Back up to Albany Park for Digipen today; lesson two. Teacher not really improved on being able to keep us all up and running at the same speed and, once again, Callum had to help out a fellow student! Actually I helped out a fellow student as well today, go me! Haha. Went over the homework we should have all done; surprise, surprise, Callum was the only one who'd managed to complete it all, so we went over what he had already done, but then added some music. Callum didn't mind as we learnt another way of doing something he'd done already and it also meant he could play a bit more and investigate further.
The journey this week was as straightforward as it should have been with no delays, but if does look like we'll have to catch the 5.45pm train home which stops at Strood (but at least is direct)!!! If we then wait at Strood for a connection back to Gillingham, we won't get home until 7pm!!! We leave home at 2.10pm to get there for 4pm. The lesson is only supposed to be an hour (although so far it's been more like 1 hour and 20mins), so that's 4 hours travelling for a one hour lesson. Blimey we're dedicated. haha. As of next week we're hoping to get a lift from dad from Strood which will save us about 20mins journey and a 15min wait on a cold Strood station.
Not everyone there this week either, so not sure if people have already dropped out. Some people are still having difficulty getting the programme to run so they are going to have to talk in the week to try and sort it as it will soon get to the stage where they are too far behind. Luckily the issues we had in the first week I managed to solve and, so far, everything is running fine.
We also got the manual this week and I can imagine Callum going beyond the required homework just to see what's next. Had a quick flip through myself and after feeling chuffed with myself for being able to help out, I can't see that lasting as it looks way beyond me in a few sessions. Think I might start taking my knitting, haha.
Anyway, cya
PS: Took a flask of tea with me today to drink on the way home and stupidly ended up kicking the thing and smashing it! Boo hoo, no tea for me again until I got home. Waaaaaah!
Monday 22 April 2013
Tuesday 16 April 2013
THE START OF SOMETHING BIGGER
Well, yesterday was the start of a new section of work. We're attempting 2 award schemes and a Digipen course which is a game programming course (see link below for some more info). We're doing this as I'd like a bit more structure and I'd also like Callum to begin having something to show for his work instead of just lots and lots of paper. Exams may prove difficult for Callum due to the Asperger, so am looking at alternative routes and ways of getting certificates.
https://projectfun.digipen.edu/online-courses/
Yesterday was the first of the Digipen 'lessons'. And after much hrumphing, moaning, worrying, "be glad when today is over"ing, Callum actually really enjoyed the lesson. It was a fairly basic one I admit (even I followed it and I'm useless at tech). He even helped out a fellow student who'd arrived late and got him up to speed really quickly. The boy's mum (I will learn names eventually) even said that Callum should be teaching as he'd explained it well; the teacher having confused her.
So good points: He enjoyed it. He wants to go again!!! He helped out someone else willingly and obviously engaged in conversation with someone new. Journey there and back was easy and cost was reasonable. And there is no online lessons planned unless we feel it necessary later which is brilliant as trying to pin us down to being online at a certain time/date could prove difficult. AND she reckons we'll be finished in 8 weeks instead of 12, but obviously that depends on how much we get done at home and whether people have problems. So Callum and me very happy!
Bad points: Teacher is a bit disjointed in her teaching (confused me and a couple of others and didn't cope very well when people ended up on different levels to where she was expecting us to be, but hopefully that will improve). Journey was very long due to long waits between connections and delays of trains due to signalling probs so we left the house at 2.10pm and got home at 7.15pm just to do a 1 hour lesson (admittedly we did stay a bit longer than 1 hour as we had a problem). That problem was that our programme which we'd downloaded pre lesson wouldn't run and so Callum couldn't check that his work had worked, if you see what I mean. Have hopefully sorted that out this morning, but can't check until he gets up!
It's trampolining and social time today, but he's planning on doing the homework tomorrow at his sister's. Here's hoping the thing will actually work this time.
Cya
https://projectfun.digipen.edu/online-courses/
Yesterday was the first of the Digipen 'lessons'. And after much hrumphing, moaning, worrying, "be glad when today is over"ing, Callum actually really enjoyed the lesson. It was a fairly basic one I admit (even I followed it and I'm useless at tech). He even helped out a fellow student who'd arrived late and got him up to speed really quickly. The boy's mum (I will learn names eventually) even said that Callum should be teaching as he'd explained it well; the teacher having confused her.
So good points: He enjoyed it. He wants to go again!!! He helped out someone else willingly and obviously engaged in conversation with someone new. Journey there and back was easy and cost was reasonable. And there is no online lessons planned unless we feel it necessary later which is brilliant as trying to pin us down to being online at a certain time/date could prove difficult. AND she reckons we'll be finished in 8 weeks instead of 12, but obviously that depends on how much we get done at home and whether people have problems. So Callum and me very happy!
Bad points: Teacher is a bit disjointed in her teaching (confused me and a couple of others and didn't cope very well when people ended up on different levels to where she was expecting us to be, but hopefully that will improve). Journey was very long due to long waits between connections and delays of trains due to signalling probs so we left the house at 2.10pm and got home at 7.15pm just to do a 1 hour lesson (admittedly we did stay a bit longer than 1 hour as we had a problem). That problem was that our programme which we'd downloaded pre lesson wouldn't run and so Callum couldn't check that his work had worked, if you see what I mean. Have hopefully sorted that out this morning, but can't check until he gets up!
It's trampolining and social time today, but he's planning on doing the homework tomorrow at his sister's. Here's hoping the thing will actually work this time.
Cya
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