The museum that I have visited on more occasions than others is the Museum Beelden an Zee the city's sculpture museum.
The Museum Beelden an Zee would definitely be on my must visit locations in The Netherlands.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
27-01-2012
During my time in Den Haag and its environs I have made it a conscious plan to visit as many galleries as possible. This endeavour is aided by the MuseumCard an excellent 39Euro (annual) card which allows free entry to the majority of museums and galleries and reduced price entry to others.
The museum that I have visited on more occasions than others is the Museum Beelden an Zee the city's sculpture museum.
From the outside the Gallery looks a little like a cross between a WWII bunker and a British seaside toilet block! Sorry but it does, you may agree! it is very near to the sea and as a result has a real seaside feel.
Inside the space is used in many ways to good effect to show both large and intimate pieces in a light and airy setting.....back in September the Museum showed part of an exhibition from China, the remainder of which was displayed in the open air along Lange Voorhout
.The sculptures above show the large scale works of the exhibition... the last being an interesting study where the artist was given a small plate containing a typically Dutch scene, this was recreated with objects from the plate displayed at an angle ( the angle between The Netherlands and China on the globe!). One of the smallest but most devine objects on show is a 12 inch long Man Ray sculpture.
The Museum Beelden an Zee would definitely be on my must visit locations in The Netherlands.
The museum that I have visited on more occasions than others is the Museum Beelden an Zee the city's sculpture museum.
The Museum Beelden an Zee would definitely be on my must visit locations in The Netherlands.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
26-01-2012..... blog post from 26-01-2010
I was reviewing my Blog365 posts from 2010 and was taken by the corresponding post from 26-1-2010 and decided to re post ...an interesting exercise to look back at previous blog posts from previous lives. This is also something that I will try out during the year, taking the chance to journey down memory lane.
Blog post from 26/01/2010
A few weeks ago I received a comment on my main blog from Laine a the Macmillan Dictionary Blog. Their blog has been running a week for each of the countries which make up the UK and this week is 'Welsh-English Week', each week they ask a group of bloggers from the country concerned to put up guest blog posts and today it was my turn..... above is my blog post with the link ( this link will change to other posts through the week).
Blog post from 26/01/2010
A few weeks ago I received a comment on my main blog from Laine a the Macmillan Dictionary Blog. Their blog has been running a week for each of the countries which make up the UK and this week is 'Welsh-English Week', each week they ask a group of bloggers from the country concerned to put up guest blog posts and today it was my turn..... above is my blog post with the link ( this link will change to other posts through the week).
Please feel free to leave a comment at the Macmillan Dictionary Blog for me :-)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
25-01-2012
Above is one of my favourite images from 2011, for those who know my pictures from previous blog incarnations may well recognise the location ( by the side of a certain canal in Wales!). I was trying out the macro properties of my camera on this walk and captured some images of which I am quite proud..
... make a wish and blow ( well today is St Dywnwen's Day - Welsh Valentine's Day :-)
... nostalgia and home sickness all rolled into one blog post!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
24-01-2012 - Keep taking the tablet!
Having deliberately avoided the tablet wars and preferring the Netbook route ( Asus in particular) for mobile technology, in late 2011 staying true to my 'Android' roots I decided to scour the market in order to see what machines using the Android 'Honeycomb' OS offered the best deals.
My choice after a good deal of 'window shopping' was the Acer Iconia A500 tablet (see below)
From the moment that I turned it on and downloaded my favourite apps ( having run the HTC Magic smartphone through to November 2011... the apps were pretty similar) I was impressed by the way the machine communicated with many of my other cloud based storage being able to sync. contacts -Android phone contacts :-) and images ( Picassa based)
The goodies just kept on coming - the Kindle app, Skype ( using front or rear facing cameras), Internet Radio, Facebook, LinkedIn... and then of course an aspect that had never really hooked me previously - games.... Angry Birds ( to which I have become addicted!),
My choice after a good deal of 'window shopping' was the Acer Iconia A500 tablet (see below)
along with a brilliant driving game from EA which makes use of the tablet's accelerometer...........pool, golf, and on and on and on!
I think in short that the tablet may well be the 'killer one stop machine'. Of course I accept that this device would not be one on which you would use to write your novel ( the WP apps are not brilliant in the free app section!) and trying to use the tablet as a camera I still find embarrassing beyond belief.....however the speed of start up, easy connectivity and simple useability make this the buy that I am glad I waited for... I now only fire up a laptop at home in order to download my iTunes Podcasts or to watch some flash video....Acer Iconia I would recommend as a great buy.
It will be interesting to see how the next generation of 'Android' and of course tablets such as the Kindle Fire and Samsung Galaxy along with Acer grow in the coming years.
Monday, January 23, 2012
23-01-2012
( Borrowed image of Chinese Dragon)
Happy New Year - 2012 the Year of the Dragon ( of course - a dragon)
The Dragon symbol of the 2012 year is an intelligent and laborious worker who never puts aside work though sometimes this leads him to excesses. The water Dragon has enough courage to face challenges and easily finds weak points that stand on his way to success.
Celebration of the Chinese New Year in Den Haag will be on Saturday 28th January
Sunday, January 22, 2012
22-01-2012
Sunday dawned with a clear blue sky, but a wicked wind. I set off at around 12.30 for an interview and book signing session by Redmond O'Hanlon and the Paagman Boekhandel
Setting off from the my old favourite No24 Bus stop on Sportlaan.... heading for the bookshop.
I wish that I had set off earlier and not done a quick shop and some house tidying as when I finally arrived at alomst dead on 1pm the venue was packed and dear reader you will have to take my word for it that the white haired bewhiskered gentleman in the distance is the author and explorer ( and Darwin, Wallace admirer) Redmond O'Hanlon.( I will post the link to the Paagman TV interview link once it appears - it will be on the PaagmanTV Vimeo HD channel)... sadly I did not have a book signed as there were no copies for sale in English!!!!
.......below is some footage of Redmond on one of his previous trips to The Netherlands. It was thanks to the Dutch TV Channel's series retracing Darwin's Beagle trip using the Stad Amsterdam which has forged such a strong link between Redmond and The Netherlands.
There is also a series of interviews with Redmond on my favourite 'Web of Stories' site.
There is also a series of interviews with Redmond on my favourite 'Web of Stories' site.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
21-01-2012
Of course the film is not about the public Margaret Thatcher, but is a study on aging and the tricks that the mind can play on us as we grow old. Meryl Streep 's performance is quite amazing, considering that much of the action uses extreme close up shots showing quite raw emotions. Streep displays many of Lady Thatcher's mannerisms quite brilliantly and inhabits the persona.
The relationship between daughter Carol Thatcher and her mother is a key part of the film, as the once powerful woman, now has to rely on her daughter in so many ways. There has been much criticism of the film for having the key parts of the Thatcher political era come and go without much discussion of them, but of course this is not the point of the film.
I came away having enjoyed the film, but still a little wary of the way that I had been manipulated into considering the human story around such a controversial figure.... is it too soon for a film such as this?
20-01-2012
You know that something is working when silence ensues at the table, this certainly happened with the Irish Beef course, when even grown men were heard to swoon...... I must thank Fiona Clark our DP Chemistry CAM and 'foodie in chief' for organising the evening ( we will draw a fine veil over the eventual price.... simple to say, good food is worth it!).
The only unfortunate part of the evening was that on leaving the restaurant at just after midnight the group quite quickly realised that the Rotterdam tram service had largely finished running at midnight.... also at the Rotterdam Centraal Station a further blow was the next train to Den Haag arrived at 2.02am! The shrill cry of TAXI was heard as we were able to find a minibus to take us back to the city, a further taxi home saw me arriving through my front door at 2.15am.....on 21st January... expect Saturday to be a quiet day.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
19-01-2012
It was back in mid August that Deb and I spent 4 days in the 'Eternal City' on a short break from the weather in northern Europe. It was fantastic to feel the warmth of an Italian summer day on our backs, the city was new to both of us, getting around by public transport was a challenge however it is a 'must' visit due to its enormous historic importance, so much of which is still above ground, the jewel in the crown some think of as The Colosseum which is of course breathtaking, The Trevi fountain is of course romantic, and The Vatican a great religious centre... but for me The Pantheon is both fascinating in its historic and religious significance, and as a result is number one.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
18-01-2012
However he has now returned to his former life, he is the silent person who has to put up with my present ramblings, it is probably fortuitous that he has lost his squeak and is unable to protest. He puts up with sharing a bed again with me much as he did half a century ago ( Oooooh that sounds so long ago when put like that!), he has lost non of his opened eyed friendliness and shows this by how much he has been loved along the way.
He is presently lying around awaiting the end of another day in The Hague when once again he will hear the familiar tones of 'Sailing by' followed by 'The Shipping Forecast' and National Anthem on BBC Radio 4
Goodnight everyon, goodnight.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
17-01-2012
Happy Birthday Jaycob and Abi
17th January marks the 5th and 6th birthday's respectively of the two wonderful people pictured above. I have to pinch myself every now and again to think of both of these being in full time school. In fact had I still been teaching the same age group that I was when I left the profession in December 2007, Abi would have been coming into my 'age group' in the next academic year.
As you will no doubt surmise as with every parent or grandparent I am completely smitten and can be talked into almost anything by the two above. They are of course a shining example of their mum's skills as a mother, I know that Deb and myself are as proud as we can be of all three of them..... Happy Birthday ( Pen blwydd hapus i ti ) kids.
Monday, January 16, 2012
16-01-2012
......today marks the first anniversary of my arrival in The Netherlands. Oddly it sometimes feels an age ago, while on others seems like only yesterday. As many expats will confirm the early months of a relocation thoughts like these assail the mind as one assimilates into the daily/weekly life.
I must praise all of those that I came into contact with on my arrival and since, as they have made the settling in process feel extremely normal and natural...... and this is coming from someone who had previously lived happily in the same house for 15 years! Coming to terms with living in a city was also a big change, I hadn't been a city dweller since living in London in the 1980's.
At this stage, apart from my stumblingly poor grasp of the language I feel entirely integrated into a new working life as a citizen of The Hague. The city has a motto ' enter the city as a stranger, leave as a friend' this is very true' as many can confirm.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Eva Zeisel 1906 - 2011
Eva Zeisel obituary http://gu.com/p/34y9j
The death on 30 December 2011, was announced in The Guardian today at the age of 105. My blog post of Zeisel's TED presentation was posted on 26th April 2009 (http://ddraig-goch.blogspot.com/2009/04/amazing-eva-zeisel-ted-talks.html). It was fascinating to hear from such an eminent lady talking in a very direct and down to earth way.
What a life, thank you Eva.
15-01-2012
The fact that my grandchildren are having their joint birthday party ahead of the birthdays on 17th January ( Abi 6 and Jaycob 5) has lead me to reminiscing about this weekend 12 months ago. Sunday 16th January 2011 was my last full day in the UK ahead of my work relocation to The Netherlands.
I admit to not having much sleep 12 months ago, partly through the excitement and anticipation of what lay ahead, and partly due to the ridiculously early start that I had the next day in order to catch the 6am flight from Cardiff Airport.
At the time it was hard to get my head around the fact that the day that had first been mooted by the IB Director General in March 2008 ( 3 months after my joining the organisation) during the first presentation given outlining the strategy behind the IB's relocation to 3 new Global hubs had actually arrived.
I must praise the organisation for allowing those considering the move ample opportunity to visit and search out accommodation ahead of the move, and for providing a good standard of support throughout the process.
Thus it was that at around 10 am on Monday 17th January I took up residence at Berberisstraat 78, 2565XC, Den Haag ( orange curtains first floor) with my suitcase containing all that I had until my belongings arrived from the UK 3 days later.
I had of course left behind those that I love most dearly, which is what made the decision to relocate all the harder from the outset.
One year on however it has worked, a few well timed visits home, along with visits here by many members of the family and of course the use of Skype on a semi regular basis has meant that life goes much as it did before. I have certainly found that the move has given me renewed energy and has proven once again that the maxim of - 'you don't know what you are capable of until you try it' certainly holds true. Going with this saying also saw me move from teaching into my current role after 19 years in the classroom ( who could have seen that coming?)!
I am also aware that with me not being around it has put additional pressure on the general organisation at home, and that I have missed things that I would rather not have ( the birthday party today being one!), on balance taking up the challenge has been good from both a personal and professional standpoint...... I am glad that I chose this option, life is there to be lived and as they rightly say ( whoever 'they are') 'this is not a rehearsal it is the real thing'
Happy Birthday Abi and Jaycob
I admit to not having much sleep 12 months ago, partly through the excitement and anticipation of what lay ahead, and partly due to the ridiculously early start that I had the next day in order to catch the 6am flight from Cardiff Airport.
At the time it was hard to get my head around the fact that the day that had first been mooted by the IB Director General in March 2008 ( 3 months after my joining the organisation) during the first presentation given outlining the strategy behind the IB's relocation to 3 new Global hubs had actually arrived.
I must praise the organisation for allowing those considering the move ample opportunity to visit and search out accommodation ahead of the move, and for providing a good standard of support throughout the process.
One year on however it has worked, a few well timed visits home, along with visits here by many members of the family and of course the use of Skype on a semi regular basis has meant that life goes much as it did before. I have certainly found that the move has given me renewed energy and has proven once again that the maxim of - 'you don't know what you are capable of until you try it' certainly holds true. Going with this saying also saw me move from teaching into my current role after 19 years in the classroom ( who could have seen that coming?)!
I am also aware that with me not being around it has put additional pressure on the general organisation at home, and that I have missed things that I would rather not have ( the birthday party today being one!), on balance taking up the challenge has been good from both a personal and professional standpoint...... I am glad that I chose this option, life is there to be lived and as they rightly say ( whoever 'they are') 'this is not a rehearsal it is the real thing'
Happy Birthday Abi and Jaycob
Saturday, January 14, 2012
14-01-2011
This year I have seen two excellent films where the stars of the show were upstaged by a small dog.
Today it was The Artist - Director Michel Hazanvicius' homage to the end of the silent movie era. The film is lovingly shot in and around the same landmarks and buildings that were used originally.....Uggie the dog steals the show in all of the scenes in which he appears.
* On a side note last year Laura and myself watched a Josephine Baker silent movie with a live piano accompaniment at the same film theatre, my thought to give Laura the opportunity to see a black and white silent film very much as it would have been performed at the time. I felt it unlikely that black and white silent movies would ever be seen again.... how wrong I was.
The film plays the stereotypes of the age so well, and the very, very occasional use of sound is masterly.Plot Spoiler alert - the most telling being the leading man's heavy accent when he utters his only spoken lines at the very end of the piece, which would possibly have prevented his move to 'the talkies'.
A few weeks ago it was Beginners where Arthur stole the very considerable limelight from his stellar co stars ( Christopher Plummer was quite masterful as the 'out' Dad)
Good to see man's best friend showing that he to can act...... even though the rewards are I believe a little easier to build into a movie budget than are those of the rest of the cast!
Both films make it into my top 10 films that I have seen while here in The Hague, I look forward to seeing how well they do in the upcoming big Hollywood Awards
Today it was The Artist - Director Michel Hazanvicius' homage to the end of the silent movie era. The film is lovingly shot in and around the same landmarks and buildings that were used originally.....Uggie the dog steals the show in all of the scenes in which he appears.
* On a side note last year Laura and myself watched a Josephine Baker silent movie with a live piano accompaniment at the same film theatre, my thought to give Laura the opportunity to see a black and white silent film very much as it would have been performed at the time. I felt it unlikely that black and white silent movies would ever be seen again.... how wrong I was.
The film plays the stereotypes of the age so well, and the very, very occasional use of sound is masterly.Plot Spoiler alert - the most telling being the leading man's heavy accent when he utters his only spoken lines at the very end of the piece, which would possibly have prevented his move to 'the talkies'.
A few weeks ago it was Beginners where Arthur stole the very considerable limelight from his stellar co stars ( Christopher Plummer was quite masterful as the 'out' Dad)
Good to see man's best friend showing that he to can act...... even though the rewards are I believe a little easier to build into a movie budget than are those of the rest of the cast!
Both films make it into my top 10 films that I have seen while here in The Hague, I look forward to seeing how well they do in the upcoming big Hollywood Awards
Friday, January 13, 2012
13-01-2012
Aarghh! Friday 13th today. Actually it has largely passed me by as I have been at home today, admittedly feeling well enough to actually work from my dining room table. We have now a VPN enabled network connection which allows us to work remotely with access to all of our data, I was easily able to work as one of the team today, and finally get that I was beginning to pull my weight after a very lacklustre week of inactivity. It felt great to be useful again.
One advantage of being at home this week is that it has enabled me to get to the end of a book that I have had for many years, one of those weighty tomes that you get stuck in the middle of...... Mao the untold story takes the reader through his life chronolgically, much of the revolutionary battles and power struggles while fascinating can leave one reeling. I was trapped just before the Great Leap which was begun in 1958. I have now been through the Cultural Revolution and further purges and as I reach President Nixon's visit in 1972 with the 'old man' moving toward his end. The book does not 'pull its punches' in giving a unique insight into what was happening at the heart of this tyrannical reign.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
12-01-2012
I must say that I would not recommend a viral throat infection to anyone following this week where I have been confined to my apartment almost all week trying to avoid speaking wherever possible ( even to myself!).
My big regret today was that I had been asked to say a few words on my boss's retirement this afternoon, this was a great honour which I was very much looking forward to, as with many plans this week it did not happen.
I am glad that I made the effort to go out for our departmental meal last evening where we were able to surprise Ruth with her retirement gift from her immediate colleagues. I am also frustrated by not getting out to the cinema this week, as there are some great films around on my 'must see' list :
The Artist
Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy
Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol
The Iron Lady - great quote from Kermode and Mayo..... not as exciting as The Iron Man :-)
J Edgar
The Artist is first on my list once I am mobile again.... with no specific order for the rest.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
11-01-2012
I did manage to get in to work this morning after 2 days enforced rest at home. I stayed until 2.40 and then journeyed to my doctor for an opinion... which of course is the usually vague 'viral infection', much as expected. The cure - nothing apart from Paracetamol/ liquids and some gargling.... the main issue is that my taste buds are on strike presently and as we are visiting a local ( very good) restaurant this evening as part of the farewell celebrations for my boss.. this is extremely frustrating... alcohol is also off the menu!
Hopefully all will return soon!
Hopefully all will return soon!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
10-01-2012
Today's image is another one from the poster collection at Spui Tramhalte (see below) a thought provoking African proverb!
Monday, January 09, 2012
09-01-2012
Sunday, January 08, 2012
08-01-2012
Sunday's in The Nederlands remind me of what Sunday's used to be like in the UK, very quiet with few people around and the sound of church bells permeating the crisp morning air. Today followed this pattern, with nothing much to do apart from my Dutch language homework ahead of my lesson on Wednesday I decided to make the most of the good weather and head out.
Having checked the local arthouse cinema (Filmhuis) before leaving for the tram, I noted that as part of the Movies that Matter season that at 2pm this afternoon a film called No more Fear which documents what happened in Tunisia following Mohammed Bouazizi setting fire to himself back in December 2010... the start of what was called the 'Arab Spring' in the west.
The film looks at a select group of people including the blogger A Tunisian Girl who were persecuted by the regime in place at the time, seeing it overthrown in January 2011 as the then leader and his family fled to Saudi Arabia. It was with sadness that reading some of the more recent postings (05-01-2012) from 'A Tunisian Girl' that the removal of the former reviled dictator has not resulted in the restoration of the feedoms that were instigated by the leader who was deposed in a coup by Ben Ali.... it would appear that Tunisia is still in turmoil.
Today's image is a shot of a poster on the wall of the tram halt closest to the cinema.... rather apt.I think?
Having checked the local arthouse cinema (Filmhuis) before leaving for the tram, I noted that as part of the Movies that Matter season that at 2pm this afternoon a film called No more Fear which documents what happened in Tunisia following Mohammed Bouazizi setting fire to himself back in December 2010... the start of what was called the 'Arab Spring' in the west.
Today's image is a shot of a poster on the wall of the tram halt closest to the cinema.... rather apt.I think?
Saturday, January 07, 2012
1959 self portrait
Steve rarely gets his picture in any shots, so here just for those who know him is Mr O'Regan pictured in front of his favourite museum the Boijmans van Beuningen a stone's throw from the Kunsthal.
06-01-2011
Work day today... the weather however improved today, winds died down and the often intense rain and sleet decreased. I was encouraged enough to cycle home, having left my bicycle in the safety of the underground garage over the Christmas break.
Over the past few days I have been clearing files form my work Blackberry including image files and have decided to include some of these images dating back to 2008 in posts this year. To kick this off I will begin with my current screen saver image -
As you will see this image is of myself imitating MC Escher in the Escher Museum ( Escher in het Paleis) the original image is below -
Over the past few days I have been clearing files form my work Blackberry including image files and have decided to include some of these images dating back to 2008 in posts this year. To kick this off I will begin with my current screen saver image -
Thursday, January 05, 2012
05-01-2012
I was quite prepared today to blog on the incredibly high winds today which were forecast by the national weather service as a 'Yellow Warning'. I was very nearly blown over both on my way into work this morning and also when leaving at the close of the day as the winds gusted.. including stinging hailstones!
However on my way home outside my local Albert Heijn Supermarket the results of the local New Year celebrations were to be seen alongside the overflowing Bottle Bank ......... apologies for the lack of focus this is a Blackberry image.
However on my way home outside my local Albert Heijn Supermarket the results of the local New Year celebrations were to be seen alongside the overflowing Bottle Bank ......... apologies for the lack of focus this is a Blackberry image.
All over Holland on Saturday evening this was occuring.....as the nation indulged its pyrotechnic side!
....Happy New Year.....now get into the shelters!
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
04-01-2012
.....back to work today, always a shock to the system as one explores the torrent of emails that have come in during time away. Below is a picture of our new premises ( taken on a sunny day in August... not in windy, wet January!
We occupy the 3rd and 4th floor of Churchillplein 6, neatly sandwiched between two extremely secure buildings - Europol ( European Police Headquarters) on one side and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia ( ICTY) on the other. It is quite strange to know that within a few minutes walk Radovan Karadzic and Ratco Mladic are currently going through their trials for genocide.
Before I left for Wales two colleagues and myself traveled to the city of Maastricht for their Christmas Fair which you can see below
Before I left for Wales two colleagues and myself traveled to the city of Maastricht for their Christmas Fair which you can see below
We had a very pleasant day in such an interesting city (link)
I had an unexpected Dutch lesson today when visiting a local pen shop, the owner was very particular and picked up on my apology for my poor Dutch, he quite rightly told me that I should just dive in and use the language if I know roughly what to say, he was right of course it is the only way to learn, people around the city are very good at picking up on English if given the opportunity. Mr Akkerman, then insisted that I ask carry on the conversation as much as possible in Dutch..... this was an excellent lesson to learn and I thank him for it.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
02-01-2012
Very much a day for tying up loose ends and packing prior to my return to The Netherlands tomorrow. It is very odd to think that on January 17th I will be celebrating not only my grandchildren's birthdays ( Jaycob 5 and Abi 6), but also the first anniversary of my arrival in The Hague!
It will be with mixed feelings that I leave Wales tomorrow after 2 weeks here.
03-01-2012
The day of departure has finally arrived, packing completed posting this at 9.50am awaiting a taxi to the local railway station at 10.10 the journey begins I am due to arrive at around 4.30 this afternoon.....post to be continued...
I arrived back in The Hague at 5.30 not too bad on a very blustery day for those travelling in Northern Europe http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16390088
01-01-2012
Last year with so much new happening should have been a blog 365 year, however having come following the previous year where I posted every day, I was exhausted and needed a break. This year is different fully refreshed from the New Year's Eve Ceilidh at a local village hall where we danced until well after midnight.....I declare this a blogging year. :-)
Happy New Year to all.
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Web of Stories
The 'Web of Stories' site is forms an amazing resource containing the thoughts and life stories of a magnificent generation of individuals from 20th Century. Below listen to Alice Hertz-Sommer (b. 1903) as she describes living in the Theresienstadt concentration camp.
Biography:
Czech concert pianist Alice Herz-Sommer (b. 1903) has experienced a wealth of suffering. Incarcerated in Theresienstadt concentration camp during the Second World War, she survived the Holocaust with her young son, although her husband died at Dachau in 1944. Despite these experiences, along with her battles with cancer and the tragic loss of her son to illness in 2001, Herz-Sommer remains passionate about music and life. At 104, she published a bestselling book 'A Garden of Eden in Hell' recalling the events of the concentration camps. In 2010, a television programme about her life story was aired on BBC4.
Take a look at the array of lives here [link]
Biography:
Czech concert pianist Alice Herz-Sommer (b. 1903) has experienced a wealth of suffering. Incarcerated in Theresienstadt concentration camp during the Second World War, she survived the Holocaust with her young son, although her husband died at Dachau in 1944. Despite these experiences, along with her battles with cancer and the tragic loss of her son to illness in 2001, Herz-Sommer remains passionate about music and life. At 104, she published a bestselling book 'A Garden of Eden in Hell' recalling the events of the concentration camps. In 2010, a television programme about her life story was aired on BBC4.
Take a look at the array of lives here [link]
Online learning - Should Education be learning the lessons from Business ?
I have a niggling doubt in my mind that I actually followed completely the wrong strand at the Online Educa Conference, which comes as quite a shock to me now!
Over the past 4 years at conferences on online education I have yet to discern that education has made the big leap forward into online learning....please hear me out before you jump to disagree. There have been great projects and groups of educators promoting the use of technology as a driver both for students and teachers. However at conferences it still appears that these moves are project based, and as such often finite even though they often make a valuable change in practice.
Presenter after presenter from higher education institutions were focusing on their work, often seemingly reinventing 'the wheel' as far as pedagogically sound online learning. I chatted with the developer of a 2 year EU project which aims to improve the online skills of teachers, the project was offered with a maximum number of 600 teachers - 1700 applied (showing the perceived need) the project required its facilitators to become online practitioners through a five month training programme, which was then delivered to teachers over the same time scale. The result of the project was the production of 'open source' courses by many of the teachers concerned, I suspect that these teachers will be looking for their 'next step' .... however the project has now finished! My question was where does this go next? The answer will be a new project proposal......does this embed online learning in practice and make a significant change to the way teachers teach? I would suspect yes for those involved but further....no!
I believe that I should actually have visited the Business Strand of the conference as my perception is that business 'gets it' as far as online learning is concerned. This is often because they have large often geographically diverse groups of workers who they have to train in a standardised easily scalable way in order to ensure the upskilling of their workforce.......does this sound familiar? Large companies have made extensive use of online training over the past 5 years. It makes good sense from a QC ( quality control) and financial sense to them which as it affects the bottom line is a great driver of this method of training be it in an LMS or Virtual World.
Education has always been somewhat sceptical of business practices, however shouldn't we admit that the case for online learning is proven. Do we not now to adopt a paradigm for online training along the lines of a set of internationally agreed 'standards' for online learning developments and delivery?
I look forward to the time when we can move the discussion on to the next level.
Thank you for hearing my thoughts. I look forward to reflections.
Tablets do rule!
Having just returned from Europe's largest conference on 'technology supported learning and training' Online Educa in Berlin I have to report that 'Tablets in whatever guise they come do appear to be becoming the device that is taking over. Of the 2000 delegates and presenters there were an increasing number who have given up the use of even the slimmest laptop/net book for the easy to use tablet/smartphone solution.
I deliberately place tablets ans smartphones together because as I have found the Android device that I use is the same in all practical aspects as my HTC Hero smartphone. The main difference for me is the larger screen/keyboard on the tablet screen, enabling me to make notes without the requirement of switching to reading glasses!
It was interesting that a colleague of mine, who as we all have been is attached almost umbilically to a laptop, was heard to say in the taxi to the airport that a Tablet would be her next purchase as the advantages did appear to outweigh the disadvantages. I am sure that this was not the only such comment being made over the time of the conference.
For me it was the first full test of the device in a full conference setting, where did it win:
* Battery life - having the tablet with me from a 9.30am Plenary through to a 5.30 pm debate session, taking notes and pictures throughout the day there was still 20% battery. No longer the requirement to search for power outlets.
* Ease of use - the tablet is a much more user friendly device in a conference, small, lightweight, cool on the lap and easy to switch between apps. I was able to take notes which were uploaded to a Dropbox along with images of the often endless Powerpoint presentations. The device allowed all of the usual 'backchannels' of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email ... in addition to certain points when decent into Angry Birds was called for in order to disippate frustration ( Peter Nowak!).
Where did it not work so well:
* Keyboard - the on screen keyboard though large enough can be a little tedious for long text.
* Android and W/P - Androids do not come with a basic W/P package and rely on the download of a few compatible apps, which is an irritation ( unless anyone knows better).
For me apart from a frustration which occurs at most 'Tech Conferences' , the issues with wifi in general not being able to cope with 2000+ users all of whom want good connection speeds....... the tablet is certainly a step change on from my previous Asus netbook, which as many of you will know I was very attached to.
I would be interested to hear if this is the feedback that others are getting from colleagues.
I deliberately place tablets ans smartphones together because as I have found the Android device that I use is the same in all practical aspects as my HTC Hero smartphone. The main difference for me is the larger screen/keyboard on the tablet screen, enabling me to make notes without the requirement of switching to reading glasses!
It was interesting that a colleague of mine, who as we all have been is attached almost umbilically to a laptop, was heard to say in the taxi to the airport that a Tablet would be her next purchase as the advantages did appear to outweigh the disadvantages. I am sure that this was not the only such comment being made over the time of the conference.
For me it was the first full test of the device in a full conference setting, where did it win:
* Battery life - having the tablet with me from a 9.30am Plenary through to a 5.30 pm debate session, taking notes and pictures throughout the day there was still 20% battery. No longer the requirement to search for power outlets.
* Ease of use - the tablet is a much more user friendly device in a conference, small, lightweight, cool on the lap and easy to switch between apps. I was able to take notes which were uploaded to a Dropbox along with images of the often endless Powerpoint presentations. The device allowed all of the usual 'backchannels' of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Email ... in addition to certain points when decent into Angry Birds was called for in order to disippate frustration ( Peter Nowak!).
Where did it not work so well:
* Keyboard - the on screen keyboard though large enough can be a little tedious for long text.
* Android and W/P - Androids do not come with a basic W/P package and rely on the download of a few compatible apps, which is an irritation ( unless anyone knows better).
For me apart from a frustration which occurs at most 'Tech Conferences' , the issues with wifi in general not being able to cope with 2000+ users all of whom want good connection speeds....... the tablet is certainly a step change on from my previous Asus netbook, which as many of you will know I was very attached to.
I would be interested to hear if this is the feedback that others are getting from colleagues.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Ddraig Goch blogs again......tablets may indeed rule!
.......Dear reader, I never believed that I would return to Ddraig Goch, however having tried out a variety of othef blogging platforms over the past months, it still amazes me how easy and of course for me, how simple it is to use reliable Blogger.
There is also the fact that with the new Acer Iconia tablet running Android Honeycomb all of my settings are piped across. This was also true for all of my (Android) HTC phone contacts and I also found to my joy that the same holds true for my Picassa albums!
I am aware that some time ago now I mused over the question, were tablets such as the iPad, `deal breakers`?
I would conclude presently that they certainly go a long way towards being the one device that you will need. I have even today concluded a deal with a colleague to part with my other beloved device ..... the Kindle2, the app on the tablet will enable me to manage books essily in one place.
I am glad to be back home :-)
There is also the fact that with the new Acer Iconia tablet running Android Honeycomb all of my settings are piped across. This was also true for all of my (Android) HTC phone contacts and I also found to my joy that the same holds true for my Picassa albums!
I am aware that some time ago now I mused over the question, were tablets such as the iPad, `deal breakers`?
I would conclude presently that they certainly go a long way towards being the one device that you will need. I have even today concluded a deal with a colleague to part with my other beloved device ..... the Kindle2, the app on the tablet will enable me to manage books essily in one place.
I am glad to be back home :-)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
2010
It has been a tough year for 'free to use' web 2.0 technologies in 2010. We should have seen this coming I guess as the current global economic situation finally hit the tech sector, as they realise that the have to turn a buck!!!!
We had an early warning of what was to happen when the popular site Ning changed to a pay for use service..... it is still retaining its image it would appear.
We had an early warning of what was to happen when the popular site Ning changed to a pay for use service..... it is still retaining its image it would appear.
The latest victim following its acquisition by the troubled giant Yahoo is one of my favourites, which having been around since 2003 has been a web 2.0 stalwart - Delicious
It is not all doom and gloom however as other new sites and applications such a Prezi for presentations and many others ( link to Edudemic: Best 35 tools on the Web).
I must say a big thank you to Blogger itself for continuing to support the global blogging community year on year.
We look forward to the new innovations to come in 2011...... bring it on.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Diigo Tags 08/11/2010
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
UK's old Tweeter dies at 104 y.o.
This story appeared on the BBC Technology News pages yesterday, what a great lady she sounds, sadly I was not one of Ivy's 62,427 followers however I do wish that I had been.
Silver surfers rule! Digital Natives......pah!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Diigo Tags 07/23/2010
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Education Week's Digital Directions: Educators Test the Limits of Twitter Microblogging Tool
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Twitter for Professional Development
I've been collecting links for educators who want to start twittering http://twittering.wikispaces.com to engage others in this mosaic of galactic conversations. From my networks tweets, I learn every day, I share and talk to others. I listen to the wonderful things educators have to say.
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Using Twitter as an Education Tool - Search Engine Watch (SEW)
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Mr mayo's blog
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Diigo Tags 07/14/2010
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- This is cool! - post by si 16
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2009 Horizon Report » Key Trends
- We know students like gaming, but I believe it is because the game involves something that interests them. What games are most interesting to them and how can we (or can we) incorporate these in the school setting? - post by Donna Strickland
Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
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