Downtime

Just a quick note to evidence the fact that I have indeed taken a break from all things formal and spent some time relaxing in an alternative setting. A great time was had by all and the food was fairly spectacular. I made a new menu discovery in the shape of “Sea Bream” or “Daurade” as it is called locally (Cote D’Azur). Delicious tender white fish simply attended to with a lemon and basil marinade and foil baked on the BBQ.

Chillin in the kitchin

Future of education?

This was posted by Sir Ken Robinson earlier today. There are quite a few generalisations being made about the affect and effectiveness of technology in education. Look beyond the corporate schmulz and for those who already embrace technology in education will think “we’re on it!” I think those that insist on keeping their heads in the sand and/or continue to restrict their use of it by sticking to the same old lesson plans will find themselves alone at the end of the jetty. The future that is intimated is already present in some settings. I would imagine that it is being driven by passionate leaders and individuals who have adopted a savvy stance and explored the creative potential of what is available.

.wmv hell

Movie Maker

Eight down and ten to go. Eighteen 15 minute films using windows moviemaker is a bit of a chore to say the least. If only the school had invested in a MacBook pro (with firewire port) then I think life could have been a lot easier.

I’m not convinced that the clip editing is any easier in imovie though as you can’t play and clip simultaneously (or I haven’t figured it out). I do like the auto style formatting that is available though as this makes the addition of transitions and effects effortless. Oh bother, just realised that I forgot to “ease in” the pictures on the current project. Aargh!

Awe inspiring ability and creativity

Derek Paravinci (Musical savant) is a born entertainer. He is also blind, autistic and a musical prodigy (Robinson, 2011, pp.127-129). This video explains his condition but more importantly shows him at his best. His talent is more than that to … Continue reading →

The journey continues

Image by tricky ™ via Flickr

Thanks to the recent module that I completed (May 2011) I am now in a position where I know exactly what I need to do over the next few years and where it will or should lead me. As short as possibly one year ago I would not have had any structure to my plan, or probably not had a plan at all as to how to get there.

I have taken a big step, with confidence, towards swelling my CPD (Continued professional development) portfolio by volunteering my time and efforts to enhancing the whole school curriculum. It helps that it is something that I enjoy passionately – gardening. :0)

logged on

Just had a look at how long I have spent online at Ultraversity and it is quite staggering. This does not include the amount of additional time that I spent logged off and otherwise engaged in other modes of study but it gives some idea of the investment and commitment that I made to obtaining (hopefully) a degree. A total of 1517.5 hours logged on and most likely engaged in some form of online discussion and / or learning scenario. Perhaps doing a bit of desktop research or online reading. Either way a lot of time spent in front of the screen trying to get it done.

earning and learning

This part of the journey has now ended. The train has arrived at Clapham Junction and the tannoy announces “all change!” It reminds me of the many journeys I made as a boy coming home from a term away at school. Excited to see old friends and family again and looking forward to a nice home cooked meal with the evenings stretching ahead without ambition or agenda. Reticent also about the friendships left behind in the dorms where battles were keenly fought side by side, lifetime alliances were forged through shared experiences and independence was fostered through the realisation that we had “made it.”

Those were some of the best days/weeks/months/years of my life. They were also some of the most challenging. Looking back over the past three years of life with cohort 9 @ Anglia I am overwhelmed with the similarities that are evident.

I will reference this experience for many years to come and draw constant inspiration from the shared experiences and realisations that have occurred along the way. I have learnt so much about myself that has been there all the time waiting to be discovered and can’t wait to put it in to practice. In fact I realise that I have been putting it into practice and that is what has been so wonderful. Being able to discover and learn significant things about yourself while earning a living and ultimately improving that combination is frighteningly powerful. Thank you ultraversity, thank you C9;  I have had the time of my life and you are the reason. Cheers.