So Much to Learn...So Little Time

Izzy, wizzy lets get busy

This week I have been doing mostly everything...and getting it all done.
I'n't study leave great.

No I'm not trying to make up an educational version of The Fast Show.
Very busy but extremely productive week so far. I have...

• recorded and (almost) edited 5 new vocabulary guide podcasts for the homework blog
• organised, planned and arranged our tree planting ceremony to celebrate both World Environment Day and our Connecting Classrooms Partnership (the Welwitschia partnership)
• made a good start on the above mentioned partnership's wiki page
• done all the wonderful and really necessary paperwork for Friday's activity day (we are going out into Huntly to make a film...)
• taught some good lessons (for once)
• got the car repaired
• had a filling done
• checked and submitted our partnership plan and budget for Welwitschia
• almost decided on some resources for the department to use during Refugee Week.

Now all that remains is...

• get my trip to Graz organised
• attend markers meeting
• mark tons of scripts before 21st June
• tweak my Welwitschia presentations for assemblies at school
• ditto for staff meeting
• muck around with my kids
• RELAX.

Just the average working week then.
Had to laugh at myself when I decided to try to fill in my CPD record. 35 hours logged before end of first term, and I wasn't even busy then.

Ho Hum.

New and Improved In Service Podcast with free extras

  Here's the souped up version of the previous post's podcast.
It includes screenshots of my slides, url links to the relevant web pages and some music.
I recorded this presentation using a Griffin lapel mic connected to a Griffin iMic, connected to an Apple PowerBook G4 and Garageband 3.

Download aberdeenshire_and_city_modern_languages_in_service_day_may_2007.m4a

Notes to accompany presentation:

Promoting School/Departmental Activities
Resource bank / homework details
AifL/Peer Assessment
Reflection
Enterprise Activity
Collaborative Blog

What is a blog?
What is a podcast?
Typepad blogging tutorial
How to make a podcast

audacity download
audacity users guide
audacity tutorials

garageband 3
garageband tutorial

a good starters usb microphone

griffin imic / lapel mic

Some useful sources of information:
Joe Dale's ICT in Modern languages
Ewan MacIntosh
Ollie Bray
John Johnstone@Sandaig Primary
The Ashcombe School
MFLE blogs and podcasts
eggdeutsch

MFL Blogroll (courtesy of Joe Dale...thanks Joe)

This is a great list of links to MFL themed blogs from all over.

• A ship in the country
• Campo's Corner
• Edgehill College Spanish
• Eggdeutsch
• Ewan McIntosh
• Facing the currently unknown
• Inchinnan Primary
• Kirklandneuk Primary
• Langwitches
• Leanne Simmonds
• Lynne Horn
• MFL Innovations and Ideas Bank
• MFLE
• Montrose Academy
• Northgate High
• Partners in Excellence
• Rate my Mates
• Spectacularspanishandfabulousfrench
• Steph Hopkins
• TES ICT Blog
• TGS MFL HW
• Two Stars and a Wish
• Woodhill Primary
• York MFL PGCE

In Service 18th May 2007 (Blogging, Podcasting, Digital Video...in 30 mins.)

Blogging and Podcasting for busy teachers.
As promised here's the podcast of my performance today. This is just the basic recorded version. I'm going to link it with the powerpoint so the slides will show at the appropriate moment.

Download Inservice.mp3

Teaching - gap year for city slickers

Has inner city teaching become the gap year(s) for aspiring city slickers from top universities?

This article (Independent on Sunday) worried me as I read it. Now I'm not going to pretend I have read into the ins and outs of Teach First but superficially I find it worrying as it appears that teaching in the inner cities in England (strangely where recruitment and retention is rather difficult).

What image does it promote of teaching as a profession when businesses contribute to a programme which sends "teachers" into challenging classrooms with 6 weeks residential training with the overall goal that they come out with great leadership training and presentational skills which they can then take back into big business.
What about the students in this programme. What do they get out of it. A glorified teaching assistant for two years at the most?

In my humble opinion this is just another programme which drags down the image of teaching as a profession, which indeed it still is. It's about time that people outside the profession stopped thinking that they know better just because they went to school for 12 years. I agree that we need to look to business for ideas but we should not be a breeding ground for quality candidates. Children need real qualified teachers who are motivated and interested, not people who are in it for a short time as a stepping stone to better things.

As yet this is only affecting England, where I first qualified and taught, and I am thankful that it is harder to obtain   registration here (I know from experience) in Scotland than down south. Let us hope this remains so.