Eleven Plus Buzz

We need to assume that humans are better than computers at interpreting complex information from other humans. It is may, however, be likely that in time an eleven plus child working through an on line eleven plus paper, can smile at the machine, and say: “I am enjoying this!” Naturally we would expect an immediate reaction from the computer.

What a computer can do is accept results of children’s work and then made adjustments to what is taught. A computer can also pass information to a wide range of children and parents. A computer can time exercises and slow down or speed up the information that is being delivered to the child. It can also attempt to motivate the children.

Parents will sometimes open up a range of online eleven plus papers or assessments in the hope that working through the programs will serve to motivate their children. Some eleven plus children and their parents will be using the internet for information. There is also the opportunity to communicate through forums, blogs, twitter, face book and the like.

Google invited me to join Buzz today – and offered my Google mail contacts up as `friends’. Will technology like this ever be able to affect eleven plus study in the future? Possibly – we will have to wait and see.

The one application that could be of interest to some eleven plus parents is the location app. Many of our mobiles already have location software linked to the internet. One of the Buzz mobile applications will allow parents not only to know where their child is – but also receive updates from people close by. This could mean that some families will not be so dependent on generic eleven plus papers.

An analogy could be that eleven plus parents would not need to rely on a shotgun approach – but could hope and dream of the single rifle shot that homes on the problem.

I already have some friends on Buzz – and have signed up to `location’. No one, as yet, has buzzed me through Buzz about the eleven plus. Please be kind enough to give me a buzz when you do break through.