David Sugden
After many false starts with 'organised' web logs like Blogger - I gave up and thought I'd have more interest and more input, if I did my own. This is just a simple web page, so any contributions will have to be via email [blog@village-e-learning.co.uk] - I promise to edit very little and to publish all lucid comments! Please state how I should sign you off (anon; my name; my name and address etc). I've deleted the comments feature, because of all the spam I was getting - sorry! e-Mail me if you have anything to say - address above. Click here to go to beginning of blog.

NEw post on ... Mobile Learning Blog updated 25th May

This has been a really tiring week. I got to Leeds slightly later than I'd planned on Monday. The taxi queue was longer than expected so I walked to Thomas Danby College: with movie camera; tripod; computer and 'stuff'. Then back into Leeds for lunch at Bagel Nash, before moving onto Leeds College of Building. After a weekend of working on preparation and report writing, Monday was hard.

I was up early on Tuesday to catch the train to Middlesbrough, where I was working with RSC Northern at the Chamber of Commerce - which turned out to be just across the road from the station, which made the kit-carrying a bit easier. Here, I was delivering sessions about Learning Platforms and e-Portfolios. It wasn't the best room in the world (lighting was difficult), but all the delegates seemed to enjoy the various sessions. Brian, the RSC-N WBL officer kindly took me up to Newcastle then, where I stayed (foolishly) at the Newcastle Airport South Premiere Inn. I say 'foolishly' because I'd not considered the early morning noise.

Which meant another early morning. Today's events were more classroom based, with 'creative use of Office materials' and 'Free tools for web and pc use). They were not as well attended, but everyone seemed to enjoy the day. Brian then took me back into Toon for my train. Thanks Brian.

It was the NIACE e-Guides review event in Birmingham yesterday and was a great opportunity to meet like minded friends and colleagues. I'm developing a course for next year and this was peer assessed - which left me with a little more work for this weekend (which I expected).

     
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I'm finally beginning to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. I've had to work that last two weekends just to keep up with gig preparation. Even if I've delivered a subject before, I like to go through it again, updating and correcting as I do so. But this last few weeks (and the next two) have seen me delivering slightly different subject matters. Last weekend I had to prepare for the RSC Southwest conference (Thursday last) and this weekend I've been preparing for two days working for RSC Northern - Learning Platforms and e-Portfolios, both being newly prepared from scratch so as to keep them relevant and interactive. The other two subjects will be completed tomorrow evening, whilst whiling my time away in a hotel somewhere near Newcastle airport.

The Southwest gig was good. I was nervous of it because I'd been booked on the strength of last years presentation, which was only about half an hour long. This year's booking was for 90 minutes and I'd been asked for 'hand's on'. With hindsight, I'd have done it differently but I got the feeling that more than half of those present enjoyed what they got. At the conference, I met many old friends - like last year - not the least of whom was Rod Paley of Xtensis - holders of the NLN materials. Rod is due to meet important people from the LSC this week and our discussions led to plenty of ideas for that meeting. But we were unable to meet with enough time to write down the ideas we discussed. Basically, we'd talked about the fact that there was still much 'unawareness' of NLN materials and e-Learning tools, tips and techniques generally amongst practitioners. Despite the Xtensis records that show how many people have accessed the materials, my own experiences (which are varied - not just single-sector) are that there is still a lack of general understanding of what NLN or 'e' can do. Having said that, there is a readiness amongst teaching colleagues, to take it ('e' generally and NLN specifically if they can be shown how the two might combine) on board - unlike six years ago when NLN was launched - but they NEED training and support.STILL!

There is no need for another scheme involving NLN Mentors, like before - but one where at-the-point-of-sale agencies like the JISC RSCs (or LSN?) are responsible for (and charged with) the support and training of F.E. System teachers and trainers. Now - there lies the problem, the RSCs don't have the staff or wherewithal to do that and it would be foolish to increase their staffing for a medium term project like this. However, with their recent remit to 'broker' training, they easily could do it - if given the go ahead and extra funding required.  I could name at least twenty and probably more trainers and consultants who could deliver quality, informed and relevant support nationwide - with no need for secondments or expensive long term contracts. Colleges and the like could be encouraged to contribute towards the training (open to discussion) - perhaps with a lead-in period being free or very low cost. The understanding of the need is there, but the cost to replace/cover staff who are out (even in-house) on training is not. Those who attend training should also be committed to complete some form of project post training, to ensure that embedding takes place. And, where possible the training should take place in-house, with partner colleges and training agencies invited to attend. Maybe.

We managed to sort ourselves with a place n France this summer- many thanks to everyone. We're going to a village called Casseras which is between Carccasonne and Narbonne but up a bit!

HELP ...

Does anyone have - or know of - a nice apartment or cottage in France - preferably somewhere Languedoc no more than an hour from coast?

We're hoping to spend a week there 2nd-9th August (we have a place sorted in Normandy for later)

THANKS

In Friday's London Evening Standard, the city editor Chris Blackhurst stated that more students than ever before are 'dropping out of university' and cites his own son as one of the more recent 'dropouts'. I wholeheartedly agree with his assertion that the education system is betraying them - and others. Both Sharon and I 'expect' that Betony will, in two years time, become one of the Government's enforced rise in university entrants. But privately, I'm not sure she's been properly prepared for such an exalted position.

That sounds like a betrayal, but don't get me wrong - she's a bright kid and will surely cope with anything that is put her way - just the way she's coped with a rigid and inflexible secondary education that has done nothing more than take the fun out of learning. For Betz, even allowing for her illness, it's been and uninspiring drudge and if she does well in her GCSE's (final one yesterday) she will have done so in spite of the education system rather than because of it. And all power to her.

Schools are so beset with targets and achievement rates that the learners become commodities to manage rather than pre-adults eager to learn.

I've had the pleasure to discuss 'e' (learning) with a fair number of 6th form colleges recently; those bastions of learning charged with testing and preparing young learners for university. One was violently opposed to anything that smells of 'e' (particularly innovative 'e' or 'm) whilst another was just as vehemently in favour (because it -e/m- addressed their learners preferences). There have been shades of opinion in-between, usually in favour: "if only they could get management on board!" The same management that keeps their jobs and position by achieving targets!

We need creative thinkers to lead our education system, people who can see the way things are without being tainted and informed by their own (fat becoming outdated) education. Of course - all of the above discusses mainstream education, something which F.E. tends to stand outside (treated like the beggar at the door?). But why do we need F.E. (all post 16, sub-university education), if not to try and make a good job of those who are failed by the system?
 

HELP ...

Does anyone have - or know of - a nice apartment or cottage in France - preferably somewhere Languedoc no more than an hour from coast?

We're hoping to spend a week there early August (we have a place sorted in Normandy for the third week)

THANKS

Many thanks to those of you who responded to my post about Simba's death. I had emails from America and a text from Spain. Thank you.

June is under way now and there's little chance that I'll be able to keep up with the blog as assiduously as I usually try to. I'm in Lancashire tomorrow and Beverly the day after - before travelling to London to work with Di on a MoleNET gig. She has planned this one pretty much alone (I helped initially) and I therefore have a lot to learn - especially as I have to deliver it next Wednesday in Birmingham on my own! Also next week, I'm back in Beverley on Monday, Leeds on Tuesday and Thursday (one L4LW and one MoleNET - again with Di). The following week I'm in Shipley and Bradford on the Monday, Lancaster and Skipton on Tuesday and I'm travelling down the M6/M5 on Wednesday ready for the RSC-SW conference in Bridgewater on Thursday 19th. I'm presenting 'ILT for the Insane', which seemed a good idea back in January when we discussed the content! I've spent most of today working up the presentation - plenty of hands on and lots (apparently) of delegates. I'm straight back into it on Friday with a trip to Keighley for L4LW. Sharon is coming with me so that she can return to Otley, the voting kit I've hired for the RSC conference.

The following week it's Leeds; Middlesbrough; Newcastle; Birmingham and Huddersfield (MoleNET meeting). I finish the month with Gateshead and Middlesbrough.

Sharon flies to the States with Betony on 3rd July and when I've dropped them off I have a couple of visits to make on my way to the RSC Northwest conference in Liverpool - which is the following day, 4th July. I'm still discussing my involvement there but it will certainly be Web 2.0 based. July s slightly less charged but I still have a few visits to make w/c 7th and w/c 14th. Phew.

Phew! that was a new and very scary experience! I've just spent two days wracking my brains for the reason why my blog file (each 3 months writing usually becomes a file of about 60-100kb) had reached 16 megabytes and slowed the whole process down to boot! I looked at the code - which even in Notepad took an age to load and scroll through but could find northing amiss at first. So, today after all my other lame attempts, I loaded it up into Dreamweaver and used the Command to clean up html. Miraculously, it dropped to 70kb straight away - brilliant, problem solved - or so I thought.

I work in Front Page for all sorts of reasons, I know it's not the best and I know that it's been replaced in the 2007 suite - but it's what I learned to use at the outset (self-taught) and I don't have the time to properly learn Dreamweaver - although I know I should. Anyway, I re-opened the newly cleaned-up file in Front Page and saw that it all looked fine. I scrolled to the bottom just to check that my user stats were there and found that they were not! - in fact nothing before April 13th was there at all. I double checked all the various stages of work (neatly filed in the recycle bin) and found that in the clean-up operation Dreamweaver had ditched everything after that date. But why? So I went back to the code and traced this last entry - only to find that there was 15.9 megabytes of white space between it and the next entry! I've no idea how that got there but once it was painfully deleted, all was back to normal. As I said above - phew!

We're actually in Reeth right now (well - read on) and enjoying a working break. Both Sharon and I have work to do and we brought it here for all sorts of reasons: there is no internet access at all (unless you have an Orange contract), there is no phone reception at all (unless you have an Orange contract) and it has beautiful views, walks and pubs top sustain us outside work. But - although I say that's were we are, by the time I 'post' this episode we'll be back in Internet blightly. :-)

Gutted.

Although I have work which 'needs' doing, a small amount of which I'm not at all looking forward to (it's actually making me ill, it's so badly organised), I have had to set it all aside today - and part of yesterday to take the cat to the vets. He's dead now.

Simba came with Sharon - part of the deal as it were (goods and chattels included one cat and one daughter aged eight!). He was a real beast, mauling everyone and anything that came near enough or attempted to stroke or be nice to him. He often pretended to be nice, but then sunk his claws into any exposed flesh. He had real character - he was a real cat. The amount of small animal body parts we used to find lying about were innumerable (he didn't seem too keen on kidneys) but he was a strong and well loved part of the family. Only two friends - Karen and JT - were able to truly befriend him and he allowed them (and occasionally us) more strokes before trying to bite or claw. They, I'm sure, will miss him.

Sharon has planned a Magnolia bush at the bottom of the garden for some time and now (or shortly - when the bush is finally bought) it will be planted on top of the cat - which is just now being buried in that spot. Our other cat Maisie should now live in peace and not be terrorised by a growling curmudgeonly old sod like Simba. But I'll bet she misses him too.
 

See birds being fed in the nest - click 'Woody' below

The bank holiday weekend has been fairly nice. We had very strong winds but the rain kept off - until today. It's pouring down now, but that's ok because I have some office work to do today and tomorrow. Sharon and I are going up to Reeth in Swaledale later in the week, but for the next two days it's all hands on deck getting ready for a very busy five weeks - all of June and right into the first week of July.

We had Emma and the girls around on Sunday - which was nice. The girls are a handful at the moment, especially as their dad Charlie is working away in Kenya just now. But - kids are kids and it was great to see (and play with) them. My mum and dad joined us yesterday with our friends John and Carol. We had some roast leg of Welsh lamb and it was delicious. There really is a difference between NZ lamb and Welsh. I think that both my mum and my dad enjoyed the company of John and Carol, as it gave them new things to talk about. All in all a very good weekend!

See this now

See this now

Click here now before it's too late

I've been to Beverley twice this week. And on both occasions the weather was bight and sunny - which is a change from when I usually get to visit this lovely town. I usually end up going just before and just after Christmas, so the spring time visits are a pleasant change. On Monday we set out to look at 'slightly more advanced' techniques (with PPT, Word, Excel, Hot Pots etc.) but as only four turned up - we went in four different directions. I think this is often the best way to work with adults as they can feel a sense of achievement when they have done something 'they' want to do, rather than what 'I' want them to do (so much for session plans). Last night we stuck to basics and played with Forms, Comments, Hot Spots on images and just a little Hot Potatoes.

I've also begun work on the evaluation visits for RSC-YH's L4LW project. I've visited East Riding College, Bishop Burton College and Wakefield College so far this week. Bishop will need another visit but with three down, there's just nine to go. I spent today trying to catch up with people for the LSN 'm' Accessibility project and the RSC-NW scoping study we're doing. It's not an easy time of year to contact anyone - there's a half-term feel to it all today but the week after next it sounds like all noses back on the grindstone! So we'll just have to keep at it.

We're just back from the wedding. Even more exhausted. We forget just how far away Somerset is. It was a slow drive down on Friday (over six and a half hours with just s short stop to eat) but much better today - partly because it's Sunday and partly because of the time we set off. I fully expect another 6+ hour drive back on the 19th June after my gig with RSC SW.

The reception was held at Maunsel House near North Petherton.

The inside was a delight of old 'stuff' and old newspaper cuttings - really eccentric, but as I say - more later when time allows. Beverley tomorrow then back in the office to catch up on desk work ... Guess where the bear was!

The feedback from last Friday's session sounds to have been very good, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the compiled results. I felt that we really made some great progress and that those attending were excited enough by the potential for 'e' (and the whole Science event) that they will tell their colleagues and make sure that they too become enamoured of 'e'. Great gig!

Picture from Middlesbrough event at TTE!

This week has been busy - I drove up to Sunderland on Tuesday morning, stayed in Middlesbrough last night (worked there today) and am now sat in Leeds, waiting to meet Anne Featherstone prior to our day 3 e-Guides gig here tomorrow. The first two days were with the RSC Northern. Brian Burr, their recently appointed Work Based Learning chap, has organised a series of 'how to' workshops in conjunction with me and Simon Fitzpatrick - Anne (above) is also doing one. My first two (one morning and one afternoon repeated at each venue) were called: Everyday tools to develop e-assessment and Creating video evidence and Podcasts. The first touched on Mobile devices, Web 2.0 stuff and desktop software like Word. The second took a close look at Audacity (and MyPodcastRecorder), Gabcast, Photo Story 3, Cam Studio and Windows Movie Maker. we also looked at VeoTag but I don't think they got it (we just breezed past it really). Once again though, the delegates on both days (all four sessions) really seemed to enjoy themselves and went away really pent up and raring to go.

But I'm exhausted. After tomorrow's e-Guide gig and a night at home, we're off to Taunton for a wedding!

See this

Brilliant stop motion movie by Entry level students

It's almost lunchtime on the second and final day at the National Science Learning Centre. I think that the delegates have had a great time and comments so far about my own session have been very supportive.

I only managed to get through Office Materials for ILT; NLN and QIA websites; Subject specific resources and movies (Cam Studio and Photo Story 3). We finished with a brief look at Accessibility and SimDis and had to ditch mobile learning and Web 2.0 due to time pressures. Nevertheless, we were able to give them time to play with Forms and Comments and to register themselves onto the NLN web site and explore the materials. Half of the group had seen NLN before but only one person had seen Forms or Comments.

There's just a short plenary to go now and then it's lunchtime and time to finish. It's been a great event and I look forward to being invited to attend the next session for Hair and Beauty in December. This is a great venue and it would seem that the word 'no' is not part of anyone's vocabulary. It was also to meet the team from TechDis (who kindly delivered some materials for me to use) and to spend some time with Emma talking about M.E.

I'm on the train back from my ALT FE(A)C meeting. I've bracketed the 'A' because I'm not sure if our role still includes any advisory function. It was a cosy meeting with just seven of us present - including Seb and Marion from ALT itself. The greatest pleasure was to see Ellen Lessner there. I'd forgotten that she had become a member last year, as I missed a meeting and the last one had been via telephone. Ellen is one of my favourite people - so I mustn't under play the pleasure of seeing her again.

During the meeting we discussed many things but several stick in my mind as important. We touched on 'new builds' and how very few 'build' managers pay any more than lip service to those who will eventually have to work in the new building. Someone told a story of being asked 'why do you need so many electricity sockets in the rooms?' There seems to be no real understanding or even discussion of how learning space might be utilised in the not too distant future. Mark van 't Hooft touches upon this in his bit of Becta's recent publication: 'Emerging technologies for learning' Volume 3 [2008].

I am required by one college to include some idea of how to teach with 'pods' in my training sessions - but worry that 'pods' are not the answer as they assume that the delivery will still be 'in-house' and 'situated' - whereas the future may (I think) hold something entirely different.

We also discussed staff skills (following a discussion of the assumptions we make about learner skills). I think that we agreed that generally speaking, staff understand the need to give learners a variety of learning opportunities and realise that technology could help them to do that - but they are still fearful of how! They don't know what they don't know (to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld).

Which shouts out for more pointed, tips and techniques (as opposed to tools) staff development.

Anyway, the journey down to Birmingham was fine, it got as far as Birmingham before breaking down and not continuing its journey to Reading. Coming back there has been a whole load of problems with track at Milton Keynes and as a consequence my train back to Manchester is like a cattle truck. Which is just not fair when all the passengers have paid so much for their tickets. Every carriage has people stood right up as far as Macclesfield.

One of Martin's new YouTube presentations

Bank Holiday. It's poured down all morning and has only just started to clear up, but I suppose that's par for the course these days. I had a good day on Saturday, walking all morning and reading all afternoon, it actually felt like I was on holiday. A little different yesterday as Sharon was mythering about her Masters paper. I proof read that with her and offered some constructive advice (given that all her other work is usually marked good or very good, this one had come back from 'draft' with slightly less than flattering remarks). She finally put it to bed late last night and we were able to relax again. I'm working on gig preparation today, but now the weather has looked up, might go out for a walk.

Scotland is a long way! My changes on the way back (two) were nerve wrackingly tight and at Lancaster (the first change) my train was actually late getting in. Luckily, it seemed to have been given priority into the station over my connection (from Windermere to Manchester Airport), which rolled up just a few minute later. The same happened in Manchester, where my train had caught up enough time to be on time and I only had to wait five minute for the connection. It wears me out worrying though!

I'm going to Birmingham tomorrow for an ALT FEAC meeting there. Then on Thursday and Friday, I return to the National Science Learning Centre (NSLC) for another Hair and Beauty event. I hope to catch up on my preparations for work in the Northeast on Wednesday - this is all pretty much under control - but I need to send them work for photocopying etc.

We're going to see Paul Weller at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax tonight - so there should be something to report there!

I'm up in Scotland at the moment, staying in Jury's Inn on Jamaica Street, Glasgow ready for the JISC/HEA workshop I'm leading tomorrow with John Traxler and John Whalley. This is now the seventh of these events we will have delivered, since the first in January of 2007. We're delivering this at the invitation of the JISC RSC Scotland and it will take place at Glasgow Caledonian University. The picture shows the view from my hotel window!!! notice the Clyde in the background?

My journey was uneventful, if slightly long. The taxi from home (we don't have buses more than twice a day) had to come at 7.45am as they couldn't do 8.10am (as the taxis are all in use taking children to school!!) and I therefore managed to catch the 8.16am to Manchester. My train from there to Glasgow was at 9.45am, so I had a 45 minute wait there. The bulk of the journey was on time and comfortable except that after Lockerbie, the heating seemed to shut down and it became quite cold. My laptop battery also shut down at this point, so I had to read instead of work.

I'd gone a little earlier than I needed, so I could meet up with Margaret Wallace from EPICT. We'd being trying to find the time to chat for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity. We discussed various ways that I (and maybe Village e-Learning) could work with EPICT to our mutual benefit. So hopefully it was a productive meeting - I think it was. Then it was off to meet my co-presenters for a pretty mediocre meal and a couple of pints! I now hope the view doesn't keep me awake all night?
 

On Friday last, Sharon and I took advantage of a Sunday Times deal to take lunch at the White Hart at Lydgate, near Oldham. For £10.00 we were each able to eat at one of the best restaurants in the region. It wasn't the nicest of days and the room was a little cold, but apart from that it was a perfect break from routine. I had Smoked Goose Breast with pickled mushrooms and Sharon had a Terrine of Goat's Cheese and Potato. Both were tasty - although the Terrine needed warming in the mouth. For mains I had Fillet of Pork with sage flavoured Boulangere potatoes and wilted spinach while Sharon had a Breast of Chicken (but I can't remember now what this came with). I finished with cheese and she with Sticky Toffee Pudding. Lovely.

I'm catching up on workshop preparation for the coming months right now. I have four workshops to present at Bishop Burton College, eight more for RSC northern, and a couple of MoleNET things to do over the next couple of months, so I need to re-visit, re-build and construct presentations and activities to suit. The first two are in a couple of weeks time and I'm really looking forward to them. Other work is coming in too and yet more is under way - so busy times!
 

The day started with a phone call from school saying that Betony would fail her Drama GCSE if such and such wasn't handed in by tomorrow evening. Careful discussion ascertained that this wasn't as onerous a task as we first thought as the work missed was during the time that she was very ill (she has ME/CFS) and the school had agreed that should this situation arise a summary of her course work and prospective grade (currently 'B') would be submitted. All she needed to do was re-write some work she'd already submitted but which had been 'mislaid'. Oh - and she had to comment on the one production she had attended and she could come into school to watch the video so that she could do that. But not today - the school is closed! Sharon dealt with this very calmly (tomorrow being the deadline and Betz having an Art exam tomorrow too) before disappearing into the 'pit' that Betz calls her room to discuss the matter. You can guess the level of tenseness!

Then the newly recovered 3-piece suite was delivered early afternoon. And given the state of play I thought it best to agreed that it should be 'placed' straight away - that it wouldn't wait until this evening. Hey ho.

I thought this might be amusing - I came across it today (thanks Dave T). If you bear in mind the furore that accompanied the 2012 Olympic logo - you can see why someone is trying this one on. http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/04/the-original-lo.html - enjoy.

VeoTag is an online (and essentially - free!) that allows you to upload videos from your computer and to add text/tags to the video stream. See this video for a much better explanation. http://www.veotag.com/player/?pid=e6ccc0c4-75d1-4b6b-9f3c-fd4368147be9
 

 
One of Martin's new YouTube presentations

This week I've been all over Yorkshire. Leeds on Monday, Dinnington (Rother Valley College) on Tuesday, Beverley on Thursday and Huddersfield on Friday. Apart from Beverley - which was private work for Bishop Burton College, all of the week was devoted to MoleNET.

Monday's gig was at Leeds College of Technology (LCoT) and was a repeat of the workshop that Di and I did last Thursday in London. Easter once again spoiled the attendance, but I think that those who attended each took something away with them. As before we talked about the 'where', 'how', 'what' and most importantly - 'why' - of mobile learning (some Blooms, some medium v message and some accessibility). I enjoyed the day, but delivering all day like that is tiring. On Tuesday I was back at it, this time with Lilian Soon. We presented a workshop on the use of SMS and of Web 2.0 - especially with mobile devices. I finished the week at an almost day-long meeting of the Huddersfield project for MoleNET.

I did some catching up at home on Wednesday and prepared for my gig at Bishop Burton College on Thursday. This was 'Basic PowerPoint' - but during delivery, I realised that for many 'basic' wasn't basic enough - 'an introduction to...' is what about six of those present needed. Of the eighteen, I'd say another six were at the right level for what I'd prepared and the rest were there to learn just small things. I don't think that the first six gained much at all and this worries me. They won't now come to anything else that I deliver and will no doubt think that 'e' is too hard or too exclusive a club to join. I'd prepared work on Master slides, Hyperlinking, Animations and inserting images - but even that wasn't basic enough. They wanted to know 'why' they might use PPT, where they would find it on their computers and how to alter text size, shape (and why) etc! There's still a lot of work to be done. Many of my colleagues feel that these skills (the basic use of computers: familiarity with toolbars, changing text, saving files, locating files etc.) should be essential to teachers in the modern world. It reminded me once again that we should never assume that everyone does have those skills and that training sessions should still be provided for teachers to gain the same.
 

Film of people fighting with swords!

My son Ben and his partner Shiv (Siobhan) are into live action replay (larp) big time. For years they have told tales of Elves, Dukes, Monsters and Hedgehogs (to name but a few) and we have had no idea what they have been referring to. Wikipedia suggests that larp is .. "where the participants physically act out some or all of their characters' actions." and I suppose that's about as far as I understood it. The variety and depth of plots completely dumfounded me. So yesterday Sharon and I were invited to attend (as Monsters) a game which was taking place nearby. As Monsters, we had no particular (permanent) character to play, but were given roles for the evening. Other monsters were given a variety of roles and were pretty much used as 'extras'. I still haven't grasped the main theme of the game, but as it's ongoing and ever changing, I don't suppose I ever will.

It was a really interesting insight to a feature of sub-popular entertainment that had previously passed me by. I don't think I could (or would want to) get into larp but at least I have a better idea now of what Ben and Shiv are talking about and do understand their interest and enjoyment. I had to play a Ramseyesque Chef from Lyonesse (France) and had supposedly prepared the banquet being served to the Lords and Ladies (characters) as a favour to the host. This took place in Estagales (Spain) - in fact "the arse-end of Estragales!" My girlfriend Felicitie (Sharon) was my head of food service and a bit of a flirt. The flirting (scripted of course) brought her to a sticky (literally) end! She had apparently flirted with someone's father - someone who had a bloodthirsty bent!

This has been a busy and tiring week. It started on Sunday last, when I travelled to Leeds in preparation for a two day NIACE e-Guides event at Weetwood Hotel. I was working with Ann Featherstone and both of us had been booked into the Village Hotel nearby. It wasn't a happy experience. See separate blog entry. The two day gig itself was a blast. This was the first time we'd worked together but we both enjoyed it and both felt that the delegates enjoyed it too. Certainly the feedback they gave appeared to suggest that they had taken a great deal away from the event and that day three in May was eagerly anticipated. Feedback from day three in Newcastle which arrived this week - showed that the mobile learning session  did went down a storm.

I spent most of Wednesday preparing for my 'm' pedagogy event with Di Dawson. This took place on Thursday (which meant an early start and a late finish to the day) and will be repeated by me on Monday next in Leeds and later this month in Taunton by Di. Our combined efforts will then go onto the MoleNET Moodle for use by others. There's also an online delivery booked for May 2nd but I think that I'll still be travelling down from Glasgow that day.

The London event wasn't well attended (we think/hope that this is because of this year's variable Easter holidays) but we did have a good feel for the outcomes. All who attended remained engaged and contributed throughout. We asked WHY use 'm' and explored SMS right from the beginning - with use of simple answers to questions and more involved evaluations of prose. Then we discussed Blooms taxonomy and explored the ways in which 'm' could be applied for both HOTS and LOTS. We then looked at video use and specifically VideoJug because most videos found there have transcripts and can be downloaded for use on mobile devices. We asked the delegates to explore reasons for choosing the video (they were asked to chose one that would fit one of their deliveries) and then later in the day we explored the Medium v the Message. See this site. This led to a lively discussion. We'd hoped to look at VeoTags and Gabcast but time eventually ran out on us. I will need to adjust for Monday's delivery.

Yesterday I met Sally Roberts from the WI, to discuss the Treasurer's Course I've developed for them and it's reincarnation on a newly made Moodle. We spent a couple of hours in the Thistle Hotel - Manchester (using their BT Openzone facility) checking through the navigation and usability. Our notes should help to prepare the course for beta testing by  a group of experienced and in-experience treasurers in due course. I then went from Manchester to Bury by tram. My first time on a Manchester tram and I was much impressed. My meeting in Bury was with the WBL team, who would like me to work with them on the development and conversion of materials for use in their soon to be developed Moodle. More as this unfolds .. I'm quite excited by the prospect of working closely with practitioners to help them develop/convert materials for sound pedagogical use.

Today should be strange! We're going to one of son Ben's live-action-dungeon-and-dragon events! We've always been intrigued by what he tells us about the events and now we have the opportunity to experience one. I am to be a (talk about stereotyping) chef and Sharon will be a wench of sorts (but a tarty one!). More when I have it.

There was a big NLN meeting last week. I think I'd been asked if I was free to attend some time ago, but the date coincided with our time in France and I had to decline. Nevertheless, I would still be interested in the outcomes. Upon my return from France I found the feedback from the Science Hairdressing event in my inbox. This made interesting reading and would perhaps have been of interest to the NLN meeting!

When asked 'What have you learned' (from me) on the feedback sheet - delegates noted things like:

• Brill – new websites I haven’t used before, e.g. Bingo, NLN

• Extra resources from NLN

When asked what they would do upon their return to college, some suggested:

• Excited to try the sites and share ideas with colleagues

• Share ideas and websites with my team

Bearing in mind that this feedback was in response to a two hour action (and tools, tips and techniques) packed presentation of which the NLN was just part - it goes to show that no matter how many colleges we visited as NLN Mentors (2002-2005) there is still a need for awareness raising events. The real problem throughout e-Learning training, is getting people to tell their colleagues what they have learned. I was stunned after the Science event to realise once more that people still haven't seen Forms and Comments in use (see feedback).

I was involved in a MoleNET online 'Web 2.0 and SMS' event yesterday. I was mainly in support of Lilian Soon and James Clay but had a short section of my own to deliver too. This turned out to be the pits! I found the experience quite tiring and nerveracking! It is a really strange experience to be sat in a quiet room and then being asked to talk to yourself! I had to deliver slides I'd prepared earlier and started off in a very dreary fashion. This is completely the opposite of the way I would normally deliver. Face to face delivery allows the presenter to feed off the audience - something I thrive on, but online - there is a need to deliver the material without knowing how it is being responded to. I need to work on this now and make my online presentation technique be more lifelike.
 

Things are gradually getting back to normal now after our holiday in France (see blog). I'd hoped we could get a couple of days, a day at least, to ourselves before next week's madness hits, but the five hour power cut on Tuesday has really prevented that. It took me most of Wednesday to catch up on all the email communications I'd missed whilst in France. This is indicative of the way Easter has fallen this year. Many education authorities did not recognise last week as Easter (oddly). Ours, like many others did – so many people were still working and expecting replies. The same thing will happen in reverse next week and/or the week after as other colleges take their early spring break. The upshot of this is that we are having to catch as many colleges as we can (as part of a scoping study we are doing for RSC Northwest) this week, before they go away next week! It's looking like half the region is on holiday now and half will be on holiday soon.

We had a cracking night out last night. Over the last few months two of our friends have lost family members to Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and last nights event was put on to celebrate the life of Gill's mum who died just before Christmas. All proceeds to go to fighting MND. We'd paid £60 for a 'table' which could have sat six. In the end we just took Betony and her boyfriend Keiran. The event was 'Amadeus' a play performed by a variety of youngsters – possibly years 10 and 11 plus sixth formers. It was very good. Also, given the fact that the Workshop is quite small (but very well appointed), we were almost sat on the stage, which can't be easy for the young actors. http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/localentertainment/Acting-Amadeus.3883333.jp - the last time that happened we were off-off Broadway!
 

month - another flurry of activity!

Sharon, Betz and I have just had a week (and two weekends) in France. We'd taken advantage of a Travelodge offer (£19.00 per night from Good Friday onwards) to set off early (on Good Friday) and stayed over at Brentwood, East Horndon. Like most Travelodge's, it's in need of a good coat of looking at but it served our purposes and all the staff were great. The restaurant next door was a bit strange but managed to serve up some good grub. We'd managed to stay in front of the weather as far as Brentwood but eventually the wind and sleet caught us up and the following day we decided to take the tunnel over to France rather than risk the ferry - which we'd been booked on. But, we got there eventually, once again just keeping in front of the weather that was (apparently) following us.

I've written more of our travels elsewhere - so I won't go any further here. Suffice to say that once gain, I've enjoyed my break in France and that I'm looking forward to another busy three to four months. Tomorrow, 2nd April, I intend to write more of my blog, but for now, tempes fugit and have a tea to cook. Back tomorrow.

17th March 2008

How on earth can a fortnight have passed since I last made a blog post. My goodness - where does time go!

March has been a hectic time with one project coming to a busy end and another beginning to fire up after some time in the doldrums. Last week saw me in Barnsley (Northern College) for a L4LW show and tell event alongside Lilian Soon and David Foord (see) on Tuesday and in Manchester then on Wednesday and Thursday (with Di Dawson most of Wednesday and at the NIACE e-Guides conference on Thursday). Di and I had met to sit down and plan two workshops we are delivering (and repeating) during April, May and June for MoleNET and Wednesday was the only time we really had had to get together. It made it easier as we had to be in Manchester anyway to stay over ready for the NIACE event. At the NIACE event, I delivered a session called 'Tagging as a Second Language' - which discussed the problems behind hurried tagging of 'stuff' online. I used Flickr images and del.icio.us bookmarks as examples. I was also asked to cover another session which Terry Loane had planned to deliver. Terry had fallen ill so I picked up his materials and ran a session on 'Voice recorder to Moodle'. This went well, due mainly to Terry's excellent preparation but some things were 'seat of the pants' for other reasons. First of all there were no voice recorders (same in my session, I'd ordered cameras, but none were to be found) - so we had to record straight to Audacity.  Also, some software which Terry had ordered was missing from the Presenter machine (it was on the other machines - I'd checked, but forgot to check the one I would use - doh!)

The NIACE event was great for all sorts of other reasons too. I'd not seen Chris Kelland of Becta for ages, but he was there and we had time to catch up. I spoke too, to Rod Paley of Xtensis about supporting them in their dissemination on NLN materials and hopefully he will get back to me in due course about how I and others like me might do this with them. Margaret Wallace of EPICT and I spoke too, about how Village e-Learning can do more EPICT work and help them to expand into FE. Amongst the many others I was able to stop and chat to (Eta, Karen, Nigel, John Traxler, Colin Gallagher, John Taylor and so on) - there were also some I could only wave to: Sorry to Paul McKean, Wendy Stevenson, Brian Lambourne, John Dalziel, Kevin C-W, Marion (ALT), Louise Jakobson and anyone else who saw me breeze by.

There has been much much more going on but time for writing it up has been scarce - even now I'm having to sign off as it's getting far too late into the evening. We're away on holiday next week and won't return until 1st April - when I suspect, I'll have to hit the ground running. I'm doing an online thing with James Clay and Lilian on the 4th - which will need practice, probably on the 3rd and we're out at a charity thing on Wednesday (2nd) evening. So watch this pace for news of all that and of our holiday in France.