#TutorCam - Defending Your Team and Project You are Working on!

Hi everyone,

I hope everything is going well!

One of my negative beliefs is whether the people who you are working with in community projects is whether they have a strong enough sense of ownership, passion, and will to fight for what they believe in and guess what - my new team is brilliant!!  So can motivate the students.

They have overcome my negative doubts about being able to cope with the stressful situations and challenges involved with encouraging students to learn science!  They are not messing about and playing to win! This video diary edit is good to watch and I have watched it at lease 10 times!

I am extremely confident that if any team have the passion and fire in their hearts to develop and shape a scientific mindset in students to be next generation inventors and leade engineers  this is one of these types of team!

So I have to say a huuuuge big up to team CoS and I am grateful and very happy to be on your team!
Take a look at this video of how a strong sense of ownership of your project and passion for your students can inspire you to take action - enjoy!!!

Hi, End of One Chapter and Beginning of a New Chapter

Hi guys,

How are you, I hope everything is OK!

I have just checked my last posts on my blog :-( I can only apologise for the lack of updates.

Although I have been busy!  On 31st December 2015 was the end of the Create and Discovery's project time at the Benn Partnership Centre (BPC).  I have to say an absolutely huge and big thank you to every involved especially the sub-committee team who helped myself and project go a lot further than from my own individual efforts!

So again a big thank you to the BPC and I hope to be back soon working with you guys.

So what's happening now - well I am working with new team called Children of the Sunshine (CoS).

I was worried at first as working with a new team it is not easy to see if there are any natural leadership skills.  Although guess what - yes that's right, my new team do look like they can pack a punch!

Take a look at the video and enjoy!

#TutorCam - Insider Thoughts: This is my Drive to Volunteer with CoS

Hi everyone,

I hope all is well.

This video is about insider thoughts regarding why a tutor is volunteering and their passion and hopes for the students they teach.

Take a look and enjoy!

Second Training Session - Each Team has to Build Tallest Tower

Hi!

The video below is the introduction to the second training session!

The aim for me is to teach for 1 or 2 hours on a Saturday, once a month, to help develop the science and technology activities.

Have a look at the video and enjoy!

Prepare Your Children to Benefit from their Digital Lifestyle – Computing Skills in Primary Schools

Hi Guys,

I hope all is well.

I have researched some encouraging news about helping children to not be afraid of the new challenge in school - using digital lifestyle to their advantage. The students are challenged to create their digital lifestyle like a new app as well as use apps other people have made.  My research breaks down into 3 parts.

Part 1: I am to follow on with the sentence - 

Children can develop their computing skills by creating computer games and animations!

Have you………..

• Heard that digital (computing) skills are now taught in primary schools?
• Thought about helping your children to learn more about computing?

2 popular brands of coding (programming) known to local primary schools are - A) Codeclub and B) Scratch 

So why is coding even important or beneficial?

BBC News article (21 Jan 2015) - Nicky Morgan says many future jobs will depend on digital industries 

Technology giants such as Google and O2 are to support a £3.6m drive to teach computing skills in primary schools in England, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced.

What is interesting is that there is a predicted "culture change" where niche jobs may become more mainstream. At one time the discriminating term  "geeks" referred to people who learned how to code but what happens if google, facebook, O2 and other similar companies become the big employers of the future driving this change - starting with this £3.6 million incentive to primary schools?

Part 2: So how do we know the "digital revolution" is here?

Check this out scenario out!

"Hey mommy and daddy, can you help me with my algorithm homework!" See the link on the word algorithm for the bbc website description.

Just when you thought the way schools produced maths homework gave you headaches!

So don't worry - just point the students to the csunplugged  youtube channel to start with. Plus there are other channels on you tube. For parents and students - don't worry!!!

Part 3: Finally, don't worry the teachers are up their necks in it as well, plus they are to have "fun" too!  The teachers now have a near impossible task to teach how to phonetically pronounce "algorithm" and other related words so I know they have some big tasks ahead of them.

So to all the primary school  teachers - keep on going! We need you guys to be as successful as possible! Without your phonetics and maths training the students won't have a great chance to create a digital lifestyle - so you guys are doing really well! A really massive big up to you primary school teachers.

Take a look at the following video for the dreams and visions of famous people like Mark from facebook, Bill Gates and even Will.I.am!! 
(And yes it is an American video - google is one of the companies investing money in the UK for coding in primary schools so we don't get left behind!)

Hi and New Launch Date on 28th March 2015!

Hi everyone,

I hope all is well.

Apologies, apologies for the delay since my last posts!

Yes I am still around trying to share learning opportunities for primary school students!

It has been an intensive challenge to find a co-ordinator to help evolve and grow this project that is now evolving into a community group.

The Create and Discovery group has made several changes so as to remain relevant to students and the national curriculum. Some of the changes are that the times are now 1pm to 3pm (instead of 1.30pm to 4pm). Also some of the workshops involve the students working together to create and discover a combined vision during the program (such a a group art or drama production).

The start date Saturday 28th March at 1pm.

In addition I am to post weekly or twice weekly updates regarding what I have found available regarding the digital revolution in schools (yes it is taking place now!) I am to add the details in the following post tonight. In later posts I'm to include updates for what is to take place on the run up to and beyond 28th March.

So take a look at the poster below for further information about the Create and Discovery Group and the next launch date.

Have a great rest of the week!

Computing Projects Completed by Create and Discovery Community Group

Hi guys,

Hope everything is OK!

The follow links are examples of what has been produced by the community group by learning to apply their computing skills.

Note: Sorry, but flash player does not play on some tablet devices and smart phones, so if you get the chance then please look at the computer game and animations on a laptop, desktop, and mac books.

1. Shark attack game - press the green flag to start the game. Use the mouse pointer to move shark to "eat the fish" and see how many you can get in 30 seconds.

2. Joke telling time! - Dog and a comedy sketch.

3. Knight Sir Do - Good and Dragon Fire Belly animation. Dragon fire belly is hungry and wants some lunch!!!

4. Haunted house animation by Dionne (her own creative story)

5. Haunted house animation by Jodhveer (his own creative story)

6. Video clip of students creating their own computer animations or games.


Take a look and enjoy!