foolfillment: the blog

Another good day at school. I got an network account by the end of the day so I should be able to do this from school now. I took my 3rd year graphics class and it all seemed to go well. True length is a very tough idea to get your head around but my approach seemed to get a couple of them to understand the reason why we need to do it which was rally gratifying. I took a stab at questioning as a means of getting them to think rather than regurgitate info and the idea seemed to get through. It’s a very capable class.
I was in a n S1 grapchis class too, a mixed bunch. I spent a lot of time with one who really improved after I sat making him do as I did, drawing a series of lines and it made a big difference. He still had trouble with the task though, and I’m disappointed to say that the class teacher rather than recognising the progress saw only the task in terms of how well he wanted it done.
I took a senior class through an M&T joint, difficult to get them all listening, they seems all a little disinterested but o9nce they got started made a reasonable stab at the task. Too many not taking care with the chiselling though and wanted more wood. The quandry is do you make them see that they have to get it right first time, or do you give them more wood so that they do eventually get a good job?
There was another class. I remember now, a second year class making a toy. Pretty good workers, I didn’t lead take the lesson though. Hopefully another time. The S1s do rotations with other subjects so they get one period wood, one metal, and one on KU/drawing each week before they change to another subject. I’m taking this class for their KU period next Tues.

All in all, a good day.

1405 spam comments caught since I cleared them yesterday, a lot more than usual.

401 entries unread in my bloglines feed.

The computer I’m using in the uni library has been upgraded to xp since I last used it. It’s gash, all my bookmarks have been cleared, the desktop is no longer set up like I want it, my H drive isn’t available and none of the apps are working properly because they require me to have, wait for it, my H drive available.

I’ve been using my laptop in the library recently with the VPN service and the flexible access they now provide wirelessly in most levels of the library, it’s a really useful set up as it let’s me use my machine, which is configured to exactly how I need it, but I still have access to all the things that ordinarily I need to be using an on-campus machine to get to.

Day two done and dusted. I met a second year class today who are doing some design stuff - a really good class, very quiet, produce great work, answer questions well. I get to deliver a lesson on timber etc next Tuesday to them, I’m looking forward to it.
I spent most of the morning preparing for a lesson on True lengths and true shapes that I’m giving to 3rd years tomorrow morning. I’ve got (what I think) is a pretty good powerpoint demonstrating most of the steps, still some stages to add in and then work out some good ways of getting the concepts over to the class - this is the first they’ll have hear of them.

Two classes in the afternoon, one of which I took pretty much on the hoof after a little outline from the teacher of what he would have done. The other class working on 4th year folios for C+D.

Not tired yet, in fact I’m about to go swimming and managed to do a few sit-ups and press-ups this morning, we’ll see if they continue in the coming weeks.

The first day of my last school placement. I was very apprehensive about going to this school, it isn’t in the best of areas and any reputation I’d heard about it before today was bad. I really enjoyed myself though, the first impressions of it were positive, the foyer was welcoming and full (quietly busy) with smartly dressed pupils deing generally well behaved. The DHT that met with me first off was really friendly and seems approachable, the department is good too. It’s a fairly compact affair with four workshops in not much space, (One point of note is that to me the machines seem very close to the workbenches) and the two classrooms are separated by the technician’s store and a corridor. I’ve had five classes today with a good mix of abilities, all the classes were on the whole amenable and complient.

I’m looking forward to having a good placement here, I’ve already got two lessons to prepare for Wednesday. One I have exciting plans for using Inventor as an aid to drawing true lengths and developments of pyramids.