Saturday, 25 February 2012
Out of Time: All our educational eggs in one basket
Out of Time: All our educational eggs in one basket: Great day at St Paul's CE Junior School yesterday. I was privileged to be invited as a judge for the annual poetry competition and I have to...
All our educational eggs in one basket
Great day at St Paul's CE Junior School yesterday. I was privileged to be invited as a judge for the annual poetry competition and I have to say it was a hard task. The standard was very high and each pupil had done a fantastic job of learning their poem. They all used amazing expression and showed great maturity in standing up in front of an audience and reciting-in some case quite hard and long poems. I really enjoyed myself and I thought the children were brilliant. Take a look on the link to see the prizewinners.
http://www.st-pauls.cumbria.sch.uk/
Today we visited Leeds Trinity University to take a look at the journalism course. It was very impressive and I wouldn't mind going myself. It looks very modern, professional and a fantastic opportunity to get a good grounding in the skills required to be a journalist. Naturally, the cost implication is quite significant and it made me reflect on my own university education...which because I went in 1975...was free! In fact many of the politicians who insisted upon student loans, fees and the rest, also received a free education. To say that cost will not prevent young people from accessing uni is a fallacy -the conversation I had with my daughter and boyfriend was discussing how much debt she would exit uni with after 3 years. The consensus was that the idea of a large debt was not attractive-however, to enable her to enter the highly competitive arena of journalism, a degree and NCTJ Diploma would give her an advantage. We talked it through and I believe that while debt is never a good option, in this case it needs to be regarded as an investment in a career. Hopefully, it will pay off -and as the politicians declare-will ensure a higher salary. However, it does not always work out that way...my eldest son-a journalist is still paying off a student loan from 8 years ago-he is fully employed, but on appraisal could be earning a similar wage had he become a manager in a supermarket or similar, without going to uni. My second son who had dreamed of becoming an archaeologist from 9 years old, lived the dream for a time, but earned less than an office worker without 3 years study-he has now gone into industry and is earning double his previous salary. So all this leaves me rather confused and ambivalent. I earned well as a teacher and could see progression in my career and I had trained, gone to University and even progressed to Masters level-yet it did not prevent me from being made redundant last year and has proved very problematic to acquire anything like the remuneration I previously had.
I believe strongly in education and think anyone with the ability should be able to access this. But I do not believe it is for everyone and it is not always the golden key to riches and security as we are led to believe. Choice is important, but so are options and believe that other training options and apprenticeships are often undersold and regarded as second best! Yet surely these are the areas we should be building on-lets not put all our educational eggs in the same basket and let's begin to value skills as well as academic performance-we need the craftsmen, engineers, tradesmen and innovators to stimulate our economy-we should be trying to recoup the losses made over the years and become a creative and productive society again. We led the industrial revolution-particularly in this town-Barrow-in-Furness-purpose built by industrialists and innovators; lets do it again and learn from our past mistakes-we have the expertise and the people needing work...or are we all destined to offer our services free of charge on part time work experience schemes? I hope not!
http://www.st-pauls.cumbria.sch.uk/
Today we visited Leeds Trinity University to take a look at the journalism course. It was very impressive and I wouldn't mind going myself. It looks very modern, professional and a fantastic opportunity to get a good grounding in the skills required to be a journalist. Naturally, the cost implication is quite significant and it made me reflect on my own university education...which because I went in 1975...was free! In fact many of the politicians who insisted upon student loans, fees and the rest, also received a free education. To say that cost will not prevent young people from accessing uni is a fallacy -the conversation I had with my daughter and boyfriend was discussing how much debt she would exit uni with after 3 years. The consensus was that the idea of a large debt was not attractive-however, to enable her to enter the highly competitive arena of journalism, a degree and NCTJ Diploma would give her an advantage. We talked it through and I believe that while debt is never a good option, in this case it needs to be regarded as an investment in a career. Hopefully, it will pay off -and as the politicians declare-will ensure a higher salary. However, it does not always work out that way...my eldest son-a journalist is still paying off a student loan from 8 years ago-he is fully employed, but on appraisal could be earning a similar wage had he become a manager in a supermarket or similar, without going to uni. My second son who had dreamed of becoming an archaeologist from 9 years old, lived the dream for a time, but earned less than an office worker without 3 years study-he has now gone into industry and is earning double his previous salary. So all this leaves me rather confused and ambivalent. I earned well as a teacher and could see progression in my career and I had trained, gone to University and even progressed to Masters level-yet it did not prevent me from being made redundant last year and has proved very problematic to acquire anything like the remuneration I previously had.
I believe strongly in education and think anyone with the ability should be able to access this. But I do not believe it is for everyone and it is not always the golden key to riches and security as we are led to believe. Choice is important, but so are options and believe that other training options and apprenticeships are often undersold and regarded as second best! Yet surely these are the areas we should be building on-lets not put all our educational eggs in the same basket and let's begin to value skills as well as academic performance-we need the craftsmen, engineers, tradesmen and innovators to stimulate our economy-we should be trying to recoup the losses made over the years and become a creative and productive society again. We led the industrial revolution-particularly in this town-Barrow-in-Furness-purpose built by industrialists and innovators; lets do it again and learn from our past mistakes-we have the expertise and the people needing work...or are we all destined to offer our services free of charge on part time work experience schemes? I hope not!
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Which way?
Phew! Busy old week so far! Made some lovely friends on Saturday at Blackpool Waterstones and even sold some copies of Out of Time. Sunday-a glorious day for walking...and walk we did! 12.2 miles across field and dale-and muddy puddles good training for Keswick to Barrow walk dystonia teams(please see link to sponsor page-every pound helps). http://www.keswick2barrow.co.uk/sponsor/welcome.asp?ID=60
Been busy ringing schools and book stores to promote wider and wider. So far got another signing in Preston at Waterstones. If you know any schools etc who wish to avail themselves of my services please get in touch. Its very hard all this promotion-and as I've said previously not my natural environment-I am getting better, but I am not keen. Don't mind the social networking etc but its hard to cold call shops and schools.
Got a number of school visits coming up-Lindale Primary for a second day with the younger children this time too. Then Cartmel Priory School, Thwaites School near Millom,Dane Gyhll in Barrow,and Walney Secondary School during World Book Week. The piece de resistance is Waterstones Barrow on World Book Day-a dress up day....hmmm! ot telling-you will have to come and see me!
I'm excited about the promotional film I am going to be doing with Comely Media soon-take a look at their website-good work! The two main parts are sorted and I can see it will be brilliant! Hopefully getting it on Youtube will bring the book to a wider audience.
Still awaiting Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle's arrival-it is just like a pregnancy! He is due 1st August...4 days before my lovely grandson's 3rd birthday. It will be a special birthday present because I have dedicated it to him and to the children of Dalton S Mary's School-who were responsible for its creation.
We are holding a "friends" of Furness Abbey meeting on 22nd March at the Red Lion pub at 7-30pm. We want to see if we can help to support EH in promoting and expanding visitor numbers. We should take a leaf out of David Gill's book at Dalton Zoo-he seems to know what its all about! If you are interested in joining us feel free..we would love to see you.
Work tomorrow-with my lovely TA students. We are progressing well with the new course and hope to be able to run some new ones very soon via Cumbria Adult Learning.
Been busy ringing schools and book stores to promote wider and wider. So far got another signing in Preston at Waterstones. If you know any schools etc who wish to avail themselves of my services please get in touch. Its very hard all this promotion-and as I've said previously not my natural environment-I am getting better, but I am not keen. Don't mind the social networking etc but its hard to cold call shops and schools.
Got a number of school visits coming up-Lindale Primary for a second day with the younger children this time too. Then Cartmel Priory School, Thwaites School near Millom,Dane Gyhll in Barrow,and Walney Secondary School during World Book Week. The piece de resistance is Waterstones Barrow on World Book Day-a dress up day....hmmm! ot telling-you will have to come and see me!
I'm excited about the promotional film I am going to be doing with Comely Media soon-take a look at their website-good work! The two main parts are sorted and I can see it will be brilliant! Hopefully getting it on Youtube will bring the book to a wider audience.
Still awaiting Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle's arrival-it is just like a pregnancy! He is due 1st August...4 days before my lovely grandson's 3rd birthday. It will be a special birthday present because I have dedicated it to him and to the children of Dalton S Mary's School-who were responsible for its creation.
We are holding a "friends" of Furness Abbey meeting on 22nd March at the Red Lion pub at 7-30pm. We want to see if we can help to support EH in promoting and expanding visitor numbers. We should take a leaf out of David Gill's book at Dalton Zoo-he seems to know what its all about! If you are interested in joining us feel free..we would love to see you.
Work tomorrow-with my lovely TA students. We are progressing well with the new course and hope to be able to run some new ones very soon via Cumbria Adult Learning.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Out of Time: rebirth, reading and reaching the masses
Out of Time: rebirth, reading and reaching the masses: Funny old day today...no motivation whatsoever and that worries me. I finally shook off the sloth at 7 when we had a quarterly meeting of Fu...
rebirth, reading and reaching the masses
Funny old day today...no motivation whatsoever and that worries me. I finally shook off the sloth at 7 when we had a quarterly meeting of Furness and South Lakes group of the Dystonia Society. A new member came and a few of the old stalwarts...but we are struggling I guess, we have lost members and few younger ones arrive, but we still need to plod on. It will be 15 years in May since our very first event-coincidentally a Tea Party! So we have decided to celebrate by holding another one in awareness week on 19th May...why don't you join us-details to follow soon. We need prizes and publicity-we will be selling tickets and would like to make this a signature event for the year. Later on we are holding an awareness day where sufferers and public alike can join with us to learn more about this horrible condition.www.dystonia.org.uk
Tomorrow will be an interesting one-I am meeting at Abbey Mill Cafe with Iain McNichol the history man and Comely Media to arrange some filmic publicity of a high quality-if you don't believe me-take a look at the website. On Saturday I will be signing books at Blackpool Waterstones-this is the furthest afield that have gone and hopefully heralds an extension to the reach of my book. Please come and see me if you are in the vicinity.
Next week back to the "infinite variety" that has become my career-Time Investigators, Explorers clubs for Y6 kids, Teaching Assistant's courses, governor duties, meetings and a visit to Leeds Uni with Freya. Writing...haven't done a lot this week despite trying very hard-probably get more done in the impossibly bust weeks ahead!
News on the new book-Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle should be out by 1st August-hopefully sooner! More later ...
Tomorrow will be an interesting one-I am meeting at Abbey Mill Cafe with Iain McNichol the history man and Comely Media to arrange some filmic publicity of a high quality-if you don't believe me-take a look at the website. On Saturday I will be signing books at Blackpool Waterstones-this is the furthest afield that have gone and hopefully heralds an extension to the reach of my book. Please come and see me if you are in the vicinity.
Next week back to the "infinite variety" that has become my career-Time Investigators, Explorers clubs for Y6 kids, Teaching Assistant's courses, governor duties, meetings and a visit to Leeds Uni with Freya. Writing...haven't done a lot this week despite trying very hard-probably get more done in the impossibly bust weeks ahead!
News on the new book-Guy the Grumpy Gargoyle should be out by 1st August-hopefully sooner! More later ...
Monday, 13 February 2012
Out of Time: Weird synchronicity
Out of Time: Weird synchronicity: Productive day today at Barrow Library Archives with help from Mike and Glenn. Researching for Raven's Hoard and not for the first time had ...
Weird synchronicity
Productive day today at Barrow Library Archives with help from Mike and Glenn. Researching for Raven's Hoard and not for the first time had a spooky moment. It happened before whilst researching the last book-I would have an idea, research it and then find that my made up idea fitted very closely to the reality. Happened again today...without giving too much away, a certain item I am including in the book led me to a report which outlined the story I wanted to tell. However, it got weirder...the choice of my title was random-or so I thought -but there it was a MASSIVE link to the name in the very location I have chosen. Next I found a date which was an actual time frame for an event...and I had selected-without prior knowledge a date just 8 days later! And all this because I selected one particular half remembered discovery in the locality! So am psychic? Or is it that there are no original thoughts and ideas? Either way its a bit spooky! But the other thing it demonstrates is that this area, much maligned and ignored in the recognised historical record really does have an amazing past and the more I delve, the more fascinating items I come across. This may well keep me going for many books to come...watch this space!
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