Farewell this blog

I have decided to drop this blog as I've so much other material to prepare. I am starting to build www.bizzypeople.com up, which is where you'll find some of my teaching work. I'm on Facebook and Linkedin if you want to know more trivia about my life, with pictures!!!

Soo lazy

Again, I have completely avoided blogging for most of this year! My excuse is having to write blogs as part of a university assessment, which took the edge off it.

I'm still trying to get weluvbusiness.com going and did some work on a project management template for Google Docs that I'm quite proud of (www.tinyurl.com/dummyp). I should really get around to using it.

Back to school all to soon, so the Wiki sites will get pressed into service again.

New toy!

I'm pleased to announce the arrival of an elderly Honda CX500 which will eventually replace the scooter when the weather improves a bit. Having only done 400 odd miles in the last eight years, the fifty it did yesterday must have been a bit of a surprise! Despite a couple of squeaks from the brakes and the merest hint of a backfire in the middle of Kenilworth it performed admirably. It will need some luggage and possibly a fairing before next winter and a tiny bit of tidying up.

New family member!

We were devastated to lose Badger before Christmas, but we are VERY pleased to welcome L.B. (to be re-christened Geoffrey) as a retired Bengal sire from Eriador Cats in Pinchbeck. He's huge for a baby - only 18 months old.

Having a wiki(d) time

About time for a quick update, though I have to admit that this entry is intended as something of a recursive joke! You see, I'm writing a blog as part of an assignment at university and (of course) I had to refer to my own blog. So there you are - blog recursion :-)

I have to say that I'm beginning to think that wikis are much more flexible. I've been developing two:

saturdayesol.wikispaces.com to help out some of my ESOL students
and
managementgurus.wikispaces.com to support university group work and some Endnote development I'm working on.


Loads better than this!

In the groove

Well, at least it's not a rut. A pretty busy couple of weeks, but the routine is just about in place.

When the bike plays up I'm in trouble, so I'm being extra nice to it. It certainly has been a godsend - my fellow students are having to park a lonnngggg way away.

The teaching is going really well with the more advanced students and I even quite like the teenagers, which I hadn't expected. But I'm just not good with the beginners. Most of my peers seem to find it hard going too as you have to produce loads of material to fill a lesson and end up finding most of it is no use or you don't get around to using it!

Back at Northampton University, I had been fearing the group work but I have come across some 'stalwarts' who are mature beyond their years. We have a Wiki to share ideas and files on. A bit embryonic, but I hope it will turn into something useful. I'm kind of surprised that the university doesn't host one.

Roll on half-term, a holiday from teaching and a chance to do those first assignments!

All change ...

Well I haven't exactly been a regular contributor to my own blog, but I'm determined to keep it up - especially as I'll be trying to force my students to publish their own. At least I've been good with adding pictures.

The end of September is going to be a real change around. Doing a Management BA at Northampton University, teaching at Bosworth College and Northampton College, probably some other work as well. And, more importantly, returning to the ranks of the (powered) two-wheeled after a 27 year absence. If I can find a suitable machine with stabilisers that is...