Children can learn more through practical fun than textbooks. The launch of educational games kits to demonstrate renewable energy will provide children with the start that could simultaneously address two new government objectives. Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, is determined to improve educational standards and also wants parents to take a more practical involvement in the schooling process.( “ Every Parents Matters” DCSF 2007)

Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, wants UK homes to concentrate on renewable energy to have virtually no carbon emissions by 2050. Ultimately passing the responsibility to our children we need to make sure their education includes practical experience of renewable energy to help meet this crucial objective.

Children can now see renewable energy devices in action in the class or at home and understand how efficient and essential these are for the future. Introducing them to alternative energy sources will fire their interest and commitment to both Ed’s policies.

The educational games website http://www.keen2learn.co.uk has just introduced a new range dedicated to renewable energy. Already selling a comprehensive range of educational games to schools and parents in support of the National Curriculum, the new energy resource games allow children to green energy in action in action.

Alistair Owens, managing director of keen2learn, explained, “These educational games kits give children first hand fun experience in seeing how a wind turbine or solar photovoltaic cell works. The kits are supplied with measuring equipment and worksheets to follow a variety of experiments”.

The new renewable energy kits are not toys and need adult supervision making them ideal as a teaching resource in school, at home with parents or as a central theme through local councils or energy associations.

Becta has published a survey report by Professor Tanya Byron which reveals that 80% of parents feel isolated about their children’s progress at school.

The survey involved 1000 children aged 7 -14 years, and 1000 parents. The results revealed that 43% of parents found it tricky to get to know what their child had done at school as only 16% of children were prepared to tell their parents. Children hold back because:-

* Their parents will hassle them
* They don’t want to tell their parents
* Around  33% find it difficult to speak to their parents about their schooling.

The solution is a greater interface between parents and the school that replaces the end of term report with a dynamic update. A report called “Every Parent Matters” by the DCSF in 2007 proposes greater parental involvement in the schooling process. Seems a more effective means of replacing the outdated end of term report could hold huge benefits to children and solve the isolation of parents.

There a number of electronic systems proposed that parents could tap into. But these need daily updates from already busy teachers and may cause more problems than solutions. We at keen2learn have published a simpler approach. Our pupil support form provides a simple and effective way for teachers to highlight exactly where parents can help. Completed as any problem arises rather wading through a detailed report that could cloud the issue or be left until the end of term report when valuable time could be wasted.

The mobilisation of parents in the schooling process is very much at the centre DCSF thinking. It seems the an ideal solution to a mutual problem.

Turning the serious area of renewable energy into a fun educational opportunity captures a child’s imagination and enthusiasm. Keen2learn have added some great educational games to their renewable energy range to include Wind turbine kit, solar photovoltaic kit and solar water heater kit.

Facing many current issues; failing educational standards, banking meltdown, economic recession – hovering on top of all this is global warming. Potentially far more damaging, and with a considerably longer lasting effect, our consumption of energy may have stalled  but we can be sure the demand will return – even if it is relocated.

Much of the solution lies with the next generation and therefore its essential the National Curriculum contains information on renewable energy sources. Renewable energy demonstration kits bring fun approach to the learning process. The new kits, designed and built by Ecostyle promote awareness and understanding of renewable energy to encourage the production of energy from sustainable sources. The kits cover wind energy, Solar photovoltaic and Solar water heating systems.

Alistair Owens MD of Keen2learn said “ These are fun demonstration kits for teachers and children to see just how we can make a difference by using renewable energy sources. We are delighted to be associated with EcoStyle’s products.”

Alistair Owens concludes his educational train journey from Hamilton in the North island to Christchurch in the South Island. A journey passing volcanic plateau, mountains, gorges  and  farmland Marlborough vineyards and the coast.
The taxi arrived at 7:00 am. It was a hybrid car and drove downhill all the way to the station during which time it was charging the battery. I considered negotiating the fee as it had a negative cost to the cab company. The driver at 6 foot 8 inches was suitably nonplussed but liked my style! I abandoned the cause.

So here I was at Wellington station in New Zealand to complete my educational train journey to Christchurch. Taking in the sights of geography, geology and farming it was proving to be fun and highly rewarding. But now we needed to get to the South Island. A slight problem; there is a fair chunk of water in the way. The rendezvous at the station was arranged to transport everyone to the ferry about a mile away. The bus arrived tugging a trailer. This I learned is a national pastime in NZ., everyone tugs a trailer. It matters little if there is anything in it. The aspiring go for twin axles as they bounce and clatter more effectively when empty.

My fellow travellers were predominately backpackers and two middle aged couples who were amazed I had found a hotel in the middle of the sevens competition. The bus driver opened the trailer door stood back against the wall beckoning the assembled travellers to load their own baggage. Avoiding the  potential of back injury to the driver this proved an amazing sight. 30 urgent backpackers randomly cast a multitude of different sized packs into the trailer in best buggers-muddle fashion. Filled with about a third of the optimum capacity the driver leapt several times on the trailer door to close it before giving up. Four of us remained on the pavement with unloaded cases. The driver nodded to the three external hooks on the trailer. I graciously nodded to my fellow traveller and took a step back. Three more packs were slung on the hooks in the hope they would remain so placed for the trip. I was left alone. Eye contact with the driver meant one of us had to surrender. He had options I did not. “You had better shove that case inside the bus.” Result.

Guaranteed by the strategic positioning of me and the case, being last on meant first off. No prisoners in this scenario.  We arrived at the ferry terminal I leapt off to hit the check in queue. Confusion; I had apparently sailed on the day, two months ago, when I booked the ferry ticket. More eye contact, a pause, a smile, the realisation I did not intend to move, some frantic key board activity and bingo a boarding card. I turned to move out of the queue and spotted the predictable mayhem that had beset my fellow passengers in the bus. Thirty people attempting to disentangle straps and handles of backpacks is not a pretty sight. The driver lent against the wall smoking a cigarette; I could see his point.

The ferry “Kaitaki” was an old friend. I sailed on her many years ago when she was known as the “Pride of Cherbourg” sailing twixt Portsmouth and France. The welded letters of the original name merely painted over. The trip was smooth and apart from my backpacker friends the ferry full of borne again aging Harley Davison owners that haunt the roads. A long awaited breakfast from a choice limited to the full Kiwi breakfast and its compatriot the half Kiwi breakfast. The addition of black pudding and $3 marking the difference everyone plumbed for the half option. There is one constant throughout the world. Long before MacDonald’s the full breakfast was truly global. The recipe is constant merely incorporating the locality. English, Welsh, Scottish, Australian and NZ full breakfasts are identical.

Spectacular scenery greets the travellers arrival at Picton in the North Island. We disembarked. I had an hour before we set off by the Trans Coastal train to Christchurch. Time to visit a marvellous super loo. It talked to me throughout the visit, played music, told me that it would flush automatically when I washed my hands, ejected soap, turned the wash basin tap on and then the dryer. At the end it thanked me for using the super loo. I thanked it for at leaving me the dignity to wipe my own backside and we departed lasting friends.

The train was very full the booking clerk advised. I can sit you opposite a 14 year old facing backwards would that be OK? Presumably a housetrained 14 year old it was fine by me. Five minutes the train manager called me forward. Look you are sitting opposite a 14 year old – we will do our utmost to move you. And he did, with 5 minutes to spare I was relocated on the opposite side of the very full train, phew! At precisely one o’clock we left. In the carriage was a 14 year old young lady who sat demurely reading a book for the entire journey and myself. The other 40 seats remained vacant. I suppose its a matter of opinion what full means.

We ploughed on through more stunning scenery and vine yards. On this coastal sector there are  amazing views of seal colonies, along with more bridges and tunnels. The viaducts were lower and much longer as they traversed many braided rivers. Basically wide glacial fed winter rivers that shrink to a series of small channels in summer. We stopped in the middle of nowhere at a halt. A car was waiting- the only sign of life for miles. Here my fellow traveller departed, the renegade 14 year old was met by family, and off we went thundering on through the country at a blistering 40 kph. Apart from pausing to pass a cup of coffee and bun to a train driver waiting to pass in the opposite direction on this single track the journey to Christchurch the principal city of the South Island passed all too quickly. The air conditioning worked in all carriages provided you kept the blinds down on the sunny side. It’s a great trip, very educational and highly recommended.

Alistair Owens

http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/news/

En route by scenic train from Hamilton in the North to the capital city of Wellington, the educational  journey pauses to stretch legs and grab a drink.

The New Zealand “Trans Scenic Overlander” train journey was interrupted by a scheduled 30 minute stop in the national park that occupies a large part of the central plateau. The charming ancient station became overwhelmed by the rush of the passengers from the hot coach and cold coach who hit the café like demons. The queues separated into three lines; the cold coach demanding hot drinks, the hot coach demanding cold. The third line was less determined. I was in the third queue in front of a guy from Leeds. On holiday he was touring the length and breath of NZ. Inappropriately dressed and wearing an array of bum bags that made a soldiers kit look woefully inadequate he was bemoaning the time needed to travel the islands. A fellow traveller, a characterful Maori patiently advised, in his experience, “Apart from earthquake tremors NZ had not moved a great deal over the past three million years. You’ll have to be the one that moves to see it my friend. Deal with it!”

This succinct advice dried the conversation and caught the attention of those in earshot. Discreetly turning to observe the source the friendly advisor was obviously a character. Wearing a plaster cast on one foot he sought to reduce its stark appearance by decorating the cast with tinsel and indigenous artwork. Obviously a lateral thinker he sought to introduce symmetry by wearing a white welly on the other foot.

The journey progressed. More scenery, bridges, geological fault lines and gorges turning the trip into a fun educational lesson in geography. The awe inspiring collection of sights seemed to incorporate half of Europe. But there was one further, man made surprise, to greet our eventual arrival at the capital city of Wellington. We had coincided with the international rugby severn’s competition. Seen as a massive opportunity for a party, half of New Zealand’s 4 million population and countless overseas supporters had descended on the town. Booking every hotel room in sight – and at twice the cost thanks to supply and demand rationale, the supporters had temporarily overloaded all services. The party spirit  sees 90% of the supporters dress in fantastic Mardi Gras  costume were queuing for any available taxi. The queue exceeded the number of cabs by a factor of 20. Watching multiple Darleks, octopus and Alice in Wonderland’s squashing into cabs grossly inadequate for the task indicated a long wait. But a friendly voice indicated my hotel was but 10 minutes walk.

Off I set dragging thrumming wheeled suitcase behind. True enough after 10 minutes another helpful soul redirected me for a further 10 minutes, then another, then a hotel of the same name pointed me in an entirely different direction. The bottom line was a 2 km hike and all uphill – normally the case if you know Wellington. My “compact room” – all that was available when I booked was still waiting despite ludicrous offers for it during the afternoon if I was to believe the receptionist. Armed with a complimentary tin of a strange caffeine drink and the prospect of no breakfast as it was served after my departure, I found the room dimensions reminiscent of a cabin on a ferry.  The complimentary drink had a further function; I was able to jam the mal functioning window open with the now empty tin, and ventured locally for sustenance.

And of course, so did many thousand of others. Like a biblical re-enactment there was no definitely no room at the inn. “Listen mate  the 7’s are on” was the response. But the crowds had missed one trick. The sign of good food in a foreign restaurant is that it is used by customers of the same nationality. My find was a Raman noodle house full of Japanese with not a Lancelot in full armour in sight.

The final part of the journey will appear tomorrow
Alistair Owens

http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/news/

One of the best forms of learning comes from personal experience. The ideal educational lesson in geography, geology, climate and landscape is best witnessed first hand. Recently the author travelled on one of the most scenic train routes in the world. I the first of three articles he describes the journey from Hamilton in the North Island to Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand.

With an endearing lurch the scenic train from Hamilton set forth on its nine hour journey to Wellington. The narrow gauge track coupled with 40 year rolling stock combine to make it an interesting trip. Shake, rattle and roll motion became the central theme. But the spectacular scenery overcame all. I had the luck to sit in what I felt was the best seat on the train. Adjacent to a large picture window with massive leg room and an empty seat alongside I was in heaven and about to enjoy a lesson in maths, geography, geology and history in the most enjoyable and memorable way possible.

The vintage train comprised of four characterful coaches each with a different function. A viewing platform, observation lounge, buffet and a saloon coach were tugged along at an optimum speed of 60 kph. This allowed it to stay on a track that incurred speed restrictions due to the heat, twists, turns and elderly bridges we thundered fantastic views of New Zealand farmland, the volcanic plateau, Mount Ruapehu, hill, plateau, valley and crossed numerable rivers across viaducts built of wood with shear drops.

Despite the dramatic geology evolved from volcanic activity one of the most interesting sights is man made. Lateral thinking and engineering genius overcame the need to climb the escarpment to the central plateau. Too steep for any train to climb engineers developed the ingenious engineering solution that is the Raurimu Spiral. Maths, physics and geology played a part in the construction of a spiral that cut a series of six tunnels through the edge of the escarpment about 30 metres above each other. The track passes through one tunnel curves round the outside of the mountain to enter the next tunnel and so on. It is an amazing site when you see each curve below. Drivers of goods trains claim to be able to see the rear  of their train on the circuit below.

The trains’ air conditioning system was a delight. Still the original equipment and probably full of c.f.c’s it managed to partially cool one carriage, freeze another and had packed up totally in the middle coach. I was in the one coach where it outworked perfectly!
The buffet car was approached with considerable dexterity. Handholds needed to support each advancing step like a mountaineer on scree. But the ungainly advance was to be bettered by the return trip. Laden with coffee and an intriguing sticky bun it became apparent apologising to each isle seat occupant was unnecessary. Those in the hot coach were comatose, and the cold coach were so wrapped up that an elbow in the ear had little effect through scarves, hats and assembled clothing paraphernalia. Opening the carriage doors with one hand, steadying with the other and caressing a coffee cup and the bun – was in a bag – under each armpit led to the inevitable causality.

Alistair Owens

Part 2 in this 3 part series can be seen later

http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/news/

The highly popular educational maths games of Kidduko from HighQ has been reconfigured as PC software.  Virtual image, specialists in educational games have just launched a PC and Mac version of Kidduko. This entertaining maths games puts fun into learning in the classroom and at home. Dr Nick Mee Managing Director of Virtual Image, educational software specialists has developed the highly sucessful sudduko board game by HighQ into a great computer version.

Alistair Owens

http://www.keen2learn.co.uk/news