Virtual Teacher Centre to close

[Graham Davies]

The Virtual Teacher Centre (VTC), which was set up by BECTA as part of the National Grid for Learning (NGfL), is about to close. As from 19 December all the existing VTC websites will be accessible via the National Grid for Learning at http://www.ngfl.gov.uk

If you have links to the old VTC site at http://vtc.ngfl.gov.uk you will need to modify them to reflect this change. I've already removed all references to the VTC at the ICT4LT website and at my personal website.

Isn't the Web an unstable beast? I have an image of a big library staffed by mischievous gremlins running around removing the books from their shelves and relocating them without changing the references in the catalogue.

Question: How much use do teachers make of the NGfL? For several years I have monitored referrals from the NGfL/VTC to the websites that I maintain. Only a handful of referrals have shown up each year, suggesting that the NGfL may not be the first port of call for teachers when seeking information about ICT.