Following on from the success of the ‘Can you tell what it is yet?’ pictures we used on the College signage last week I’ve used the simple ‘Text & Pictures’ reveal brick in Frog to created a visual quiz for whiteboard & classroom use. We already publish a weekly text quiz but I thought this might engage visual learners. Awaiting feedback because it might be quite good fun to run an inter-form comp using similar imaging.
Check it out yuorself over @ http://www.bideford.devon.sch.uk/what
A. When it’s 31 degrees?
Design Draft No 1
Or……..
A. When it’s time to get set for summer
Finished Version
This week I’ve had to come up with a concept & logo for a Summer School that the College will be running during the 6 week break. I wanted to focus on the season (YES I know it should have featured lots rain clouds but I live in eternal hope) and the idea of using the time to explore rather than going ‘back’ to school. So from initial concept through to finished brochure cover here it is. More soon.
…and this time it’s better than ever before! Eggwatch 2013 LIVE from Faraday Block is now online and we think that all the action is due to happen next Monday or Tuesday.
I’ve even been promised that there is no chance of baking the eggs this year. (So long as the thermostat doesn’t blow up again.)
On a more serious note I’ll be e mailing our feeder primary schools as well as our staff as the ‘hatch fest’ coincides with ‘National Science & Engineering Week’.
Tune in now for the non stop action.
I was lucky enough to get to present some assemblies last week on a fundraising project that I’m in the process of organising here at the College.
The aim is simple, I’m going to try and enlist the support of Students & fellow Staff, to raise £3000 for an NGO called ‘Skateistan‘.
Skateistan work in Afghanistan & Cambodia bringing educational opportunities to young people aged 8 to 15 and are an inspirational organisation that I felt an instant affinity with when I first learned about them during the Christmas break. Skateboarding is the ‘hook’ to engage & empower young people and the groundbreaking work of founder ‘Oliver Percovich‘ and his team present an amazing opportunity to engage our students as part of a global community.
Find out more on our mini-site (below) which I’ve just built to publicise the project.
Yesterday I delivered to our green screen media Guru, Chris, a big fat multi layered photoshop file specifically for budding weather forecasters.
It features maps of the South West, The U.K , Spain & a gallery of symbols.
Wannabe weatherpeeps can then script, organise maps, & then present, in front of a green screen, their very own weather forecast.
MFL are in on the act with their own Spanish Weather Channel.
Can’t wait to see the finished article in use. I’ll post a video a.s.a.i.c.
P.S I used the awesome puppet warp tool in PS-CS5 to point my arm @ Bude instead of Plymouth!
Our first ever completely digital election result gives the Green Party victory with a 36% share of the vote polling 153 votes in all & 42 ahead of the nearest rival, ! Ironically the result also mirrors the national one in that it would provide us with a hung Parliament. There was actually quite a buzz about the project in the polling station at lunchtime yesterday and it was really good to see the level of student engagement across the school, either in tutor groups or via the student homepages. Sadly or rather predictably there were 49 spoiled votes out of a total of 487 cast, notable for the fact that Adolf Hitler, 1234, hjgx & ’You are stupid’ are all, apparently, students at the College. I closed the online poll bang on 10pm & set about number crunching & photoshopping the results, publishing them at about 10.30pm. Quicker than any paper based system I’ll bet.
The winner is on study leave today so we’ll have to wait for a reaction till’ Monday. One member of staff challenged me declaring that he might have to call in UN observers due to the nature of our very ‘African’ style election. Namely that the winning candidates father organised the election voting system. I was unavailable for comment. Check out the whole story HERE
Once again the College is running a Ski Trip this year with the lucky snow-badgers heading off to the Wagrain region in Austria for a weeks Skiing & Snowboarding. Now in it’s 5th year the ritual trip blog is packed full of more information this year than ever before. As ever the main purpose beyond that of keeping everyone up to date before the trip leaves is of course to post daily reports from the Austrian slopes. In the past parents have found this particularly useful, so as the saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Check it out here.
Was extremely lucky yesterday to have the opportunity to visit Rednock School up in Dursley, Glos’.
Like us they have been the beneficiaries of a brand spanking new BSF one school pathfinder school but they are a little further down the line than we are as they moved in this September. We were there ostensibly for a Frog awareness day, which was of course excellent, with a cracking presentation by Niall Brennan from Arrowvale school (who have just rolled out their install to students just 3 weeks ago). However we also were given the chance to tour the new building in the afternoon.
To say I was impressed would be a massive understatement. WOW! It was jaw droppingly amazing. What impressed was the phenomenal architectural statement which was bold & adventurous but on a very human scale. Externally the library ‘pod’ grabs your attention but the mix of timber & coloured panelling was highly effective too. Overall the immediate impression was of style & a very ‘european’ sophistication. Internally the building was just as engaging with bright, airy spaces & subtle detail but with strong style & purpose. The communal & ‘breakout’ areas were an excellent idea and the teaching spaces appeared very inviting. Of course there have been a few teething problems, which are only to be expected, but the overall impression was fantastic. If our new school is half as good as Rednock it’ll be brilliant.
Enough gushing for one day I think.
Happy Blogging
Stu
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Please have a nice, peaceful & non confrontational day.
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