Common sense wins over

It was nice to see reported in the news tonight that the government has scrapped its plans to clawback the surplus monies that schools had carefully budgeted and saved in order to invest in building improvements / ambitious projects.
The whole idea of it - to penalise careful and prudent budget management by taking back the saved money and therefore forcing schools into defecit when the unforseen problem arouse - was bizzare.

Let's hope that it doesn't reappear in the future in a typical governmental stealth move.

Hold back on that upgrade

So I see that Becta have lodged an official complaint about how Microsoft sell their products to schools. I've always wondered just how they manage to get away with the prices they charge in schools, and why we don't all just move over to macs / firefox / open office and the other free options.
But then I thought about it, and those little buggers at Microshaft are clever; they somehow make you think that you NEED their software because it's what is used in the home and in businesses. If only everyone moved over to open source choices, then it would really upset Mr. Gates and his profit margins.

A new start

Well, the half term saw a complete upheaval of everything, as we moved from one house into another. Never again! It was touch and go right up until the last moment because of delays and problems along the chain (solictors not doing their jobs properly).
With a scheduled move on the 19th, we only heard definately that the move could go ahead late the day before. But that wasn't the end of it, because on the day of the move we relinquished our keys as asked, but had to wait an hour before the solicitors would free our new keys (seems that it was much more important to go out for their lunch than complete our sale).
So, we are now in. The half term was spent emptying boxes and sorting out rooms, and now it's back to work without a break or rest.
Roll on Christmas!

Now that's healthcare!

Australian doctors have kept an Italian tourist alive by feeding him vodka through a drip for three days, medical staff in Queensland say. The 24-year-old man, who had swallowed a poison in an apparent suicide attempt, was treated while in a coma. Doctors set up the drip after running out of medicinal alcohol, used as an antidote to the poison. Medical staff said the patient had made a full recovery, and the hangover had worn off by the time he woke up. He had been taken to hospital in the northern Queensland town of Mackay after swallowing ethylene glycol - a poison contained in anti-freeze.

"The patient was drip-fed about three standard drinks an hour for three days in the intensive care unit," Dr Todd Fraser said in a statement. Fortunately for him he was in a medically induced coma for a good portion of that. By the time he woke up I think his hangover would have well and truly gone."

He spent 20 days in hospital before being discharged.

Hear this

Over on the school website I've been playing with an old toy given a new, 21st century use; the dictaphone. With the new framework mentioning the word PODCAST several times it was time to start to experiment with audio and see what could be done.
Well, it was much easier than I had dared to hope! A free audio software download (Audacity), a standard dictaphone (although a microphone in headphones, or built into the computer would work just as well) and some free to use sound files were all I needed to create a template for the children to produce a weekly news bulletin that began this term.
In addition, I've started using it for when my class read out their work, or when we are having a discussion. A simple press of the record button,  a transfer into the computer, conversion into an MP3 file using audacity and posting on the school website and we've got evidence of the childrens speaking and listening skills :-)

The Primary Review

Primary school children and their parents are suffering from "deep anxiety" about modern life, according to a study of education in England.

The Cambridge-based Primary Review's first interim report says concern about Sats tests is causing stress and distorting the curriculum.

More about the contents of the review here.

It's all go

Well after what seemed like months of non-activity the house move has suddenly gone from a crawl to rocket speed. After a letter at the weekend with a suggested completion date (that suits us perfectly as it's at the start of half term), I phoned the solicitor to OK it. Now we have just 3 weeks to arrange everything. The removal company has given us a provisional date (we can't confirm until we've signed!). We've asked the local council to come and collect old furniture that we aren't taking with us. Tomorrow I start to ring all the utility companies to advise them of the *provisional* moving date. This I can see being the problem area, as several of their websites say to give 4 weeks notice. Hard to do when you don't know what's happening until 3 weeks before!!