Posted in
Informal adult learning is good for people. It builds confidence and skills. It brings people together and keeps them mentally and physically active. It reaches out to people who feel learning isn’t for them, especially people from disadvantaged groups. It builds vital bridges into formal learning, training and sustainable employment.
The School of Everything is a website, bringing together a vast amount of information to help hundreds of thousands of learners. It was developed using open source software and open standards, it’s fun to use and it’s highly accessible to even the most inexperienced users.
The School of Everything was created in 2008 by a small group of like-minded people with a big idea. Initially backed by organisations like Channel 4, it’s a for-profit company with a social goal, fully independent but uncompromising in its objectives.
In 2009, School of Everything was invited to partner with Becta so that, working together with funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, they could help fulfil the commitments in the Learning Revolution White Paper. The original site brought individual learners and teachers together in an easily navigable online environment. A rating and review system allows good tutors to rise to the top and open access makes it easy to add new information. School of Everything lets you learn and teach
whatever, wherever and whenever you want.
There’s a learning revolution going on – and the School of Everything (www.schoolofeverything.com) is at the heart of it. It’s the place people go to learn what they want, when they want on their own terms. Becta is partnering with the School of Everything to make the learning revolution happen by bringing everything together: learners, teachers, groups, courses, venues and resources. It aims to encourage a wider uptake of a whole spectrum of adult and informal learning, making it easier for those who want to learn to find somewhere to do it and someone to teach them.
“The School ofEverything is on everybody’s lips.”
Alastair Clark,
Senior Programme
Manager, NIACE
Building on this strong foundation, the School of Everything is being further developed to incorporate features including:
A space to learn – all the details about free and low-cost venues for learning and teaching.
Postcode search capability – making it even easier to find the right teacher and venue close to home.
A customisable search widget – a little bit of the School of Everything for your website or blog, so visitors can join the learning revolution.
Searchable events database – instant access to what’s happening when and where.
Ability to upload resources – notes, links, videos, images, documents; things that help you learn or teach a particular subject.
Searchable courses and learning opportunities database – for when you know what you want but aren’t sure where to look.
Bulk upload – making it easy, if you’re an organisation or someone with lots of information, to get on board.
Once development is complete, the School of Everything will continue to grow and thrive, changing the online face of informal adult learning.
“You’re never too old or young to learn, but if you’re not sure what it is you want to be studying why not just join the School of Everything.”
Kate Russell on BBC World News
Whether you want to learn or teach the website covers it all.
“The School of Everything makes lifelong learning so accessible – anyone who wants to learn anything at all should take a look.”
Joe Fearnehough, National Union
Development Officer, union learn with the TUC
Does your organisation run or have links with Informal adult learning courses, workshops, teachers or others involved with informal adult learning? Add their details to www.schoolofeverything.com and tap into a vast pool of enthusiastic new learners.
Do you have venues or spaces suitable for learners, teachers or groups to use? Add them to www.schoolofeverything.com and
attract new learning activities to your community.
Do you have resources which teachers and learners could use to support informal adult learning? Add them to www.schoolofeverything.com and enrich people’s learning lives.
Is there anything you would like to learn, or could teach? Register with www.schoolofeverything.com and join the revolution!
How you can join in.
“We see so much potential in being part of the School of Everything.”
Karen Bhamra, Programme
Development Officer, Adult, Community & Family Learning,
Harrow Council
“A beautifully simple idea using the web to connect those who have something to teach with those who want to learn.”
The Guardian
Email: hello@schoolofeverything.com