The Apps Test - Teaching students by getting them to teach each other

I have just discovered that the year 6 and 7s at the school my kids are at is getting the students to play apps like kahoot for the term so they get really good at it and then they have to teach the class how to play/use it. Shared learning, presentation skills, so awesome...

Loving the See-Saw app too for sharing class moments...

Discovering Me

I have just arrived home safe and sound after two solid days (and an overnight) of leadership training. This is just the beginning of an intense six month journey which will be all about me (and the other participants) and how we can grow and develop as people and leaders.

Today was about profiling us and our leadership style and I must say my results seem to explain me perfectly. As a useful tool I plan to share these results with my direct managers and with my team. The next six months are going to be hard, more work than normal with assignments already due soon and more days offsite this month, next month and all the way through to December.

It is all going to be worth it... My extreme introvertedness now has a different name and all sorts of special skills associated with it... So energised and inspired about the next six months and the time beyond...

Father son bonding over classic Zelda

My wonderful son, Master 11 has downloaded the original Legend of Zelda and... He... Loves... It!!! It is just so much fun playing this classic Nintendo title and seeing my son just keep getting better and better at it.

I should not be too surprised though. Master 11 has always been I to the old school games like Frogger, Donkey Kong and Pac Man... Like the C64 games these Nintendo titles have dodgy graphics but the absolute best in game play.

So good!

Trying to put family first

I have always thought of myself as someone who puts family and friends first every time. These are the people close to your heart whom you would do anything and everything for. My personal expectations of what I aim to do for these people who mean the entire world to me are sometimes so high that I feel like I am letting them down all the time. Working for a local council library is a wonderful job where I get to work with a terrific team. Sometimes though (like now) we have organised lots of community events, some still needing the final touches and some still needing lots of community members to book in and come along. The closer the dates of these events become the harder I am finding to destress and switch off from work at home. Sadly it is then my wonderful friends and family who suffer.

I am trying to put my family first and stay true to who I am and who I want to be. Is there a secret way that I don't know yet where work and life can be balanced with ease? If so would someone please share it with us all? I am sure I'm not alone but I would love to find the solution soon...

I love my family and I recharge when I spend time with them and our amazing friends. Just not liking my cranky self right now... Trying to get my priorities right...

The lucky husband

How lucky am I?

I was outside this afternoon hanging sheets with my darling girl. The kids were on the trampoline and Miss 9 looks over. "Are you two doing washing together? How romantic!!" and she seemed serious. Is that romance now? I don't think so and I hope that my two daughters don't settle for a romantic date night or weekend of pampering consist of doing the washing together or sitting side by side glued to our phones or the TV screen.

I admit I have been very slack in the realm of romance... Plenty of amazing ideas flow through my mind but (like many people I am sure) I don't follow through... A weekend escape where I get to shower my gorgeous wife with all my complete attention and we get some quality alone time seems to be but once a year and is always a surprise for me (my angel has everything arranged). I don't know how she does it but it is not fair.

This has come from our discussion around the washing line that with Mother's Day just around the corner this seems to be the only day my wife gets told to relax. This is your day... Do what you wish (as long as it involves us)... Master 11 suggested that the birthday of each of our children should be marked as a Mother's Day as well as this day we became parents (once, twice and finally thrice) but what he does not understand is a child's birthday is a day of behind the scenes stress and chaos as the rush occurs trying to make everything happen smoothly, look effortless and perfect... No a birthday is not a relaxing day, especially not for a mother... Master 11 is right though... There should be a way to honour the amazing things mothers do for their children and partners do for each other and not just on one day...

Virtually anything is possible

Xcite Gaming has an amazing VR setup where you can experience a Formula 1 or V8 race car, don the headset and take the wheel and you can almost experience the real deal. I believe that Virtual Reality and the technology behind it has already gotten to a point where you could walk into a sensory room, don a body suit and experience a Hendrix and the Experience concert followed by Led Zeppelin, see ABBA perform, be amazed by Michael Jackson's moves on stage and explore a mountainside on a far off planet and all in one exciting afternoon.

Thanks to VR now anything is 'virtually' possible.

I cannot wait to see what comes next...

What a way to celebrate

We have one very excited young man in our household tonight. Tomorrow ten becomes eleven. We had an absolute ball yesterday when we ventured down to Xcite Gaming in Mount Barker for an afternoon of arcade gaming craziness. I rediscovered my old friend Mortal Combat and for the first time ever gave one of those big game hunting games a go. Pumping that plastic hunting rifle I now have "gamer's thumb", a small blister forming from where my thumb rubbed against the plastic gun.

It is great to see a company like Xcite seeming to do well after a big flood went through the shop. The games were great, the food delicious and the staff were so friendly and helpful.

Master Ten, soon to be Eleven had two goes on the Virtual Reality while Darren and I gave Sega Rally a darn good thrashing. I held my own after one disastrous lap, but this time Darren proved to be number one driver.

After this we had the 'pleasure' of a whole bunch of ten and eleven year old boys 'sleeping' over at our house. Very tired now... Looking forward to an early night...