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."

BBC article - Battle of the knowledge superpowers

This article is a useful discussion - Battle of the knowledge superpowers - By Sean Coughlan - BBC News education correspondent - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14949538. -

"Knowledge is power - economic power - and there's a scramble for that power taking place around the globe.

In the United States, Europe and in rising powers such as China, there is a growth-hungry drive to invest in hi-tech research and innovation.

They are looking for the ingredients that, like Google, will turn a university project into a corporation. They are looking for the jobs that will replace those lost in the financial crash.

Not to invest would now be "unthinkable", says Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, the European Commissioner responsible for research, innovation and science, who is trying to spur the European Union to keep pace in turning ideas into industries."

NASA - massively multiplayer online (MMO) game request

NASA has issued a request for information for an educational game to develop Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Skills for students. NASA requests a 5 page size 12 font document of ideas.

"The US space agency is exploring the possibility of developing a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game.
The virtual world would be aimed at students and would "simulate real Nasa engineering and science missions".
The agency has published a "request for information" (RFI) from organisations interested in developing the platform."

Nasa believe the game would help find the next generation of scientists and engineers needed to fulfil its "vision for space exploration".

Nasa investigates virtual space - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7195718.stm

NASA Learning Technologies Request for Information: Development of a NASA-based massively multiplayer online learning game - http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmo/

NASA Learning Technologies Request for Information: Development of a NASA-based Massively Multiplayer Online Learning Game PDF Document - http://ipp.gsfc.nasa.gov/mmo/MMO_RFI.pdf

DEVELOPMENT OF A NASA-BASED MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE LEARNING GAME - http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synopsis.cgi?acqid=128415

NASA's Planning its Own Version of World of Warcraft - http://www.universetoday.com/2008/01/18/nasas-planning-its-own-version-of-world-of-warcraft/

I have a space about space research at - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/aerospace.htm.

and

Public Understanding of Science - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/PublicScience.htm.