Harvest for the world

What a truly great idea for harvest time appeal in school;

During our trip to Tanzania, we were shocked and saddened by the lack of resources the children at our partnership school have. This year  we have therefore decided to collect for them rather than our usual 'Shoe Box' appeal...we are now asking the children to fill one of the Hessian bags that are available from most superstores for about £1.00, the Tanzanian children can then re-use the bags as school bags.

You can find out more details about this fantastic idea here.

During our trip to Tanzania, we were shocked and saddened by the lack of resources the children at our partnership school have. This year  we have therefore decided to collect for them rather than our usual 'Shoe Box' appeal...we are now asking the children to fill one of the Hessian bags that are available from most superstores for about £1.00, the Tanzanian children can then re-use the bags as school bags.

You can find out more details about this fantastic idea here.

A visit by SID?

I've been given the task of planning the geography topic for a local traffic study around school. It's been the usual stuff so far - look at photos of the area, look at the parking, see when it gets busy, do a traffic survey, suggest improvements to the traffic flow, etc

However, I've also contacted the local bus company and the local council to see if they'll send someone in to school for the children to interrogate, sorry question!, over their transport policies.

Well, the council have contacted me and said that they might be able to send SID. SID is a speed indication device. Imagine the children standing with the laser gun, pointing it at the passing cars and shaming the drivers into slowing down. I really hope that SID can visit.

Would you believe it

Residents in north London believe they have found one of the shortest yellow lines in the country in their street.

The 18-inch parking restriction in Highbury Crescent in Highbury is just about long enough to fit one wheel. More.

Travel news

Two items that have hit the news today regarding travel to and from school.

• Firstly, The government is putting £10m into children's cycling, which will pay for around half of all 10-year-olds to take the Bikeability course. (Bikeability being the new trendy word for cycling proficiency!) Read information here

• Secondly, free bus travel to secondary schools is to be extended. From 2008, an estimated 135,000 children on free school meals will be offered free transport to one of three nearest secondary schools within a two to six mile radius, the Department for Education and Skills says. The idea of this is to stop transport costs pricing low income homes out of popular schools. Information on this here

Travel enquiries

Over the Christmas period, we've been busy getting things sorted for the wedding. (Only 6 months now - suddenly it gets closer!)
We've settled on visiting the Island of Bute on the West coast of Scotland, and booked our accomodation, but not the transport yet. You see, we thought it would be nice to travel by train, and so I visited the national rail website to enquire about the journey from home from Wemyss bay (the closest station to the ferry port to Bute).
Well, firstly they couldn't give me any information, as they only have details for the next three months, so then I entered a false date to still try and get the details.
Success, I thought. It gave me a list of stations to visit; a journey to Derby, then a journey to Birmingham then a journey to Lancaster, then a journey to Glasgow, then a journey to Wemyss Bay. Forget the hotel - this would take the entire holiday visiting all these locations. And the cost of this magical mystery tour?  Over £250.
So I tried one more time. And this time, I asked for details in stages. One journey to Birmingham (it can't be avoided unfortunately!), followed by one journey direct to Glasgow, and then a final one to Wemyss Bay. The cost - around £170.
So the national rail website, designed to make booking a journey easier, quoted me a more expensive, less direct route than me sorting it out myself! I'm not impressed - and I wonder how many people just accept the results that the search query throws back at them?

Mobile again!

Well after what seems like forever, once again I am mobile. The car has been repaired. The new alternator is working, the new tyres don't let themselves down overnight, and what's more the alarm has not (touch wood) gone off randomly in the middle of the night. No more getting up at 5.45am to catch two buses to get to places, and the ability to go somewhere when I want to.

A degree in stupidity

Today I had the job of driving to an airport to collect my daughter, and my mother, from their holiday. They were due to land at 3.10. I knew how long it takes to get to the airport and so I left with plenty of time. What I forgot to take into account were two things;
(1) The local council have decided to close THE major road into the city from the north, and create a diversion that skirts around the other side of the city. The only problem is that no one is following the diversion they are all taking a shortcut into my neighbourhood and causing a queue. Causing such a queue that it took me 30 minutes to travel 1/2 mile down the high street.

(2) Not only is there this problem, but the high street has been redesigned. The main bus stop has been pushed out with the kerb into the road, and on the other side the kerb has been pushed out too. What does this do? It stops anything from overtaking a stopped bus, and causes tailbacks. Wonderful design. I really do wonder how many A levels the designer had to get before he could be let loose with his wax crayons on the planning board.

I finally got to the airport, and found the flight delayed, firstly taking off was held up. They had a queue of planes on the runway it would seem, and then when they landed they had to wait on the plane before being allowed to leave.

So, what should have been a two hour round trip took 3 1/2 hours and left me wanting to meet and smack the local traffic flow designer.

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.

Rush hour

Whoever came up with those two words to describe the slowest possible way of getting home in an evening? Rush hour?? Were they having a laugh? Being sarcastic, or just trying to annoy the hell out of road users like me?

Tonight I spent 20 minutes queueing along a 1/4 mile stretch of road, just because there were so many cars trying to use it. Being 'rush' hour, an alien would expect everyone to be able to rush from A to B. Oh no. Instead we crawl off from A to a bit further than A, and then we crawl from a bit further than A to an even further bit from A, with no sign of B anywhere.

AND...what's with every major route into and out of my fair city being halved so that buses can travel quickly along their designated routes while the rest of us have to queue. Surely my road tax pays for the upkeep of these roads that now I can't use. So, therefore I should be receiving a reduction in the cost of a vehicle license.

Shouldn't I?

Muppet road designers

I want to visit my local county council. I want to sit in on one of their transport meetings. I want to see the muppets that actually make the rules that make my life a misery when I am driving around the city.

I'd like to meet the monkey that decided 24 hours bus routes into and out of cities is a good idea. I'm not the worlds brainiest person, but even I think that two lanes of cars forced into one won't work. It results in a queue. A big queue. A very big queue of irrate car drivers.

I'd like to come face to face with the one who moved bus stops out from their lay bys and put their bus stop in the inside lane, thus stopping the flow of traffic. What is the point of that? Oh, of course. It stops the flow of traffic.

I'd like to meet the spanner that sets up roadworks on a major route out of the city on the pavement, and coned off an entire lane of traffic for no reason other than to cause traffic jams on all the surrounding roads.

And why is this being done? So that they can then say that the roads are congested, that they need to introduce more stupid measures. Well no, simply give me back my lane that the buses stole, get the bus stops back in the lay bys, and don't cone off lanes for no reason at all.

Home again

Well today was my last visit to a school for a while - no more racing around the country visiting schools in different LEAs.
In one way it's a shame, because seeing how each school handles ICT is an eye opener. I think all teachers should be encourage to take a few days 'roaming leave' and visit as many LEAs as possible. It could do so much good for ICT if the best from each school was adopted.
In another way I am looking foward to being based in the office again. For one thing it means I can get up at a sensible hour to go to work, not at 5 in the morning (although to be fair it was 6am that I headed off today).

There are a few more visits, a couple of conferences to prepare for, two articles to write for trAce, contacting people in various places with regards to keeping the publicity for what I have been doing going, and then the small matter of finding a job for September. So, it's not like I'm taking it easy.

Oh - and I have been reminded three times so far this week that school term ends in a few weeks. I GET IT! OK, I'll still be working here through August so let's get the laughs out the way! (No sympathy from the teachers I know when I tell them this). Mind you, with the work that I know teachers have to put in during the summer "break" planning for the new year,  I won't be saying you have it easy.  I still think you do a wonderful job.

PS - I just realised that I have started saying 'you'. I'm still officially a teacher until September 1st, but it feels like I'm not already.

Trains, trains and trains

A busy week so far - Monday I was off down to Bristol on the train to meet with staff at Nesta Futurelab. Nice weather, nice location by the riverfront, excellent meeting - AWFUL train service!
I felt like I was in a cattle truck. People and luggage crammed along the entire length of every corridor, and in the areas between carriages (this is where I spent the entire journey, although I had a reserved seat, that I couldn't get to because I could not walk down the corridor).
Personally I thought it was unacceptable health and safety wise. to have blocked corridors. If there had been any kind of accident there would have been no way for people sat down to have gotten off the train.

Yesterday I travelled to Folkestone. My dairy for the day would have looked something like this:

4.15 Wake up. Oh my god, is there really a 4am?
4.50 Travel to station. No cars on the road.
5.20 Enter station. No staff around. Is the station open??
5.30 Train departs. Amazing site of mist hanging over all the rivers and water.
7.32 Arrive St Pancras. Head for tube. Climb onto Victoria line and get told service supsended. Fire alert!!!
7.40 Travel Northern line with a change at Euston to reach Charing Cross.
8.20 Enter Charing Cross station and board a 'seaside train' (The old sort with all the doors down the side)
8.31 Train departs past the millennium wheel out into the country.
10.10 Arrive at Folkestone.
10.25 Arrive at school. Work with group on Adventure Island.
12.00 Taken to a seafront restaurant for lunch (mmmmm. lovely!)
1.00 Take second group.
2.15 Take third group.
3.30 Talk to staff in staff meeting.
4.30 Walk to station.
4.50 Leave Folkestone.
6.25 Arrive at London Bridge. Head for tube to St Pancras.
6.45 Miss early train. Wait for next.
7.55 Leave St Pancras. Signalling delays make train stop outside station. Catch up with 'slow' train and have to follow it.
10.02 Arrive in Nottingham.
10.30 Walk through front door. Shattered.

I am staying at home today (Wednesday) to recover and find some more energy ready to travel to Chesire tomorrow

Todays thoughts and findings:

Interesting review of technology used in schools from a parent;

'The point is to make the computers disappear from view, so that using one in class or for homework is as unremarkable as using a textbook or a pencil.'

Read it here.

Oh, following the service station discussion previously, I stopped off at the Newport Pagnell services today as I left Milton Keynes.
What an unfortunate time to arrive there - I think the nations pensioners were on a trip. The place was packed solid, so I left!

So lucky

One of the advantages of being the Digital Teacher in Residence is that I am able to visit such a variety of schools all around the country. In doing so I get to see so many varying types of technology being used within schools. I have been into schools with ICT suites, schools without, schools with desktop machines, schools with laptops, schools with thin client machines.
Yesterday I was introduced to the RM Smartboard (I'd not used this type of interactive whiteboard before) and it was great. I stood in front of a class with Adventure Island displayed on the whiteboard, and used the small 'pen' to move around the screen and write over the map we were looking at. So much easier than having to draw on a seperate board and then turn back to a computer screen.

Another advantage of this job is that I get to travel around, and see so many different areas; from motorways to country lanes, and in the great weather that we have been having recently, you cannot beat a drive down a country lane.

Finally, I also get to sample the varying types of coffee on offer at Motorway service stations!!

(I recall these services from my childhood as being unique; going on a holiday, dad driving, stopping at one in the middle of nowhere and finding there was one building with a transport cafe, shop, amusement arcade, grotty restrooms and a few other things).

Well they have changed a bit since those days - they look much smarter now, the restrooms are cleaner, have more fast food outlets in them, and the restaurants are nicer, and they even have branded coffee houses within them.
So, no more coffee in a cracked mug while sat on a metal framed wooden chair, at an old table with a stained plastic checked tablecoth, full ashtray in the middle and the gentle wafting of ciggarette smoke throughout.
No, now its all no smoking, plush carpet, smart tables, comfy chairs, and even video screens and radio to watch / listen to. Lovely!
Oh, and I seem to be visiting the Tamworth services quite regularly. Not sure why it's that one, but lots of my journeys seem to involve the A42/M42

Time to dash

Well, I'm off again around England meeting and working with a range of teachers in schools who are piloting Adventure Island.
I'm wondering whether I ought to take my camera and take some photos of my travels to remind me where I went to.
I could put them into a photo album called 'on my travels' or something similar.

So on Tuesday I am off to Berkshire, then Wednesday I travel to Dudley. I'm back in Nottingham on Thursday for a meeting in the city, but then it's back into the car and down to Milton Keynes for Friday.

How I am going to be able to stay awake through Saturday evening at the Jools Holland concert in the ground of Belvoir castle after all that driving I'm not sure.

Through the marvels of technology I've ararnged for a few entries to appear on the blog while I am gone. Enjoy them, they're both links to interesting articles.

State of the Nation

I've been in London today at the RSA (The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce) discussing my work as the digital teacher in residence.
While waiting for my train back to Nottingham at St Pancras (which was cancelled, see further on) I noticed a lack of litter bins in the 'new' station.
I assume this is a response to the constant threat of terrorism that follows us everywhere since the world has become a "better place" in the last two years.
No litter bins - so where does the rubbish go? Well it stays on the seats or is dropped onto the floor until a station worker armed with a dustpan and brush patrols and picks it up.

So a great big thank you to Dubya and friends, your actions over the last few years are helping to lower our unemployment figures. I knew there had to be a reason to go to war, and at last I think I've found it.

====

As I said above - my train was cancelled due to engine failure, so there I was at the patform gate waiting for the next train with about 200 other passengers. When those gates opened it was like the start of a marathon - people racing down the platform to get onto the train and get a seat. (The good news was that I did manage to get a seat facing forward, and at a table too - a bonus!)
Oh, and the train was late leaving the station because the driver was late arriving (his train to London was delayed).

Ironic.

Here, there, everywhere

Well if I ever wanted to see all of the UK this is my chance!
My calendar for June has (so far) visits and workshops in;

Milton Keynes, London, Berkshire, Dudley, Nottingham, Bristol, Chesire and Cambridgeshire.

I expect more to be added over the next few days, with many more schools involved in Adventure Island requesting a visit. Only problem is, I only have 8 more days free !!

Who would have thought back in September that I would have toured around so much. It's a complete transformation from being based in the classroom.

On a seperate note, my local radio station (and in fact the rest of the stations within the musicradio 'company' around the UK are asking a question on their websites today;

A report says teachers face increasing workloads and growing problems with pupil behaviour. Do you feel sorry for the teachers of today?

Guess what - everyone thinks that teachers have it easy. So once again, I suggest it's time for a national 'swap jobs with a teacher' week - let's see how non teachers view teaching after spending a week in the classroom. I somehow think there would be a lot more sympathy.