Derek McMillan

The BBC have lost their coverage of 9/11 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2007...conspiracy.html The head of BBC news claims on the BBC website that is a cock-up not a conspiracy. If it is a cock-up it is a monumental one. The phrase "heads will roll" springs to mind. When they refer to Richard Porter as the head of news...it is still attached to his body is it?

Jack London "The Iron Heel" 1906. Probably the most prescient novel of the 20th century. Trotsky certainly thought so. And head and shoulders above George Orwell IMHO

That is how it seems. They have a bit of a cleft stick I think. They know SATs are a problem and they need to get rid of them or at least ameliorate the "test everything which moves" mentality. OTOH They won't admit that is what they are doing so they have to introduce another testing regime. I think Government "consultations" are a sham but if the NUT does not put its point of view the government will claim there is no opposition to its proposals.

Phil Clarke is standing as a young teacher representative All NUT members under the age of 35 are entitled to vote for the representatives of young teachers. I miss that target by 20 years but I hope Phil Clarke gets elected. The following is Phil Clarke's statement: I am seeking election as a recently qualified teacher who believes that the NUT has a vital role to play in defendingyoung teachers and the future of the comprehensive education system. The main issues I want the union to campaign on for young teachers are: * excessive workload * the threat of performance related pay * housing costs (especially in the South East) The government seems determined to further divide and privatise the education system with the use of PFI schemes, trusts and academies. In contrast, we need publicly funded and accountable schools which co-operate not compete. I am a Socialist and an active member of a hospital anti-cuts campaign group. I believe that it is only with a willingness to campaign and fight that the NUT will be able to play its vital role in securing an education system which meets the needs of all pupils.

The Government is consulting on proposals to change National Curriculum testing. If you are interested you can give your views on the NUT website http://www.teachers.org.uk/consult.php .

I reported in good faith that WSGFL had stopped blocking http://westsussexteachersassociation.blogspot.com but I hear from another colleague that it is still blocked at her school. If the blog is not harmful to Sackville teachers I would have thought it would not harm teachers elsewhere in the county. If you want to know one way or another or just castigate censorship email ictinschools@westsussex.gov.uk

I was caned for drawing a cartoon once. I have never drawn a cartoon since. However, one memorable school bully used to stand outside the deputy head's office regularly for his caning and he went on being a bully throughout his school life - for all I know he is still one now. All it did for him was to make him look hard.

As of today WSGFL have backed down on http://westssussexteachersassociation.blogspot.com despite claiming it was "inpractical" (by which they may have meant impractical) to unblock it. They have a block on the part of the blog which links to the rest of blogspot. This shows that pressure can make a difference. That email address again ictinschools@westsussex.gov.uk The sites still blocked socialistteachers.blogspot.com (a bit left wing for West Sussex?) stopperformancepay.blogspot.com and of course this morning I found this forum is blocked too!

On this day in a surprise implementation of Sod's law, Blogger sites are experiencing tech difficulties anyway. I cannot in all conscience blame WSGFL for that.

Here is a funny thing. West Sussex teachers have a blog on http://westsussexteachersassociation.blogspot.com and their employers have blocked them from viewing the site at school. WSTA represents about 4000 teachers in West Sussex. This is extraordinary because the site has links to inservice training and ICT training courses teachers can take and their employers are just being heavy-handed. Annoyingly they have also blocked my blog which has quizzes for pupils but I can post them elsewhere. If you have any thoughts on this you might like to email ictinschools@westsussex.gov.uk and give them your uncensored opinion on this!

Anyone who believes in corporal punishment should have watched "Waking the Dead." (28th and 29th Jan 2007) It was a typically lurid account to the physical abuse of children in the 1950s with several flashbacks. Either it would have shown them how twisted they are or just possibly they might have enjoyed it!

Everyone who attended Union Conference remembers head teacher John Illingworth talking about the stress he experienced in his work and how it had driven him out of teaching. Bureaucracy, external interference, excessive regulation and lack of work /life balance are the root causes of head teacher frustration with their roles made worse for primary heads by inadequate salaries compared with their responsibilities, says an independent research report published today (Thursday 18 January) by the National Union of Teachers. http://westsussexteachersassociation.blogs...ad-teacher.html Apologies for the length of the URL!

You would have to be stuck in the Antarctic or adrift in an open boat (lucky you) to have missed the row over the bullying and abuse of one of the contestants in the strangely named Celebrity Big Brother. Following criticism of the "celebrity" credentials of the participants, a couple of genuine celebrities Leo Sayer and Ken Russell (who were just a little past their sell-by date) deserted the house. Then a way of boosting the ratings seemed to fall into Endemol's lap with the ignorant racist abuse directed at Shilpa Shetty by multi-millionairess Jade Goody. It will be remembered that Endermol swore to ensure George Galloway did not use the Big Brother house as a platform for anti-war sentiments. They used the situation to make George Galloway appear foolish - aided and abetted by George Galloway of course. They have continued to defend their broadcasting of racist abuse on the grounds that it is not really racist as such. Back in the day there was a term "racialism" which was applied to distrust and hostility towards other races based on ignorance. The Indian Workers' Association differentiated this from "racism" which they defined as the manipulation of racialism to stir up hatred. It seems clear that Jade Goody's abuse is an example of the former rather than the latter. Under pressure, Endemol have muttered about donating a fraction of their obscene profits from this imbroglio to charity but the set-up of Big Brother ensures they continue to profit whatever happens. One wonders how long it will be before one of the housemates murders another under the artificial strains imposed on them by the situation and whether that will prove a money-spinner for Endemol as well.

Replying to myself again! Here are some quizzes for pupils doing ICT: They are self-marking and use the *free* hot potatoes software. The one mentioned above has had its name changed. Apparently when you update quizzes on the hotpotatoes site it changes the file name. You can download them, stick them on a website, use them in Moodle. If you use them in Moodle of course it will collect all the marks for you in a nice little spreadsheet too. http://uk1.hotpotatoes.net/ex/17391/PEUAPLWC.php and http://uk1.hotpotatoes.net/ex/17391/RGODATNX.php And for anyone who is interested, I have posted the one I wrote for West Sussex Teachers' Association about the benefits of NUT membership. http://uk1.hotpotatoes.net/ex/17391/PYXMRNYE.php Which also works. People on the TES website were very complimentary about them.

I have fought shy of using epals because it does not integrate well with our email system. You have to use theirs. They have a premium rate system which costs an arm and a leg (and I have a budget of 0) but I have started this year to experiment with using their system with my year 7 class. I have set up 27 accounts (the maximum number of free accounts is 35) and we will see how it goes. I have found email exchanges with pupils overseas to be a "consciousness-raising" experience for pupils. They find out a lot about the globalisation of culture (the Japanese pupils watching The Simpsons) as well as finding about the many differences in culture. (The school I have linked up with is a strongly Catholic school in America) I have used http://www.iecc.org but on the whole I had a lot of frustration with schools not following up so pupils spend a lot of time writing emails and then get no replies. Does anyone else who has used email exchange have any comments?

Someone at work asked me to write something for unit 8.3 of the ICT course. I have posted it to hot potatoes for anyone who is interested http://uk1.hotpotatoes.net/ex/17391/OYCHYYJF.php Naturally people may wish to criticise (it's a free country) but the best way to criticise is to make a better one and post the URL here.

Jean has a good point. Of course things can always be improved. That's why we joined the union in the first place. Apart from the discounts on pizza of course.

I remember a Canadian teacher telling me that it was written into the contract of teachers in British Columbia that they were "teachers 24 hours a day" and their conduct at all times was a matter for scrutiny. This is old information and things may have improved.

I got this from the NUT today. On its own it means nothing but if members take it up seriously it could mean a reduction in workload. School by school in 2007, the NUT will support members in our campaign to reduce teachers’ working hours; remove excessive and unnecessary workload; and gain a better work/life balance for teachers. This will be good for teachers, their families and the children in our schools. This follows the success in the Union’s workload ballot and the support members have given to the Teachers’ Workload and Working Time policy documents. Members will receive at their schools, more information about the campaign. Guidance will be given on the support available from the Union. Checklists will be provided to be used in consultation with colleagues to identify concerns and issues to be raised in their schools. PARENTS’ CONSULTATION MEETINGS The NUT Executive has agreed that where the pattern of meetings includes two meetings in a particular week, there should be one week without meetings to ensure the maintenance of an average of no more than one meeting per week. If, in any one week, there is a parents’ evening, then in that week there should no more than one further evening call on teachers, whether for parent consultation or otherwise. Parents’ consultation evenings should be taken into account when calculating whether there will be more than one evening meeting per week averaged out over a term. The Union’s guidelines to NUT school representatives will be amended on these issues. Updates on the Union’s guidelines will be published on the website www.teachers.org.uk.

It is a pity Saddam didn't get the opportunity to call Donald Rumsfeld as a witness and talk about the support the US gave to him when it suited them to do so. They have shut his mouth for good now. No doubt Mr Blair will have watched the execution on video with a few friends over cocktails.

The more I look at their list the odder it is. They have a token woman, but also a token Irishman, St Columba, token Scot, James IV and token working class type Nye Bevin. And they haven't included Beeching who made the railways what they are. And what a very strange patchwork pupils would make of these scraps if trying to construct any concept of history. And if they insist that biography is the only way to teach History wouldn't it at least make sense for pupils to have a range of characters to choose from rather than 12 great and good dictated by Tory Central Office?

There was no Guardian this morning so we were stuck with The Telegraph. The story is online at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml.../26/ntory26.xml How serious it is depends on how serious anybody thinks the Tory Party is.

The Conservative education spokesman, David Willetts has announced his “nation building” History curriculum. In place of the study of history, he prefers the narrative approach (telling children little stories) about 12 chosen great people. The list has 11 white men, three of them wearing crowns, and one white woman. It seems the black and ethnic minorities in the UK made no contribution to its history if we believe the Conservative party; and men made 11 times as great a contribution as women. Some of the choices – based on the contribution to creation of British institutions and structures, are surprising. The inclusion of Oliver Cromwell probably has Prince Charles feeling his collar – one of Cromwell’s “memorable structures” was the scaffold on which King Charles was executed. Although there are three kings, King Henry 8th is excluded. It is unusual for the Conservative Party to assert that the Church of England is not a significant institution. Other omissions are less surprising. The Tolpuddle Martyrs are not there – trade unions are an institution the Conservative Party would sooner forget about. And the whole concept is cockeyed. History is not made by individuals “great” or otherwise. Nye Bevan did not single-handedly create the NHS any more than Millicent Fawcett single-handedly brought about votes for women and neither of them was stupid enough to believe they did. It is convenient to reduce history to stories about individuals – and then pick and choose which individuals constitute “history” but the events which really shaped these islands, like the Chartist movement, involved the participation of the working class and the poor. History is made by millions. And so is the future. As David Willetts and his merry men will find out. Derek McMillan The list is: Saint Columba, 521-597 (Christianity in Britain) Alfred the Great, 849-899 (the Kingdom of England) Henry II, 1133-1189 (Common law) Simon de Montfort, 1208-1265 (Parliament) James IV of Scotland, 1443-1513 (the Kingdom of Scotland) Thomas Gresham, 1519 -1579 (the stock market) Oliver Cromwell, 1599 -1658 (the British Army) Isaac Newton, 1643-1727 (the Royal Society) Robert Clive, 1725-1774 (the British Empire) Sir Robert Peel, 1778-1850 (the police) Millicent Fawcett, 1847-1929 (universal suffrage) Nye Bevan, 1897-1960 (the National Health Service)

This is a bit like advertising but I am passing it on as something history teachers might find interesting Are you interested in Black and Minority Ethnic history? The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) needs your help to let us know how we should develop our unique collection of historical documents by and about Britain's Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities from the 1950s to the 1980s. Please take five minutes to fill in a short online questionnaire at https://www.irr.org.uk/survey. And if you leave your email address, we'll enter you into our prize draw to win either a copy of the HomeBeats CDROM with study pack (worth £50) or two years' subscription to our quarterly journal Race & Class (worth £52). THE CLOSING DATE FOR COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE'S IS 24 DECEMBER 2006. THE WINNER WILL CONTACTED IN THE NEW YEAR

Thank you Dawn. Merry Christmas to all members, super or otherwise. :D