My Xmas wishes:
for my kids' eyes to light up when they unwrap their pressies,
for all my friends and family to enjoy a happy and restful Xmas day,
for those who will be having a difficult Christmas, some peace and comfort,
for a sprinkling of snow,
and last but not least.... an extra helping of Yorkshire Puddings and/or profiteroles ;-)
Merry Christmas everyone.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
It's official!
And this one shows every painful step since 2001!
I think I will proudly click on Accept....
Cool!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Upper Second Class BScHons!
Exam results came out today:
The Level 3 course I thought I would fail (U316), I got a Pass 3 with 68% in the exam and 62% for the continuous assessment element. The OU website detailing the breakdown has gone down, but from memory I got very good marks for my website and project review. They liked it! What a shame I didn't keep a copy of it! I didn't attempt any more than a few notes for the essay so the best said about that examinable element the better! :-)
The Level 3 course I loved (KE312) and hoped for a distinction in...I got a pass 2 with 73% in the exam and 82% for the continous assessment element. The last essay out of the three that I attempted let me down a bit, I got higher marks for the first two essays unsurprisingly.
In 2006 I got Pass 2s for my two Level 3 exams, and before that I clocked up all distinctions and one pass 2 for my Level 2 courses, so it doesn't matter which of the above courses I include in my BScHons I still get an Upper Second Class.
Yay! 7 years of juggling study with work and family and I have something good to show for it :-)
Onwards with the Masters now....
The Level 3 course I thought I would fail (U316), I got a Pass 3 with 68% in the exam and 62% for the continuous assessment element. The OU website detailing the breakdown has gone down, but from memory I got very good marks for my website and project review. They liked it! What a shame I didn't keep a copy of it! I didn't attempt any more than a few notes for the essay so the best said about that examinable element the better! :-)
The Level 3 course I loved (KE312) and hoped for a distinction in...I got a pass 2 with 73% in the exam and 82% for the continous assessment element. The last essay out of the three that I attempted let me down a bit, I got higher marks for the first two essays unsurprisingly.
In 2006 I got Pass 2s for my two Level 3 exams, and before that I clocked up all distinctions and one pass 2 for my Level 2 courses, so it doesn't matter which of the above courses I include in my BScHons I still get an Upper Second Class.
Yay! 7 years of juggling study with work and family and I have something good to show for it :-)
Onwards with the Masters now....
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Disney in 2009!
Been wanting to say this for a long time...."we're going to Orlando!"
It's now all booked! Hub and I went in 1992 for our honeymoon and I've always wanted to take the kids, especially seeing how much their eyes lit up when we went to Disneyland Paris when Katie was four.
Here's a little trip back down memory lane...
Honeymoon 1992, Orlando, Fl.
Who could ever forget the fairytale castle...
nor just how exhausting it can all be...!
or that in those days, before the kids, you could 'treat yourselves' to a convertible!
Disneyland Paris, 2001
Arriving at International Station in Paris you can just sense their excitement!
Meeting Mickey for the first time...
Never too cool to pose with Disney characters!
"Muuum....I think he might eat my food!" Katie wasn't really sure what to make of Chip...or was it Dale....
How time flies....
You can check out my Orlando holiday planning here
It's now all booked! Hub and I went in 1992 for our honeymoon and I've always wanted to take the kids, especially seeing how much their eyes lit up when we went to Disneyland Paris when Katie was four.
Here's a little trip back down memory lane...
Honeymoon 1992, Orlando, Fl.
Who could ever forget the fairytale castle...
nor just how exhausting it can all be...!
or that in those days, before the kids, you could 'treat yourselves' to a convertible!
Disneyland Paris, 2001
Arriving at International Station in Paris you can just sense their excitement!
Meeting Mickey for the first time...
Never too cool to pose with Disney characters!
"Muuum....I think he might eat my food!" Katie wasn't really sure what to make of Chip...or was it Dale....
How time flies....
You can check out my Orlando holiday planning here
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Exam
The questions were pretty nasty. I got three of the themes I'd revised: participation, identity and formal and informal learning, but applying them to the actual questions was hard! Results not due until December so it's sit back and wait time.
In the meantime, on with the Masters. Progress is being recorded here
In the meantime, on with the Masters. Progress is being recorded here
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Final countdown to the BSc Hons!
Well that's it, U316 project (ECA) is finished and has been sent off. I had hoped that that would see an end to U316, but I have discovered that only part of my final assignment could be seen at the OU's end and that two files were 'missing' so I only got 17%!! Ok, so I was only aiming for 40% but that's not the point! I'm currently chasing the OU to see what has gone wrong and hopefully get a remark.
In the meantime I am trying to revise for my final (as in last ever, hopefully!) exam. I love this course (KE312) and want the satisfaction of doing really well in the exam. I got the final assignment back and got my best score yet for the course: 86% Well chuffed! Go me, I can do this!
Meanwhile, sitting on the conservatory floor there's a nice big box of Masters materials waiting to be loved. The course officially starts in two days time but I may have to play catch-up for week 1's content in week 2 because my exam is in 8 days time and I have lots of lovely students sitting their 11+ exam on the 18th and in need of some help with revision and practice papers that is taking over every evening, Monday to Friday!
In the meantime I am trying to revise for my final (as in last ever, hopefully!) exam. I love this course (KE312) and want the satisfaction of doing really well in the exam. I got the final assignment back and got my best score yet for the course: 86% Well chuffed! Go me, I can do this!
Meanwhile, sitting on the conservatory floor there's a nice big box of Masters materials waiting to be loved. The course officially starts in two days time but I may have to play catch-up for week 1's content in week 2 because my exam is in 8 days time and I have lots of lovely students sitting their 11+ exam on the 18th and in need of some help with revision and practice papers that is taking over every evening, Monday to Friday!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Approaching the final hurdle
Well, here I am, almost at the end of another OU year, the year that should secure me a BSc with Honours 2:1 or First (touch wood). It's been a busy old year, particularly from the spring when I started back at work part-time. Juggling the two courses, family and work hasn't been easy! I think it shows in my assignment marks for U316, Environmental Web. Not only have a developed a growing hatred of the course but also a 'can't be bothered, too much else to do' attitude, as demonstrated by my latest assignment grades:
TMA1 85%
TMA2 90%
TMA3 55%
TMA4 66%
TMA5 not submitted!
On the other hand I have enjoyed KE312 Working With Children and Families and that's reflected in my marks:
TMA1 75%
TMA2 82%
TMA3 86%
TMA4 80%
TMA5 82%
I have one assignment for each course due back soon and these will determine my overall assessment score, along with my exam and end of course assessment marks.
All that remains to be done (I use the word 'all' loosely, it's actually pretty daunting!) is a 3000 word webpage, a 1500 word review of my project and a 2000 word essay for U316, and a whole bunch of revision for KE312's exam.
Once that's all out of the way and I have spent a week in recovery it's onward with the Masters. ED840, Child Development in Families, School and Society will be arriving on my doormat shortly, but I won't be tearing open the box until post-exam. Had to sign up for one more under-grad course because I discovered the OU doesn't accept Tesco Deal Tokens for post-grad study, so D270 Family Meanings is also in the running from October.
Now work in the pipeline, other than the odd bit of tutoring here and there, so I have no excuse but to get on with it!
TMA1 85%
TMA2 90%
TMA3 55%
TMA4 66%
TMA5 not submitted!
On the other hand I have enjoyed KE312 Working With Children and Families and that's reflected in my marks:
TMA1 75%
TMA2 82%
TMA3 86%
TMA4 80%
TMA5 82%
I have one assignment for each course due back soon and these will determine my overall assessment score, along with my exam and end of course assessment marks.
All that remains to be done (I use the word 'all' loosely, it's actually pretty daunting!) is a 3000 word webpage, a 1500 word review of my project and a 2000 word essay for U316, and a whole bunch of revision for KE312's exam.
Once that's all out of the way and I have spent a week in recovery it's onward with the Masters. ED840, Child Development in Families, School and Society will be arriving on my doormat shortly, but I won't be tearing open the box until post-exam. Had to sign up for one more under-grad course because I discovered the OU doesn't accept Tesco Deal Tokens for post-grad study, so D270 Family Meanings is also in the running from October.
Now work in the pipeline, other than the odd bit of tutoring here and there, so I have no excuse but to get on with it!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Just a sentimental posting!
Last night was Katie's Leavers BBQ at her primary school. She had a great time, and looked very happy to have some time with her friends outside of the classroom, and to be able to hug her teacher. Tuesday is their last day, celebreated with a Leavers Assembly at church and a picnic by the river when school is finished. Tissues at the ready...
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Sunday, June 01, 2008
We did it!
and set ourselves a personal best of 5km in 36 mins, shaving 9 mins off our March training time :-)
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Making the effort
I'm making the effort to keep my blog alive. As I get busier and busier I post less and less!
From now through June and into July I am going to be extremely busy. Tutoring is really taking off and I now spend almost 6 hours a week tutoring,in addition to 15 hours in school as a TA. I'm trying to stick to a couple of evenings a week for the tutoring, I don't want to spend every evening dashing around and preparing rubbish dinners for the kids!
Coursework with the OU is going well, by the end of this month I'll have got through 5 assignments and will be ready to get to work on the project for U316 as well as another TMA for mid June (or was it two...must look at the study calendars before it's too late!)
This weekend was spent examining maths SATs scripts. I spent 6 hours in London yesterday for the training, and 4 hours online (with 3 laptop crashes)this morning marking 15 practice maths scripts to ensure I am good enough for the real scripts, and I was, thank goodness! So now I await the arrival of some 450 scripts (although I have a sneaky feeling one script actually means 3 papers to mark - Paper A, Paper B and the mental maths paper)which need marking over the next 4 weeks. It'll work the brain cells that's for sure, and not something to do late in the evening!
My jogging blog is pretty dead too, what with work there isn't much time or energy to jog, 10 minutes was all I clocked up this week!
Time for tea now, chicken fajitas, then it'll be time to gee Sam up to do some maths and science revision for his June exams. Now where'd I put my whip.....
From now through June and into July I am going to be extremely busy. Tutoring is really taking off and I now spend almost 6 hours a week tutoring,in addition to 15 hours in school as a TA. I'm trying to stick to a couple of evenings a week for the tutoring, I don't want to spend every evening dashing around and preparing rubbish dinners for the kids!
Coursework with the OU is going well, by the end of this month I'll have got through 5 assignments and will be ready to get to work on the project for U316 as well as another TMA for mid June (or was it two...must look at the study calendars before it's too late!)
This weekend was spent examining maths SATs scripts. I spent 6 hours in London yesterday for the training, and 4 hours online (with 3 laptop crashes)this morning marking 15 practice maths scripts to ensure I am good enough for the real scripts, and I was, thank goodness! So now I await the arrival of some 450 scripts (although I have a sneaky feeling one script actually means 3 papers to mark - Paper A, Paper B and the mental maths paper)which need marking over the next 4 weeks. It'll work the brain cells that's for sure, and not something to do late in the evening!
My jogging blog is pretty dead too, what with work there isn't much time or energy to jog, 10 minutes was all I clocked up this week!
Time for tea now, chicken fajitas, then it'll be time to gee Sam up to do some maths and science revision for his June exams. Now where'd I put my whip.....
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Que?!
Practising my listening skills with my favourite!
I can get the odd bit here and there and recognise plenty of words, but they speak so fast!
I can get the odd bit here and there and recognise plenty of words, but they speak so fast!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
The power of music.
Listening to KM FM in the car this evening I heard a song that I haven't heard for maybe 20 years - OMD's Souvenir. It evoked some powerful and emotional feelings but I couldn't place my finger on the cause of the feelings. It seems music has the power to stir up old stuff stored away with the cobwebs in the brain, but the brain can't make all the links 'cos the cobwebs are too thick (sorry, heavy stuff!)
I did a quick bit of research on the good ol' internet to find the year - 1981. That didn't help. I was in the US most of that year and didn't hear any music from the UK scene until my return a year later - at that age my music tastes were limited to my parents' choices and my first two cassettes (Police and Madness),otherwise I was only introduced to some music that the kids at school raved about (REO Speedwagon and the like). The brain started to work...I remember having an OMD LP when I started work in 1987. Still no link to what I was doing at the time of the song! I can only imagine that hearing it again stirred up some teenage hormonal feelings stemming from the early to mid 80s, before my first serious boyfriend at 16 (now my hub!)
Therapy over.... I was just really struck by the powerfulness of the feelings and how they emerged from listening to a song that I had forgotten existed! Anyone else experienced this?
I'm off Googling to see what other OMD music now rings bells!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Power of Music
Listening to KM FM in the car this evening I heard a song that I haven't heard for maybe 20 years - OMD's Souvenir.
It evoked some powerful and emotional feelings but I couldn't place my finger on the cause of the feelings. It seems music has the power to stir up old stuff stored away with the cobwebs in the brain, but the brain can't make all the links 'cos the cobwebs are too thick (sorry, heavy stuff!)
I did a quick bit of research on the good ol' internet to find the year - 1981. That didn't help. I was in the US and didn't hear any music from the UK scene until my return a year later - at that age my music tastes were limited to my parents' choices and my first two cassettes (Police and Madness),otherwise I was only introduced to some music that the kids at school raved about (REO Speedwagon and the like). The brain started to work...I remember having an OMD LP when I started work in 1987. Still no link to what I was doing at the time of the song! I can only imagine that hearing it again stirred up some teenage hormonal feelings stemming from the early to mid 80s, before my first serious boyfriend at 16 (now my hub!)
Therapy over.... I was just really struck by the powerfulness of the feelings and how they emerged from listening to a song that I had forgotten existed! Anyone else experienced this?
I'm off Googling to see what other OMD music now rings bells!
It evoked some powerful and emotional feelings but I couldn't place my finger on the cause of the feelings. It seems music has the power to stir up old stuff stored away with the cobwebs in the brain, but the brain can't make all the links 'cos the cobwebs are too thick (sorry, heavy stuff!)
I did a quick bit of research on the good ol' internet to find the year - 1981. That didn't help. I was in the US and didn't hear any music from the UK scene until my return a year later - at that age my music tastes were limited to my parents' choices and my first two cassettes (Police and Madness),otherwise I was only introduced to some music that the kids at school raved about (REO Speedwagon and the like). The brain started to work...I remember having an OMD LP when I started work in 1987. Still no link to what I was doing at the time of the song! I can only imagine that hearing it again stirred up some teenage hormonal feelings stemming from the early to mid 80s, before my first serious boyfriend at 16 (now my hub!)
Therapy over.... I was just really struck by the powerfulness of the feelings and how they emerged from listening to a song that I had forgotten existed! Anyone else experienced this?
I'm off Googling to see what other OMD music now rings bells!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Stunning photography
There are some superb photos on Flickr. This guy does some superb shots of sea and sky.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Work!
I'm going to be very busy after Easter, not only will I be working on my project for my Honours, but I'll be working mornings as a TA at a local school (only temporary til July), and from sometime in May I'll be working as a KS2 maths script marker, something I wanted to do last year. Looking forward to it all!
These last 2 weeks have been particularly busy. Sam has sat 2 modular GCSE exams and has had to put up with me nagging him to revise, and helping him cover what he needed to know for the higher papers. He has one more to sit on Monday and then we get a reprieve for a bit.
In addition, I have gained one more tutee, that makes three! So I spend two evenings a week helping them with their maths and reading, and for one child, preparing specifically for the 11+ papers. This is my vocation! I love it to bits. It's immensely satisfying and I'm glad I gave it a shot!
Finally, jogging my way towards the Race For Life continues, albeit it slowly this week! Mum and I hope to get in a long run this weekend.
Oh yes, and 3-4 pounds down, yay!
These last 2 weeks have been particularly busy. Sam has sat 2 modular GCSE exams and has had to put up with me nagging him to revise, and helping him cover what he needed to know for the higher papers. He has one more to sit on Monday and then we get a reprieve for a bit.
In addition, I have gained one more tutee, that makes three! So I spend two evenings a week helping them with their maths and reading, and for one child, preparing specifically for the 11+ papers. This is my vocation! I love it to bits. It's immensely satisfying and I'm glad I gave it a shot!
Finally, jogging my way towards the Race For Life continues, albeit it slowly this week! Mum and I hope to get in a long run this weekend.
Oh yes, and 3-4 pounds down, yay!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Blog changes and bookmarking
I doubt my blog gets many readers, there are so many blogs 'out there', but if you are one of them, apologies if you scroll down and expect to find a link or something and it's moved...I've been organising! Yes, I have assignments due, and yes, I am procrastinating :) But seriously, I have had great fun today learning how to bloglog and playing with various methods of storing bookmarks online: del.icio.us and blinklist, to name a few. Organising my bookmarks is going to be an ongoing, mammoth task as I have them everywhere! On two computers and a laptop (one computer is on its last legs so that one gets priority!), on Firefox and Explorer (on all 3 machines!),on the two sites mentioned above, and freewebs.com, as well as here on my blog. Careful bookmarking hasn't been a priority over the years, but having had to become more organised for my level 3 course research I decided to bite the bullet and get the whole lot sorted!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
This week went too quickly...
...but we got alot done. We:
iceskated (yes I did, and didn't fall over once!)
saw Cinderella at the Brook Theatre (Kate, two school friends "Go Miss Thurston, wooo!" and I)
revised (Sam)
studied (me)
did homework (Kate)
played (all of us...Cluedo!)
read (Kate and I)
caught up with friends
exercised (Kate, mum and I)
did the garden (I planted radishes, chives, spring onions and carrots and did a whole lotta digging and trimming. Totally chilled out as a result)
chose new library books (Kate and I)
Facebooked (me)
Piczo-d (Kate)
ebayed (sold more than bought for a change!)
ate takeaways (too many!)
and generally had a jam-packed but cool week.
Kids go back to school now and I must get more study done....two assignments due before we go to Spain and a whole lotta reading (KE312...I dumped S339 before it got started) and research (U316...gotta start thinking about my project). All good fun.
iceskated (yes I did, and didn't fall over once!)
saw Cinderella at the Brook Theatre (Kate, two school friends "Go Miss Thurston, wooo!" and I)
revised (Sam)
studied (me)
did homework (Kate)
played (all of us...Cluedo!)
read (Kate and I)
caught up with friends
exercised (Kate, mum and I)
did the garden (I planted radishes, chives, spring onions and carrots and did a whole lotta digging and trimming. Totally chilled out as a result)
chose new library books (Kate and I)
Facebooked (me)
Piczo-d (Kate)
ebayed (sold more than bought for a change!)
ate takeaways (too many!)
and generally had a jam-packed but cool week.
Kids go back to school now and I must get more study done....two assignments due before we go to Spain and a whole lotta reading (KE312...I dumped S339 before it got started) and research (U316...gotta start thinking about my project). All good fun.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Motivate me and give to a good cause!
A short and sweet blog posting, the first one this year in fact. Sorry Bloggers, been too wrapped up in the start of a new study year with the OU, with GCSE revision (my son's), Facebooking and job hunting. More on all this another time, but for now, take a look at:
http://tina-raceforlife.blogspot.com/
http://tina-raceforlife.blogspot.com/
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