Heck!

Just logged in to update my blog and found that my last update didn't go in :-( I must've not pressed a button or something. Either that or I logged in as something else and it's floating about somewhere. I did have some problems getting in last time and maybe set up a new one by mistake. Ah technology.

I had said in my last update that I was busy keeping up contacts and trying to roll out the projects that I followed last year. I've discovered tat rolling up hill is difficult- but, hey it's not impossible so I'll keep pushing away. I also mentioned that I was going to investigate audio recording of files of information for students.

I have now done this with the help of one of my colleagues, Paul McLaughlan. We eventually used quizdom software. I have now recorded a short revision file for my higher sociology students (on functionalism) and it is available to them on Langside's VLE. The sound quality could be better. One of the biggest problems I had was finding somewhere quiet enough in the college to record it. It took quite a few takes I had to avoid the accompaniment of things such a a piano and electric guitar, conversations between noisy lecturers, doors banging and building work- drills and so on. I got there in the end. I intend recording some more and then to monitor whether or not the students use them and also whether or not they find them useful. If it's all positive then I'll try to promote the idea to my contacts.

Off to do some more e-mailing.

Janet

Friday 5th December

Hi,

Yes it is some time since I updated the blog! Recently I've been creating presentations for events. The first one was for the SQA HN Development Day held on the 18th of November in Jury's Inn. The day proved to be very useful and I hope to get a summary of it, with presentations attached, up on practitioners plus soon. The second presentation is for the event next week at Cardonald College, which I'm sharing with Care and Hairdressing, Complimentary Therapies and Beauty. I've tried to make the presentation relevant to all three subject areas.

I've also been 'keeping in touch' with people, which takes quite a bit of time and I'm puting stuff together for the workshop part of the event. In addition over the last few weeks I've represented FE through Scotland's Colleges at a Curriculum for excellence meeting- gosh I learned a lot at that.

I'm helping out at the Scotland's Colleges' Social Sciences' Best Practice event next Wednesday. I hope to see many well known faces and hopefully some new ones there.

Janet

Friday 5th September

Hi all,

Another busy day. I can't believe how much time it takes to go through e-mails and contact people in reply to them. I also spent some time trying to arrange some meetings in connection with the HN Social Sciences Assessment Bank, which is finally looking like it might become a reality. I'll be so chuffed if it does work out. I mean this sincerely because I spent another, what seemed, interminable time writing another new assessment for economics this week. I also spent time today organising and tidying up assessments for the bank (time consuming too but shouldn't have to be repeated).

I've also arranged to meet with the CP3 administrator for my college with a view to setting up some SOLAR tests for my students. I thought that I'd take it for a test run and if that works then maybe I would feel more confident in trying to get other practitioners to use it- maybe use one of the 'events spots' at the SFEU for rolling it out.

Have a good weekend.

Janet

Hi all,

Started back at work this week- joy of joys. I swear that the holidays go by faster each year, but it's probably just because I'm getting older. Subject mentorwise I've been busy writing letters to principals of colleges that I'm sure offer HN Social Sciences asking for their permission for their staff to get involved in the summative assessment bank project, which I've finally made some headway with. I've also been forwarding negotiations with respect to the project with the SQA.

I'm also trying to continue work on the SOLAR formative assessment bank and will be doing more on that next week- technical problems this week.

The weekend calls. Hoping that PTFC keep up the good work and win again this weekend.

Bye
Janet

Sunday 11th May

Hi,

This week I attended the Qualifications Support Team meeting for social sciences. A number of issues were raised and a summary of the meeting can be accessed on the social sciences practitioners plus webpage. The meeting generated a couple of things for me to do so I've been doing them.

I also updated some of the gateway information for economics (well got the info together and asked the very kind Murray to post it for me).

Added to that I finalised a meeting with Graeme from SOLAR and the writers who've been helping out on the social sciences project. So things are moving along.

Friday 2nd May

Hi,

Conquered my technological problems - well one of them at least.

I was able to get CP3 running so that enabled me to spend a jolly 4-5 hours inputting questions to the system. It is time consuming but hopefully it will be worth it when social scientists all over the country start to make use of the system. I'm trying to set up a meeting with Graeme at SOLAR to try to get the project well and truly up and running in time for College People's Week.

On that note, my thanks to my colleague Bob for composing 'the message' and saving me some work. I don't usually plagiarize but I did on this occasion. The message was concerning the SFEU's College People's Week. The social sciences day is Tuesday the 3rd of June - please come along.

I've downloaded the papers for a social sciences Qualifications Support Team meeting next week (any social scientists out there who might be reading this, please feel free to feed your ideas/concerns regarding social sciences courses/delivery into the QST via me) . Just got to read the papers now:-( but

it's bank holiday weekend - hoorah. Hope everyone has a good one.

Janet

Friday 25th April

Hi,

Well technology has got the best of me this week.

I successfully downloaded the updates and software needed to run the new CP3 for the SOLAR project, but when I opened it, I no longer have access to the social sciences project!! I e-mailed Graeme for some assistance but, as yet, he's not been back in touch. I gather he's busy elsewhere so I'll just have to be patient. So I've written some more questions for the system in the old fachioned way again with paper and pen. I now have about 50 waiting to be put into the CP3 system. When the system is up and running again that should keep me out of mischief (well something has to) for hours and hours.

The other thing I thought I'd do this week was to check over a series of economics' lectures, which I put together using basic power point (folk can then'tart them up' as they wish), with a view to getting them onto the resources in the social sciences PP- but technology got me again! My computer isn't recognising its USB input. Aaarg.

Looking forward to College People's week. I hope lots of social scientists will attend and I also hope that I have access to the social sciences SOLAR project again well before then as that's what the focus of my session is:-D

Right, off to check my e-mails and CP3 again to see if I can get on with submitting these questions to the system.

cheers

Janet