Not too much paper work type stuff going on this week as we have a fund raiser on Saturday so our young people are busy rehearsing. We take over a fantastic pub called 'The George' one of the oldest buildings on Portland for a Saturday afternoon, an annual event and one that usually packs out the pub (It's not that big) and is a really nice afternoon raising a few hundred much needed pounds to sustain our work.
We have agreed to meet on February 10th to discuss writing up paper work relating to the tuck shop as many of the details are currently on scraps of paper work.
Social enterprise art project starts next week, with official launch on Monday 24th February. First project is to make mobile phone 'socks' using recycled material. I've no doubt our art leader and trainee have come up with a great idea and perhaps I can post some photos soon.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
Book Keeping!
The enthusiasm of our young people is amazing and they are very protective of their tuck shop. The Portland Rocks steering group that runs the CIC took the decision to give them a budget of £20 to buy their first batch of stock and they are now brilliant at coming into the venue and getting set up. If you watched the video in the previous post you will see how quickly one of them moved when she thought someone might be helping themselves even if it was only a joke!
They do keep written notes of what they sell but it is a bit chaotic at the moment so we are now working to rationalise it all. The young people are all students at the Aldridge Academy on Portland and so have a chrome book which they can take home as well. Therefore we helped them set up a cash book in Google docs.which can be shared with myself and our volunteer book keeper so everything can be monitored. If you've never tried Google docs I do recommend it. Like most people I used Microsoft Office for most things but the Docs feature is a very powerful tool for collaborative working and quite intuitive.
We have recruited a parent volunteer who has offered to buy stock for the young people so long as they give him a list of what they need and the money to buy it from a local wholesaler. However, on Monday they told me they still have some stock to sell so looks like they will be arm twisting our attendees to buy things whether they want them or not!
Social enterprise art strand starts on 3rd February with official launch after the February half term so we have started publicising via Twitter and social media.
They do keep written notes of what they sell but it is a bit chaotic at the moment so we are now working to rationalise it all. The young people are all students at the Aldridge Academy on Portland and so have a chrome book which they can take home as well. Therefore we helped them set up a cash book in Google docs.which can be shared with myself and our volunteer book keeper so everything can be monitored. If you've never tried Google docs I do recommend it. Like most people I used Microsoft Office for most things but the Docs feature is a very powerful tool for collaborative working and quite intuitive.
We have recruited a parent volunteer who has offered to buy stock for the young people so long as they give him a list of what they need and the money to buy it from a local wholesaler. However, on Monday they told me they still have some stock to sell so looks like they will be arm twisting our attendees to buy things whether they want them or not!
Social enterprise art strand starts on 3rd February with official launch after the February half term so we have started publicising via Twitter and social media.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
Week beginning 14th January 2014
Portland Rocks started again this week so time to get the tuck shop up and running again. Stock is a bit depleted but we have recruited a volunteer who has kindly offered to collect stock from a local wholesalers once the young people have identified what is selling well. Most conversations seem to revolve around Maoams at the moment! I plan to meet with the SEQ students next week so we can start to write up the paper work. The trouble with working with motivated musicians is getting them in one place. Four of the group have been helping our dance dept. at IPACA with their production of Fame Junior providing some live music in a show performed to backing tracks.
So what does a Portland Rocks session look like, well before Christmas I gave our young people a couple of cameras and told them to video a workshop session how they see it which I have since edited into a short film. This was a sharing session where the various groups play to each other. Young people run their own rehearsals and pretty much all the material you here including the jazz numbers are originals. Lighting in the venue isn't great so it is a bit grainy but this is very much Portland Rocks in the raw!!!!
So what does a Portland Rocks session look like, well before Christmas I gave our young people a couple of cameras and told them to video a workshop session how they see it which I have since edited into a short film. This was a sharing session where the various groups play to each other. Young people run their own rehearsals and pretty much all the material you here including the jazz numbers are originals. Lighting in the venue isn't great so it is a bit grainy but this is very much Portland Rocks in the raw!!!!
If you are wondering who I am, I'm the keyboard player in the jazz group, my main instruments are actually clarinet and piano. This group usually have a saxophonist but she was absent that night. They managed to film me looking suitably grumpy!
Monday, 6 January 2014
Well here
goes, my own blog to write about my SEQ experiences working with a variety of
learners on Portland and the surrounding area.
My first
moderation experience was with a very mixed ability year 10 group at what was
then Royal Manor Arts College on Portland now IPACA (Island of Portland
Aldridge Academy); a group of around 10 students worked on the bronze course.
What was exiting was seeing them plan an enterprise trying to raise funding for
a cause they had decided on and cared about personally. I believe the
enterprise element was important in motivating them and through the experience
of delivering to them I now prefer to introduce the enterprise first so as to
get young people hooked on something practical that they can take ownership of.
For
enterprise purposes they decided to split into two groups and were tasked with
setting up an enterprise on a budget of £20:
Group one
created a set of five post cards of our local area and sold them to raise money
for cancer research. They did everything including recruiting a fellow student
not on the course to take the photos. The photos were then printed and sold
making a profit of around £23 in a relatively short apace of time.
Group two
spent some time trying out various ideas to raise money to donate to diabetes
research including approaching the national society. In the end they exploited
an opportunity that came their way because of the diamond jubilee. The school
was hosting an afternoon of ‘wacky races’ and because it had been arranged at
relatively short notice they needed someone to provide refreshments. The idea
of selling jelly and ice cream to raise money for diabetes might seem strange
but they certainly spotted a need as they made a profit of over £25 in around
an hour selling their product at 25p for a plastic cup full. In the end they
were just selling jelly as they ran out of ice cream.
They
researched Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen restaurant and the Eden project among others
as part of their work being two well known social enterprises relatively local
to us. Whilst researching their favourite products I have to say I learnt loads
about well known items and their production including mobile phones and music
players, some of it was truly eye opening!
They were an
interesting group to work with as I think it would be true to say they were a
little bit wary of this ‘unknown’ course but they enjoyed organising their
enterprise, learnt loads about taking responsibility for their work, basic business organisation and in the
end lessons were pleasant and quite social.
Monday, 2 December 2013
I didnt get time to share with you last week as it was all go, go ,go as a build up to our Academy Christmas Fayre on Friday. Although I didnt get phtsically involved I was there to support each of the groups with their projects.
The boys group who were making wooden weaving looms using recycled wood were very disappointed as the DandT Teacher went sick which meant they were unable to finish their items for the sale but I have been discussing other venues for selling their items and we are going to try posting on the Academy Facebook Page. I have left them to make the arrangments with the teacher.
The recycled ring binder group have completed and created lovely recovered folders using donated material, ribbon and the old folders. They chose to purchase note pads to complete these and have set two different prices- one with pockets and one plain. they want to use any money raised to purchase denim material to make this sustainable and proceed to silver
The group who created jewellery from magazines and donated broken jewellery also had quite a lot to sell and created a really nice display
The real success was the group who had been given the 2012 sport relief bands to revamp. One of the group bought some christmas tree decorations at 33p each which covered the logo perfectly and made such a nice item they flew out in the sale at £2 each and they are now going to make more to sell on our Academy facebook page and looking at ways to diversify for their silver
Quite a few of the students have now completed their bronze but need to do the written work to finish. I will be concentrating on working with these students for the next few weeks so that we can arrange to have their work checked
The boys group who were making wooden weaving looms using recycled wood were very disappointed as the DandT Teacher went sick which meant they were unable to finish their items for the sale but I have been discussing other venues for selling their items and we are going to try posting on the Academy Facebook Page. I have left them to make the arrangments with the teacher.
The recycled ring binder group have completed and created lovely recovered folders using donated material, ribbon and the old folders. They chose to purchase note pads to complete these and have set two different prices- one with pockets and one plain. they want to use any money raised to purchase denim material to make this sustainable and proceed to silver
The group who created jewellery from magazines and donated broken jewellery also had quite a lot to sell and created a really nice display
The real success was the group who had been given the 2012 sport relief bands to revamp. One of the group bought some christmas tree decorations at 33p each which covered the logo perfectly and made such a nice item they flew out in the sale at £2 each and they are now going to make more to sell on our Academy facebook page and looking at ways to diversify for their silver
Quite a few of the students have now completed their bronze but need to do the written work to finish. I will be concentrating on working with these students for the next few weeks so that we can arrange to have their work checked
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Two posts in one day! - I have just had a long conversation with one of the boys I have as yet found difficult to engage - he has an idea which we will build upon - he wants to make and sell calendars next year but thinks it should be "owned " by the students so he is going to set up a monthly photograph competition and use the winning photograph at the end of the year to make and sell calendars - he is looking at other ideas to use the student photograph entries to make items from. I will mentor him and guide him through social enterprise values but atleast there is a spark!!!!
Hi sorry I have been really busy last week and then had a day off ill
TBH I was feeling a little low last week - it felt as if I was hitting my head against a wall - some of my students are so motivated and for some its like dragging blood from a stone but things are looking up!
I spent Sunday night tossing and turning as to how I was going to motivate two particular students = finding the key to their interest has been really difficult. They really wanted to address the issue that a lot of students are spending time at home alone on computer games and they wanted to re-introduce board games to have better social interaction. They wanted to invent their own board game but just didnt seem to be getting anywhere at all. Then Monday morning a letter was given to me asking whether we would like to join a chess tournament. I showed it to the boys and asked what they thought. The interest sparked and they have agreed to train students to take part and suggested running a school tournament to find students to enter the big tournament. They need to raise money for prizes and a trophy for this to happen. I asked how they could make the money and they have told me they can make chess moulds and make chocolate or soap chess pieces to sell. They have already advertised the school tournament and really do seem motivated now researching how to make the moulds - Miracles happen!!!!
I have spoken to my groups and told them a few ground rules - I am here to mentor and guide not do their work for them - I guess with most children if they think they can step back and youll do they will let you. I have asked the groups to nominate a team leader if they need one who will "crack the whip" (chase up the members of the team to complete the tasks they have agreed to do) This is helping me as I only get 10 minutes a week with each group and snatched conversations here and there
The group who are revamping used A4 binders which usually get thrown out were going to used recycled jeans to do so but we have not had any old adult jeans handed in - they have been given a lot of offcut material so they have set to beavering away creating these at lunch and break times for our christmas fayre
The recycled jewellery team are on task - they have been making paper beads and are using old beads that have been donated to create their own set of jewellery.
The gardening team seem to have hit a stop but then I guess this time of year would not be their most productive - I will be speaking to them as it is the perfect time of year to create their pots out of magazines
My three boys hit a set back with one getting excluded for 5 days but the other two worked hard and have managed to find enough off cuts of wood from a local wood yard and a donation of dowelling to create their wooden looms - The only problem they are facing now is the Christmas Fayre is next Friday and they will need D&T staff to supervise them at lunch and break to enable them to use the machimery they need to use to create the looms. I have left them to negotiate with the D&T staff
The team who are revamping the sport relief 2012 sweat bands have created a character logo they wish to use. They will need to find a way to get the logo to attach to the wrist bands and make them appealing to buy. The group are in London this week so may not be able to make these in time for the christmas fayre
I have three more boys I have yet to find the key to motivating them - I know it is out there and it is just a matter of persevering. I do not want to take on more than I can deal with - I have a student with special needs who has completed her activity at a Halloween Disco and just needs to write up her bronze work - she needs a lot of support and we are trying different media for her to be successful - I will concentrate more on these boys once she has been successful and once the other groups have settled into working more independantly
I think if anything this week has really taught me no matter how hard this looks there is an amazing feeling when things just click into place and looking at the students faces that goes for them too!
TBH I was feeling a little low last week - it felt as if I was hitting my head against a wall - some of my students are so motivated and for some its like dragging blood from a stone but things are looking up!
I spent Sunday night tossing and turning as to how I was going to motivate two particular students = finding the key to their interest has been really difficult. They really wanted to address the issue that a lot of students are spending time at home alone on computer games and they wanted to re-introduce board games to have better social interaction. They wanted to invent their own board game but just didnt seem to be getting anywhere at all. Then Monday morning a letter was given to me asking whether we would like to join a chess tournament. I showed it to the boys and asked what they thought. The interest sparked and they have agreed to train students to take part and suggested running a school tournament to find students to enter the big tournament. They need to raise money for prizes and a trophy for this to happen. I asked how they could make the money and they have told me they can make chess moulds and make chocolate or soap chess pieces to sell. They have already advertised the school tournament and really do seem motivated now researching how to make the moulds - Miracles happen!!!!
I have spoken to my groups and told them a few ground rules - I am here to mentor and guide not do their work for them - I guess with most children if they think they can step back and youll do they will let you. I have asked the groups to nominate a team leader if they need one who will "crack the whip" (chase up the members of the team to complete the tasks they have agreed to do) This is helping me as I only get 10 minutes a week with each group and snatched conversations here and there
The group who are revamping used A4 binders which usually get thrown out were going to used recycled jeans to do so but we have not had any old adult jeans handed in - they have been given a lot of offcut material so they have set to beavering away creating these at lunch and break times for our christmas fayre
The recycled jewellery team are on task - they have been making paper beads and are using old beads that have been donated to create their own set of jewellery.
The gardening team seem to have hit a stop but then I guess this time of year would not be their most productive - I will be speaking to them as it is the perfect time of year to create their pots out of magazines
My three boys hit a set back with one getting excluded for 5 days but the other two worked hard and have managed to find enough off cuts of wood from a local wood yard and a donation of dowelling to create their wooden looms - The only problem they are facing now is the Christmas Fayre is next Friday and they will need D&T staff to supervise them at lunch and break to enable them to use the machimery they need to use to create the looms. I have left them to negotiate with the D&T staff
The team who are revamping the sport relief 2012 sweat bands have created a character logo they wish to use. They will need to find a way to get the logo to attach to the wrist bands and make them appealing to buy. The group are in London this week so may not be able to make these in time for the christmas fayre
I have three more boys I have yet to find the key to motivating them - I know it is out there and it is just a matter of persevering. I do not want to take on more than I can deal with - I have a student with special needs who has completed her activity at a Halloween Disco and just needs to write up her bronze work - she needs a lot of support and we are trying different media for her to be successful - I will concentrate more on these boys once she has been successful and once the other groups have settled into working more independantly
I think if anything this week has really taught me no matter how hard this looks there is an amazing feeling when things just click into place and looking at the students faces that goes for them too!
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