I’ve had an unpleasant virus for the past 6 or 7 weeks. So I’ver not been out much apart from going to work. It seems to be departing so I got a first wee walk in ages around a snowy Ardinning. Quite lovely.
Archives
iNaturalist a year in review:
I started adding photos to iNaturalist in April this year. Find it a very useful site for identifying flora & fauna. Obviously need to help others in IDing a bit more.
#SilentSunday
#SilentSunday
#SilentSunday
Short walk on Braes, last harebells & yarrow, blackberries & heather finished except for few bell heathers still purple. First redwings in the hawthorn.
#SilentSunday
#SilentSunday
Sunny afternoon at Ardinning. These 3 within a metre of each other. I guess the first two could be common darters.
Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor at the Institute of Education: Assessment for Learning in the Classroom, and From Teachers to Schools: Scaling Up Professional Development for Formative Assessment. Dylan Wiliam (@dylanwiliam) on Twitter Welcome to…
I was thinking of Dylan Williams the other day and remembered David Noble, my partner in Edutalk partner had interviewed him back in 2012. This was the second round of AIFL in Scotland.
I gave it a listen on the way to work this morning. It is a great interview. Dylan is very positive about teaching, makes some great points and David asks great questions. I think it is still relevant 11 years later!
Well, I think that Scotland did a very good job of kicking off this process right at the end of the 1990s, the early 2000s.
So I think that the original focus was very welcome, the idea of assessment is for learning. I think people got slightly seduced by the tips and techniques rather than thinking about this as being a vehicle for teacher learning. So I think it got rather, and this may be inevitable for any innovation, it got rather packaged as being a thing that schools could do. And many schools think they’ve done assessment is for learning, and so they’re moving on to the next thing.
“inevitable for any innovation” – My emphasis.
Aiko
After listening to this I though I might like to grab some quotes so remembered I’d downloaded the free app Aiko, which is an AI-powered audio transcription, and ran the audio through it. After a hiccup when the app though the language was Welsh it seemed to do a great job. I’ve added it to the original post. David & I alway regretted not being able to provide accessible transcriptions of our broadcasts/podcasts. I am wondering about picking out some other episodes to transcribe. The audio is not attributed to the two different speakers, but I think it is easy enough to understand.
Radio Edutalk
Radio Edutalk is a project I am extremely please to have been part of. We were a bit ahead of the podcast curve, but it gave me an amazing opportunity to talk to all sort of amazing educators. It ran from 2009 till 2019 starting as an open to any contributor, mobile podcast and developing to include regular internet radio broadcasts which were archived as podcasts. About EDUtalk has a bit more information.
In the Pink. Common Carder Bee (I think) on Mexican aster.
We had a walk to Greenside Reservoir this afternoon. It is certainly autumn, but warm quite a few Red Admiral & Peacock butterflies. Bit of a breeze with cumulous clouds.
#SilentSunday
#mbsept Microblog September photo challenge Day 2: buildup (Chris/@V_)
#mbsept Microblog September photo challenge 1 – Abstract. Barbara Hepworth through Barbara Hepworth.
Walk to Greenside reservoir this afternoon. Quite a few midge bites. Lots of seeds floating around. Goldfinches on the thistles, a sparrow hawk passed, lots of dragonflies on the path. Quite a few butterflies, mostly peacocks, odd green veined white & red admiral.
#SilentSunday
Second, companies rationalise these emissions by buying “Offsets”, which are the contemporary equivalent of the medieval indulgences that annoyed Martin Luther.
John Naughton
Heading for Meall an Fhudair, but very poor visibility so we turned back at Meall nan Caora just after Troisgeach. Still a great day, highlights lots of Scotch argus & a couple of eagles. Map: walkmap
We had a nice walk up to Greenside Reservoir this afternoon. Blue skies & clouds with a fair breeze. Lots of sees, thistles & rosebay all the way. lots of angelica & meadowsweet too. Plenty of butterflies, green veined whites, peacocks, a couple of red admirals and a small tortoiseshell. Quite a few small dragonflies to fast to id. A fox running through the long grass. Plenty of goldfinches.
#SilentSunday
On a walk today I saw yet another birthday balloon (they get everywhere). When I went to pick it up and pop it in my rucksack I saw this wee guy, now Identified as a Vapourer Moth Caterpillar. looks like a punk type of bug.
Linlithgow Palace Fountain Detail, I am not sure if this is a lion or sun man face? More snaps on flickr.
I am beginning to see more peacock butterflies again, this one and more at Old Kilpatrick yesterday.
I had a walk around Glen Douglas yesterday. Lots to see, more on the walkmap Missing from the photos are lots of Scotch Argus butterflies who did not stand still.
Between Beinn Bhrec & Ben Reoch
Deer grazing, 50 yds ahead, I stop for a couple of snaps, they move off slowly, pausing. In front of me a fawn approaches to 20 yards, then stops & stares. I watch a moment then move to send it after the adults. 4 stags in velvet & 2 hinds.
Flora on Kilpatrick muir, At the back, common ling & bell heather. Some blaeberry leaves poking through. At the front, yellow bedstraw, harebells, yarrow, willow herb. Grasses with seed heads, Yorkshire fog and others.
#silentsunday
Cochno Estate walk, More on Flickr #nature
2 Six-spot burnet moths mating on a harebell.