Thanks

I'd like to say a big thank-you for all the messages of support for Learning all the time that our fellow trainees from the Undercurrents course have been sending us over the last few days. We really appreciate it :) I think we all did amazingly. Keep on making films you guys and keep in touch!

Film Festival

Well the film fest's been and gone, but "Learning all the time is" still being watched around the world! We've had feedback from two families who have decided to withdraw their children from school and home educate after watching the film. That's so good to hear, good luck and enjoy yourselves. Two teachers have also taken the time to let us know that they loved the film too. One teacher in Dubai has put the film on her school's server and another has said the film completely transformed her view of home education which had been based on the myth of lonely children shut away in their homes! Thanks so much for the feedback, it's really heartening to hear that our little first attempt film is making a difference to people's lives.

We got to see our film on the Big Screen at the Undercurrents Film Fest on Wednesday which was very gratifying. I'd like to offer congratulations to the three new directors from the past years' training courses whose films for social or environmental action were judged to be the most accomplished. They were:- a film about an allotment with some lovely footage of the flowering shrubs and trees growing there and featuring a radical alternative shed made out of various bits of wood bought from B&Q (obviously better than buying a B&Q shed); a video of a man building a rammed earth wall (every home should have one, but probably not in Wales) and a pro-smoking video about giving the middle finger to the smoking ban (quite right too, smokers who care for the planet really shouldn't be forced to leave their dog ends all over the ground just outside doorways). Well done to all concerned.

After watching these three, most accomplished, films about action for social change, I'm just wondering... should I put my children back into the one-size-fits-all, brick-in-the-wall state educational mincing machine and rush down to B&Q now for some mismatched bits of wood so that I can build a rammed earth and wood shelter on my vegetable patch? Obviously to be a real catalyst for social change I would need to take up smoking too. In fact, if we all took up smoking, then between us maybe we would swell the Treasury coffers (no pun intended, honest) enough to fund another illegal war. Is this the kind of social action Undercurrents has in mind, do you think?

In the news

I talked for ages to the journo at the South Wales Evening Post about home education, but not much of our conversation made it into the newspaper! Ah, well. You can read the piece here

Safe in school?

I urgently need video material that I can use in another film on the topic of Safe in School? If anyone would be interested in helping out and you're based in or around South Wales, please let me know and I can come to you. What I want to explore is your reactions to the idea that children are safer being educated in school where their welfare can be (allegedly) monitored, than being educated at home where they may be seen regularly by their family, friends and community but not by qualified professionals. If you or your children have any direct experiences that you or they are happy to talk about and for me to use, then please do put them on the film.

If you're not based locally or you prefer to make your own, here's how to go about making a short video that you can upload to my server. All you need is a basic camcorder (and the ability to upload from the camera to your internet connected PC) or a mobile phone with video capabilities, and a couple of helpers. Get one helper to set up the camcorder or phone so that your head and shoulders are in the shot and then ask the other person to stand off to one side so that you have someone you can look at while you're talking so that you're not looking directly into the camera. Make sure you are in a well lit area, outside if weather permits, but don't whatever you do have a window behind you! Be aware too of background noise and don't use the zoom at all please - it makes it impossible for me to cut and stitch bits together if some are zoomed in and some zoomed out. Please don't mention any names and be careful about getting identifying landmarks, your house or car registration plates into the shot. Other than that, it's reasonably straightforward. Don't worry about editing, let me have all your footage and I'll work magic with it !

I'll set up a server where you can upload your video when you're done and I'll put the address on here or for mobile phone videos you can probably just email them to me.

I really would appreciate your help with this please!

What's next?

Learning all the time concentrated mainly on the 7-12 age range simply because that was age range of the children we had access to in the limited circumstances under which the film was made. We'd like to redress the balance next time by concentrating mainly, but not exclusively, on showing young people in the age range 13-18. We need home educated young people with a real passion for something which they would be willing to talk about, show us and generally showcase please? It can be anything from art to quantum physics to bricklaying! The more diverse the better. We are willing to travel, in fact we would like the film to reflect a wide range of locations and situations if possible. If anyone would be interested in taking part, please either contact me on the Home Ed lists or leave a comment on the blog and I'll work out a way we can get in touch.

Links to the film

The list of linked sites got a bit long for this post, so I've put them all down the side instead. Please let me know if you link to me and then I can return the courtesy!

Leonor seems to have taken on a public awareness brief for the film and has opened up threads on The Frog Pond and Myst Uru Obsession (whatever that is!). Keep me posted if you start any new discussions Leo!

Better quality version...

Thank you for all your kind comments. At the time of posting, the film has nine YouTube honours despite the poor playback quality. That's amazing!

#8 - Most Viewed (Today) - Education - United Kingdom
#63 - Most Viewed (Today) - Education
#14 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Education - United Kingdom
#14 - Top Rated (Today) - Education - United Kingdom
#45 - Top Rated (This Week) - Education - United Kingdom
#5 - Top Favorites (Today) - Education - United Kingdom
#60 - Top Favorites (Today) - Education
#87 - Top Favorites (This Week) - Education - United Kingdom
#87 - Top Favorites (This Month) - Education - United Kingdom

After an extremely frustrating tussle with technology, a beautifully clear version is now available :)