[DAJ Belshaw]

Nick Dennis, on Jul 9 2007, 07:07 PM, said:

Photos uploaded to Flickr...

Yeah, mine too...

I've also now reflected about my SHP experiences here!

Doug

This post has been edited by DAJ Belshaw: 09 July 2007 - 08:16 PM

[Sarah Bamford]

I am still buzzing from the conference high. Also a conference 'Virgin' I had an amazing time. The opening session was mindblowing and every workshop was of such high quality. I came into school today armed with a bag of toys stolen from my children and ready to raid the drama cupboard for more props. The other history teacher in my faculty (otherwise known as Victor Meldrew) positively salivated as he looked at how much of my 160G hardrive Doug had managed to fill!! (thanks Doug, Roy and whoever else's stuff is on there.. I promise to share but feel a bit of a fraud doing so given that it's not mine!!).

Highlights of the weekend must include the curry, although the menu definition of 'medium-mild' took my sinuses a little by surprise as it launched its full-on assault. Meeting all my virtual friends was great too - finally putting some faces to names and avatars.. some are remarkably appropriate!

I loved the Pirates stuff from Martin Spafford (can someone encourage him to share his ppt file please?) - and apologies to the poor bloke I nearly injured in the press-ganging scene!; the opening session by Donald and Sarah (so many ideas I too stopped writing!); Ian Luff's top tips (I videoed him in the end as pen didn't do it justice) but I am also amazed how much I learnt from Ian's fancy dress show...! Thanks Ian (I knew nothing about Wars of the Roses, not even Shakespeare's histories, such is a modern education!!). Thanks to everyone, and at some point I may even read Doug and Nick's blogging stuff (although the kids will still know I don't really get it..!)

Brilliant conference. Will definitely go again. Like you Neil I am doing a 'write up' so do you want to swap?

[DaveStacey]

Got to say I thought this year was even better than last. Thanks to everyone for being so friendly, willing to share ideas and listen to me go on about my latest cunning plan. Highlights for me included Don and Sarah's starters (Kudos to Ian and Chris for making such a big change to the idea of the opening session. A million times better than last year!), the Ians (Luff and Dawson), Michael Riley and Jamie Byrom and The Black Death workshop (sorry, my notes are at school and I can't remember the guy's name!) I've blogged my initial thoughts here, although they'll be more in due course.

I know that some of the workshop leaders might not necessary want to post their resources here but would it be bad form to start threads for those, just so those of us that were there are able to talk over what we saw?

Got back to school buzzing, and quickly realised how different life it is to be surrounded by people who love what they do, are up for any challenge and want what's best for their kids no matter what. If we could bottle that and sell it we'd make a fortune!

[Ian Dawson]

Sarah Bamford, on Jul 9 2007, 08:41 PM, said:

I am also amazed how much I learnt from Ian's fancy dress show...!

Sorry, Sarah - just when you thought you were safe from being educated ... I have to confess that Saturday evenings are a sneaky way of showing off some active learning techniques. At dinner on Saturday a teacher commented to my wife that he was looking forward to Saturday evening because there wasn't any teaching going on. Pat then marked his card by telling him to look out for a washing line activity, a role-play and how to use props. I'd gone to be nervous in a corner at that stage.

On the same theme I gather I stunned Nick Dennis into silence with an off-the-cuff question but i have absolutely no memory of asking Nick anything (no use looking at my "script" as that's only an aide-memoire of the history - a lot of what i say is spur of the moment stuff, as you can probably tell). But it's an interesting thought that a question i can't even remember asking had an effect I only heard about secondhand - being out at the front is a powerful business. Can you fill me in Nick - what was it I asked?

And as for "fancy dress show" - no wonder I never get taken seriously! I hadn't intended to dress up myself but belatedly realised that with Wel and Karen of Discovering medieval in costume and Chris scheduled to get into the armour (tho he didn't know that) I might as well, reluctantly, climb into the robes. It takes time learning to walk in a long dress as you need a different stride length - and they don't teach you that on your history degree course!

Thanks for the enthusiastic comments - it makes all Chris's hard work worthwhile!

ian

[Sarah Bamford]

Ian it was definitely the fancy dress that did it for me... you would have been proud - I had makeshift costumes and tabards hastily constructed in my first lesson today.. the parable of the Good Samaritan will never be quite the same again..! On a serious point, when I happened to mention to the drama dept that I might want to raid their cupboard today, they revealed they are going to teach Richard III next year, so a reconstruction of Saturday night may well be on the cards (but I will have to do some more reading first.. and get my Henry's in order..!). Definitely keep the dress. :

[Nick Dennis]

I can tell you it was not silence - I panicked and said the wrong thing! Shame on me! Thankfully, you did not hear it. I'll leave it there.

At least I now know what a Year 7 feels like when I ask them a question!

[Gorbash]

Sarah Bamford, on Jul 9 2007, 09:41 PM, said:

I loved the Pirates stuff from Martin Spafford (can someone encourage him to share his ppt file please?) - and apologies to the poor bloke I nearly injured in the press-ganging scene!

Quite honestly Sarah I didn't know whether to be scared during the press-ganging or envious of the guy you dragged out! It really was an impressive moment...

Paul

[Nick Dennis]

A taster of Ian 'Active' Dawson and Ian Luff with some help from their friends...http://www.youtube.c...h?v=pA4-5B-BZM8

[Dave Wallbanks]

As always it was a fabulous conference and the organisers, Chris, Ian et al deserve real praise for managing to put on such a high class event. I spoke to a few people who said there was no event like this anywhere in any other subject so well done boys.

It was great to meet so many great people so hello to everyone who made this such a special conference for me. It was great to meet you all and the curry on Saturday was a great success too, so thanks to Dan for organising this.

Now on to Mr Belshaw and Mr Dennis. Are you telling me that with all the pictures you took of me THAT ONE was the best you could find of me? How bad must the other ones have been? As always a great pleasure to meet you all again
Dave

[Tony Fox]

DAJ Belshaw, on Jul 9 2007, 07:09 PM, said:

Nick Dennis, on Jul 9 2007, 07:07 PM, said:

Photos uploaded to Flickr...

Yeah, mine too...

I've also now reflected about my SHP experiences here!

Doug

I am on Flickr, and have put a few photos on, but is there a group to join? http://www.flickr.co...os/9950907@N06/

This post has been edited by Tony Fox: 17 July 2007 - 09:57 AM

[Sally M]

Sarah Bamford, on Jul 9 2007, 08:41 PM, said:

I am still buzzing from the conference high. Also a conference 'Virgin' I had an amazing time. The opening session was mindblowing and every workshop was of such high quality. I came into school today armed with a bag of toys stolen from my children and ready to raid the drama cupboard for more props. The other history teacher in my faculty (otherwise known as Victor Meldrew) positively salivated as he looked at how much of my 160G hardrive Doug had managed to fill!! (thanks Doug, Roy and whoever else's stuff is on there.. I promise to share but feel a bit of a fraud doing so given that it's not mine!!).

Highlights of the weekend must include the curry, although the menu definition of 'medium-mild' took my sinuses a little by surprise as it launched its full-on assault. Meeting all my virtual friends was great too - finally putting some faces to names and avatars.. some are remarkably appropriate!

I loved the Pirates stuff from Martin Spafford (can someone encourage him to share his ppt file please?) - and apologies to the poor bloke I nearly injured in the press-ganging scene!; the opening session by Donald and Sarah (so many ideas I too stopped writing!); Ian Luff's top tips (I videoed him in the end as pen didn't do it justice) but I am also amazed how much I learnt from Ian's fancy dress show...! Thanks Ian (I knew nothing about Wars of the Roses, not even Shakespeare's histories, such is a modern education!!). Thanks to everyone, and at some point I may even read Doug and Nick's blogging stuff (although the kids will still know I don't really get it..!)

Brilliant conference. Will definitely go again. Like you Neil I am doing a 'write up' so do you want to swap?

I would also like to see Martin Spafford's Pirates stuff. It sounds good. Apologies if it has already been posted.
Thanks

Sally