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Tuesday Jun 19, 2007

What is it with Dr Who and boys?

Seriously everytime time we split up into smaller groups the lads go into Dr Who overload it doesn't matter what the scene is meant to entail they manage to do a Dr Who- It always has some link to it.  Be it as simple as knocking and answering a door they manage to make it into some Dr Who scene.  Let see what else did we do this week oh yes the cinema.......

The film they're going to make in the autumn is going to be set in an old local  theatre, so we got them to make a theatre setting so they can have a feel for what it will be like.  They'll see the real thing next week though as were off to the theatre yipeee! So they can see a film made last year by the older group and get a feel for the surrounding and get some ideas for there film, which these week they were full of. 

One of the lads were sick Ahhh. So it was back and forth with drinks of water although luckily he wasn't actually sick; and toliet duty haha!  Seriously how long does it take to wash hands.

Set the scene and made our very own cinema and they learnt about different people involved in the cinema.  We had the seating, the customers, the ticket ladies (could be men too but they were ladies today), and for the cinema what do you need but a film to watch so I ended up working with this lad who wanted to do Superman and well...One group did a star wars which was very realistic. we planned it, we acted it out and then he decided while 1 group were acting there scene out that he wanted to be in there film it was rather funny but not at the same time 1 of the boys kept telling him to get out of the scene. ahhh! So in the end I didnt get to be Lois Lane; yes me and him were suppose to act out Superman.  Then some of them had to act out a scene as though it was night and they were the only two in the cinema which was very funny. We'll see how they go in the real cinema next week

They came up with some great ideas for the film to like having dinosaurs and people coming out of the screen and into the audience; very clever bunch we have.  So i think listening to them last night it will be a film and people watching it in a cinema; handy that since its set in the cinema

Posted by Moira ( 2:54 PM )
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Thursday Jun 14, 2007

Barnardo's YPRAG getting started on YAA

Yesterday was YPRAG's monthly meeting, which was really good as it was the first really session we had on the Youth Achievement Award (YAA).  To get them started on there award though I had to get them to think about where they wanted to go with the award and what they wanted from doing they award themselves, as well as what they wanted from there volunteering, which took a bit of time but they had some really good thoughts on where they wanted to progress to, bit like I have done in doing my Personal Development Plan (PDP).  Hopefully something they can build and work towards as a group.

The group is larger than what I first anticipated it to be when I agreed to lead the group in there award, so I've recruited a young volunteer to assist me in taking the group forward in there YAA.  Who will also be gaining there Plantinum (as I am in) undertaken this volunteer role.  Which I know they will be more than capable in gaining the Plantinum award. So he and I will together write up a volunteer profile so we both know what each other are doing and its something where both happy with.

In doing this the volunteer will be managed by me and we will work together in gaining our platinum awards and taking the YPRAG through there Gold YAA.  This I think will be very benefical to both of us, they will also obviously go in the 1 day induction for the YAA, which I went on.

I have also got my pack for the LANTRA Volunteer Management Course in which will run along side my YAA as I've to undertake at least 30 hours training.  Looking at it breifly yesterday I think this is going to be a lot of work but hopefully useful and help me build my knowledge and understanding of volunteer management.  In which I've to manage at least 1 volunteer hence my managing the young volunteer assisting me in running the YAA.

So I'm all busy busy in my volunteering, I'm looking forward to it.

Anyway until next time.

Posted by Moira ( 6:43 PM )
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Lights, Camera, ACTION!

This week, the children at the drama group were as excitable as ever, and they all really worked  well this week all taking part, well nearly all.  You always get someone who decides they dont want to do some of the activities but with a bit of encouragement away they go. 

This week it was learning about the meaning behind 'Lights, Camera, ACTION!' not forgetting 'Cut and 'Thats a wrap' of course.  Showing them the importance of the words and having to listen to what there being told to do.  So that when it comes to making there film in the autumn they will know when to act and when to stop in a scene.  So again we played games to demonstrate this learning how and when to freeze we played statues and Granny's watching.... I think thats what they called it, but basically its a bit like 'What time is it Mr Fox only you dont ask what time it is. Basically Granny sits in a chair with there back to you and you've to get to the chair without granny seeing you move so when they turn around you've to freeze the kids loved it!

Then we split the groups into the 3's again where they had to act out being a Hero, Villian and the Victim the 2 lads I worked with did it as though they were in Doctor Who.  They did rather well. With games to following teaching them about how they can be sound rather than having to have music or other sound there for them.  Which was fun.  They only ad 3mins to perform each and the second they were told cut they had to freeze whether there performance was over or not which some found easy and others found difficult. 

I think the film they will be making will be silent but with music over it which should be intersting considering they all love to talk haha!!!

The next couple of weeks or so we'll be going to the theatre where they are going to perfom and make the film in the autumn. They can then see where they will be when making the film and to familiarise themselves with the surrondings they'll be working in. 

 

Posted by Moira ( 6:19 PM )
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Tuesday Jun 05, 2007

Drama Queens and Kings

Yesterday was my first session with the drama group which was great fun but hard work too!

First of all; now that I understand it a bit better, I'll explain what the group is.  The group will be running until the end of the summer term it is made up of children aged between 5-11 years who are all very active; some are more into it than others but they all seemed to really enjoy it.  What are they working towards I hear you ask? Well...They're working towards making there own film in the autumn.  When introducing everyone we had to play games of making funny faces and sharing a smile; so everyone would be happy all afternoon; well the intention was good.

I got there round the same time as this boy who came to help him to mix and he had really problems mixing and his dad had to stay so that the little boy would stay.  So he trusted me and tended to work with the group I was in.  In the end though he worked really well with the group funnily enough it was the smiling game that started to get him involved. Which was good.  His dad ended up staying for the session though fingers crossed he wont have to next week

Yesterday's session was all about getting to know each other and ground rules which we later acted out.  Which was done in smaller groups 1 that we did we even did in pairs and there ended up being 1 left over so I paired up with him.We can give him a star for trying it was rather funny he didnt do anything that we discussed; when planning it and we basically didnt act out the rule haha he was suppose to pretend to be a dog and drink form the toliet ALL PRETEND!!! All he did was run round on his knees; and it just went wrong.

Although other ground rules we acted out was worked really well. 1 which the group acted out and had problem with was to listen to each other; but more to listen to the teacher; which I hope got the point across.  It lasted for 2hrs

As well as working with the kids; in there games and drama scenes; I set up tuckshop hehe I havent set a tuckshop up since I was at school so it was wierd. I was a change to my usual volunteering role this last while.  Was great fun working with the children I forgot how much hard work it can be though.

 

Posted by Moira ( 12:53 PM )
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Monday Jun 04, 2007

Listen up...im speaking!

Things have become a little crazy for me as i am presentlybetween two jobs, so sorry for not writing sooner! Hopefully things will calm down slightly when i start working for Crisis as a Youth Volunteering Co-ordinator next week.

When i havent been getting excited about my new job i have also been doing lots of fun stuff with Oxfam! After being asked to speak at an Oxfam Live event, part of their national roadshow, i was honoured but did wonder how i would manage to fill 45 minutes. It was my role to talk to a large group of people about Oxfam's school speaker scheme and to recruit as many people as possible to become a speaker. Thankfully it was easier than expected and after lots of planning and practice i was able to run a session that was informative and fun, despite the odd awkward questions i had to answer - while making out that i knew what i was talking about. The group was full of people of all ages and backgrounds (some having been teachers themselves - so probably knew a little more than me about talking in schools) however i managed to get them all engaged and a large number of them collected an application form off me too.

 Thankfully i had an earlier slot to fill, as the fire alarms were set off during the following session resulting in everyone being evacuated and waiting around for ages as we waited for fire engines and the building to be investigated. Most people understandably gave up and went home, causing quite an abrupt end to the event.

Posted by Helen Bryant ( 4:34 PM )
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Friday Jun 01, 2007

New challenges

Hey Everyone,

Well I was going to say this is only a short entry but well read on and see for yourself .....

The Youth Achievement Award is going well to date... Well I think so anyway, the volunteer manager and myself met with the adviser from the Youth Achievement Award yesterday.  And we talked about me doin my award and between the Adviser and my volunteer manager they're making me think....  Which hasn't happened for a while haha!  In the next couple of weeks I will be going on some more training for the Youth Achievement Award which should be good as I'm still only get to grips with it myself

No seriously I have to do my Personal Development Plan (PDP) which I've kept very narrow going by yesterday's meeting.  So Ive got to start thinking outside the box and think about what is really going to challenge...go wild with ideas and then see what I can work on and if it doesnt work see why it didnt work, etc...

Oh I knew there was something else.  I'm really looking forward to Monday as its my first time to volunteer with the drama group; being run by local film company 'Jack Drum Arts' working with 5 - 11 year olds which I hope to learn more about what the organisation do; get a feel for how they work as I will be working with this group in making a film in the autumn its only for a few weeks from the 4th - 16th July.  So getting to know the children is really important too so that they feel comfortable in who there working with. Should be fun and I've also be asked that if I've any ideas on exercises or games that I think might be appropriate for the group to do as they develop into making this film to let them.  Think I'll see how things go first and get feel for the group and how Jack Drum Arts works.

So I'll keep you updated as always on how it goes.

Posted by Moira ( 3:54 PM )
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