short interview with Dr Tristram Hooley on Digital Researcher 2012 and the current digital landscape.10:30 - 11:15 - Morning plenary
•Join us online and tune-in to the opening plenary of Digital Researcher. During this session we'll be covering academic practice, the role of social media and intellectual property.
15:45 - 16:30 - Keynote speaker

•Prof Martin Weller, Open University - 'Digital Scholarship'."

MIT launches free online 'fully automated' course - BBC News

This is a BBC article about a free MIT course that is part of an overall plan of theirs for in depth online learning. The first course to be made available is in Electronics.

This is a very interesting article and as with Stanford University's courses (http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2011/10/stanford-university-free-computer.html) also MIT course this provides a good opportunity for online learning.

MIT launches free online 'fully automated' course - By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent - 13 February 2012.

"Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the world's top-rated universities, has announced its first free course which can be studied and assessed completely online.
An electronics course, beginning in March, will be the first prototype of an online project, known as MITx.
The interactive course is designed to be fully automated, with successful students receiving a certificate."

MP calls for pardon for computer pioneer Alan Turing - BBC News

This pardoning of Alan Turing is way overdue -

MP calls for pardon for computer pioneer Alan Turing - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16833621 - 1 February 2012.

"A Liberal Democrat MP has tabled a motion calling for 'national hero' Alan Turing to be posthumously pardoned.
Manchester Withington's John Leech submitted the Early Day Motion and said people should sign an online petition protesting against Turing's conviction.
The gay computer pioneer was convicted for gross indecency in 1952, when homosexual acts were illegal in the UK.
Mr Leech said his persecution 'by the state for being gay is a scandal that shouldn't be allowed to stand'."