Firstly here is a little update on the Unique Dyslexic Project. The Unique Dyslexic website is being built as I type. I am not sure if this will work but here is a link to the new site as it is now. Please remember it is a work in progress:
http://www.wpweb06.co.uk/?doing_wp_cron=1372312159.3384029865264892578125
Any feedback and suggestions are welcome. The website is very graphically driven and so I hope easy to navigate and accessible. I think it has a very positive look and feel about it so far. We only had a small budget for the website. £650 in fact but I think With People, the site designers, have given us a good deal here. I am very happy with the way they work.We will be adding to the site once we win more funding for the project.
I am in the process of seeking Fife based volunteers to run the Unique Dyslexic website. As well as the Facebook, twitter and blogging social media for the Unique Dyslexic Project.
I completed a funding bid for Foundation Scotland and sent that away a few days ago. Its an application for funding to buy equipment for the project. As I stated in a previous blog I want to make a film document of the whole project. The idea is a written report might not be accessible to some dyslexics but I film would be. It might also act as a paradigm for others wanting to do something similar and save me from having to write an end of project report lol.
Soon we will be going out to meet with organisations here in Fife to promote the project and encourage dyslexics to start thinking about getting involved with any creative project for the Unique Dyslexic Project. I will also be making an announcement through our social media sites to anyone else outside Fife who might like to participate and share their creative work.
I am writing a funding bit for the Creative Learning Network. I am hoping to get a small amount of money, £1000 in fact, to run a pilot master class for the Unique Dyslexic project.
On the Dyslexia Pathways new front. We received a lot of positive feedback from students supported this year. Here is a little taster of that feedback:
Ally wrote:
"Stephen is extremely helpful, supporting and friendly. Over the past few months he has helped me to overcome which I have encountered whilst at University. I now feel able to approach my final year with confidence."
Snippets of other feedback:
"Stephen, the dyslexia specialist, may seem to you to be an average person at first. But after five minutes of talking with him I realised he was not. His ability to talk with me about my particular dyslexia issues and enable me to overcome them was phenomenal."
"Dyslexia Support has helped me to progress. I feel more confident going into my exams using plans and mind map study skills. It has made me realise the importance of the little things I needed to do to be able to do my best."
"Confidence in my own abilities has increased and I have a clearer view on how to structure essays. Self esteem has greatly improved as has my confidence."
"For the first time I have completed a piece of work with time to spare to review it. Felt this was because I was taught how to structure time and to complete small tasks each week."
" I know where I am going and feel much more confident in my studies."
I have to say all these students put in a lot of work with me and its they who deserve the plaudits not myself.
I am in the process of seeking a new business mentor. I am in the process of writing an application to Just Enterprise for this. I am hoping to get a little support in writing a new 3 year business plan that will enable me to push forward with my new ideas.
Whilst on the developing the business front. I am also writing a funding bid for the Santander Social Enterprise Award.
I have completed a project proposal for new dyslexia focussed mentoring scheme. I am hoping to get some support for this through the Scottish Mentoring Network.
Every funder has a different form, every funder wants different information and to be honest the writing takes me an age to do. Its not that I cannot write them and write them well it takes me a long time to write. I particularly struggle with proof reading my own work sigh. Have to thank my wife for her support with that and well as our new director.
I have very nearly completed my new dyslexia awareness training package which I hope to start delivering in a couple of months. It very much focusses of the dyslexia positive, social model of dyslexia and how to enable dyslexics to succeed rather than on we are disabled medical model of dyslexia.
Of course the other issue is I cant pay myself for any of the many hours it takes to do these tasks lol. But that's, as they say, life.
On a personal note I have had a few problems with my eyesight recently which was of real concern to me. I have always been a little light sensitive but I was now getting very light sensitive and my eyesight was getting very blurry and I was feeling very sick in my stomach. I thought it might have been something to do with my type two diabetes. So I went off for a retinal eye scan and eye test. It turns out there is no damage to my sight at all. I just need a prescription for new glasses. I think I have been sitting at the keyboard for so long I had strained my eyes. Now all I have to do is find the £200 or so for new glasses. Until I have done that I have to limit the amount of time I spend on the computer. I also for out that I have larger than normal irises...........so that might explain my light sensitivity.......
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