| Digital - teacher | Education in a technological world

It's Christmas !!

Monday 22nd December, 4.32pm.
All teachers are tucked up in their warm cosy houses, or maybe out shopping for those last minute presents. I knew there were some really good reasons for teaching, because at the moment I am sat working on this new project in the office.

Talking of which - all of the specially drawn images - with the exception of one - have arrived, and they have been added to the site. They look superb. When you see them, I'm sure you will agree.

I've spent most of today sorting out 'mouseover' features for the front page - you know that nifty effect of when you put your mouse over an image it changes colour, or the entire image changes. Looks nice, looks easy, doesn't it ?..........

Yeah, right !!! Getting the second image to match exactly has been driving me mad. Mind you, it's done now and it was worth the screams, the anguish and the occasional bad word, as the finished effect looks great.

I would like to post the link to the whole project, but it still needs a bit of tweaking and so I am going to hold back and make you wait a little longer !!

It will be worth it, believe me. I'm a teacher, you can trust me ;-)

On a brighter note...

I learnt how to turn text into a graphic within flash, and then make that graphic into a button, and then when you click on that button, it takes you to a new webpage.

Might sound like small steps for some of you, but I am mightly impressed with the new skills I am learning.

Oh - and by pure trial and error I also found a way to drag objects across the page within flash. I can see an activity that will make use of that feature.

The Last Day

Well it has arrived. My last day teaching in the classroom.

I have cleared out my cupboard, I have emptied my desk. I have removed the extra little items that made it 'my' classroom. I have handed over the role of ICT to another teacher who was last seen running from the building screaming "Why me ?!"

So, I have only one day left with the children before I say goodbye to it all for 2 terms. Well, not even a day. Six hours. 360 minutes. Then that's it - gone !

Feeling strange emotions as a result now. Hunger for the new challenge facing me as the Digital Teacher in Residence for the next two terms, and sadness to leave behind the school website and the great school newspaper, and of course the lovely children in my class.

The End of an era.
Sniff, sniff.

Time Passes

I have spent the weekend trying to find suitable images following the unhelpful news before (see previous entry).
There are some great artists out there with amazing skills. However, I wish they would list on their websites whether or not they allow their images to be used.
I have fired off around 40 emails this weekend asking permission to use images.

Time for a quick maths lesson.
- Now let's say each email takes 3 minutes to write and send (some longer because they are form based on the websites).
- 3 minutes times 40 requests = at least 120 minutes.
- That's two hours. Two whole hours. And there are only 48 in a weekend.
- Now take off sleeping, eating and queueing to get into Christmas car parks and that's almost the whole weekend gone.

I want it back ! Give me my two hours back please !!

Copywrong

Caution ! Beware ! Enter at own Risk !

I suggest that those words are put at the front of the 'copyright free' images websites that litter the Internet.
I spent a few days looking for good quality images that would fit in with the project being set up. Good quality images that are copyright free (because as we all know, taking an image from a website is infringing on the copyright) I should add.
I added the images into a flash animation to be used as the opening sequence to the project and was happy with the results.
Being a kind and friendly person, I sent an email to the site I gathered them from with the message

Not long after, an email came back. It wasn't what I expected. It would seem that the site was advertised as copyright free images, yet the the images were pulled off other websites without seeking permission.

BIG NO NO !! Images taken out of the flash animation quickly, and I need to find some more now.

Am I happy ? you guess....

Thanks for the images - they are great. I've used some on my site

Naughty or Nice ?

Seeing as it is getting towards Christmas, I thought I would share with you one of my favourite Christmas sites for busy teachers with a class of excited children.
If you direct your pupils to ICTeachers, they have a Christmas section, and within it a chance to email Santa.
Nothing new there you think - but wait !! I know for a fact that each child will get a personally written email reply from one of Santas special helpers.
How do I know ? Well, would you believe me if I told you I knew Santa, and he told me himself that he was looking for Elves to help him with the emails this year ?

Honestly, it's true. I know Santa. I have met him.

And the site carries no advertisments at all, so it is suitable for your kids to use.

Try it - and tell Santa I sent you his way.

Butterflies

On Monday I have to present the idea for the new project to a group of people and see their reaction.
I don't normally have to do this 'presentation' thing to adults - I realise that every day in the classroom is presenting to children in a manner of speaking, but adults......

Have to say I am feeling quite nervous about it, and so yet again, something new that I have got to get used to.

I keep hearing this word 'networking' being mentioned. This would seem an opportunity to try it out.

Bringing it together

Well, it has been a busy day sorting out this new project.
Letters to post, emails to send, phone calls to answer, webpages to build, images to source, copyright to check......the list is endless.
I have to add though, that even though I am in the test phase of the project with only rough pencil drawings - they look fantastic. When the completed artwork comes through it will be stunning.

I have a really good feeling about this now - the concept is going to really hook the children into it and make them want to visit again and again.

Once I get a bit more knowledge of flash through the course I am taking, I will adding interactivity to the site as well.

We're Saved !

Well at 10.30 today (Wednesday 3rd December 2003) the news that Notts had been bought came through. Its a mighty relief to hear those words after 18 months of uncertainty.

Notts County, which has been in administration for nearly 18 months, has agreed a sale of the club. The decision has been ratified by the Football League

Isn't technology wonderful, within a few minutes of this being announced I had heard it on the radio - being played through the PC, and then read it on a well known news website.

In the old, pre-internet days, I would have been waiting most of the day until I could get home to be able to buy a newspaper, or wait for the local news to come on for its once a day bulletin.

Bless you Internet. What would I do without you.

Hopefully now, there is no need to put in any more football entries, so its back to the job now :-)

The Beautiful Game - an update

It's getting very close to the last chance deadline, and still there is no sign of a solution to rescue the club.

I wrote that comment about a month ago just after the last round of the FACup. I was convinced that within 30 days there would be no more Notts County. Today I am feeling more confident. A lot of work has been taking place in the background by the club and all parties involved, and today - December 1st - I read the following message on the bbc nottingham website;

The takeover of Notts County hasn't been completed It's all because of a last minute snag.............Whatever it means is that the deal is delayed, not placed in jeopardy.

Now that part alone caused me to go into a mild panic, but at the end of the piece;

The consortium has banked the three point two million pounds needed and the purchase of the Meadow Lane stand from former chairman Derek Pavis has gone through at around half a million pounds.

So, the money is all in place and the deal should be completed today (December 1st)

Dare I start to get optimistic about this ? but knowing all the previous problems and hitches should I think I should wait until I can see with my own eyes.