Clean? Yeah right.

Let's up our game.

a more xmassy image

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod
Courtesy Saskias artwork.

http://merfsed-slt.blogspot.com/

Here's an example of a seven year old happily interphasing with e-technology. A digital native.

Holiday trial to post using Blogpress on iPad

Let's try to post a xmas photo in here.

Log Book Wilson 8Mt cont...

6-9-10:
Monday sees us with about half the group absent, Jiaming and Jimmy arrived very late 10:30 and 9:00 respectively. This has prompted me to have Edwin take over the responsibilities of the screen area with Jaiming as attendance. Jimmy fortunately was covered with Fish able to keep the flow working on the C/pit Sole area.
Fwd in the Hull Abby, Alistair,are working on the final fwd bunk top and Shawn id setting up the Sole in the head area.
Ray and Jeff are doing a fine job with the cabin edge core insert treatments. I have temporarily taken Jake off the cabin top core inserts for the hatches etc... as Mark needs some help with general mould tidy up. We need to seal the mould after getting fwd elliptical window positions right.
Havn't seen Spud, Scott, Adam. or Scott2 yet.
Spud and Han (having developed gentlemens hours) arrived at lunch time. mmmm, not impressed.
Liam, both Scott's and Adam are no shows and havn't contacted any one.

Our new concept of each student developing some new knowledge and 'drilling down' for deeper meaning is developing ok. The Trade Terms collaborative presentation doc I'm delivering to the team on Wednesday should support this initiative.
Most students remembered to studey atopic of interest and were able to discuss to some depth.
I think this searching / researching may be the sort of thing students can then post in their Boat Construction Blog to share with followers etc...

On Wednesday I'm also looking at presenting the students with a survey I'd like them to take online. (Set out in a Google Form doc) It is designed to give students a voice in the Living Curriculum debate and direction planning suitable for CAT Boatbuilding students/tutor interactions etc...

Camera needs reconfiguring and an online space in the cloud needs to be developed for easy access for all students. The Student 'H' drive always runs short of memory. (Very frustrating) Hence the lack of phot-video on this blog at present. (NOTE TO SELF:Must get sorted soon.)

Log Book: Wilson 8Mtr Cont...

4-9-10:
Progress has been hampered through a difficulty in the stability of the mould surface and a bump in the side deck.
Student attendance has also been fluctuating (for many reasons) which creats a difficulty in production flow.
It is necassary (at times) when a student fails to show, that another student needs to continue with a job that has been left to do. This job is often not understood by the student stepping in to complete it and we therefore risk more errors than would otherwise happen.
We are yet to see many examples of timelines and have therefore had a session on trying to have students "drill down" on the area of the project they are most involved in, to get deeper understanding. this closer examination is to create "focus" on one component area. This is turn will hopefully allow students to have input when we finally gather from all the individual processes we are working on. Each of these processes need to be included in a timeline work flow. MS project or Open project software may be used to gather a baseline (guess) as to the work yet to complete and the resources over time needed.
To this end I've directed students to read, watch videos, search images, read trade mags etc... to get perspectives from similar boat construction sources to develop their own knowledge. The self directed study involved will be challenged each day and shared and discussed amoungst all students. Questions raised may then be discussed and evaluated further in our theory session mornings.
So Monday and Tuesday mornings will start with a "WELCOME! What have you discovered around your area of expertise?"

Core inserts are progressing nicely, The hull fwd is coming along ok. The cockpit is also taking shape well.
The screen area of the mould needs some concentrated efforts to rectify some small errors. The fwd mould team have had a nightmare that we have addressed and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it's just that the tunnel is perhaps longer than we had hoped.
In general I'm seeing some great improvement in most of the students' capabilities, there are still some that need to 'turn the corner' and get really involved. Time is becoming a factor.
I've decided to post a new posting each week rather than keeping the whole Log going in one lineal post, so keep your eyes out for the change.

Merfsed

Location:Wow! The pressure of the year is finally leaving us and we can get ready for some summer fun

Log Book: Wilson 8Mtr

Wilson 8Mtr Deck / Cabin project record

From this point onwards I'll try to keep a running "log" on the progress of the project.

30-7-10:

Richard suggested starting a staff and interested parties GoogleDoc to communicate the planning of the 8Mtr Deck,Cabin Coamings project.

He suggested we find an experienced laminator we trust and know to be an independant expert to overview and hopefully be a sounding board for us.

This GoogleDoc I have started and invited some collaborators in.

The intention is to eventually invite students' in as viewers (able to comment) into the document, allowing them to see how their tutors collaborate and discuss project issues.

This should help promote best practice and prompt participation and critical analysis.

3-8-10:

Several students this week can into Unitec as they were unable to find work experience. I have had them tidy up some left over "Small Craft" jobs and start to build knowledge around the Wilson 8M deck project. They are discussing and noting processes resources and sequencing these resources in order to make an MS Project Gant Chart of the project.

All students' (that have given me their gmail address) invited as viewers to the Wilson 8M collaborative Google Doc.

Students (in attendance) asked to evaluate "Wallwisher", (example found in lower page of Moodle "Small Craft Build") as a means for them to have open discussions (like post it notes with pics,vids, etc...) and then group these discussions as useful resources for critical analysis of the learning experiences they are having during the project. Wallwisher is also great just to organise your groups and discuss problems etc...

Wallwisher available free online, just search with google for download.

Epoxy resin has now been decided upon as the most appropriate laminating resin for the job. Students were invited to review my MS Word document comparing Epoxy with Vinylester.

Path to word doc resin comparison (Not yet linked, can't access doc URL from home)

H:/APSK/MarineTech/CAT/Merf/Wilson 8M Composite deck

9-8-10
Need to get out to Adhesive technologies this week, to swap over the resin with Rex. we are comited to using the ADR resin system now with the ADH28 slow hardener.
The students teams worked well on their first day back after their "work experience" week many unable to secure a work experience opportunity due to the economic recession.
The advent of having a recorder of events (being one students' primary role each week) seems to be a sound one. Liam is the recorder of events this first week.
13-8-10
Liam was nominated the "recorder" for the week and took to the role well, The nominated "recorder" each week takes a record of:

• Jobs undertaken and by whom.
• Time taken.
• Materials used.
• Evidential (shared) Photos, Videos, and sketches developed during week.

Unfortunately some virus or other has floored me this week and I've not yet been able to review the week with Liam and the group as a whole.
Ideally I'll also be able to tap into these visual resources to brighten up this "Log book".


24-8-10
Most students are starting to work steadily towards our goals. It has been a slow start.
The recording so far, of actions/tasks performed, who performed the tasks, what happened, etc... is woeful. 
We must record our actions much more diligently. I'm just getting back on board after a short hospital time-out. I think some direction is needed. My next job is to try to give the project a kickstart.
I think the teams are ready to get fired up.

Just before Kickoff

Hi Folks.

Well I'm not quite sure of myself here. This is my first attempt at blogging and will feel my way.

I'd like to try blogs as a means for students to produce their portfolios.

This is a direction that the e-learning co-ordinators suggest may work quite well.

Scott, Chris, and Steve have spent quite a lot of effort in investigating this concept.

Let's all have ago.

Remember: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."