Author Archives: M Emlyn Humphries

About M Emlyn Humphries

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Natural History Museum

This Friday saw me on a train with Y7 to Y11 heading for London. We’re a tiny school so this sort of thing is quite easy to organise and the kids are on our side so we always have a wonderful time.

We divided into two groups when we got there. There was a slight delay as the museum staff confiscated all the scissors from the pupils pencil cases then off we went to the Human Body exhibit. Great fun was had around the genetics and reproduction bit and we enjoyed re-entering the womb. We pulled leavers to learn about muscles and bones and then learned about the brain. The exhibits were hands on and multimedia but we had to intervene quite a lot to get any learning out of the experience. Next the dinosaurs which was all thrills. Some effort had been made to make the exhibit educational but it was a lot of shock and awe.

But this was not the aim of the visit. we were there to take part in an hands-on investigation centre experience. This was lead by an enthusiastic young lady ably helped by 3 other informed and helpful assistants. The children were really in to it. They devised questions, interrogating what they saw and the museum staff helped them go deeper with their investigations. Half way through they were allowed to search on computers to answer some of their questions about the exhibits that didn’t involve measuring and drawing. Everyone was fully engaged and learning. The interaction with the staff was fantastic. An hour was soon over and everyone left happy.

What’s my point? Well the next exhibit we visited was the cocoon. A huge white egg of a thing encased in glass built on the end of the museum, a part of the Darwin Centre. It was high tech. Each of us had a card which collected what we had found through interrogating consoles about the exhibit. We could then log on to a web site when we got home and find out more. It was hard work. As teachers we had to direct and guide so that the children would get something out of this circus. The exhibit was beautiful and packed with activity and opportunity to wonder. My point is, it took time to access the exhibit; there needed to be intervention. The technology didn’t work without the human element.

I was proud to be the teacher and really pleased with my students as they experienced our value as well as the value of the experience.

Expanding horizons

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Much of my blogging activity this week has been involved in cleaning up and making more visually pleasing the blogger accounts I still want to use.
I have also added loads more teachers with technology interests to my twitter account.
I am so into this I am now using my mobile phone to keep up with what is going on, have an ada application running on my desktop at home and tweetdeck running on my laptop.
I tried to explain to someone why twitter was legitimate and not unnatural. I pointed out to them that a lot of the time I am working on the computer in isolation; normally I would be in an environment where I could interact with my fellow work-pals. Twitter gives me this back. Being and interacting with people are the most natural activities in the world. We were not made to be alone!
Twitter also allows me to keep up with what other people have found in my areas of interest and their encounters with technology and life in general.
I am beginning to see that it is not technology that is going to make me a better teacher or learner, it is the communities I engage in that help me make the information pouring into my life knowledge. And usable knowledge at that.

The first week

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It’s been a long week. My first day, Monday was fairly euphoric and I worked hard on my to-do-list.
Set up a new desk, determined to make myself more visible and available to the parents and pupils. A bit revolutionary for some who think I should be shut away in an office!
Tuesday was my first lesson. It was odd to be back at the class face but I enjoyed it. Wednesday, and I was off to an AQA training meeting for the new GCSE. I was exhausted by this and probably shouldn’t have gone in on Thursday but I did.
Friday was difficult but I am hoping that I will increase in strength and confidence soon. It was my birthday though and everyone was so kind and generous.
Over the next week I will be taking up my timetable again and teaching with gusto.

Back to work

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Well it had to happen one day. I am in work again having been ill for 6 months and, do you know what, I am really looking forward to it. My preparation involved a rip home to Wales.

The stay with my parents was a good idea and it was good to be near the sea again. The trip back was an occasion. I thought all was going well and that coach travel had improved since my university days until I reached Victoria. After a while I realised all was not well.

Icelandic volcanic ash had stopped all coach services to Stansted. I tried to reason with them that I lived near Stansted and did not want to fly. They thought this was novel but said I had to wait until they knew if flights were to be reinstated. I would still be there now if I had not complained.

They decided to send me to Stratford where I could catch a train. I waited dutifully for the Stratford coach only to see it drive in and out with no passengers. It was broken and would be out of service for an hour! This was becoming funny then out of nowhere a Stansted coach drew in and a wild looking driver came in and said he was willing to take people to Stansted. He was obviously a rogue bent on doing his job.

I boarded and arrived home 12 hours older than when the journey began.

It’s really quiet here and the sky is clear. No planes. It’s novel but worrying.

The first week of spring?

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It looked promising on the Monday and we had coffee at the garden centre. H joined us and we drank one coffee, one chocolate and one hot water; by the time I had been served all the good conversation had happened and the world’s problems had been solved. The walk around was not too interesting as I didn”t really want to buy anything and got quite tired so I spent some time in the car park. Home for tea without a cooker or hob but the microwave a nd steamer came into their own with steamed fissh and microwaved chips.

And then to Tuesday and another coffee house and medium cappuccino, americano and chocolate. Conspicuous consumption but at least no one was making love in the corner or describing curviture of the spine.

Wednesday and eight hours later we had a hob cut into the kitchen surface and the dishwasher and washing machine swapped round. Evening at Pizza Express with O and C.

F back Thursday. However first things first up to Sandy, Beds for lunch at the Queens Head and a spot of bird watching with the sister and family. I’m a novelty and feel exhausted by the walk. As predicted most of the birds were at the teashop bird table. Where have all the trees gone? Heathland for sheep.

Friday and now really am exhausted. This doesn’t look good but have booked tickets for Mand D and sent student finace form for the second time. S out tonight. I wonder what I will do?

I think I’m happy now

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Have done a little more work on this and now feel confident to add my name to it. Recent activities have included starting and updating the school’s wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Christian_School_(Takeley) and realising how vulnerable wiki pages are. I am searching for a wiki programme to use on the youlot pages that is easier to use than the moodle one and more accessible.