| Digital - teacher | Education in a technological world

Microshafted

I was sent a link today that is (apparently) really useful at clearing up the look of text on TFT monitors.  I thought great, I can really do with making the text look much clearer, and less blocky.
The site is part of Microshafts typography website, and they really made me angry.
You see I use Firefox - a far superior browser to IE, and yet for some (I know why...) reason you cannot set up the cleartype facility if you are using Firefox. It will only work if you use Internet Explorer.
Well, I'm sorry, but to me that is unacceptable. What gives Gates and Microshaft the right to make me use their software to improve the text on screen? Ba***rds

Thunderbird is go

I've finally done it - I've made the switch from Outlook to Thunderbird  to read my emails. Why? Well, here are some of the reasons why I did it. I was delaying the changeover as I had several mail accounts that I used together, and lots of messages that I didn't want to lose, but I shouldn't have worried. Those nice people at Mozilla, and a few techy friends of mine have made it a breeze to alter. I've thrown out Outlook like an unwanted old rag. It's never coming back again. I should have made the change when I started using Firefox last year.

The Doctor will see you now

Well, last night was the first episode of the new Doctor Who, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The doctor has a slighty alien attitude (well, he is a Time Lord!), his assistant seemed able to act, and the effects have lost their wobble and look better than in previous series.
The plot was entertaining too - store dummies trying to take over the world because the pollution and toxins in the air were perfect for them (nice educational slant to the episode there), although I am now a bit unsure about approaching my wheelie bin after seeing just what wheelie bins get up to in their spare time.
Overall, a cracking start to the new series, and once the Doctor and Rose start to meet strange alien races it should get even better. Bring on the next episode.

Rent DVDs for free!

I found this site tonight - you can try out a DVD rental service for free, enjoy some movies, then cancel without any charge.
Hurry, before it changes - get your free movies in quick!

Too popular?

There are things that you say and later on you wonder why. I've discovered something I said a while back is now coming back at me big time!
I was happy building Dragonsville. I was happy editing the submissions. In fact, I wanted to keep in touch with the project so much I said that I would continue editing the submissions once my role in the Writers for the Future project ended.

Well, BANG! today it struck me back. I went into the database to check and approve some submissions for the site and found that there are nearly two thousand waiting for me to look at. Two thousand - this site is proving to be very popular indeed.

Thats two thousand pieces of childrens work that I need to look for spellings, grammar, sense and (most importantly) remove surnames for safety.

I'm going to be a busy bunny this Easter...

Easter = DIY

Well, Easter is approaching, and so what is there that needs to be done. DIY of course!
It's time to redesign the bedroom, and as part of this it's off with the wallpaper, ready to paint the walls.
There is one slight problem though, it seems that the previous occupants papered over the previous occupants, who papered over the previous, and so on. So, as I I'm steaming away at the walls into the wee small hours (its 11pm and I'm taking a short break before going back) I get to see what is almost like a timeteam episode as history is revealed, but rather than looking into a trench I can look at the layers of wallpaper coming off!
The most annoying part of this steaming business though is that at some point in the dim and distant past (I've not found any evidence that will help me date when this occurance took place) one occupant obviously thought it would be a really great idea to use gloss paint on the wallpaper.
Well, I've news for them if they are listening. It was a crap idea! Gloss paint doesn't like to come off walls, and so in the last two and a half hours I have managed to remove less than 1/3 of the wallpaper on one wall.
That means that at this rate I will be working for another four hours before I reach the end of the wall. In other words it will be 4am before I complete this task.
So, armed with this knowledge I am desperately trying to find something else to do to avoid having to spend the night in a hot, steamy room armed with a wallpaper scraper and night time radio for company.

Update: well I seemed to have worked faster than I thought I would, because the paper is off (apart from behind the radiator - tomorrows job) and it's only 3am. Only!!

Kids

I've spent most of today either doing things for my daughter, taking her places, or else trying to sort out the pigsty she calls her bedroom.
This morning began with a taxi service (of course there was no payment for me!) to the local park where she met up with other girls in her guide division ready for the local Palm Sunday parade. Whilst she was busy marching along the streets of the town centre (much to the annoyance of the traffic that had to wait whilst the police escorted all the guides and scouts) I headed to the local Sainsburys supermarket for a Sunday Times. Nice notice on the display shelf when I got there "Sorry, no deliveries today".
Bugger.
So, I headed to the other supermarket - Asda - convinced that they would have them.
Nope. Wrong again.
Finally I found one in WHSmiths. The last one on the shelf there.
So, armed with my newspaper I headed to the church to meet her. I sat and read (and there was a great article on Jamie Oliver and his school dinners crusade) until it was time that they came out. But they never emerged. 30 minutes later the great wooden doors of the church opened, and out she came with all the others. Apparently the vicar had a little bit more than usual to say!
So, back home and I thought a short job of trying to find the carpet in her room (I knew there was one in there underneath all the books and clothes. I had seen it once)
Well, 5 hours later and I've finally made her complete the room. It was hard, it was a struggle, and if I'd just done it myself it would have been completed in less than an hour, but I was damn sure that this time SHE would clean it herself. Despite the questions "Where should I put this rubbish?" (I had a sarcastic answer ready, but held my tongue!) and "Do I have to do it", I held my nerve and watched her do it all.
Now, I just need to make sure ity stays clean. Bets on how long....

Who thought it up?

Well, those pesky planners are at in again in the middle of the city.
They have had a great idea to reduce the congestion in the city centre. This is going to be achieved by re-routing all the traffic along new routes.
So, they've started on their grand plan to ease congestion;

• They've closed off roads.
• They've altered the one way direction of some streets.
• They've dug up no end of tarmac.
• They've got temporary lights in place.

And the congestion.......
Yes, you guessed. It's worse than ever.
And this is going to go on for months at least.
Thank you Mr Planner man. Another great idea that the residents of this fine (?!) city have to deal with.

Montage

Found this application whilst idling away on the web. It's quite good you know.
It's part of the designers website, with lots of great little activities to try out.

On the map

Well, I see that my city has made it onto the national news yet again because of another gun crime taking place.
Two years ago I was working in an area of the city that was experiencing at least one gun crime a week. I took a career change and thought I had escaped it.
Not so. Last year, less than four hundred yards from my home, a shopkeeper was killed during a robbery.
This week, my partners school has pupils who have seen at first hand the latest deadly attack.

It used to be such a nice city. I used to be proud to say I came from here. Now, I just want to hide and keep quiet.

I've lost pride in my city.

I've lost my city.

Period.

End of the line

Well, this is the end of the Writers for the Future project. Technically I ended my part in it in August, when my role as the Digital Teacher in Residence ended, but as of March 15th, the whole Writers for the Future project comes to an end.
It's been a great time working to develop ICT projects within the classroom.

I got to design and meet six great dragons in Dragonsville, and then had a blast getting Adventure Island to work (just think of those great old 'Choose your own adventure' books).
I've had the pleasure to work with some great people too;

• Sue Thomas, the artistic Director of trAce during my time there,
• Helen Whitehead, editor of Kids on the Net and always looking for innovation in the classroom,
• Simon Mills, a brilliant web designer who I learnt so much Flash, Cold Fusion and Dreamweaver from,
• Catherine Gillam, the WftF research adminstrator who kept me on track with deadlines and reports,
• Kate Wilkinson, who organised every train ticket I ever needed on my many journeys around the country
• Tim Wright,  Digital writer in residence who created some great virtual projects at the same time as mine.

Also, thanks to all the schools, pupils, and conferences where I was able to go and spout about digital learning (and for listening to me!!)

Cover Art

My daughter is talking about the cover of a book. It's not even in the shops yet! It won't be for another 4 months, but today the cover of the sixth Harry Potter book from JK Rowling was launched.

Get your kids ready for that early morning trip to the bookstore on July 16th...