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On 14 September 2020, this website may be briefly unavailable, due to host upgrade work, anytime between 23:00 BST and 05:00 BST.
Creative Play – Learning in Context (1973)
eLearning Central pays tribute to Sir Ken Robinson who, in part, inspired the creation of this website with his contribution to education and the importance of creativity in learning. Sadly, our paths never crossed. He was a graduate of Bretton Hall College, where some years later, I worked as a media technician in the Faculty of Education. I have often referenced Sir Ken on eLearning Central and will continue to do so. – Richard Gentle
eLearning Central (eLC) is an educational resource portal developed by Richard Gentle to bring together, and provide access to, some of the most useful and valuable information and resources connected to education and learning that are currently available on the web. Although eLC is a UK site, some of the information is relevant further afield. One of the key themes of this website, is leaning in context and removing division and separation from learning. Sir Ken Robinson puts it well, below:
Non-commercial contributions are always welcome, so please make suggestions or comments via the contact page.
After several years working in the educational sector, I realised how challenging it could be to keep informed of what was, and is, going on. Plenty of information is available, but it can take time to find. Along with all of the usual curriculum changes, ICT is now an integral component of education at all levels. Having worked in School, College and University education since 1985 and been involved with elearning development in various ways from 2001 to 2012, I decided to create a central area for information and links to as many informative websites that I could find to help those looking for information and resources for their teaching and learning.
Most recent articles added to eLC
Inspired Teaching and Learning
(click on purple links. es = external site, opens new window)
Note: Dates shown in red are when item posted on eLC)
What does the average school day now look like, around the world? (BBC es) 12 Sept 2020
Coronavirus: University return ‘could spark Covid avalanche’ (BBC es) 30 Aug 2020
Third of world’s schoolchildren ‘unable to access remote learning’ (np) 27 Aug 2020
Sir Ken Robinson obituary (es) 26 Aug 2020 and another tribute (es) 26 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: Face coverings U-turn for England’s secondary schools (BBC es) 26 Aug 2020
Ofqual chief Sally Collier steps down after exams chaos (BBC es) 25 Aug 2020
Pressure grows to allow masks in England’s schools (BBC es) 25 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: Missing school is worse than virus for children – Whitty (BBC es) 23 Aug 2020
Sir Ken Robinson dies, aged 70 (es) 22 Aug 2020
A-levels and GCSEs: U-turn as teacher estimates to be used for exam results (BBC es) 17 Aug 2020
A-level results: ‘Huge mess’ as exams appeal guidance withdrawn (BBC es) 16 Aug 2020
British pupils ‘struggled while learning at home’ (es) 22 July 2020
A majority of British children struggled to continue learning at home during the lockdown. The Office for National Statistics research found that of the 52% who struggled, three-quarters of parents gave a lack of motivation as a reason.
Finland Will Become The First Country In The World To Get Rid Of All School Subjects (es) 22 May 2020
In the UK, we would probably call this ‘Project led’ learning – common in our Primary and Junior schools. Perhaps this is the next step and one that I have often advocated as being one of a few ways to make education more relevant. (RG)
Coronavirus: ‘2m children face heightened lockdown risk’ (es) UK (25 April 2020)
Babies may learn most of their vocabulary from their fathers (es) 6 April 2020 (from 21 Feb 2020)
“It’s been suggested in various studies in the past that there are differences between the sexes when it comes to picking up new languages, but what about passing languages on?”
Here’s what a four-year-old should know [AU] (es) 5 Nov 2019
“That the single biggest predictor of high academic achievement is 
reading to children. Not flash cards, not workbooks, not fancy preschools, not blinking toys or computers, but Mum or Dad taking the time every day or night (or both!) to sit and read them wonderful books.”