morag.macdonald

A big box with my name on it was in school yesterday on our return from the October holidays. It contained a lovely set of Activote pods with accompanying software. Thankyou Promethean.

Also on our return the technicians had been in and installed the new PC desktops in the computer suite. 8 lovely PC’s…well as lovely as a PC can be….which all work! I installed Revelation Natural Art onto them which I purchased using the Tesco vouchers and am in the process of putting the ActivPrimary software on.

Today I taught the P1/2 class for the first time and it was great to watch them try out the computers. The P2’s gave a little support to the younger ones before they were let loose on KidPix. Of course although they were meant to be trying out the paint tools one or two found the scary pics and were soon embellishing their pages with skulls, bats and pumpkins. Hey, go with the flow!

I am now the proud owner of a PS2 courtesy of eBay. Although my sons have one I couldn’t really snaffle it for school without them noticing. Youngest son is very happy as the parcel which arrived contained about 6 games he did not have plus Guitar Hero and a guitar!

Now I am a classically trained guitarist with o “grade ” music as one of my qualifications. I strum a few tunes for the children at school and occasionally at home, get out my music stand and footstool and play a few classical pieces to keep the fingers nimble.

But hey ” I love rock and roll, put another coin in the juke box baby!”

The rather cheap looking plastic guitar that I have just purchased is so much fun. Hand /eye co-ordination, keeping time, 3 levels of difficulty and about a dozen hits to choose from.  A classical guitarists lot is quite a lonely one….no band , piano or orchestra, but with this, even when you hit the wrong notes, the band plays on. There is the added bonus of the crowd, cheering or jeering ( depending on accuracy) as you play.

Today at school after the first Activote pod session I did with a P5 class I was told by one of the pupils “You Rock!”

Hey, that’s what Guitar Hero keeps telling me!!

I noticed a new PS2 game today called Buzz, The School Quiz. Now all I need to do is get organised and set up at school……..but if I take it in to school I won’t be able to play it when I get home!