Above is me with an old student ( in the blue hat !"!! ). I have taught at Joseph Priestley College in Leeds for 5 years up to summer 2006. This is a Further Education College, and I taught adult learners doing either access or A's level environmental science. Being able to teach from "doing it" hopefully helps to liven up lessons which bristle with experiments, and practical applications. I miss the teaching very much. Once the college closed down the science labs, and made it plain they did not share in my vision, I knew it was time to move on.
Links to Turning on of the Heckmondwike Christmas Lights, (and Experiments to discover the residual energy in Reindeer Poo )
Good Science in Schools Project
International Exchange to The Czech Republic God is a Woman ? Recycling 1 Recycling 2 Stream Testing 04/05 Stream Testing 02/03 + 03/04 Wormeries Jean-Luc Picard
Here we are with Jon Mitchell of Yorkshire Television, and my friend Jonathan, just before we turn on the Christmas Lights in Heckmondwike. The Joseph Priestley Society asked me to enact the part of Joseph Priestley for this event.
I took Jonathan along as the standard assistant person, to help with the experiment. This experiment aimed to discover the residual amount of energy in Reindeer Poo, in order to estimate the amount of energy Rudolf would use on Christmas night. There was the normal flashes and bangs as the audience were covered with large amounts of confetti.
The tv item will appear here as soon as we are able.
Good Science in Schools Project
YES Ltd are promoting through The Joseph Priestley Society, Good Science in Schools. The pilot of this annual event will take place in The Spen Valley and in the Morley area. The Projects should have an environment theme.
We are offering a certificate and a small cash prize for both individuals and groups, from both Junior and High Schools, up to and including year 11. The literature will be circulated in January, and the schools visited during science week, to get the projects started. All projects need to be completed by the end of May. The 10 prizes will be presented at a public event in the first week of July. Media coverage aims to encourage all those involved to see science as a really exciting subject.
Progress of these events will be posted on this page.
International Exchange to The Czech Republic
For latest information go to the Exchange Newsletter Page
Following recent visits to Roznov, the Vice Mayor Franta Sulgan and myself have agreed to set up an exchange visit of teenagers and young adults, for the summer of 2006.
YES Ltd will run the UK side of this exchange, with kind help for funding information from Mike O'Rourke ( see Rock Music Pages ). Should we get no funding then a group of 12 people will expect costs at £250 for a 7 day visit. This price is expected to decrease by £50 each, for every £500 of funding received.
Visiting a land of Bears, Lynx, Wild Boar, and Wolves, in the most beautiful mountains, is reason enough for the exchange. Of course CZ young people are fascinated by modern western culture. Ideally, we would see what we are missing in our society and natural environments, and they would see what they would have to give up in order to follow our societal example.
I feel certain much will be gained by all involved in this program.
See more about our work in The Czech Republic
I have now inherited the skeleton in the photo above, and into whom I apparently was zapped. I've called him Elvis, after Jarecek's family dog. I thought Elvis was a cool name. I can't wait until Halloween when the kids come round for trick or treat, especially with Elvis dressed to greet them.
Denise's assignment was on recycling of domestic wastes. She convinced her family, her sister's and mother's homes, and her friend's family, to see how much of their domestic waste could be recycled. They did this for a number of weeks and discovered that upto 75% of their household waste could be recycled. In Leeds, every ton sent to landfill costs the Authority £52, and there is normally 340,000 tons sent to landfill each year, the savings from 75% recycling could be huge.
Clearly this is a simplistic point of view, in that there would need to be processes, production and markets for 250,000 tons per year, just from Leeds. All the same, people have done this in the past, and are doing it across Europe today. Much would need to be in place, but when savings of this magnitude are on offer, then it is clearly well worth the effort.
I recently visited a vegetation recycling site, where plant materials from the whole County were sent for composting. The scale was huge, processing 25,000 tons at any one time, with the process taking only 12 to 16 weeks.
It struck me that other domestic wastes could be recycled in similar sites, recovering the resources and the energy that went into making these resources. There may still be quantities that require landfill or incineration, simply by their nature. However, there could be significant amounts recycled if only we all did our bit, just as Denise has shown us. Non of us are perfect, but I feel encouraged to do more, inspired by the assignment work from my friend Denise.
Year 2004/05 A's and Access Students Studying The Spen River
Mud Pies, Creepy Crawlies and lots of Water to Splash in. Environmental Science really is quite fascinating.
In the photos are Sarah, Denise, Denise's family, Nicky, Kelly, friends from the Gildersome Friday Afternoon Church Group and Dr Paul Humphries from Huddersfield University. You can see the results of these tests, which were the third annual consecutive tests with The Spen Clearwater Revival Community Group. Click Here to go to the latest information on the Spen Valley.
Of course Jean-Luc Picard is now Vice Chancellor of Huddersfield University, where I gained my Human Ecology BSc Hons Degree. Now it could very well be that when Jean-Luc Picard talks of the Academy in the 24th Century, he is most likely to have been talking about Huddersfield University. At least this is my belief and I will take some convincing I am wrong.
Pilot Study into Recycling for Joseph Priestley College,
at Alec Beevers
Centre,
Beeston
The ACE program aims to enable learning difficulty students to become more independent. One aim was that the learning difficulty ACE student could progress to being able to do work which was largely unsupervised.
One key aim was that the recycling should be to create added value items for sale, which would benefit both the college and the people involved in the processes, rather than simply collecting raw materials for other organisations to benefit from the income potential.
The methods involved in this pilot study included:-
· Choose the ACE student to be involved with the project
· Questionnaire for staff opinions and ideas on the possibilities for recycling
· Establish semi industrial methods for paper mache plant pot production
· Establish links with the horticulture department of the college
· Undertake an informal can collection
· Experiment with small scale plastic recycling
ACE Student Linda McBride
Linda McBride was the person put forward to undertake the 10 week pilot study into recycling in the college. 
Paper and can recycling at Joseph Priestley College is both possible and popular within the college. The processes are well within the capabilities already well established within the college. Effective marketing of these commodities could bring great benefits:-
· to those who take part
· the college staff and students as a whole
· the college’s corporate, community and media image
· to the City of Leeds policies for recycling
The aims of the ACE learning difficulties student have largely not been met. The involvement of these students is well within their capabilities. That such people to be expected to producing quality and quantity on a regular basis, with the minimum of supervision has not been proven with this pilot study.
The systems exist within the college to produce marketable products from recycled materials. Human innovation can be expected to greatly extend the range of products in the future. It remains the co-ordination and implementation of the overall recycling program that needs to be achieved, given that the college means to continue with these recycling efforts.
The options for the co-ordination and implementation of the a program of recycling could include the following :-
· Re-try other ACE students in this program
· Have a work placement student from one of the local colleges
· Perhaps a second year access mature student ( possibly low income or single parent student )
The funding mentioned in the original talks about this project was that money could be paid over and above benefits, but to a level which did not affect benefit payments.
This could still apply to another ACE student. Alternatively this principle could apply to a mature low income, second year access student. Such income could prove valuable in a low income situation.
A work placement student would expect to receive at least minimum wages for a full time employment. This pilot study has not discovered such income possibilities, and the college has not offered such a level of funding of such a post.
Recycling needs to take place, as a matter of principle with regards to world wide problems of the Earth’s resources, and the genuine need for sustainability. The amount of paper wasted in photocopying and computer printing at the college is very large indeed. The recycling of these large commodities, into marketable items is a very real, popular and desirable path for the college to take. Such a program could involve many sections throughout the college, to take part in practical projects, experiments and promotion.
The media opportunities for recycling within the college remain to be exploited. The message that Joseph Priestley College could be responsible leaders in waste recycling in the City of Leeds, is quite potent. The challenge is for the college to put into practice, the principles of recycling and sustainability that are accepted and taught throughout the college.
Dean & Gary looking studious
More Stream Testing with Julie, Clare, Nik, Dave, Andy and Claire
Amanda Nicola
Here we are making wormeries. The fun bit is getting students to hold the worms in their hands. This is quite an excitement for Amanda and Nicola.
Adults really do want to learn. They want so much to make up for lost opportunities when they were younger. Most go onto a variety of jobs, including teaching. I'm looking forward to the day I meet one of these teachers, when I go into a class to do river water quality.
Having completed an additional qualification, I am now allowed to teach Environmental Awareness to Industry. I'm currently putting together a full participatory, interactive fun day of learning how the natural world is vital to our existence, and that rather than engineering against nature, we should work with nature in all that we do. I'll let you know how this progresses.