Advanced Higher Computing

If you are looking for help with the Advanced Higher Computing course then you have come to the right place. Not the final place ... but the penultimate step in your journey. Check out cmcalpine.moonfruit.com for all your needs! As always, mistakes are intentional (although hopefully there are few) and if I can help you any more then email me @ cmcalpine@hamilton.s-lanark.sch.uk Contains Advanced Higher Computing Notes Revision Past Paper Questions and Answers Revision Videos Revision Quizzes and many other sad things I have created when I should be out enjoying the immense weather ...

National 4 & 5 Computing Science

Looking for some information, notes and revision help. Look no further! ... well, a little further check out cmcalpine.moonfruit.com

Tutoring

If you or anyone you know if looking for tutoring for all levels
Standard Grade, Higher and Intermediate 2 Computing then give me a mail at

cmcalpine@hamilton.s-lanark.sch.uk

The Skinny!

Whats been happening? Well I'm fighting on all fronts at the minute - developing CfE activities for next year and reversioning old materials to make them more suitable "new and improved flavour"

Also participating in an online course through Harvard University which the school asked me to complete called Teaching For Understanding - apparently a 35 hours course, but nearing that mark already after half of it!!

Been working hard in school working with Guidance, several committees and recently undertook the chair of the fundraising committee which should hopefully prove to be a rewarding and fun filled experience - on that note, any successful school fund ideas or suggestions please let me know!

That piled on top of the general hectic life of teaching in school has tied up most of my time - as well as balancing a near perfect golf game and a diet of playing football and watching football leaves me very little time to pursure my other interests in crisps and ginger.

I am bugging the Music Department for an old Keyboard as I have a life mission to be able to play Tiny Dancer by Elton John - ok not so much a life ambition, probably since starting my kazoo band with my good friend Andy at uni! ...

"2 Kazoos and a Dug" mostly a top gun cover band though ...

Wilkommen!

Well ... it's a tragedy, but after a quick 7 or so weeks of doing what you wanted, getting up when you wanted and generally doing zero ironing we are back!

Hitting the ground running! Meeting all our new pupils and getting to know our new classes!

I have to say, our young people look fantastic. Our new uniform, in particular the blazer looks fantastic and the boys and girls are wearing it well. I am actually jealous of the dazzle of the blazer and even more so of the tartan skirts! I think I will be starting a campaign to have an enforced staff uniform consisting of the same ... perhaps not the skirt, but definitely tartan trooosers!!!!!

Welcome back for another great year!

Another year gone!

Well folks, I have two days left until I embark on the voyage where no Computing teacher has gone before, a foreign trip as guest with the Geography Department ... awesome!

Where has the year gone! The Senior Hallowe'en disco, the Christmas Disco's, The Inspection, Crazy Snow, Easter, Exam and Study leave, the prom ... woosh!

Three years down! How many more to go!


Mr. McAlpine
2009 Prom S6 Teacher of the Year
(Trumps my grass bowls trophy from Bellshill Bowling Club!)

Announcing

Ok guys, not long until the S4 sit their big jangly nerve nail biting final exam and our third years sit their third year exam.

To allow you to study at home (and you punks who keep losing all my print outs)

I have uploaded some revision documents which can be found here

@ http://standardgradedocs.blogspot.com/

Some important Mathematics

Seniors and S4 students!

As if you didn't need any more influence to start studying here are some important numbers for you

40 (ish) school days left until the exam leave
33 (ish) school days until the Easter break

So you can really see that you need to start studying ASAP!

A long overdue update

It's been absolutely ages since I've updated the blog .. for one simple reason!

We have been really busy over the last few months for the schools HMIE inspection. It was last week and early indications are that the school did very well, the Faculty of ICT are certainly very happy with the feedback we received from the main inspector David Martin.

Can now manage to get back to a degree of normality in school without everyone talking about HMI constantly

Our senior students have now gone on study leave for their exam and I would like to wish them all the best in their prelims. Out departments is tomorrow and we are hopeful that everyone gets a great grade (or realises that they need to put in a lot more effort YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!!)

So thats about it, managed to make it up to Glencoe snowboarding with my friends on Saturday, absolutely fantastic snow, shame about the conditions - but being an avid snowboarding fan I know not to expect too much from the home resorts!

Going up again on Saturday and if you are too see you there! (just make sure any homework is finished first!)

The Last Day

It's the last day of term!

And all that's left to be said is! "Ya Beeeeeeeeeeezer!!!!"

I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday and a crackin new year!!

10 Days to Go!

We are in the middle of the move! The teachers desks have moved down to modular accomodation and we are currently living out of a few boxes!

You would think we would be on the "wind down" for Christmas, but its gung ho! with everything! The move, Discos, Prelims, Coursework and HMI coming in! Eventful times!

I think we are all desperate for the holidays to come!

10 to go!

In the spirit of adventure

I was walking the other day, and whilst walking I was thinking (simultaneously disproving the theory that men can't multi-task) I hadn't had a fantastic idea in ages ...

the wii is probably the biggest let down in a console ever - shall it ever reach the dizzy heights of the sega master system and Golden Axe. and then it hit me (walked straight into a door, proving the theory that men probably can't multi-task) and as I was casually trying to pretend i meant it I seen some of our young people playing the most addictive game since pogs.

So I have now invented the wii Chippy (also known as Jingles, tens etc ... )

An Overdue Update

Busy busy times in the Grammar of Hamilton - preparing for prelim exams, courseworks and parent's nights. Trying to squeeze in some extra time to shop for Chrimblemas Presento's!

Got the best news ever from the Geography Department who invited me on their trip to the USA! The trip is just absolutely outstanding, the different things that are in the itenerary are just out of this world. Will clearly strip the Family Trip to Butlin's '03 as "The Best Holiday" Ever!

Now taking suggestions for American themed songs for making up day tripper CD's!

Money Crisis!?

How can Spurs afford to pay £15 million to pay off Jaunde Ramos and more compenstation to Portsmouth for the services of Harry Redknapp and continue to function normally!

I hate these over paid footballers! If I was playing for Spurs (or anyone) I'd play for free.

On a totally unrelated topic: Yellow.

Incase you need me!

I'll be at the driving range!

And tomorrow I'll be down watching Big Samuel L. Jackson bringing some Hollywood flair to a windy, rain soaked, freezing, baltic Carnoustie Golf Course

Where's my hat!

A recommendation

Just finished two "good" books by Richard Pelzer and David Pelzer. Tough reading at times, but I think a must read for anyone in the teaching profession.

They are amongst the worst recorded Child Abuse cases in California and some of the reading really does open your eyes.

The September Weekend!

I hope you all enjoyed it! and take note that its only 9 school days until the October Week! paraaaaaaaay!

can I take this opportunity to say that Tropic Thunder is good, but not great! that is all!

any body that wants to bake me a cake - feel free

Ok, Time for Plan B!

God bless the interwebby as a communications tool! A gift was received in the accepting fashion of the Enter Shikari CD (from a pupil who would have got a mention if he hadn't wasted his time making people CDs and did his homework!)

It's improved the overall quality of my September weekend though!

Roll on 4 days of immortality!

We can breathe in space they just don't want us to escape

I must have spent at least two weeks looking for my Enter Shikari CD and still can't find it.

The moral of the story: Don't Move Out Your Parent's House

Anyone that wants to give me their copy, or make me a copy of theirs (seeing as I have paid for a copy already and would not be breaking copyright, would become my new best friend (but they would have to take me to the zoo as well))