Monday, August 20, 2007

Heppell the Hero

Many hands make light work
Many hands make light work,
originally uploaded by DavidDMuir
In my post Heppell talks to a Sick Dog I mentioned how much I look forward to listening to Stephen Heppell. I believe the phrase "hero worship" was used. I tell people as often as I get an excuse that I have a t-shirt with Stephen Heppell's face on it. While this statement is true, it is slightly disingenuous. The t-shirt in question has a number of small, icon sized, faces on it including one of me and one of Stephen. I am wearing the t-shirt in the picture that accompanies this post. If you follow the link and look at a larger version, you might just be able to identify us. :-)

However, this post isn't simply to show off my sartorial elegance. It is also to pick up on a comment from the Heppell talks to a Sick Dog post. It is always good to get comments on a post (as re-assurance that someone else is reading it apart from anything else). However, it is especially good when someone you are writing about takes the time to reply, as happened in this case where Stephen left a comment. (And I'm ashamed that it has taken this long for me to make my response to his comments.) His observations on schools in the USA are interesting - especially in the light of the Schools Computing Workshop we held at Jordanhill in May 2007. (We are currently putting the finishing touches to the written report of that meeting so I hope to blog about this workshop again fairly soon.) Perhaps we Scots are, at times, unreasonably proud of our Education System so it is good to have people outwith Scotland agree that we have at least got some things right and that Scottish educators are "very well placed to make a significant contribution" to "radical schools and approaches". Stephen promises to say more about this at SETT (aka the Scottish Learning Festival). I am looking forward to hearing more! I wonder if Stephen would be interested in coming along to the TeachMeet? If he wants to meet and learn with a group of forward looking and innovative teachers, TeachMeet is the place to be!

Finally, a bit more on the t-shirt. Stephen concludes his comment with a reference to the t-shirt which he describes as "VERY collectable". Since this is still one of my favourite t-shirts, I fear mine is approaching the end of its useful life. It is already a bit faded and there is a small hole in the armpit. If I want to save it from being turned into dusters, I guess I should stop wearing it now and get it framed instead. "VERY collectable"? Hmm! I wonder how much I'd get for it on eBay? Any offers? :-)


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7 comments:

Christine McIntosh said...

All these arms suggest a Hindu deity. Is there something you haven't told us?

David said...

Am I demonstrating extreme cultural insensitivity if I say I just did it because I thought it was funny?

Christine McIntosh said...

If I say I too find it funny, is it merely because religious practices/beliefs tend to amuse anyone who doesn't share them? I'm thinking of the old rhyme which begins "Presby, Presby, dinna bend;
Sit ye down on man's chief end"...
Trouble is, I can't remember the retort which follows!

Prof Stephen Heppell said...

It is always good to get comments on a post (as re-assurance that someone else is reading it apart from anything else). However, it is especially good when someone you are writing about takes the time to reply

So this is just to say it was good to see that shirt again - collectable yes, but valuable.. prob not.

Interesting though that it may have been an early indicator of the bespoke one-size-doesn't fit all world that we are now all in.

And ResEdit was pretty cool wasn't it! I think the last version I had was maybe 2.1.3 - 1994ish?

David said...

Hello Chris

Hmm... now you've got me worried. Is it like the Dutch cartoons? I suspect the cartoonist didn't intend to cause offence but... Is it like the Wayne Rooney picture, arms spread with blood red cross painted on him, that some Christians found offensive? I think I'll speak to the RE chaps at work about this...

David said...

Hello Stephen

Good to see you back again. The picture of the t-shirt certainly sent some people down Macintosh memory lane.

Anonymous said...

Hi David I heard a reference to 'sick dog' in a seminar at the learning festival today. Now I know what it meant!!!