tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.comments2023-11-05T01:16:48.109-07:00Functional SkillsJonathan Wells - Guroo Ltdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03689264529603686489noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-59172144966668553832016-09-20T19:43:48.954-07:002016-09-20T19:43:48.954-07:00Education without values, as useful as it is, seem...Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more <br /><a href="http://www.ufgop.org/pdf/clever" rel="nofollow">clever</a> devil. See the link below for more info.<br /><br />#clever<br />www.ufgop.orgAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07720547920308398294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-75533029087003270022014-01-07T00:49:39.849-08:002014-01-07T00:49:39.849-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08132803632968597148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-23743229382609785562014-01-07T00:49:05.078-08:002014-01-07T00:49:05.078-08:00i really appreciate for your new functional skills...i really appreciate for your new functional skills english tutorials.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.icfmindia.com/classes-for-ca-cs.html" rel="nofollow">Ca coaching classes</a>Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08132803632968597148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-88167984188075784952012-03-27T04:16:32.533-07:002012-03-27T04:16:32.533-07:00I think more balanced than negative Jonathan.
I...I think more balanced than negative Jonathan. <br /><br />I'm sure Roger Francis will be a little more concerned though, as he's cited as working for a competitor @ 4:41 :)<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />carl@forskills.co.uk<br /><b>www.forskills.co.uk</b>Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421879757631355830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-77983978534289023362011-09-28T12:58:30.649-07:002011-09-28T12:58:30.649-07:00short and simple but very informative!
Sample cvshort and simple but very informative!<br /><a href="http://www.samplecvs.org/" rel="nofollow">Sample cv</a>Bosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09850162650223557313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-86538271778528852102011-09-26T02:37:15.177-07:002011-09-26T02:37:15.177-07:00"percentage of British business's"? ..."percentage of British business's"? Hmm, I sense a Functional Skills need.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-35515711085316058682011-08-25T06:07:36.054-07:002011-08-25T06:07:36.054-07:00Sorry - missed the link to Hopwood Hall college ab...Sorry - missed the link to Hopwood Hall college above - glad to see good news about another one of the learners there that have benefited from using our resources too :)<br /><br /><a rel="nofollow">http://forskills.co.uk</a>Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421879757631355830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-11793143673415075302011-08-25T01:08:12.887-07:002011-08-25T01:08:12.887-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421879757631355830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-46190689912986967962011-08-25T01:01:16.589-07:002011-08-25T01:01:16.589-07:00We were delighted with the news from Central Skill...We were delighted with the news from Central Skills as they've been using our outstanding Functional Skills assessments and resources for the last four years!<br /><br />Learn more at www.forskills.comCarlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421879757631355830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-33901204636293971292011-08-16T14:08:05.871-07:002011-08-16T14:08:05.871-07:00However, does this issue need a celebrity "ma...However, does this issue need a celebrity "maths poster girl" heading it, or should it be led education research professionals, who understand how the education system works (See my own <a href="http://skintteacher.blogspot.com/2011/08/carol-vorderman-sticking-her-oar-in.html" rel="nofollow">article</a>). Many teachers at primary schools are unhappy with the prescriptive way maths is taught, with time pressures being that pupils are forced to move on because they allocated time is coming. There are massive issues in how maths is taught in secondary and primary education. There is not enough practical experience, it is not functional, unfortunately with Ms Vorderman presenting a revolutionary, simplistic solution, such as compulsory maths to the age of 18, does not give this issue the proper scrutiny that it needs. I like the idea of 'Functional Maths' and your concept of functional skills in education. Keep your ideas flowing and your campaign going.<br /><br />Kind Regards<br /><br /><a href="http://skintteacher.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Skint.Teacher</a>Skint.Teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690477951879366736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-9336763225831381522011-03-21T10:39:33.967-07:002011-03-21T10:39:33.967-07:00The plain fact is that GCSE are not suitable for a...The plain fact is that GCSE are not suitable for a significant minority of the student population. <br /><br />I think that Functional Skills will adapt (the Government won't resist making some changes - perhaps to ensure their rigour) but not only will they survive, they will become the qualification of choice for that significant minority.<br /><br />After Wolf and QCDA, I'm much more confident about the future that at any time since they were dropped as a hurdle in GCSE.<br /><br />Check out what QCDA have said about FS. It's in this weeks newsletter.Jonathan Wells - Guroo Ltdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03689264529603686489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-66669123408380461822011-03-18T05:54:49.122-07:002011-03-18T05:54:49.122-07:00Jonathan,
How do you think this will play out lon...Jonathan,<br /><br />How do you think this will play out long term? I also have a vested interest in this.Wilfredwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01712695797894145420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-15486789831442941392010-12-17T10:21:53.507-08:002010-12-17T10:21:53.507-08:00this is really usefulthis is really usefulFuntional Skillshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02054214217924255435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-46632419526471575932010-08-06T05:15:05.252-07:002010-08-06T05:15:05.252-07:00Forskills are working with the Prince's Trust ...Forskills are working with the Prince's Trust to address the ICT skills gap with their young people by making full use of a fully interactive and Functional ICT initial assessment. Read more at <a href="http://www.forskills.co.uk/index.php?page=latest-news" rel="nofollow"> ForSkills</a>Carlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14421879757631355830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-81781003433957113552009-11-18T13:07:11.840-08:002009-11-18T13:07:11.840-08:00Good luck guys!Good luck guys!Derek Curtishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11708741967219196340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-44195478140550915472009-04-17T04:07:00.000-07:002009-04-17T04:07:00.000-07:00Given the overlaps between the functional skills a...Given the overlaps between the functional skills and GCSE qualifications for Maths and English and the obvious technical issues associated with these tests I fully support the change for these two subjects. However I believe that this change should not extend to ICT. By making Functional Skills a free standing qualification it is my view that we will damage the future of ICT as a GCSE and A level subject in our secondary schools, which will in the future undermine the quality of candidates we put forward into our Universities and the IT industry. <br /><br />As a teacher of ICT it is my view that the majority of our current GCSE qualifications are in serious need of improvement and re-invigoration as they fail to reflect the key driver of the subject, that of change. The current specifications are tied, reflect development models for ICT that are outdated and which fail to reflect the ICT that is current within industry and society, in short there is clear ‘lag’. <br /><br />My hope for the future for ICT in our schools was that the imminent renewal of GCSE qualifications would refresh the subject. I had believed that one of the elements that was going to ‘release’ the subject was the need to achieve functional literacy in the ICT basics along side the GCSE qualification, so removing the necessity to base our GCSE’s around these ‘basics’ as competency would have already been demonstrated. <br /><br />This would allow KS4 and KS5 qualifications to concentrate on the vast array of ICT specialist skills which the continued health of our IT industry depends upon rather than on the predominantly ‘Office’ based skills of word processing, spreadsheets and databases that are embedded at the heart of our current qualifications. Instead our GCSE’s in ICT will now continue to place traditional, functional skills at the heart of their offerings giving little scope for creative and expressive use of the medium.<br /><br />It is my view that students who take an ICT specialist GCSE need to also show their ‘baseline’ functional skills either at level 2 or level 1. I see no reason to be prescriptive and tiring the levels / grades together. I believe that for ICT, unlike maths and English, both qualifications need to be considered as complementary with FS ideally taken at the end of key stage 3 and used as a stepping stone to specialist GCSE study. In addition this would provide focus for Key Stage 3 teaching with the enhanced skills that were achieved being actively used in all subjects across the key stage 4 curriculum were traditional ‘office’ based computer skills are needed. <br /><br />I fear that the current announcement will make this impossible and therefore there are some significant logical implications that need to be acknowledged: <br />• The majority of schools will now either drop Functional Skills (FS) from their curriculums or <br />• will do FS instead of the full GCSE courses thus limiting the exposure, competence range and aptitude of students for further study. Given that the new GCSE’s will cover the same ground as the FS there is no other logical conclusion. <br />• Whilst FS will continue be offered as a stand alone qualification, which I have to say makes sense for the adult market and for those without an ICT qualification (although there are some questions here about this role in relation to the ECDL qualification that is currently favoured by many employers), it will fail within secondary schools unless examination boards offer 2 GCSE specifications, one of which takes account of the FS qualification. I do not believe that the examination boards will do this. Whilst still being theoretically available, FS will suffer the same fate in schools as the ICT KS3 testing regime following the reversal of that policy….in place but used by very few.<br />• Very few students who do take the free standing FS will continue to study ICT at GCSE or A Level without the fundamental redesign of these qualifications. <br />• Students offered both the FS and GCSE qualifications will be faced with providing repeat evidence of skills for their GCSE which will deter them from progressing their studies into A level.<br />• Fewer students will be challenged by the formal ICT qualifications offered by school at a time when they will have the opportunity to partake in a vast array of complex, unstructured activities at home via the Internet. These students, as a consequence, will fail to develop the bridging skills needed for University study or ICT careers. <br />• The ‘new’ GCSE’s will continue to be ‘office’ based rather than enabling and allowing specialist and creative skills to be developed. <br />• We loose the impetus for change and we loose the essence of what our ‘knowledge’ based economy actually needs. We have been ultra safe, cautious and boring.<br /><br />It is my view that students need exposure to a wide range of ICT tools so that they understand the potential they offer. Students, as with adults, need to use the skills they are taught in school or they inevitably loose them. In relation to ICT the absence of a context, other than the world of work which is used in the majority of syllabuses, makes this challenging, as it is a context that students have little experience of and which they find it difficult to relate to. Instead our primary objective must be to raise capability so that when the need arises the students have the confidence and understanding to re-equip / re-learn the skills they require. <br /><br />I am confident that if we continue to concentrate on traditional ICT office based skills, that the number of students excited and engaged in the IT industry will diminish. I am equally confident that by changing the curriculum and concentrating on developing expressive and creative ICT skills that the traditional capabilities in office based skills will be naturally developed as a by-product of other learning, when the need arises. I think we have clear choices to make in terms of the direction of ICT in secondary schools and I fear that the current announcement has been made without a clear vision of what we want to achieve.Robert Tuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01382404854927538885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-66448860304353699742009-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:002009-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:00I think the problem is made worse by the huge diff...I think the problem is made worse by the huge differences in Awarding Body approaches to assessment.<BR/><BR/>City & Guilds have example papers on their site that mirror the live papers.<BR/><BR/>Also, remember C&G assessments can be sat at any time. Which really helps during the pilot smaller cohorts can be entered and data analysed.Alison Loneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12234553611985108800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4550306634158618636.post-11725898942337599802008-05-09T06:18:00.000-07:002008-05-09T06:18:00.000-07:00I agree with this 10000% - as one who has been bee...I agree with this 10000% - as one who has been been employing people for 30 years the biggest problem I have had is attitude - attitude towards work, towards being shown how to do things, taking health and safety seriously...<BR/><BR/>It is extraordinary that people in their 20s came come to work, collapse at the desk, hold head in hands, and complain about having had a heavy night - and then expect to be paid for such non-activity.<BR/><BR/>I have no idea how to teach this either - but I wish someone would find out.<BR/><BR/>Tony AttwoodUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14410861742149591227noreply@blogger.com