22/03/2014

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0:00:02 > 0:00:04This is going to be great. This is going to be SO good.

0:00:04 > 0:00:05First day on the job as a supply teacher.

0:00:05 > 0:00:07I've got my lesson plan sorted.

0:00:07 > 0:00:09I'm going to let the kids call me by my first name.

0:00:09 > 0:00:12No, my Twitter handle. They're going to love me!

0:00:28 > 0:00:33This week, Click goes to school at both ends of the tech spectrum.

0:00:33 > 0:00:36We'll get hands on with the simple phone that's teaching Afghans

0:00:36 > 0:00:38to read and write

0:00:38 > 0:00:41and we'll meet the Norwegian teacher who prefers Facebook

0:00:41 > 0:00:43to textbooks.

0:00:43 > 0:00:46And from kids in Norway to mummies in Sweden.

0:00:46 > 0:00:49Yes, we don't throw this show together, you know.

0:00:49 > 0:00:53We'll use 3D scanning to get under the skin of an ancient

0:00:53 > 0:00:55Egyptian priest.

0:00:55 > 0:00:58We take a look at the pen that teaches you how to write

0:00:58 > 0:00:59as you write.

0:00:59 > 0:01:01We'll also have the latest tech news

0:01:01 > 0:01:05and the website that helps you learn 12 different languages in Webscape.

0:01:05 > 0:01:08Trust me, it's all going to be very educational.

0:01:13 > 0:01:16Welcome to Click. I'm Spencer Kelly.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19How often do we talk about how technology can change the way

0:01:19 > 0:01:21that kids learn

0:01:21 > 0:01:23in and out of school?

0:01:23 > 0:01:26The problem is, there's only a handful of schools

0:01:26 > 0:01:29around the world which really are using next generation

0:01:29 > 0:01:33techniques to teach and inspire their pupils.

0:01:33 > 0:01:36Well, this week we have a brilliant opportunity to see one of them

0:01:36 > 0:01:38in action.

0:01:38 > 0:01:41Now, as part of the BBC's School Report project, students Mary

0:01:41 > 0:01:44and Olivia from Burntwood School here in London have travelled

0:01:44 > 0:01:48to Norway to meet a teacher who's tearing up her textbooks

0:01:48 > 0:01:51and replacing them with social media.

0:01:51 > 0:01:52This is their story.

0:01:57 > 0:01:59We're very excited to be here in Norway to meet

0:01:59 > 0:02:02the students at Sandvika High School.

0:02:02 > 0:02:04One teacher here is using technology

0:02:04 > 0:02:07instead of books to teach her lessons.

0:02:07 > 0:02:09I have some students who can answer your questions here

0:02:09 > 0:02:11now in front of you.

0:02:11 > 0:02:13Anne Michaelson is teaching International English.

0:02:13 > 0:02:16Her students are 17 to 18-year-olds

0:02:16 > 0:02:19so a few years older than me and Olivia.

0:02:19 > 0:02:21We are 14 and 13.

0:02:21 > 0:02:23This is very different to how we work in London

0:02:23 > 0:02:26where all of our lessons are taught from textbooks.

0:02:28 > 0:02:30Unlike in our classrooms,

0:02:30 > 0:02:34students here are encouraged to go on social media during their class.

0:02:34 > 0:02:37Everyone here is given a laptop by the Norwegian government.

0:02:37 > 0:02:40The students can access Wi-Fi during the lessons.

0:02:40 > 0:02:43Why did you decide to teach in this way?

0:02:43 > 0:02:50Because a textbook could be a book from 2006 and we're in 2014,

0:02:50 > 0:02:53so the content won't change in a book,

0:02:53 > 0:02:54but it will otherwise,

0:02:54 > 0:02:57things are happening in the world and with my subject, like

0:02:57 > 0:03:00International English, it's good to use the net

0:03:00 > 0:03:03and find resources there instead of going in a book.

0:03:03 > 0:03:07'The day started with a Skype call to a classroom in South Africa.'

0:03:07 > 0:03:12The Wi-Fi is going all the way over Europe, all the way over Africa...

0:03:12 > 0:03:15But the technology was not working perfectly,

0:03:15 > 0:03:18so we got to speak to the students without a video feed.

0:03:18 > 0:03:20But it would have been great to be able to see them,

0:03:20 > 0:03:23to get a picture of what their school was like.

0:03:23 > 0:03:26The students use blogs to write up their homework.

0:03:26 > 0:03:29They also use Twitter hashtags to share their lessons

0:03:29 > 0:03:32and help each other online.

0:03:32 > 0:03:33They have a Facebook group

0:03:33 > 0:03:35where Ann can post reminders about their homework,

0:03:35 > 0:03:38and where they can help each other with lessons.

0:03:38 > 0:03:41We thought this might be distracting for the students.

0:03:41 > 0:03:44If they are doing a task on the Facebook group,

0:03:44 > 0:03:49and a message popped up, do you think they would click that and check it?

0:03:49 > 0:03:51Yes, there is a risk.

0:03:51 > 0:03:53There is a risk if the teacher doesn't pay attention to

0:03:53 > 0:03:56what's going on in the classroom. There is a risk if I say,

0:03:56 > 0:03:59"Here is the task, I'll be back in a couple of hours."

0:03:59 > 0:04:02Then they probably would do a lot of other things.

0:04:03 > 0:04:05The students realise they are lucky

0:04:05 > 0:04:07to have access to all of this technology.

0:04:09 > 0:04:13All around the school are posters of students in Lesotho.

0:04:13 > 0:04:18Sandvika is fundraising to build a new school there.

0:04:18 > 0:04:20We spoke to one of the students, Leah,

0:04:20 > 0:04:23who is involved with the project and has been to Lesotho.

0:04:23 > 0:04:26The project funds their internet connection,

0:04:26 > 0:04:29and we've been sponsoring that since the beginning.

0:04:31 > 0:04:33Last time people from our school visited,

0:04:33 > 0:04:36they brought down a couple of laptops.

0:04:36 > 0:04:39When we visited, we brought down some more laptops.

0:04:39 > 0:04:45So we had to give them basic teaching how to use Word

0:04:45 > 0:04:47and how to open the internet,

0:04:47 > 0:04:50because they'd obviously never seen computers before.

0:04:50 > 0:04:54It's amazing really how little some people in the world know

0:04:54 > 0:04:57about internet and social media

0:04:57 > 0:04:59and everything like that.

0:04:59 > 0:05:03'The Norwegian students see us as having much less access to

0:05:03 > 0:05:05'technology in the UK as well.'

0:05:05 > 0:05:08Do you think we'd be at a disadvantage

0:05:08 > 0:05:11because we don't use as much technology?

0:05:11 > 0:05:16I think so, because when you start your work life,

0:05:16 > 0:05:20you are going to use computers all the time.

0:05:20 > 0:05:23But if you're not using and getting to know the computer

0:05:23 > 0:05:25as it is right now, you have a real disadvantage

0:05:25 > 0:05:28when it comes to your future life.

0:05:28 > 0:05:32'Seeing all the social media being used in the classroom, we wondered

0:05:32 > 0:05:35'whether technology will replace school life as we know it now.'

0:05:35 > 0:05:39Do you ever worry that, in the future,

0:05:39 > 0:05:42they are not going to need teachers to teach the lesson?

0:05:42 > 0:05:45- Everything will be just on the computer?- That's a good question.

0:05:45 > 0:05:47I think teachers have to realise

0:05:47 > 0:05:51that students can learn without the teacher.

0:05:51 > 0:05:55So I think that schools need to be very relevant.

0:05:55 > 0:05:58You have to be an alternative to sitting alone in your home

0:05:58 > 0:05:59and working.

0:05:59 > 0:06:02You have to come to school because you know we're going to

0:06:02 > 0:06:04Skype with South Africa, we're doing some questions,

0:06:04 > 0:06:08we're working on a project that we need more people to be on.

0:06:08 > 0:06:12So I think teachers should realise that

0:06:12 > 0:06:14students are learning on their own as well.

0:06:14 > 0:06:19Back in our school in London, the older students already use blogs.

0:06:19 > 0:06:22We think we should use technology more in our classrooms.

0:06:22 > 0:06:25It would be great to have iPads and laptops for our lessons.

0:06:25 > 0:06:29But it wouldn't be as easy to fund this in the UK.

0:06:29 > 0:06:32It would also be great if we could use technology to share

0:06:32 > 0:06:35our ideas in the same way they do in Norway,

0:06:35 > 0:06:37through a group discussion board

0:06:37 > 0:06:41or an app that is accessible only to students in the school.

0:06:41 > 0:06:43We don't think it is good to combine our personal social media

0:06:43 > 0:06:46with schoolwork in the same way they do in Norway.

0:06:49 > 0:06:52Olivia and Mary in Norway.

0:06:52 > 0:06:55You can see that film, along with thousands of other reports

0:06:55 > 0:07:00from schools around the UK, from this Thursday, School Report Day at:

0:07:03 > 0:07:06Now, whether you use social media, video conferencing or just

0:07:06 > 0:07:11plain old books, it is easy to take education for granted.

0:07:11 > 0:07:14But in many parts of the world, anything is better than nothing.

0:07:18 > 0:07:24In Afghanistan, 75% of people are illiterate, and many institutions

0:07:24 > 0:07:27are trying to throw sophisticated and expensive technology

0:07:27 > 0:07:28at the problem.

0:07:28 > 0:07:32However, the solution may actually lie in a much simpler device.

0:07:34 > 0:07:37You might not know this, but Click has a sister programme

0:07:37 > 0:07:41which broadcasts to Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan.

0:07:41 > 0:07:44The team there discovered some software that allows the simple

0:07:44 > 0:07:49and, importantly, very plentiful candy bar style mobile phone to

0:07:49 > 0:07:52teach someone to read and write.

0:07:52 > 0:07:54In Afghanistan,

0:07:54 > 0:07:57the Ministry of Education has distributed 5,000 laptops

0:07:57 > 0:08:01for the One Laptop Per Child project to schools in Kabul and elsewhere.

0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's hoped that the cheap Indian laptop, called Aakash,

0:08:04 > 0:08:07will be added to these soon.

0:08:07 > 0:08:09But with so many people to teach,

0:08:09 > 0:08:12this is, of course, nowhere near enough.

0:08:12 > 0:08:16Unfortunately, the laptops are still pretty expensive by Afghan standards,

0:08:16 > 0:08:20so we came up with the concept of this mobile here, which is putting

0:08:20 > 0:08:25the same education experience with audio, video, quizzes and games into

0:08:25 > 0:08:2935-40 cheap mobile phones, candy bar style,

0:08:29 > 0:08:31that are commonly owned by Afghans.

0:08:33 > 0:08:36With financial help from the US State Department,

0:08:36 > 0:08:40the Paiwastoon company produced a course using the Ustad Mobil

0:08:40 > 0:08:43application for teaching Dari and Pashto literacy.

0:08:44 > 0:08:48People assumed that these phones didn't have any real capabilities,

0:08:48 > 0:08:53yet I knew, as a programmer, that those phones that support what you

0:08:53 > 0:08:58call Java Micro edition are almost the same as 1997 computers that can

0:08:58 > 0:09:03store information, process, run programs, run quizzes, run games,

0:09:03 > 0:09:05connect to the internet.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07All of this was possible.

0:09:07 > 0:09:09From the beginning,

0:09:09 > 0:09:12Ustad Mobil has been designed as an open source project.

0:09:12 > 0:09:16There's also an Android app version for smartphones and tablets,

0:09:16 > 0:09:19and an iOS version is in development.

0:09:19 > 0:09:22Perhaps the coolest thing about Ustad Mobil

0:09:22 > 0:09:27is it's genuinely an Afghan export.

0:09:27 > 0:09:31We took it from what worked in Afghanistan and went to Zambia,

0:09:31 > 0:09:36trained people there, and they are now using the same software, the same

0:09:36 > 0:09:41systems, to make courses for literacy in the seven languages of Zambia.

0:09:41 > 0:09:46Instead of education technology being about some shiny particular device,

0:09:46 > 0:09:49it's about the content and the learning.

0:09:49 > 0:09:52The device is whatever device you want to use.

0:09:53 > 0:09:56Of course we'd love to hear your thoughts on what you've just seen,

0:09:56 > 0:09:58so e-mail Click:

0:09:58 > 0:10:01Get in touch with us on Twitter.

0:10:01 > 0:10:03Next up, it's a look at this week's tech news.

0:10:05 > 0:10:08Google is eyeing up the smartwatch market.

0:10:08 > 0:10:10It's released a new version of its operating system

0:10:10 > 0:10:12Android For Wearables.

0:10:12 > 0:10:16These smartwatches give a taste of the style that Google is aiming for,

0:10:16 > 0:10:19together with its manufacturing partners and fashion brands.

0:10:19 > 0:10:22The first devices, which will make use of the voice-controlled

0:10:22 > 0:10:26Google Now interface, are expected later this year.

0:10:26 > 0:10:30Sony has unveiled a virtual reality headset for its PlayStation 4.

0:10:30 > 0:10:33Project Morpheus has been three years in the making.

0:10:33 > 0:10:38The device features a full HD display with a 90-degree field of view,

0:10:38 > 0:10:41and is equipped with positional head-tracking.

0:10:41 > 0:10:44Sony admits it's counting on innovative developers to help

0:10:44 > 0:10:46make the games that will sell the hardware.

0:10:46 > 0:10:48Can't put a name to a face?

0:10:48 > 0:10:50Ask Facebook, which is

0:10:50 > 0:10:54now using the world's largest collection of photos, its own,

0:10:54 > 0:10:58to develop a program that can recognise a face before it's tagged.

0:10:58 > 0:11:01DeepFace can determine whether two photos of the face

0:11:01 > 0:11:06are the same person, claiming 97% accuracy.

0:11:06 > 0:11:09The tech brings Facebook's current facial recognition software to

0:11:09 > 0:11:13an accuracy level almost on par with humans.

0:11:13 > 0:11:17And finally, for anyone that wants to use social media's power to

0:11:17 > 0:11:23disconnect, a new app called Cloak helps you avoid your friends.

0:11:23 > 0:11:28The antisocial service uses public location data from social networks

0:11:28 > 0:11:31such as Foursquare or Instagram to alert users

0:11:31 > 0:11:34when "friends" are believed to be nearby.

0:11:34 > 0:11:36Useful for avoiding the boss.

0:11:40 > 0:11:43Tapping on screens and keyboards is all very well,

0:11:43 > 0:11:46but we do still need to learn how to write with a pen.

0:11:46 > 0:11:48At least for the moment.

0:11:48 > 0:11:52Well, next month, a new German-based outfit will introduce a pen

0:11:52 > 0:11:55into schools in the UK, Austria and Germany,

0:11:55 > 0:11:59which it claims will warn us if we make a mistake.

0:11:59 > 0:12:03Dan Simmons has been to try out the pen that could help us

0:12:03 > 0:12:04learn as we write.

0:12:06 > 0:12:09Leon loves his toy helicopter,

0:12:09 > 0:12:13and it proved to be the inspiration his father needed to help Leon,

0:12:13 > 0:12:16and potentially millions more, learn how to write.

0:12:16 > 0:12:20I have these small helicopters in mind that fly around,

0:12:20 > 0:12:23and they have motion sensors on it.

0:12:23 > 0:12:27If these helicopters can fly around with these motion sensors,

0:12:27 > 0:12:30we can have a pen with the same motion sensors getting

0:12:30 > 0:12:32the handwriting - that's the core of the idea.

0:12:34 > 0:12:36Leon makes some mistakes doing his homework,

0:12:36 > 0:12:39and my wife says, "Oh, the pen should give him a signal.

0:12:39 > 0:12:41"It can be an electric shock or whatever."

0:12:41 > 0:12:43I say an electric shock is a bit much

0:12:43 > 0:12:45but a small vibration should be perfect,

0:12:45 > 0:12:47so you can also use it in the classrooms.

0:12:49 > 0:12:54This is one of the first prototypes of the Lernstift, or learning pen.

0:12:54 > 0:12:57The final version, once calibrated to its owner's handwriting,

0:12:57 > 0:13:02will use an internal gyroscope to recognise what's being written.

0:13:02 > 0:13:06Unlike a teacher's red pen that corrects long after mistakes are

0:13:06 > 0:13:10made, or a tutor publicly pointing out his errors, Leon's pen

0:13:10 > 0:13:15tells him candidly through vibrating when it thinks something's wrong.

0:13:15 > 0:13:18Hooked up to a phone, an app would give more detail.

0:13:20 > 0:13:22The pen uses normal ink refills,

0:13:22 > 0:13:25but it doesn't actually need any ink to work at all.

0:13:25 > 0:13:28And because there are no optical sensors in here,

0:13:28 > 0:13:32it doesn't need any expensive special paper to work.

0:13:32 > 0:13:36In fact, it doesn't need paper to work at all.

0:13:36 > 0:13:40It will work perfectly well in thin air.

0:13:40 > 0:13:44So how easy is it to make a pen that can read what you write?

0:13:45 > 0:13:49We tested out the latest working prototype which uses wires

0:13:49 > 0:13:53so hardware adjustments can be made more easily.

0:13:53 > 0:13:57It's far from top of the class, although, once trained,

0:13:57 > 0:14:00it matched most of software developer Adam's simple words.

0:14:02 > 0:14:05Like voice recognition, the software will also take

0:14:05 > 0:14:09account of the context of what we are trying to write too.

0:14:09 > 0:14:13Opening up possibilities for other uses like learning a new language.

0:14:13 > 0:14:17Future plans are to have developers come in and develop their own apps

0:14:17 > 0:14:19because it's an open system.

0:14:19 > 0:14:22As well we have the pen detect grammar mistakes,

0:14:22 > 0:14:25so that means it will correct the word order.

0:14:25 > 0:14:27But, also like word recognition,

0:14:27 > 0:14:32this system needs more refinement to be able to adapt to each individual.

0:14:32 > 0:14:37Beta tests in schools with fully wireless models will begin in spring,

0:14:37 > 0:14:41and if that goes well, it is hoped that a fully working pen that quietly

0:14:41 > 0:14:45tells us when we get it wrong will go on sale by the end of the year.

0:14:49 > 0:14:50Dan Simmons learning how to write.

0:14:50 > 0:14:52At least his handwriting is better than mine,

0:14:52 > 0:14:54I can tell you that for nothing!

0:14:54 > 0:14:56Anyway, next lesson today is history.

0:14:56 > 0:15:00And specifically, a new exhibition which has opened in Stockholm

0:15:00 > 0:15:04in which you can unwrap an Egyptian mummy virtually

0:15:04 > 0:15:07while standing right next to the real thing.

0:15:07 > 0:15:10Now, it uses technology designed by Swedish developers

0:15:10 > 0:15:13and originally intended for use in virtual autopsies.

0:15:13 > 0:15:15Neil Bowdler is your teacher.

0:15:18 > 0:15:21Underground in the vault of a former bank in central Stockholm

0:15:21 > 0:15:23lies an Egyptian priest.

0:15:23 > 0:15:26His remains are one of eight mummies which belong to

0:15:26 > 0:15:29the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities.

0:15:29 > 0:15:33He lived in the 3rd century BC in Thebes, modern-day Luxor.

0:15:33 > 0:15:36We know how important he must have been from the coffins

0:15:36 > 0:15:40he was sealed in and the sheer splendour of his decorated mummy.

0:15:40 > 0:15:43We know that his mother's name was Takerheb.

0:15:43 > 0:15:45And we can also see that he belonged

0:15:45 > 0:15:47to the upper classes of Egyptian society

0:15:47 > 0:15:51because he could afford an expensive mummification. Not everybody could.

0:15:51 > 0:15:53And he also has a gilded cartonnage.

0:15:53 > 0:15:57He has two coffins and he has a lot of amulets.

0:15:57 > 0:15:59The museum's Egyptian collection

0:15:59 > 0:16:01has just undergone a radical transformation

0:16:01 > 0:16:03which involved disturbing Neswaiu

0:16:03 > 0:16:06and the other mummies from their slumber.

0:16:06 > 0:16:09They were taken to a hospital to undergo CT scanning

0:16:09 > 0:16:12to see right inside the bodies and wrapping.

0:16:12 > 0:16:17Next, the coffins and mummies were photographed from multiple angles

0:16:17 > 0:16:20and the 2D pictures used to build a 3D surface map

0:16:20 > 0:16:24using recap photo from software company Autodesk.

0:16:24 > 0:16:28All the data was fed into this virtual autopsy table

0:16:28 > 0:16:31which sits in a room next to Neswaiu's body

0:16:31 > 0:16:34in the new permanent exhibition.

0:16:34 > 0:16:37We can actually look at the mummy in greater detail.

0:16:37 > 0:16:40Beginning with the outer coffin.

0:16:40 > 0:16:42And then just peel off layer after layer.

0:16:42 > 0:16:45The inner coffin with all the inscriptions,

0:16:45 > 0:16:50then we have the cartonnage covering the head and the entire body.

0:16:50 > 0:16:52And then the wrappings

0:16:52 > 0:16:56and the bead net protecting the mummy from anything evil.

0:16:56 > 0:16:59And then down to the skeleton.

0:16:59 > 0:17:03With details about, for example, dental health, dental status.

0:17:03 > 0:17:07We can actually see the infection in one of the teeth.

0:17:07 > 0:17:11And then we'll just dress him again, back to the outer coffin.

0:17:11 > 0:17:16CT-scanning Neswaiu doesn't just allow us to unwrap the mummy,

0:17:16 > 0:17:19it also allows us to find objects like this.

0:17:19 > 0:17:23This is a 3D printout of a falcon-shaped amulet

0:17:23 > 0:17:26that was seen inside the mummy, the real one is still in there,

0:17:26 > 0:17:28during the scanning process.

0:17:28 > 0:17:34It was thought it was put there to protect Neswaiu in the afterlife.

0:17:35 > 0:17:37The virtual autopsy table

0:17:37 > 0:17:40is the work of a Swedish research institute.

0:17:40 > 0:17:43They first built the software, called Inside Explorer,

0:17:43 > 0:17:47for autopsies in hospitals and for use by medical students.

0:17:47 > 0:17:50But they have since moved into the museum business.

0:17:50 > 0:17:52They've worked with the Smithsonian in Washington

0:17:52 > 0:17:54and the British Museum in London,

0:17:54 > 0:17:59but the Neswaiu project represents the most advanced work yet.

0:17:59 > 0:18:02We started the process by CT scanning.

0:18:02 > 0:18:07It describes the interior, but it doesn't give you any colour or surface information.

0:18:07 > 0:18:12So we continued the process by doing laser scanning and photogrammetry.

0:18:12 > 0:18:17And that process gave us information about the surface

0:18:17 > 0:18:20and the textures and colours of the mummy.

0:18:20 > 0:18:24Then we are taking all of that data and putting it onto the table

0:18:24 > 0:18:27to make it accessible for museum visitors.

0:18:29 > 0:18:32For the Egyptian curator at the Mediterranean Museum,

0:18:32 > 0:18:34the digital-scanning project offered an unique chance

0:18:34 > 0:18:37to enhance both her understanding of the mummies

0:18:37 > 0:18:40and pass on what they learned to the visitors.

0:18:40 > 0:18:43We wanted partly to get more information about them,

0:18:43 > 0:18:47but we also wanted to include them into this virtual autopsy table

0:18:47 > 0:18:49so that the visitors themselves

0:18:49 > 0:18:51could see this information first-hand

0:18:51 > 0:18:54and not always have to count on researchers

0:18:54 > 0:18:56explaining what can be found on this mummy.

0:18:56 > 0:18:59You can simply unwrap it virtually yourself.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04Wow! If only history was that exciting when I was at school.

0:19:04 > 0:19:06Still, the only thing left for this education special

0:19:06 > 0:19:10is to get a quick lesson from our very own web monitor, Kate Russell.

0:19:10 > 0:19:11Here comes Webscape.

0:19:11 > 0:19:16# School's out for summer...#

0:19:16 > 0:19:19School's never out online.

0:19:19 > 0:19:21"Ciao. Come stai?"

0:19:21 > 0:19:25Busuu is a social-learning platform that teaches 12 languages

0:19:25 > 0:19:29using colourful buttons, clicks and drag-and-drop interactivity.

0:19:29 > 0:19:32It's social because users connect with each other

0:19:32 > 0:19:34to assess and monitor results.

0:19:34 > 0:19:37In this increasingly-mobile world,

0:19:37 > 0:19:40the addition of the smartphone apps is a great idea

0:19:40 > 0:19:42as it allows users to make the most

0:19:42 > 0:19:45of time spent on the train or the bus.

0:19:45 > 0:19:49And mobile app usage in general increased 115% last year.

0:19:49 > 0:19:53And already, Busuu are reporting over half its users

0:19:53 > 0:19:55logging on to learn through the apps.

0:19:59 > 0:20:01There are lots of initiatives

0:20:01 > 0:20:03to encourage youngsters to learn coding right now.

0:20:03 > 0:20:06Code.org is a great starting point,

0:20:06 > 0:20:10serving up practical lessons you can complete in your bedroom

0:20:10 > 0:20:13that give you real results really quickly.

0:20:13 > 0:20:16Like this interactive lesson to make your own Flappy Bird game.

0:20:16 > 0:20:20"Drag-and-drop programming is the easiest way to learn.

0:20:20 > 0:20:23"It's even how university students start learning to code.

0:20:23 > 0:20:27"Each of these blocks is represented by real code.

0:20:27 > 0:20:29"If you take a look at the work space,

0:20:29 > 0:20:32"there are some green blocks that are filled in for you.

0:20:32 > 0:20:34"These are event handlers."

0:20:34 > 0:20:37Just so you know, the creator of Flappy Bird

0:20:37 > 0:20:40was making about 50,000 a day in advertising

0:20:40 > 0:20:43before he took the iPhone app off the market.

0:20:43 > 0:20:47Or how about 17-year-old Nick D'Aloisio,

0:20:47 > 0:20:49who can not only count uber-famous

0:20:49 > 0:20:52tech-evangelist Stephen Fry among his friends,

0:20:52 > 0:20:56but also sold the news app he created, Summly,

0:20:56 > 0:21:00to Yahoo last year for almost 30 million?

0:21:00 > 0:21:03There is no reason why that couldn't be you

0:21:03 > 0:21:07if you're prepared to work hard enough.

0:21:07 > 0:21:10The Year of Code is a project running this year

0:21:10 > 0:21:13to nurture the coders of the future

0:21:13 > 0:21:17with great support, advice and loads of other resources,

0:21:17 > 0:21:20where you can pick up computer skills free of charge.

0:21:20 > 0:21:24# I know she can beat them

0:21:24 > 0:21:27# Oh, Yoshimi. #

0:21:29 > 0:21:32A couple of resources for educators next.

0:21:32 > 0:21:36Get Kahoot lets you make quizzes, discussions and surveys

0:21:36 > 0:21:39to encourage interactivity in the classroom.

0:21:39 > 0:21:40# A, B, C

0:21:40 > 0:21:43# Easy as 1, 2, 3

0:21:43 > 0:21:44# As simple as... #

0:21:44 > 0:21:46The quizzes can be run on any platform,

0:21:46 > 0:21:50so if you have students who won't put their smartphones away,

0:21:50 > 0:21:52what better way to focus their attention on the lesson

0:21:52 > 0:21:55than getting them to interact on their own devices?

0:21:55 > 0:21:59Before you know it, Snapchat and Facebook will be forgotten

0:21:59 > 0:22:02and a whole lot more learning can begin.

0:22:03 > 0:22:05And if you're still hungry for education resources,

0:22:05 > 0:22:07this blog by a teaching professional

0:22:07 > 0:22:11has compiled over 193 teaching

0:22:11 > 0:22:14and learning activities for you to dip into.

0:22:14 > 0:22:17# 1, 2, 3, you and me. #

0:22:21 > 0:22:24Learning isn't just for the young ones, though.

0:22:24 > 0:22:28On 31st March, the Spring Online digital inclusion campaign

0:22:28 > 0:22:29begins for another year.

0:22:29 > 0:22:33Helping thousands of older and less confident computer users

0:22:33 > 0:22:36take their first steps with technology.

0:22:36 > 0:22:38# Show a lot of these and those

0:22:38 > 0:22:41# Springtime's here again. #

0:22:41 > 0:22:43"So, are there any positive effects?

0:22:43 > 0:22:46"Can video games actually make you smarter?"

0:22:46 > 0:22:50Some children and adults would rather play video games than study,

0:22:50 > 0:22:53but perhaps that's not as bad as you think.

0:22:53 > 0:22:56This week's video comes from AsapSCIENCE

0:22:56 > 0:23:01and investigates whether playing video games can make you smarter.

0:23:01 > 0:23:05"One study in particular had participants play Super Mario 64

0:23:05 > 0:23:07"for 30 minutes a day over two months.

0:23:07 > 0:23:09"Afterwards, the brains of these participants

0:23:09 > 0:23:12"saw an increase of grey matter in areas associated with memory,

0:23:12 > 0:23:14"strategic planning and fine motor skills of the hands,

0:23:14 > 0:23:16"compared to those who had not played.

0:23:16 > 0:23:19"These are particularly encouraging results

0:23:19 > 0:23:22"for mental disorders which cause these brain regions to shrink."

0:23:22 > 0:23:25Thank you, Kate, great video. I can feel my IQ moving as we speak.

0:23:25 > 0:23:27I won't tell you which way, though.

0:23:27 > 0:23:30Anyway, that's it. Kate's links, more from us,

0:23:30 > 0:23:33and your regularly updated digest of tech news

0:23:33 > 0:23:35are all available at our website.

0:23:37 > 0:23:41Please get in touch about anything and everything you've seen today.

0:23:45 > 0:23:49Don't forget to check out the BBC's School Report project from Thursday.

0:23:52 > 0:23:55Thank you very much for watching. It's home time!