Archive for November 14th, 2007

Barnet ICT Conference: Inspirational ICT!

Being a bit of a “Baldilocks and The Three Hairs”, to talk in Barnet is a bit of a hair-brained idea. (For those of you reading this from abroad, e.g. Watford or beyond, Barnet, (or Barnet Fair,) is Cockney rhyming slang for hair!)

I’m sorry, but you’ll have to brush aside any objections to all my hair puns even if they do gel. (Oh Cut it out Tim!) …genuinely sorry, because today was a fantastic event. However, the jokes are one of the fringe benefits of writing a blog!

Much like the title of this site, I went baldly where no man has been before, after being invited to talk at the Barnet Inspirational ICT Conference.

Infact, let’s not split hairs, today was one of the highlights of headlining this tour of The U.K.

I started with a presentation. Occasionally, I stand back and watch some of the films I use to illustrate the many remarkable outcomes children have achieved. Watching my pupils reading their writing in such confident and dramatic ways, made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, today! I have recently added a few films of some of the faster paced writing we have been creating with children around the country. These have proved to be really effective and powerful.

After lunch, we explored a more practical, hands-on session. I am glad there weren’t too many people tearing their hair out today over technical issues as most of the games seemed to install smoothly. I have had a few sessions, recently, where people have encountered installation problems, but these are still rare, thankfully. The Myst games I use mainly, Myst III:Exile and Myst IV:Revelation, generally load well, although Revelation does take a large amount of disc space (at least 3GB) and both can require some “patches“. I don’t feel comfortable recommending specific patches here, as there are so many different computers with individual specifications, e.g. graphics cards and chips sets. If, and I doubt you will, you do encounter problems, a search for “Myst” and “patches” will lead you to appropriate “fixes”.

It was good to see a few folks letting their hair down, curling up and letting the atmosphere in the games wash over them. Well done to James for rising to the challenge of conducting a glorious cacophony!

Thank you to John Schmitz, Sharon Harrison, and James Wills-Fleming, of Barnet Children’s Service for organising today’s event. You’re a cut above the rest!

I’m off home for a bit of hair of the dog, and to watch two of my favourite films: “Hannah & Her Scissors” and “From Hair to Eternity” so it’s time for me to wave goodbye, to cut and run, make like my ends, and split …perm ..anently! Hair today, gone tomorrow. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

“Hair’s looking at you, kid.”

My hair raising comments are fine for a man who CHOSE to go bald. There are many who do not. Little Princesses (not exclusively for girls) provides wigs and hair pieces for children who suffer hair loss due to cancer treatment.