As Playing With Learning 2 now includes a hamper of puppets (think that's the correct collective noun: apologies for showing off if it is; serious embarassment if it isn't), I had to find out if the company filming the day could set up some sort of teleconferencing facility in Scarman House so that the puppeteers could work in a different room - one reserved for the afternoon workshops - to the main event, preferably at no extra cost.
Technically, it turns out to be no problem at all - probably! - and after I've outlined how much more beneficial to them the footage will be for their own promotional work, it fortunately won't cost any extra except a couple of beers the night before & additional stress on the day while I worry about something else that could go wrong...
Thursday, 9 April 2009
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
Master of Puppets
Denby Dale (home of the world famous pie)
Spent this afternoon with a puppetry company called Get Your Head Round It! who currently specialise in teacher's lesson plans, DVDs and semi-improvised workshops covering four subject areas: Sexual Health & Relationships, Careers, Drugs & Alcohol, & Citizenship. Although their work is aimed at teenagers, it had been suggested to me that they might make an interesting addition to Playing With Learning 2 if they/we could come up with a suitable scenario/characterisation to include in Kirsten Hardy's "On Trial" part of the conference. As they're keen to work at a higher educational level, and the conference's intention is to explore the boundaries of innovative teaching & ways of engaging students, I travelled across West Yorkshire with a distinct feeling of doubt that there could be any kind of degree-level pedagogic value in adding some talking dolls to the grand day out, even if they are life-sized & operated by professionals.
Four hours of discussions later, and our student witnessness for the prosecution have been briefed and signed-up, ready to tell all about why it's the lecturers fault that they don't attend, work or achieve. Although it'll necessitate interviews by a remote link (as is sometimes the case with vulnerable adults/children in real court cases), having caricature students will prevent any associations with real institutions/individuals, and allow for exaggerated situations and comments on both sides. As Direct Visual are filming the day, the enhanced impact of the puppetry (would you ever have watched Spitting Image if it had been real people making those "jokes"?), ought to make the final DVD more interesting to people who weren't there, and hopefully help to engender comment/debate about the techniques used on the day - even if it is only "so were you responsible for that the conference with the puppets then?"
Spent this afternoon with a puppetry company called Get Your Head Round It! who currently specialise in teacher's lesson plans, DVDs and semi-improvised workshops covering four subject areas: Sexual Health & Relationships, Careers, Drugs & Alcohol, & Citizenship. Although their work is aimed at teenagers, it had been suggested to me that they might make an interesting addition to Playing With Learning 2 if they/we could come up with a suitable scenario/characterisation to include in Kirsten Hardy's "On Trial" part of the conference. As they're keen to work at a higher educational level, and the conference's intention is to explore the boundaries of innovative teaching & ways of engaging students, I travelled across West Yorkshire with a distinct feeling of doubt that there could be any kind of degree-level pedagogic value in adding some talking dolls to the grand day out, even if they are life-sized & operated by professionals.
Four hours of discussions later, and our student witnessness for the prosecution have been briefed and signed-up, ready to tell all about why it's the lecturers fault that they don't attend, work or achieve. Although it'll necessitate interviews by a remote link (as is sometimes the case with vulnerable adults/children in real court cases), having caricature students will prevent any associations with real institutions/individuals, and allow for exaggerated situations and comments on both sides. As Direct Visual are filming the day, the enhanced impact of the puppetry (would you ever have watched Spitting Image if it had been real people making those "jokes"?), ought to make the final DVD more interesting to people who weren't there, and hopefully help to engender comment/debate about the techniques used on the day - even if it is only "so were you responsible for that the conference with the puppets then?"
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Scholarly Activity Forum
High Melton, Doncaster
April 2nd 2009
This evening's (yep evening: 7 'til 9) staff development session for Doncaster's University centre (part of the local college), was on why staff should conduct scholarly activities and what it means.
The latest session I've ever delivered went well and included wine (I was driving so don't know if it was any good or not), although as the college is attempting to engender a research culture while expecting staff to deliver 850 hours plus of HE per year, most of the questions were perhaps understandably about how other colleges manage to do it, and not about how to go about it.
As a result, there'll be a collection of best practice examples available through the main PlayingwithLearning website as soon as I've decided on the format.
April 2nd 2009
This evening's (yep evening: 7 'til 9) staff development session for Doncaster's University centre (part of the local college), was on why staff should conduct scholarly activities and what it means.
The latest session I've ever delivered went well and included wine (I was driving so don't know if it was any good or not), although as the college is attempting to engender a research culture while expecting staff to deliver 850 hours plus of HE per year, most of the questions were perhaps understandably about how other colleges manage to do it, and not about how to go about it.
As a result, there'll be a collection of best practice examples available through the main PlayingwithLearning website as soon as I've decided on the format.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
HELP Conference
30th – 31st March
No, not 180 Beatles fans discussing their favourite album, it was the Higher Education Learning Partnership CETL's conference, HE in FE culture and experience: a partnership perspective.
As an invited guest, I neither presented nor got involved in the running of the event, but have spent two very enjoyable days at the University of Warwick catching up with old friends and making new ones, although the main reason for attending was to keep up with what's happening in and around HE in FE.
Opened by Professor Gareth Parry, Professor of Education, University of Sheffield, and closed by LMU's Professor Sally Brown ("QUANGOs are finished", "end of HEFCE in two years"), we were treated to a series of workshops and presentations in 2/3/4? very-badly signposted buildings on "The creation, operation and future of HE in FE partnerships", "The quality and style of HE in FE learning spaces and facilities", "The HE in FE experience and culture for staff", "The HE in FE experience and culture for students", and what I thought was the best of those I attended, “Regional support for implementing IQER & HE strategy” by the West Midlands RSC.
Back in 6 weeks for PWL 2: just up the road & in a much nicer venue that will definitely be well sign-posted...
No, not 180 Beatles fans discussing their favourite album, it was the Higher Education Learning Partnership CETL's conference, HE in FE culture and experience: a partnership perspective.
As an invited guest, I neither presented nor got involved in the running of the event, but have spent two very enjoyable days at the University of Warwick catching up with old friends and making new ones, although the main reason for attending was to keep up with what's happening in and around HE in FE.
Opened by Professor Gareth Parry, Professor of Education, University of Sheffield, and closed by LMU's Professor Sally Brown ("QUANGOs are finished", "end of HEFCE in two years"), we were treated to a series of workshops and presentations in 2/3/4? very-badly signposted buildings on "The creation, operation and future of HE in FE partnerships", "The quality and style of HE in FE learning spaces and facilities", "The HE in FE experience and culture for staff", "The HE in FE experience and culture for students", and what I thought was the best of those I attended, “Regional support for implementing IQER & HE strategy” by the West Midlands RSC.
Back in 6 weeks for PWL 2: just up the road & in a much nicer venue that will definitely be well sign-posted...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)