Monday, 31 December 2012

Autumn Term Media Studies Trips 2012

This year we have been on two Media Studies trips in one term!!! Both organised by Mr. Edwards.

First, on November 7th we (Mr. Edwards, the 6th Form Media students and myself) spent the morning at Epic Studios in Norwich.  We were taken on a tour.  Then the students had a presentation about going into Media as a career choice.  The students also got to put together a documentary programme.







The second trip was to the OCR Media Student Conference in London, which we have been to before.  As usual, there were a range of speakers from the exam board and various parts of the industry, and like the Epic Studios trip, it included a section about how to get into the business after 6th Form and university.



Monday, 13 August 2012

Book Review


I have recently read ‘The Radleys’ by Matt Haig and here are my thoughts on it.

It is the story of a family who seem like everyone else, but are in fact vampires…

The text is punctuated by extracts from ‘The Abstainer’s Handbook’ - a fictional manual written by vampires to help other vampires who do not want to drink blood. The Radley family are abstainers and want to ‘do your bit for society and ignore those dark desires inside you’; this and the arrival of the black sheep of the family, Uncle Will, are the main catalysts for trouble. As a tale of vampires trying to fit in with humans, it is not particularly original, however, it is an amusing critique of middle-class village life.  I think it is best suited to young people aged 14 - 16.

Would I read it again? Probably not, but it was quite an enjoyable read.

Friday, 20 July 2012

Enrichment Week 2012


During Enrichment Week this year, I was involved in two activities: Communications Day and the Wymondham Life Filming Project.  The English Department was running several other activities (such as Genre Day and the Readathon with Year 7),  but I was not involved with them.

Communications Day was devised for the whole of Year 10 and its aim was to get one of the GCSE English Speaking and Listening CATS (controlled assessments) completed.

The first part of the day was spent doing team building activities which were supposed to help students practise skills they would need after lunch when they were formally assessed.  After an introduction in the Chapel, everyone was put into groups of about 20.  The groups (supervised by one teacher) then moved from room to room every 10 minutes in a carousel.  Each room had a different activity.

After morning break, everyone went back to the Chapel where the afternoon assessment was introduced - a Balloon Debate.  Mrs. Arnold lead this part of the day which included a demonstration. Five teachers 'in role' played five 'students'; I was the Band 4/D Grade candidate.



The students were then given some time to practise and prepare for the assessment which was due to begin at about 2.15pm.  My group really got into what we were doing and I had a rewarding day.

The rest of the week I was part of the small group who were based in the Studio in the International Centre.  Most of the students were from Year 12 and were Media students, so I knew them well.  The filming project's aim was to produce a short film about what was happening at Wymondham College during Enrichment Week as a record of events, but also to be put on the school's website.

Although I did not take part in Genre Day or the Readathon the Monday, I have done so in the past.  I did, however, take some photos of what the English Department were up to without me (see below).








Monday, 7 May 2012

Bridal Shower


My friend and colleague, Miss Vincini, is getting married and on Saturday she has a 'Bridal Shower' which was organised for her by her sisters.  It was actually afternoon tea at her parent's house.  Her wedding is in the summer holiday and I will be attending that event as well.  My baby sister is getting married this year so I will be busy over the next few months.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

English Department Christmas Do


This year the English Department decided to go for a meal together to The Mulberry in Attleborough.  Unfortunately, not everyone could come, but most of us were there.  It was a lovely meal and very cheap.  Mrs. McCullem was able to come despite being on maternity leave.  The mulled wine provided by the restaurant was a particularly good feature of the event...  I was not driving so I had two glasses!

Wednesday, 9 November 2011

My Car and TV Drama



I asked Year 12 Media to make mini-TV Dramas and this is what happened to my car!  One group was making a Sci Fi film and so they turned my car into a space ship... without me knowing!

Media Studies 6th Form Conference



On Friday I went with Mr Edwards and some of Year 12 to a Media Conference run by the English and Media Centre in London.  Mr Edwards did a lot of driving, which was not very nice for him, but the day as a whole was really beneficial.  Hopefully, we can go again next year. 

Sunday, 28 August 2011

Holiday to WW1 Battlefields in France and Belgium








These are some photos of my holiday to the Somme and Ypres to see various battlefields, trenches, museums, cemetaries and monuments dedicated to WW1.  I teach the literature of the conflict to Year 12 so this is a period of history that I am very interested in.  The trip was therefore partly for research purposes.  I'm not a huge fan of beach holidays as I burn easily and get bored.

Thursday, 11 August 2011

Art Course in the Summer Holidays 2011


What did you get up to in the holidays?  I went on a week long intensive course at Wensum Lodge.  It was on colour and painting, as aspect of art that was new to me.  My mum was on the course too as she paints as a hobby.  There were only 5 people on the course.  Alot of the time was spent doing exercises in combining colours to achieve effects.  The course began at 10.00am every day so I could still have a lie in, but was rather tiring as we worked in a very focused way.  I would certainly do another one.

Saturday, 30 July 2011

Proms Concert - July 19th 2011


Here I am at a BBC Proms Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  I went because I've never been to proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall before and because Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring' was being performed which I like.  It was being filmed for a live broadcast on BBC 2 and BBC Radio 3, so there were cameras and microphones all over the place.  I had a good evening and would certainly go again.

Saturday, 2 July 2011

Enrichment Week 2011



Enrichment Week is over and the weather is super! Charlotte is spending all her time lying in the sun on the balcony.

Enrichment Week was packed - I took part in the Year 10 Balloon Debate, Year 9 Media Day, the Year 7 Readathon and Genre Day.  Mr McMorran and I ran the Science Fiction room of Genre Day (see photos).  I could have gone to the Royal Norfolk Show, but it is an event that I've never really been interested in.

Tonight I am off to a party at Miss Vincini's house which she is throwing because she is leaving the school.

Sunday, 19 June 2011

End of the school year

This is a very sad time of the year in many ways...  My friend and colleague, Miss Vincini, is moving to another school and all the English Department will miss her. 

Thursday, 16 June 2011

New Mobile Phone

I have finally got a new mobile phone.  I have been planning to get one for ages, but did not know which one to get.  It is a Samsung Ace and has lots of exciting features - internet, e-mail, camera, e-reader, mp3 player, FM radio...  It is taking a bit of getting used to as I had an ordinary mobile phone before and this is a smart phone.  I'm finding it difficult to type messages at the moment as my fingers seem too big.  Hopefully, I will get the hang of it eventually.  My form seemed very impressed.

Thursday, 30 December 2010

Trip to India 2010

I have just got back from my holiday in India.  It was a tour of the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra and Jaipur) with the Taj Mahal as the main highlight.  The holiday was also one that was supposed to allow visitors to experience the real India so I also ate plenty of authentic indian food, saw a Bollywood movie, travelled on a rickshaw and shopped at a spice market.  Fortunately, I missed all the horrible weather in Britain and it did not affect my travelling (I was lucky).  What did you do over Christmas?

Saturday, 11 December 2010

Christmas has arrived at last!

Hooray!  Term is over and Christmas is 13 days away.  It's just as well as I now have a horrible cold. But as I am on holiday, I can sleep in so I should get better quickly.  I am in fact off to India next week and will not actually be in England for Christmas - hopefully I will be able ring from wherever I am on Christmas Day and wish my family a happy Christmas.  All my Christmas shopping is done and all my Christmas cards have been sent.  I've just got to do my packing...

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Birthday

Today is my birthday and I have brought cake to work.  I am not doing anything special today, but on Sunday I will be going to Centre Park at Thetford to spend a day in the big spa place with my sisters and my mum.  I have been given some great presents including vouchers and a Bagpuss.

Wednesday, 10 November 2010

Message for Year 8

If you have not yet given yourself a profile picture, then please do so.

Sunday, 7 November 2010

Sparks in the Park


Last night I went to the firework display at Earlham Park in Norwich.  I go nearly every year.  I had some fish and chips, but did not go on any of the fairground rides.  The fireworks are always good, but this year there was so much smoke we could hardly see them...  What did you do this weekend?