John Heffernan

Future TY History projects 1. Use a wiki for the creation of a digital textbook see here 2. Try and get student using Quandary software from Halfbaked software to create historical "Quandarys" to help their learning (e.g Outbreak of war in 1939 etc.) 3. Try and get a postgrads/lecturersin history dept in a third level college to assume historical roles and use IM to "converse" with students asking intelligent questions. More to follow Amazing the things you think of when you should be thinking of stuff for your thesis.

I want this for Christmas http://web.media.mit.edu/~nanda/projects/clocky.html Due to my tendency to be tired due to school and this B"££$%$% thesis my sleeping patterns are banjaxed and I wake most mornings more tired than when I went to bed. Normally I am a night person but I am in bed before 11 each night and try an get 8 hours. Maybe clocky is what I need to get up in the morning

Rate my teacher The TUI have come out on two radio shows that I have listened to in the past 24 hours Newsbeat & the Last word condeming the new www.ratemyteacher.ie . I have to laugh really when you think about what it is. The TUI believe that this is a serious attempt to quantify the teaching capability of teachers. All it is really is a way of students letting steam off about their teachers. Read the forums and you will see what I am talking about. I would rather have a student slating me on line rather than slashing my tires. I would seriously question the intelligence of any parent that would regard the data from this site in what school their child went to. I remember the hullaboo about am i hot or not Most people realised that should only be seen as a joke, some humorous messing to past time online. As a teacher, the best feedback you will get about your teaching is from your students. Embrace their feedback... it will make you a better teacher. Actually the one I ...

A link for all business teachers http://www.disney.go.com/hotshot/hsb2/index.html?

Behold, thou shalt be kicked by an incontinent camel, O ye lying Girgashite! Anyone who was a fan of Guybrush Threepwood of the Curse of Monkey Island series should enjoy this offering from Shipoffools http://www.shipoffools.com/Features/Curses/ You never know where a biblical curse could come in handy Behold, thou shalt be as welcome as a fart in the queen's bedchamber, O ye whose name is but dung!

Words from Herman Wouk, author of "Caine Munity" "The Navy is a master plan designed by geniuses for execution by idiots. If you're not an idiot, but find yourself in the Navy, you can only operate well by pretending to be one. All the shortcuts and economies and common-sense changes that your native intelligence suggests to you are mistakes. Learn to quash them. Constantly ask yourself, 'How would I do this if I were a fool?' Throttle down your mind to a crawl. Then you'll never go wrong." The funny and interesting thing is ; exchange the word Navy with Education system and the meaning does not get diluted.

Note to self: John, if you are you having a bad day at the Chalkface, please remind yourself of what you left behind. Every IT job I worked had some elements of this :-{ This is from the wife of a Electronic games developer http://www.livejournal.com/users/ea_spouse/ (via Joelonsoftware ) Some more on this can be found on slashdot

Schools need a velvet revolution I am already jangling my car keys!!!!! SiliconRepublic Philip J Bond, US under-secretary of Commerce and Technology He believed that there was much more work to be done on how pedagogy and technology could be integrated effectively. To address the challenge, he had established a think tank to explore new ways of teaching with ICT as a tool, drawing on diverse talents ranging from traditional educationalists to the technicians that design the high-tech, multimedia experiences you find at theme parks. He summed up the challenge: “Reform isn’t a strong enough word. We need to rethink content and what teaching means; we even need to rethink the concept of the classroom. We need a revolution in learning and we need to ensure that technology makes it a velvet revolution. In the US we are now taking those first steps."

100 scientifically oriented thing to do before you die Slashdot | Things To Do Before You Die Taken this from Slashdot 100 scientifically oriented thing to do before you die. Some interesting some cool some yuck!!....... Useless blog link of the week

Why Teaching is Important http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=4321&hl = Interesting reading for newbiw teachers. take time to read it all as the best advice is at the bottom of the page and ignore the petty squabble. For H. Dip teachers should check out http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?showforum=21

Techlearning > > Top 10 Returns On Investment > November 15, 2004 useful for those who worry about these things

GPS outside of the classroom door One-Trick CyberPony: GPS In & Out of the Classroom Might of interest to Niamh

wmte,IEEE International Workshop on Wireless and Mobile Technologies in Education (WMTE'02) Anita take a look . 163 A Concept Mapping Tool for Pocket PC Computers Tony Chan, Mike Sharples

Interesting maps of the US presidential election http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/

Does the word discipline in schools need to be changed? I bought Patton on Leadership for my brother a couple of Christmas ago and I recently was flicking through it and one or two articles caught my attention. Patton for those who don't know him was regarded of one of the better generals of the WW2, a strict disciplinarian and tactical genius who was noted for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. This book attempts to relate some of the maxims of Patton into a corporate business environment. Topics such as leadership, planning, decision making are covered well in it but the articles on discipline within the army have some interesting notes for education. He was well known for being very strict on little things such as dress code (for example that all his men would wear clean shirt and tie when not on the front line) as he felt that if they did not feel part of a team, they would not succeed as one. Uniform helped to enforce that sense of belonging. More interestin...

Ways to use weblogs in education You might like to create a reflective, journal type blog to... Must not forget this link http://anvil.gsu.edu/EduBlogInsights/2004/10/05#a668

Good Teachers + Small Classes = Quality Education My current gripe with the education sector is with the excess teaching capacity at second level and soon to be in primary level and no jobs for these teachers in the short term. Why not put the resources into Education give all new teachers a 5 year contracts to see if they are suited to the profession and to allieviate the large class numbers within some schools as the headline states this could be the way to go. "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." ~Attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok http://www.quotegarden.com/education.html http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/education/26memo.html?ex=1401508800&en=69b21e2db1d8f847&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND may require free registering

Came across this on the BBC news website. ASTI are you listening......... 'Give new teachers jobs' call Teachers have to complete an induction year Wales' largest teaching union is calling on the assembly's education minister to guarantee all newly-qualified teachers in Wales a job. NUT Cymru says the lack of permanent posts in Wales means many new teachers feel demoralised and even misled into joining the profession rest of the article is here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3612614.stm

Is Soccer more American than Baseball? http://slate.msn.com/id/2103170/fr/ifr/ some interesting points....

Is Soccer more American than Baseball? http://slate.msn.com/id/2103170/fr/ifr/ some interesting points....