Successive governments have failed to address the problems of child poverty. Robert Putnam’s book ‘Our Kids’, reviewed here, points to the need for a more comprehensive and systematic approach.
Rush to hysteria: challenging the sugar rush
Amid the growing hysteria about childhood obesity, sugar seems to be the new heroin. Yet the official statistics on obesity paint a rather different picture. Inequality, rather than advertising, is the main culprit.
Teen sexting: from moral panic to legal absurdity
‘Sexting’ has become the focus of a new moral panic. Yet responses to this apparent problem have become increasingly contradictory and absurd. We need a more considered educational response.
Digital distractions: What’s wrong with the debate about technology in education
The debate about mobile technology in education is strangely polarised. While some claim that digital devices will magically liberate learners, others assert that they should be banned from classrooms outright. It’s time for a more constructive discussion.
Oh no! It’s an Oh My Vlog blog!
The world of young YouTube vloggers points to the limitations of optimistic claims about ‘digital creativity’.
Reading Rihanna: the burden of representation
Rihanna’s latest video, and the debate that it has provoked, raises some challenging questions about how we understand the concept of representation, and how we might teach about it.
Why children should NOT be taught to code
There is growing enthusiasm for the idea that children should be taught digital coding. Yet what assumptions is this based upon, and how valid are they?
The blanding of media literacy
Mapping and measuring media literacy
Policy-makers seem unduly preoccupied with measuring ‘levels’ of media literacy right now. Here’s a more constructive approach to defining and assessing media literacy, based on some in-depth research.
Examining Media Studies
The government is apparently ‘rationalising’ qualifications in secondary schools. What are the dangers and opportunities here for media teachers?
David Buckingham 