McLaren

Roaring beast of a McLaren

Sleek lines

Whining engine

Sweeping through the roaring crowd.

2010 – Blogging the World Cup

Blog the World Cup (BTWC) was a project that took place during the football World Cup in the summer of 2010. John Sutton’s idea was of a collaborative World Cup site with schools ‘adopting’ a competing nation and developing a blog around that country’s performance in the tournament, as well as other aspects such as its geography, culture and sporting heritage. The World Cup would indeed present a great opportunity for teachers and learners to explore and the blogging medium in a purposeful and engaging context.

I’m a TwitPic Poet

I didn’t mean to write a poem today. When I fired up Twitter this morning I noticed that Leon Cych had already been out and about taking photos in the snow. Somewhat intrigued, I took a look at his photos and left a quick comment.  They would have made good material for writing a topical poem about snow with my students. When Leon fired me a tweet with a link to a poem, ‘Handwriting Exercise’,  he had written about the snow 30 years ago, the material and surrounding backstory became excellent inspiration for writing a poem. If one of my schools had been open and visiting Silverstone then I would have written with them. Shame they weren’t really!

It was then that I remembered that Leon is a ‘proper’ poet and his excellent writing reflects that but he is also a good guy so will be suitably pleasant when he reads my limited poetic response, ‘Snowscape Escape’.

What struck me about this whole process was that it was very easy with a low entry threshold. It  reminded me both of the spontaneity that seemed possible when I was a pupil at primary school and of some of the ‘off the cuff’ adventures I had with my classes as a teacher years ago. For example, I read a poem online by Laura Sheffler from UC Berkeley and next morning was opening it up to my class for their own responses, opening up authentic collaboration with the poet in the process.

Gareth’s writing offers me some insight in why it was such a buzz for me as a teacher using technology to create today.

It’s grasping the nostalgia of how learning takes place: constructionism, experimentation, trial and error etc, and relating a technology to these forces that makes it powerful and relevant.

What I’ve experienced today is the nostalgia for how some of my my most memorable  learning took place in the past and how technology can make it relevant as a means for learning in the future.  I’ve always been a TwitPic poet baby – you better believe it!

French Poetry

Acceleration a fond

fonce a toute allure!

Puissance infinie.

Welcome from ECML in Graz

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The final dissemination workshop of the ECML Blogs project is under way! Here are the first photos from the intro.

New Horizons

I wasn’t looking for a new job but was immediately captivated by the prospect of working at a motor-racing circuit as manager of the Silverstone Study Centre.

Part of the Playing for Success scheme, I will get to teach in a really exciting and innovative environment. Making full use of the excellent facilities and creative opportunities at Silverstone, as well as developing partnerships with schools and motorsport partners, will be exciting parts of the post.

In true Fordy fashion, I created and used a Poetry Grand Prix blog during part of interview process to add real purpose and audience during an observed teaching session that I carried out with Year Five pupils from local schools. I’ve still got to add the performance poetry podcasts but it gives you an idea of what the children and I accomplished.

Feel free to comment and to offer any great ideas for innovative work learning and collaboration on a motorsport theme:-)