CPD23 - Thing 5

Reflective practice - hmm.   Whatever we write or attempt to say these days we are asked to reflect upon it i.e. "reflective practice". From discussions with colleagues and family some people find it simple and others find it difficult. I have attempted a reflective essay previously for a previous course and that seemed to go OK - I passed. I can't say I found it easy. I knew what I wanted to say but I found it hard to put it into words. It is the same for the CPD23 training. I am slightly 'blogophobic' but I am aware it is the way of the world these days. We are being encouraged to go at our own pace and this I find encouraging. I am also aware that reflective practice is part of my professional and personal development. Hopefully, by reflecting on what I have recently done, next time in the not too distant future I will be more confident and it will not take me hours of work. Also though, practice makes perfect and if you don't continue to use the new or updated skills 'you lose it' (at least with me it is the case!)

Staff Development Training - Drug and Alcohol Awareness

I've just attended a two hour session in our College Staff Development Week called (Drug and Alcohol Awareness). It was most informative. The member of staff taking the session teaches on the Counselling courses and certainly knew his stuff!! His compassion and understanding of those who unfortunately come into the categories of being alchohol or drug dependent was evident. Samples of various drugs (synthetic samples not the real things) were available  for us to look at. I didn't know there were so may drugs, or what the slang names of some of them were until I went to the session. You learn something new every day!

CPD23 Thing 4

Thing 4 is Twitter and Pushnote, both of which are blocked (firewalled) by the College network. The college has blocked them partly due to the distraction it would be to students whilst supposedly doing work. Social Networking sites are banned by the college as part of the College E-Safety Policy.

I have considered Twitter and the implications and have decided that I do not wish to become part of the Twitter'arti. Part of the reason I do not wish to become a Twitter member is because I am more of a face-to-face person and I much prefer to speak to people on the telephone or see them in person. My daughters would be appalled that I would be part of the same social networking circle are they are! (As an afterthought maybe I should, but do I really want to see what they are up to all the time - NO!!)

CPD23 Thing 3

My brand - I chose the standard default background because I like things plain, simple and not too fussy, so hopefully, it will not put people off. I called my blog "Goodies blog" because as a family we are known as The Goodies (our surname is Goodridge) and I wanted to give it a little bit of a personal touch.

I will start to give my blogs appropriate titles to make it easier for my CPD activity to be followed.

From zipfiles to condensing images..

Some days, nothing goes right. What I learnt on Wednesday just doesn't seem to work today. I thought practice makes perfect... well  for me it doesn't! Still, you have to persevere when you get to a brick wall and the easiest way sometimes is to ask. To the rescue come our lovely E-Services technician who attempts to explain scanning pictures and JPEG (not another acronym). So it's back to basics, (remember pen and paper?) taking notes when someone is attempting to explain something technical so that hopefully, next week I might remember the easiest way of importing pictures into my Powerpoint presentation whilst not making it too many MGs.