Revolution

Mustafa looks excited. As I settle down to help him with his coursework, he tells me about the Green Revolution (also known as the flickr revolution). A revolution which is happening in Iran. He explains that the government do not allow any foreign media to enter and report on the atrocities and illegalities which take place daily. He fears for the lives of his family. Someone may come to kill them because they voted for the opposing political party. Mustafa tells me that his friends email him photos of demonstrations and violence towards demonstrators from government supporters. He smiles as he shows me his blog, where he tells the world what happens everyday in Iran. He shows me a picture of him at an anti government demonstration. “I could get killed for this picture”, he says, “but I want the world to know what is going on in my country”

IT divide 2

image by Svadilfari, 2008 @ flickr.com

Serban saunters into the room. He feels so at ease in the IT suite, I sometimes think he is going to set up home there. He glances over his shoulder laughing and points to his screen. “Look” he says as he shows me what he has already achieved. I feel he should be conducting the session himself. He starts to help his neighbour asking him what he wants to do. Serban shows him with a few clicks how to drag a file, add some text, audio and play it back. I sometimes feel inferior to Serban. He speaks in Gigs and chuckles in RAMs. Processor speed is everything to Serban.

Namir slouches into his chair raising and lowering it for comfort. He looks at me with his arms folded. “So what do we do?”
I tell him to switch the computer on and check his email. “What’s my password?”
“ I have no idea. Go and see the assistant outside she should be able to give it to you.” He comes back in 10 minutes later, and turns on the PC.
“What do you want me to do?” I tell him to follow the instructions on the worksheet. “I don’t understand.”
“ Remember what we did last week? We will be working on the same project. It is a simple task, which involves using some images in word and making text boxes and using various fonts.”
He copies everything out as laid out in the same font. “How about using different fonts and sizing like it asks you to do?”
“ What do you mean different fonts?” I start to show him. “Ok Ok I can do that”.
He grabs the mouse but not in a confident way. He starts searching for a way to change the font. He turns and asks me “how do I change this?” As I show him he begins look sullen, like he is an outsider.


Anicka’s beaming smile permeates the room. She bounces in, plonks herself into HER spot. Switches on and off she goes. 15 minutes later I haven’t heard her talk hardly. She has finished the first task, and it looks good. She knows how to use lots of different programmes on the PC. She can’t wait to get her hands on Movie Maker. She skims through the video files and drags some onto the desktop. She is creating an image heavy story. It uses various still images and some of the video footage already taken.

Confidence building

image by springhill 2008 @ flickr.com


It is amazing to see how activities within the group take on a new meaning when being filmed by one of the participants. Rui shouts out “Look over here!” He is holding the video camera and walking towards the group. “What’s the matter with you guys? How are you feeling today?” He saunters past the group making a commentary while filming. Here was a young man who did not speak much, but with the camera has been given a new lease of life. His language has escalated with the role of cameraman.

He is not the only one. There are others who are now more confident. This may be due to respecting their wishes on not being filmed. I still wonder if we can get them on camera. We have let them be who they want to be.

To IT or not to IT

image by luisvilla, August 27, 2006 @flickr.com

Some of the students are having real problems with the home office. In discussions with colleagues this has been having an impact on mental health and consequently attendance. This is now impacting on the learning of new IT skills.

Norddin turns up 1 hour late. “We are working on these tasks Norddin”.
I pick up a handout and put it next to him. “Can you help me?”
“ Serban can help you.”
“ No not with the computer, with the immigration problem?”
He comes to class for the company, for some support, emotionally, psychologically. He turns on the computer checks his email, goes to last FM and then plugs in his headphones. He loves Rai music. “ Listen, this is best singer in Morocco”, and he pushes the headphone in my ear. I am easily distracted with the heady vibes of the music.
“OK, so how are you getting on?”
“ What do I need to do?”
“ Follow the instructions.” Every 10 minutes he calls me over to listen to more music. I admit it is good. He barely gets through the first part of the task. He is struggling to stay in the country. He tells me The Home Office are making problems for him. He gets comfort from listening to his favourite singers. IT skills seem secondary for him right now.

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Quality issue

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The film was dropped of at the BBC. They got back to me asking a ream of questions.

One issue the BIGGEST.....was the quality.....

There were FRINGES around peoples bodies....and this meant ....

at worst BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!!!!

A few phone calls and an email or two...I started to ease up a bit.

It might be solvable....after all without a big mess.

Avi file this....mov file that...compression.....settings....etc etc etc

All was beginning to make more sense to me....I would have trouble explaining this to the group...so I decided to aproach it with the help of the media experts I had worked with before....

This was a pure production issue.....!