Exam Results

[Bunnylump]

That is DREADFUL. To be honest, if that had been me I would have made a point of either
a) staying just to spite him
b) confronting him, telling all the other staff what he was like and THEN handing my notice in.

But then I am a petulant brat who doesn't often think of the consequences of her actions until it's too late!!

[pebbles]

Well done again Bunny!

[Biscuit]

Yes congratulations Bunny. It must be nice to get such a feedback for your efforts. I wish my son would be a trier. He has coding problems whatever they are - it came out when he did an assessment at primary school. They put him in a remedial class to help because he had concentration problems but then said that it wasn't helping him as he could do the work. Incidently when he was checked although he was failing at school he had the reading age of a 15.5 year old and the lady who did the assessment said that if there were 100 children in the room he should be performing in the top two or three. On parents night they complained that he used to build elaborate structures out of his pencils, rulers and rubbers when he was suppose to be listening to the story. I made sure I sat nice and still and didn't fidget like I normally do when she was telling me this. The same teacher had complained a few years earlier that my daughter was distracting her classmates during storytime by rolling her long socks up and down her legs. (again I can remember doing this at school) what a sad thing genes are). The sock problem was easy to solve - I just bought her short socks.

Not to go on but another teacher complained that my oldest daughter was "testing her" by clearing up at the wrong times. I did think at this point if that was all she had to complain about she was probably doing all right.

I wish he had had a teacher like you Bunny to help him to achieve. How did you go about motivating them or were they already very interested in improving.

Biscuit

[Bunnylump]

Well, to be honest, they are both wonderful lads, so I was working with good material. The MOST important thing is to build their self esteem and confidence. Make them think THEY CAN DO IT, so it's worth all that extra effort. And then be prepared to mop up when things aren't working, but keep getting them to perservere by positive reinforcement. I know that makes it sound easy (it isn't) but really, that is the key. It also helps to find something they are really good at, and focus on how and why they are good at that thing. Then try to work out if there are any transferrable skills from what they are good at or like. Oh, and one other thing, NEVER focus on or draw attention to the things they have done wrong negatively. It's REALLY important to get them to work out for themselves how and why they need to improve (maybe with the odd gentle nudge). Otherwise you are just NAGGING.

[MBH]

Incredible. You've just described the steps to my success in teaching the over-50s how to use computers Clever girl [and congratulations for your student's achievments]

[Biscuit]

thanks bunnylump I will try that. The thing he really enjoys is computers. I think he sees a future where he can leave school and game all day. Earlier in the year he wanted to leave school and do an engineering apprenticeship but it is hard to know whether he says things because he thinks it will keep us happy and off his back or whether he truly likes them. He does live in the moment and at the moment it is eat, sleep, gaming.

Anyone got any ideas for a career in computing.

Biscuit

[clvrlad]

Well, to be honest, they are both wonderful lads, so I was working with good material. The MOST important thing is to build their self esteem and confidence. Make them think THEY CAN DO IT, so it's worth all that extra effort. And then be prepared to mop up when things aren't working, but keep getting them to perservere by positive reinforcement. I know that makes it sound easy (it isn't) but really, that is the key. It also helps to find something they are really good at, and focus on how and why they are good at that thing. Then try to work out if there are any transferrable skills from what they are good at or like. Oh, and one other thing, NEVER focus on or draw attention to the things they have done wrong negatively. It's REALLY important to get them to work out for themselves how and why they need to improve (maybe with the odd gentle nudge). Otherwise you are just NAGGING.

so where were you when i was at school?

[Looby]

Anyone got any ideas for a career in computing.

Biscuit

If they have please will they tell my son. He's 25...

[Bunnylump]

My nephew was telling me that it is possible to do a degree in construction of computer games. I don't know if that is true...

[MBH]

My old programming skills seem to have been left behind, but there does seem to be a big Games Design industry in the country. I've got no idea what sort of pay structure they have, and I'd imagine that Art, Storytelling, and a dozen other skills are needed as well as a liking for games.

[don't pass on the next bit] - I suspect that in the 'industry' it is a LOT LESS FUN than 'playing games' Testing a business system properly is hard work, I can't imagine what testing a game is like.

[Bunnylump]

I don't think the games are fun. Can't be doing with them!!

[Looby]

The only work Rob can get at present is testing computer games!
The problem is that he only gets paid the minimum wage and they say 'can you start tomorrow ' and then its 'tomorrow will be your last day'. Absolutely no forward planning!
It isn't even that much fun if you're testing the sort of game you would never consider buying and you're playing to find the glitches so it keeps stopping anyway.

[Scurra]

I don't think the games are fun. Can't be doing with them!!

I think all music is rubbish. Can't be doing with it.

You do realise how silly your argument is, don't you?

[Bunnylump]

Not an argument, a statement. I honestly just don't like them. It's something to do with trying to watch moving images close up. Can't do it. I realise other people like them (and some spend unfathomable amounts of time playing them) but they are not for me. It's almost as much torture as word search puzzles.

[Scurra]

Yes, but not all games have moving images and not all of them have to be watched close up by any means.
Those are the sorts of arguments deployed by people who say things like "well I haven't seen the film, but from what I have heard it is objectionable so it should be banned."
Really, Bunny, I expected better of you

[Bunnylump]

You are a cheeky minor. Remember to respect your elders.
Why am I not allowed to not like computer games? It doesn't bother me if YOU like them!!

[Scurra]

I didn't say you weren't entitled to. I implied that making a statement like "I don't think the games are fun" was somewhat sweeping. Your follow-up suggested that you were actually saying "I don't think that games with fast-moving images that you have to sit close to are fun" - which is an entirely different proposition. And you're entirely within your rights to say that they aren't fun (I don't find them much fun any more either, although I certainly used to.)

It does not follow that you don't like "games" as an entire genre*. In the same way that I was saying it's absurd to say that you don't like "music" as an entire genre because you heard a Boyzone song once and it was rubbish. Even though that may be a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw in that case

*well, OK, I am not suggesting that you are necessarily wrong and that there may indeed be no type of computer games that you would ever like. Although if that did turn out to be true, then I know some psychology students who would love to write a dissertation about you.

[Bunnylump]

Oh I am absolutely convinced that I'd make a fascinating project for many reasons. One of my daughter's friends was studying psychology and I had to fill out a questionnaire for her as part of her dissertation. The good news is she got a 2:1 so she obviously found a lot to write about!

And what I meant was, I didn't like the couple of video games I tried, not finding them fun, but probably mainly because the eye thing made it an unpleasant experience. Even if it wasn't fast moving images I wouldn't bother, it just doesn't appeal. But then I USED to think people who typed to people over the internet were weird and geeky. Now look at me.

...and anyone who is reading this and has glazed over, just ignore us. We bicker like this constantly, and neither one of us will ever admit to being wrong.

[gill216]

We bicker like this constantly, and neither one of us will ever admit to being wrong.

Tell me about it

[clvrlad]

has anyone tried to get you to play on a wii yet bunny?