I went to The Education Show on Friday, a bit of a 'school trip' from work. It was a really useful, if slightly tiring, day - there were hundreds of exhibitors selling and / or promoting everything from puppets (one of my favourite stands) to post-its. I came back with a huge shopping list, and hopefully enough enthusiasm to ensure a good proportion of it gets bought.
One of the stands though that made an impact on me was 'Sing Up'. It is, apparently, a government backed initiative that aims to introduce singing into the classroom. They believe that singing is a valuable learning tool, and that if singing is at the heart of teaching then more learning will happen. I don't know myself how practical it is going to be for this to be rolled out countrywide (I know from my own work how hard it can be to persuade one teacher to make one small change, so to persuade a school of teachers to make a fairly big change sounds like a huge task) but the passion and enthusiasm they had makes me think they're going to have a very good go at it.
Monday, 30 March 2009
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Catching up
Weekend before last I headed across to Northampton for the Hub 2 convention. I can honestly say I laughed more in that couple of days than I had in a really long time. Across the Saturday and Sunday the various guests took to the stage in pairs for the talks - the questions had all been submitted in advance and so the weirdest were screened out (no repeats of the "What's your opinion on stem cell research?" question at the Ball). With the exception of Roderic Culver they were all hugely entertaining and seemed to be having a lot of fun. He was rather grumpy during his talks, a point that by the end of the day even he was acknowledging. The event was organised in such a way that we got an autograph from every guest attending, I added quite a few loves to my list over the weekend.
Whilst we were in Northampton we also went to see 'Watchmen'. I'd finished reading the book a few weeks ago and couldn't work out how they would manage to translate it onto the screen. I feel that largely they made a really good job of it, there were a few bits that would have been a little confusing for someone who hadn't read the book (the way Bubastis suddenly appeared towards the end of the film for instance) but I don't think it was anywhere near as confusing as some people were suggesting. There were moments that appeared virtually word for word, and that I loved. All in all I thought it was successful, though the length of it means it won't be a film I'll be rushing to rewatch.
Whilst we were in Northampton we also went to see 'Watchmen'. I'd finished reading the book a few weeks ago and couldn't work out how they would manage to translate it onto the screen. I feel that largely they made a really good job of it, there were a few bits that would have been a little confusing for someone who hadn't read the book (the way Bubastis suddenly appeared towards the end of the film for instance) but I don't think it was anywhere near as confusing as some people were suggesting. There were moments that appeared virtually word for word, and that I loved. All in all I thought it was successful, though the length of it means it won't be a film I'll be rushing to rewatch.
Monday, 23 March 2009
Two Fridays worth
From 13th March:
It was all about luck, so I'm passing for that week.
From 20th March:
It's the "stranded on a desert island" question! You can only take one thing from each category. What is it and why are you taking it?
1. A food that can be planted and regrown.
Rice, because pasta can't be grown. You could use the naturally occuring plants with the rice I would imagine.
2. A person you haven't seen in a long time.
I can't think of anyone I haven't seen in a long time.
3. A book you (were) read as a child.
A collected edition of the Louisa May Alcott books.
4. A celebrity.
Stephen Fry, he would have so many interesting things to say it would be impossible to get bored.
5. The entire episode run of a television show (it's a very nice desert island).
It would have to be Doctor Who, I'd get bored of anything else I think.
It was all about luck, so I'm passing for that week.
From 20th March:
It's the "stranded on a desert island" question! You can only take one thing from each category. What is it and why are you taking it?
1. A food that can be planted and regrown.
Rice, because pasta can't be grown. You could use the naturally occuring plants with the rice I would imagine.
2. A person you haven't seen in a long time.
I can't think of anyone I haven't seen in a long time.
3. A book you (were) read as a child.
A collected edition of the Louisa May Alcott books.
4. A celebrity.
Stephen Fry, he would have so many interesting things to say it would be impossible to get bored.
5. The entire episode run of a television show (it's a very nice desert island).
It would have to be Doctor Who, I'd get bored of anything else I think.
Sunday, 8 March 2009
Friday Five
1. If your car/bike is wrecked (if your mass transit service goes belly-up), do you know what you would do to replace it, perhaps even have the car or bike you want already picked out?
Not something I want to give too much thought to, particularly after trying my little Ka off road last month. I don't have a plan for what I'd do if I needed to replace my car, I suppose being horribly practical it would all depend on how much I got from the insurance and how much I had saved at the time. I've been really happy with the two Kas that I've had so I'd be quite happy with a direct replacement - the new model sounds really interesting.
2. A client/friend gives you a lottery ticket, which wins you a prize worth (after taxes) ten times as much money as you earned/received last year. What will you do with it?
Ten times? Well I'd be good and split the money with them. And then try for a deposit for a house, a decent holiday with friends, a chunk off my student loan, a small amount of frittering, and some into savings. Oh, and a trip to the next Gallifrey convention. I would have to be good and budget my share I think.
3. Fight or flee?
Depends on the situation, but likely flee.
4. Someone performs a random act of kindness that is exactly what you need on a bad day. If you wish to pay them back, would you write a poem, bake, buy something, or what?
Ooh such a vague question, it would depend on the act, the person, the situation. I would make sure I thought of something really good though.
5. Your manager commands you to pick a charity to contribute to. Do you resist? If not, which charity would be your first choice?
Not sure about the resisting part, why would I resist? Because it would be unfair for me to make a unilateral decision? If it was works money that was being donated (thats what I'm assuing from the question) then I think it would be something related to our work, so Afasic, or ICAN probably.
Not something I want to give too much thought to, particularly after trying my little Ka off road last month. I don't have a plan for what I'd do if I needed to replace my car, I suppose being horribly practical it would all depend on how much I got from the insurance and how much I had saved at the time. I've been really happy with the two Kas that I've had so I'd be quite happy with a direct replacement - the new model sounds really interesting.
2. A client/friend gives you a lottery ticket, which wins you a prize worth (after taxes) ten times as much money as you earned/received last year. What will you do with it?
Ten times? Well I'd be good and split the money with them. And then try for a deposit for a house, a decent holiday with friends, a chunk off my student loan, a small amount of frittering, and some into savings. Oh, and a trip to the next Gallifrey convention. I would have to be good and budget my share I think.
3. Fight or flee?
Depends on the situation, but likely flee.
4. Someone performs a random act of kindness that is exactly what you need on a bad day. If you wish to pay them back, would you write a poem, bake, buy something, or what?
Ooh such a vague question, it would depend on the act, the person, the situation. I would make sure I thought of something really good though.
5. Your manager commands you to pick a charity to contribute to. Do you resist? If not, which charity would be your first choice?
Not sure about the resisting part, why would I resist? Because it would be unfair for me to make a unilateral decision? If it was works money that was being donated (thats what I'm assuing from the question) then I think it would be something related to our work, so Afasic, or ICAN probably.
This month I have mostly been reading - February
February was a quiet reading month for me, I actually only finished one book. I think it was a combination of things - firstly the books I was reading were challenging which made it difficult to read them quickly, and secondly I am about halfway through a number of books which will all end up being included in March's list.
1. 'Change of Heart' by Jodi Picoult.
Over the last few years I've read most books by Jodi Picoult. The more I read the more formulaic they seem, yet I still find myself picking them up in the supermarket when they're on special offer. This is probably the most challenging book she's written for me personally, it centres around an inmate on death row who wants to donate his heart to the daughter /sister of the man and girl he murdered. It touches on the idea of whether donated organs can transfer characteristis of the donor to the recipient, but as a bigger plot the donor seems capable of performing miracles - is he actually more important than he seems. For me it was a challenging read, it got very bogged down in religious imagery and comparison drawing, but also because the way the murderer reminded me of people I have come across and that was at times hard to reconcile.
1. 'Change of Heart' by Jodi Picoult.
Over the last few years I've read most books by Jodi Picoult. The more I read the more formulaic they seem, yet I still find myself picking them up in the supermarket when they're on special offer. This is probably the most challenging book she's written for me personally, it centres around an inmate on death row who wants to donate his heart to the daughter /sister of the man and girl he murdered. It touches on the idea of whether donated organs can transfer characteristis of the donor to the recipient, but as a bigger plot the donor seems capable of performing miracles - is he actually more important than he seems. For me it was a challenging read, it got very bogged down in religious imagery and comparison drawing, but also because the way the murderer reminded me of people I have come across and that was at times hard to reconcile.
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