So Much to Learn...So Little Time

The Countdown Commences

The clock is ticking...

Disappointed as I am not to be at SLF ("Suspect Device" great song) I am actually quite glad that I haven't been able to attend. I've been catching up on some stuff via the ace Connected Live Blog BUT I have so many things to do here.

Our visitors from Namibia and Ethiopia arrive on Sunday so there is some serious organisation going on.

In preparation for this event, and in celebration of the Ethiopian Millenium last week I have lead the assemblies all this week, just simply talking about Ethiopia. And I made a slidecast of the presentation. (Its a really simple but effective way of sharing presentations)

Here it is:

Ethiopia

Download ethiopia_assembly.mp3

Mucking around

Sein-rap.

Going over sein and haben with my S2's and was wondering if I could make the chant a bit more interesting. So I mucked about with Garageband.

What do you think?

Seinrap

You know that famous quote about statistics...

STACS...

It's that time of year when our statistical chickens come home to roost. Each department is issued with a STACS analysis of their results.

Maybe someone can explain the statistical validity of the statement indicating that one gender in AH French have under-performed (our one candidate of this gender got an A). Maybe I am ill qualified to judge but statistically to me this means 100% success.

There was also the line about SG German achievement being below par when compared to predictions in other subject areas...MFL is not an elective in S3 & S4 unlike most other subjects (apart from core of course).

When are we going stop paying number crunchers huge amounts of money which generate meaningless figures which mean that teachers get to fill in more and more paperwork just to make sure that statistics add up.

As a frontline grunt can somebody tell me whether the much anticipated Curriculum for Excellence is going to put a halt all this, or if not halt it make these analyses make more sense to those of us who deliver education day after day?

Mandela and his statue

Mandela and his statue
Originally uploaded by Elsie Emm.

A great day for the most noble man on this earth. There are many world leaders who even if they lived a 1000 years could not achieve a modicum of his dignity.
He maybe frail of body but his voice and words still ring out strong and true.
A truly great human being.
Amandla Ngawethu!

School Tube

SchoolTube now online.

Thanks to Jane Knight bringing to my (and everone who reads her) attention the existence of SchoolTube. It puports to be a safe environment for students and educators to upload videos. On initial inspection there are more appropriate categories for your videos than on TeacherTube. I am quite looking forward to using it.

Gyminee Invites

I have 5 invites to a new fitness tracking website called Gyminee.

Don't know yet how fun or useful it is yet but I'm hoping to give it a try. First 5 comments get one...if I even have that many readers. (You'll have to leave your email address for the invite)

German Slidecast 2

Here's a German vocab slidecast with a lovely piano ballad in the background. Does it work for you?

German slidecast

Download Sportarten.mp3

Embeddable Flickr Slideshows

Ever wondered what to do with your Flickr slideshows.
With SlideFlickr you can embed them or even post them onto your Facebook profile.

It looks great and is so easy to do.