mikes web log

Here we are – Christmas and at last a planned 5 week task has just been finished….in 12 weeks. The updating of the 90 computers linked to Prince Albert has been completed. Quite a costly exercise, however I have met all the parents, grandparents, babies, cousins etc that are linked to the Computers in the Home project. Now for the next 100 in the other two primary schools. But it is Christmas so let us not go any further down that route.

Yesterday I was invited to a meeting with some very important people. Birmingham with Shropshire is competing to become the UK’s digital city. There are ten finalist and the decision will be made sometime in February 2007. Seven VIP’s from the judging panel visited Aston yesterday afternoon to examine the Computers in the Home and other projects. The programme was informal chatting linked to a buffet, a short formal input and then more formal questioning. The VIP’s had arrived in a special coach.

The session begins. Onwards to the informal chat. Everyone mingles. Our job is to engage in discussion with panel members. They don’t have name tags. I pick out out one interesting member of the group and begin the process of engaging him. I quickly move onto the trial phase and the number of users (ten per computer). I lead him through the potential employment opportunities of the programme and then into the fun bit of the Barnaby Bear episode (www.barnaby.edublogs.org). Just getting into my stride when Nikki, one of the organisers on our side, comes along side and whispers in my ear………….”He is the coach driver”.