So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Communicate.07

A fine day of learning.

I really rather enjoyed my first experience of giving a presentation to colleagues from other schools from all over Scotland. For some reason I wasn't anywhere near as nervous as I thought I was going to be. Maybe that there were only 12 delegates in my session helped...you don't know what you missed! Unfortunately due to my over exuberance to get started I forgot to press record on the marantz and so didn't record the session as intended.

I picked up quite a lot of information during the course of my presentation. Namely that the willingness of teachers to get to grips with this sort of stuff knows no bounds but unfortunately their enthusiasm is quite often bridled by others who may have control over the IT situation either in school or within the authority. There are some quite worrying stories such IT people who when asked about uploading videos from You Tube said "What's that?" There seems to be a desire on the part of authorities to  block some/all of web 2.0 technology rather than allow it to be used in schools to help educate students on its safe usage. (I know Ewan's being going on about this for ages now.) Youngsters are going to use it at home so why ban it in school? As a profession we need to be aware of all these applications and how to use them.

During the morning I attended the plenary session with Stuart Hay et al from the Anderson High in Lerwick. (Their story of travel adversity brought back fond memories of my time in Shetland.) I came away brimming with thoughts about how we can use/adapt similar ideas if our application to the british Council is accepted. mainly ideas on how to share what we can do with African partners:
    •    film science experiments
    •    film/record debates in mod studs
    •    use different age/stage groups in MFL (ie older native speakers challenge younger TL speakers)
    •    see/hear ourselves as others see/hear us
    •    presenting our locality to others
    •    student research - students have been asked to assess effectiveness of school
    •    shared images course - open to all ages/stages - enables youngsters to have access to higher MFL learners/NS

    •    I am looking forward to investigating their website.

    •    Although school is doing heaps one thing stuart said struck home:     YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN INVENTOR

To close the plenary Robert McKinstry identified some interesting quotes by Stuart:
    •    "Almost every department has a virtual and an active timetable"
    •    "Bringing the world to the classroom"

Surely if we can get a project like this off the ground we will improve
unquestionalbly the level of interdepartmental communication within school.

Later that morning I attended a seminar on the use of mobiles in the classroom.
It was interesting in that i think I now know how to go about blogging via my phone
and I also got some great ideas about how to put them to good use in class for
things like directions around school.

So overall I found it very interesting. I have also come back with a vague idea about producing more "commercially" viable podcasts. Not in the profit making sense but can I set up a programme in school where kids produce podcasts in whatever subjects as ordered by departments. Eg if history want a resource on Civil Rights can we produce one for them???
I think I would like to speak to Mark Pentleton about this one.

But as my blog title says..."So much to learm...so little time"

PS I also learned that it's Communicate DOT 07 and not Communicate 07.

You can download my presentation here if you want. (It's a big file so be patient)

Download communicate.07 - Try It and You Will Learn.mov

Another First

My first presentation to peers.

This weekend sees me giving my first presentation to  my teaching colleagues nationwide. During the seminar I asked the delegates to script, produce and post a podcast. Here are the results.
Hopefully you will leave me a comment or two on how I did on the day.

Download coomunicate_07.m4a

ninemillion for the UN

Microsoft is giving money away all this month.
Sorry folks, but not to you.

If you use the special click4thecause search engine until 31 March, microsoft have promised to donate money the the UN's ninemillion.org programme. The money donated will help the UNHCR  provide education and sports programmes for the nine million youth refugees worldwide. 
Now multinationals are not my favourite cup of tea and where they give they are probably profiting somewhere. However Microsoft and Bill Gates are not quite the same as the evil oil barons and this venture should be supported.
I'm going to suggest at school that Friday (also red nose day) all searches should be carried out via click4thecause.

Signposts or weathercocks?

Are teachers signposts or weathercocks?

I heard an interesting interview with Tony Benn and the weekend (on the Worriker show on 5 Live.) He basically said there were 2 types of politician; those who show the way (signposts) and those who follow which ever way the wind of poularity is blowing (weather cocks). Interestingly he associated himself with Thatcher on this one by saying that she at least kept true to her guiding principles, unlike other more recent Prime Ministers one could mention...

This got me thinking about my profession. Ideally teachers should be able to be signposts. We should have the time and resources necessary to direct our students in the direction which is most suitable for their education. We do after all spend quite some time with them and get to know them. However how often do we feel we are forced to turn off a sure path (in our own professional opinion) to follow the fickle winds of political popularity. Take today's announcements of language learning in primary schools in England (of course we already have it here in  Scotland). Sounds great, it is great, but have they consulted those who will have to deliver it. Where are the languages teachers to deliver it. Successive governments have consistently reduced the importance and relevancy to pupils of MFL and as a consequence there is no way on this earth that the required number of QUALIFIED teachers will be found to pull this off. OR, as seems to be a worrying trend in my homeland, will teaching assisstants be "trained" to deliver language lessons. It is at this point that I thank my lucky stars that I camr to work in Scotland. For all the problems that exist in our education system here at least we are trying to iron them out in a concrete and consultative manner (ACfE). I really feel for my friends and colleagues working down south who have to put up with constant interference and messing around  clueless politicos.

Two Events

What a week, but it was worth it.

Well last week was one of my more busy ones. My S3's took part in the Institut Francais' Rencontres Theatrales on Wednesday. Of course I was worried about how they would perform, but once again they were awesome. It was quite a shared learning experience because I'm not exactly a drama teacher but I had ideas about what I wanted to see on stage. Some of my actors however perform regularly and were able to contribute some excellent ideas about how to stage our little masterpiece, so I am really quite pleased to say I learned a lot from them as well.
If you just happen to be curious about their play ("La jeune fille, le chef et la grenouille: une Cendrillon africaine") you can see it on the departmental blog, along with a slideshow of some pictures I took of the whole event. At a later date I will be posting podcasts of the other acts as well.

Next on Thursday I took part in Joe Dale's Flashmeeting. It was an hour of sharing practice and just decent conversation between hardworking teachers. Check out Joe's post rather than me going on about it...no pint in reinventing the wheel.
It was great to see and here from folk whose names I have come across on the web and it was even better to find out more about their work.

Now I've only got to worry about Communicate 07.

My Eclipse photo

Don't give up the day job.

Here's my rather rubbish attempt to capture the majesty of last nights lunar eclipse.

Sharing Knowlege

A question.

How many of us know what goes on in our own schools, in other classrooms?

I ask it because I've just been thinking about what someone asked me on friday. I've been rehearsing with students our entry to Rencontres Theatrales for about 3 months and wednesday sees the competition come to school. A colleague came into the hall and asked about all the noise!

Last inset there was a great session where 6 teachers shared examples of good practice in their classrooms...ok I was one of them. And by majority decision it was the most effective part of the day.

Why do we only leave these things to inset? I have a theory. We are British (Scottish, English or whatever) and we hate blowing our own trumpets. Whether we like to admit it or not we know which areas of our practice are good and which need a tweak or two.

We should be more ready to promote our own work AND SHARE IT. We shouldn't keep these things to ourselves. Education is about spreading knowledge, imparting wisdom. If we are be lifelong learners and to encourage lifelong learning we should start close to home.

Maybe that's why I like blogs. I can share my thoughts and work with others without forcing folk to listen. People can access it if they want to AND pass comment...hopefully constructive.

If ACfE is to live up to it's (lofty) expectations we should be given far more opportunity to SHARE and LEARN from our peers.

Sport, Role Models and Responsibility

Where is the sense of responsibility?

We now live in a society which is obsessed by the vagaries of celebrity and we are dazzled by fame and bling . For those people lucky enough to be showered with talent, gifts and money do they ever feel a sense of responsibility to society and themselves?

I want to take in point this weekends sporting action. My elation at Ronaldo's last minute stunner on Saturday at craven cottage was swiftly followed by despair at England's frankly poor performance against Ireland. The coverage of this event was dominated by the historical background to this match, yet the anthems particularly that of England were observed with an outstanding dignity by a crowd who could have (rightly?) chosen to be more disrespectful. Later in the match a big hulking giant of a forward, Danny Grewcock, was given a telling off and sin binned by a diminutive ref. He was obviously annoyed at this but off he went.

On Friday in the Rugby League World Club Challenge the ref berated 2 players for foul play, as they started to complain he simply explained who was in charge and the sanctions which would ensue for their teams if they continued. They desisted forthwith.

Fast forward to The Millen nium Stadium and the Carling Cup Final yesterday. It was a great match until the last few minutes...then what was a case of handbags turned into all out war. These things sometimes happen in sport when trophies are at stake and it's not the fighting that I find frustrating it is the aftermath.

First of all everybody blames the ref. Did he start the thing? Second of all no one but no one accepts any kind of responsibility for what goes on on the pitch in football. Chelsea and Arsenal are both contesting the red cards that were handed out...why?  Both players were involved in violent conduct...witnessed by thousands although you wouldn't think so judging by the reaction on 606 by Arsenal fans.

What I am trying to get at is that there are a section of our more iconic celebrities who seem to think that they as they are immune from the consequences of their actions, that violent conduct on the field of play does not merit punishment.

What example does this set our youngsters who are more and more sucked in by the celebrity lifestyle? It shows them that they don't need to accept responsibility for their actions. The Curriculum for Excellence has for one of it's capacities that all students should be Responsible Citizens. Its going to be a long and difficult task for us educators if todays role models in society do not show the way.


End of incoherent rant!@$%^

An apt title

The dawn of realisation.

This next month will see me realise just how apt my blog title is. I'm beginning to wonder if I haven't got too much on my plate...and my daughter isn't well.

Let's just take a look at things chronologically:

1. rehearsals every lunchtime next week for Rencontres Théâtrales, then performance on 7th March, plus the whole day to organise, which should be interesting considering some of the ridiculous questions I have had to answer. I thought teachers were capable of rational thought.
2. two filmmaking workshops one 27th Feb and 8th March
3. S4 speaking tests to do
4. S1 multimedia project about school
5. S2 presentations to mark
6. British Council Connecting Classrooms project
7. Cultural Xtra Day
8. to cap it all I have two hour long presentations to give at Communicate 07

So quite a lot to do then. Although I have a lot on this is the way I like things as I seem to work better when I am busy. I can focus in for short periods each day and get quite a lot done, including prepping lessons and marking.
One thing that seriously annoys me though are please takes. Come on...I have no free lunchtimes in most weeks and then I get 2 out of 5 free periods taken by please takes...usually guidance as well. On Friday I was told there was no one else to do a cover when I had calls to make and loads of stuff to do. There were 3 other members of staff having coffee in the staff room...hmmm! Something not right.

 

Ride the bandwagon

Something else for free.

Thanks again to Ewan i have found something for free again. I am just away to back up my iTunes library via bandwagon..and i should get a whole years free subscription.