Hey hey the end of another busy week

Hi blog readers ta for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you are all well.......

Had another very busy week here. I provided five days of dyslexia support this week. All of the students I worked with this week were working hard to finish their dissertations, course work and exam revision etc.

Don't ever listen to anyone who tells you dyslexic students are lazy. They have to work extremely hard to produce work for their courses and pass exams. If anything dyslexic students have to work harder than their non dyslexic students. The same is true for any student with a disability. 

The thing I love the most about my dyslexia support work is that it like playing jazz. You never know which way any dyslexia support session will go. Even with a clear and agreed dyslexia support plan and every dyslexia students needs are unique to each student and they can change on a weekly basis.

For example I had planned a session on exam revision with a student this week. But when they came in I could see they were stressed out about something. As a result of a little chat we ended up doing something completely different.

I get a real buzz whenever a student comes for support and they have achieved their goals and or used a new strategy successfully.

I have just informed the web developer for the Unique Dyslexic site that I am happy with the look and feel of the site. One less thing to worry about. I have also nearly finished adding the content for the site ready for launch.

My wife looked over the dyslexia pathways site, proof reading the text. Something I am not so hot at. Not that I cannot do it. It takes so long. I also put together the content for the disabled student and access to work sections of the site and photos and feedback from students I have supported. My web developer for the dyslexia pathways site has been unwell this week and unable to do any work to complete it......Get well soon Bill.

This week I made a start on the crowd funding appeal, after much soul searching about this. I think I should really have started this when I embarked on the Unique Dyslexic project. I have done everything you need to do for a crowd funding appeal like make a movie, take photos, write a blog, twitter etc. Still its never to late.....

I am going to look for £2000 to develop my t shirt idea and to help pay for my time to run the Unique Dyslexic project over the summer. I have decided to use Indiegogo crowd funding....it looks pretty straight forward and dyslexia friendly for me at lease.

I have taken to calling the Unique Dyslexic project the Unique Dyslexic Get Creative Project which I thinks feels and sound better.

We have found to organisations / individuals for two of the Unique Dyslexic Get Creative workshops. One will be in music and the other on visual are. These will be moving into the planning stage in the very near future.

Finally, I have book myself a place on a human rights course which is something I have a keen interest in. 

Remember:

You do not have to be assessed as being dyslexic and we welcome dyspraxic, dyscalculic, AD(H)D and Aspergers) individuals to share their creative talents on the Unique Dyslexic site also.

Hmmmmm how do I get my blog here?

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12007369/?claim=ftu7673r78h">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

A couple of dyslexic ponderables

If we are saying 10% of the population are dyslexic. If research shows that as many as 35% of entrepreneurs are dyslexic. Many of whom succeeded despite their educational experiences in school not because of it.

Think how many dyslexic entrepreneurs there could be if we actually supported potential dyslexic entrepreneurs of future is we actually enabled them to succeed at school.

Just think how much artistic beauty would have been lost to the world if it were not for dyslexia? How many inventions would not have been invented if it were not for dyslexia? How much great literature or movies would not have been made if it were not for dyslexia and the way the dyslexic brain works?

Dyslexia is not a disability, specific or otherwise. Its a difference and viva la difference I say.

brought back down to earth with a shattering crash

After all the joy of the first Unique Dyslexic Get Creative workshop and the high I experienced of it all going so well I was brought back down to earth with an earth shattering crash.

I have long felt / believed we dyslexics have a strong sense of justice / social justice. Which is not surprising as many of us have had to fight for justice for our kids at school. I have no evidence to support this but its just a feeling I have.

Before I was a dyslexia specialist I was an inclusion specialist working with disabled kids and people. It was a job I loved and I have many many fond memories of. Whilst I might not do the inclusion thing anymore I still have a keen interest in disability issues, rights and inclusion.

Today I walked into a local bakers shop here in Glenrothes today to buy something for my lunch. A dad walked in with his daughter in a push chair. She may have been 4 years old or 6 years old but she was disabled she had a little breathing tube in her nose. But you could see she was daddy's beautiful girl. Something I would agree with.

You could see she was aware but she didn't utter a sound. Her dad wanted to buy her a cake but you could see by the way he was counting his pennies he was struggling to do so. You know I nearly cried there and then and wondered what sort of a world she was growing up into.

Then I thought of all those politicians in Westminster all yelling and screaming at each other. All beating their breasts like demented chimps fighting for territory. All wanting to cap benefits even further for the most vulnerable people in our society. Wanting to take even that little cake out of the child's mouth whilst they enjoy their subsidised lunches and drinks with their second homes they don't have to pay for raking whilst in thousands of pounds in expenses.

I wonder how they would feel if they had to change places with that little girl or her father just for one day?

I beg every person in Scotland with a belief in social justice to vote yes to independence. Because under any UK government there will be precious little of that by 2020 in my view. ONLY! in an independent Scotland will we keep social justice.

I apologise to anyone expecting this to be a positive post. It was just after today I had to wrote something.

Here is some of the completed fused glasswork made at the first Unique Dyslexic Get Creative workshop

I little while ago I showed you all some photos of the glass work the people from the workshop completed on the day. The next step is the fusing process which transforms the glass work into its final form and here is what the glasswork looks like after the fusing process:

As you can see the finished glasswork look stunning. Here is a link to the complete gallery of artwork in Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.267675733394491&type=1

Unique Dyslexic news lol

Hi blog readers hope you are all well and firing on all cylinders.

We are just putting the finishing touches to the Unique Dyslexic website. Yes I know I have been banging on about this for a while but I want to ensure everything is a good as we can get it. I had wanted to get us online on Friday but things like proof reading and getting links right take time to get right and setting up new e mail addresses. Of course it doesn't help that I am working to get two website up and running at the same time.

I went to the Cultural Enterprise Office in Dundee last week to discuss some of my ideas and ways to take them forward. I have some designs for t shirt logos which have positive messages about dyslexia on them. I have some very rough designs for about half a dozen but they really need a graphic artist to help me realise them and then get a trial run of t shirts printed off. I have done some market research and I know they would sell. It would bring in some money for the Unique Project and some much needed income for myself.

I like the Cultural Enterprise Office has a real buzz about it and a nice little restaurant and bar.
Got a great lunch whilst I was there: Hmmmmmmmm and it tasted as good as it looks too.

 



Have also been getting some support with funding ideas from another organisation called BeYonder. Have to give Chrissy for her advice and support. 

I think the main option is crowdfunding to help me raise maybe £2000 for this idea..........But again its finding time for this.

On the plus side the uni work will be slowing down so I will have some more time to work on the Unique Project and my book lol.On the downside it means less income ouch.

For those who have not seen them here are some pics from the first Unique Dyslexic creative workshop.

 



Everyone had fun, got creative shared their stories and offered support. We got lots of positive feedback from all involved. Only another three more to plan organise and run over the summer.

The objective of the Unique Dyslexic Project is to

 support, promote and celebrate the creative talents

of dyslexic individuals across the full range of the

creative spectrum.

 

We invite anyone who is dyslexic, or thinks they are

dyslexic, to join the project and share their creative

ideas here including:

actors, animators, sculptures, artists, comedians,

chefs, dancers, dreamers, engineers, entrepreneurs,

games designers, improvisers, information

technology geeks, inventors, film makers, musicians,

 photographers, poets,, song writers, story tellers,

 writers and visionaries.

You do not have to be diagnosed as dyslexic and we

welcome dyspraxic, dyscalculic, AD(H)D and

Aspergers) individuals to share their creative talents

on the Unique Dyslexic site also.

 

 

 

Many thanks to all readers of my blog for getting this

 far lol

Dyslexia and learning

If is every one's dyslexia is unique to them how do we start to enable dyslexic learners to develop as learners and succeed at school or college etc.

What you can get from a dyslexia assessment is a starting point to start and explore and develop yourself or your child as a dyslexic learner and to understand how to work with your dyslexia and not against it.

In schools most of us get taught in an off the peg set of learning strategies and in a quite passive way. This does not work well for many dyslexics. When what dyslexics need is a made to measure set of strategies that work for them and with their dyslexia.

These strategies need to be monitored and developed or changed. Strategies that worked in school for example may not work in college. In order to do this we have to engage in self reflective learning but we must also encourage dyslexic learners to move away from being a passive learner to an active one.

The one thing we are not taught in school is learn how to learn. What we are taught to do now is learn how to pass tests for league tables. Which is not what teaching and learning should be about at all. The ultimate irony is that what is good practice for dyslexic learners is good practice for all learners and better for inclusion.

In my view at least I do not blame teachers for the issues many dyslexics face in school. It is teacher training and government policy that dictates how teachers are trained. As a result trainee teachers are not given the tools be able to teach all the kids in their classes in a positive and inclusive way..

Film from the first Unique Dyslexic creative event

Some photos of the first Unique Dyslexic workshop March 15th

 Have to give a big big thank you to Stacey Galfskiy from Chillilicious for running this fused glass workshop. Everyone got creative, had fun and shared their stories.

Now all we have to do is wait for the glass to be fired in a kiln and their work is complete. I will write the whole thing up in my next blog. Pictures of their completed work will be on line as soon as I get them.

Some of the feedback: "talkative and creative, more confident talking to others", "Have never done anything like this before but really enjoyed it", "great fun would love to do it again, " Really enjoyed this workshop, first time I have been at any creative workshop. Surprised myself", felt good about myself and meeting people like me", "fun / Happy" and "clever / energized. So all in all a great day. Only three more to plan, organise and run lol..

We did three dyslexia screenings during the workshop using Quickscan.

Now I am hoping the link will take you to the album in the Unique Dyslexic Facebook



https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.264806610348070&type=1

Finally a big thanks to all the staff at the Lochgelly Centre here in Fife. Its a nice venue for a workshop

Well its the big day tomorrow

Yes well the first Unique Dyslexic project workshop is tomorrow. Everything is ready to go sigh I hope, fingers, legs and everything else crossed. Not sure if I will get much sleep tonight though lol.

Only another three more to plan, organise and run.......OUCH makes my teeth itch just thinking about that lol.

Just finished writing up my little welcome speech and dyslexia awareness stuff and a plan of the day.

I am going to try and tweet the event as it goes along, take photos and take film of the workshop plus I think I will give the glass workshop a little whirl myself. Then there may be a couple of people requesting free dyslexia screening tests.

I am going to be a busy, and very stressed, boy tomorrow.

I tried to get Kingdom Radio to raise awareness of the event but without any luck. Which was a bit of a downer. Hey better luck on the next workshop.

Only two days to go before the first creative workshop

Hello there blog readers hope you are all well and firing on all thrusters. My first student of the day has forgotten her appointment with me this morning lol. A dyslexic forgetting an appointment who would have thought that lol. Seriously though she has a big hand in day today and so has asked for an appointment for later today.

So thats given me time to write my latest blog entry.

Only two days to go before the first Unique Dyslexic creative workshop. It is full which is cool. I have still to put together a little blurb for the event and print off a few things and everything is ready. I will be posting some photos of the event next week sometime and possibly some video as well. (note to self open up a you tube account)

Get this first one done and dusted and then there are only three left to plan, organise and run lol

As for the Unique Dyslexic website I am slowly but surely populating the site with photos, links, writing from people who have sent me their creative work etc. The problem is I can only have 100 images on the site. I have two options here I can add albums in the Unique Dyslexic Facebook site or open up an account with Photobucket or similar site. I am fast coming to the conclusion I really need so extra help with this project. I had to take a couple of days away from the Unique project this week just to recharge my batteries and take it easy for a while.

The project has just gotten so big and I really need to put more time into it. The problem is if I put more time into it I have to stop doing dyslexic support work but if I stop doing that I lose income sigh.

I have been thinking of starting a crowd funding appeal. I have looked into this a couple times before but that in itself just adds more to my work load. I have to give a big thanks to Carolynn Cruickshank Grey one or my directors and my wife for all their support and help with the Unique Dyslexic project. As well as Bill Blenman for all his help setting up the new Dyslexia Pathways CIC site.

I have to explore ways to make the Unique site self funding and ways to bring some more income in for myself. I dread to think how much of my time I have spent working on this project for free lol.

I have my logo designs for clothing that I need to move forward with and then there is my book which I have written an outline for. But this again takes time sheesh I think I could work 24 / 7 and still have things left to do.

I have to send an e mail to my mentor about this and to update him on the project.

Gawd I am busier that a whole hive of bees here lol

The new Dyslexia Pathways internet site is ready to launch. Many thanks to Bill Blenman for all his help with this it has been invaluable. I could fire it up now but I am just looking for some images to add.

Here is an open invitation to all you dyslexic bloggers, writers and poets out there. You are welcome to share links to your work on the writers section of the Unique Dyslexic site.

You do not have to be diagnosed as dyslexic we heartily welcome dyspraxic, dyscalculic, AD(H)D and Aspergers) individuals to share their writing talents

on the Unique Dyslexic site also.

 

You are invited to join our Facebook page:

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unique.dyslexic/

 

Dyslexia Pathways CIC and our Unique Dyslexic

Project actively support and promote the social

model of dyslexia and disability.

 

 

 

Just send me your links and I will add them to the writers page

hey hey blog readers

It was a long  and busy week this week. I am still trying to get over the virus I had last week which threw all my thyroid and diabetic bloods into chaos. I have been getting home after a day at work having my dinner , doing some work, and then hitting the hay early every night.

My diary was chocka block with dyslexia support appointments everyday this week for a start. So I have made up a little for all the cash I lost from being ill last week. I have a full week for next week as well.

I have been working on both Unique Dyslexic and Dyslexia Pathways this week trying to get them populated. My plan is to have them both up and running by March 14th. I think it should be do able. I really need two or three full days to do this but cannot afford not to work or cannot let down the students I am seeing for dyslexia support.

I really do need to see if I can find a couple more directors for my board who would be willing to give sometime over to the work we do at Dyslexia Pathways.

This time next week I will be at the Lochgelly Centre is Fife running the first Unique Dyslexic creative work shop.

The workshops are for anyone age 16 or over and live in Fife It is well known that many dyslexics are also creative individuals. If you would like to find out more about being creative then the Unique Dyslexic Project is for you.

Come along to a free workshop on the 15^th March at the Lochgelly Centre from 10 am to 2 pm where you will learn to make a unique piece of artwork from glass.

The Centre is easily accessible by public transport and a disability friendly venue. Lunch will be provided and is free of charge. Travel expenses will also be paid. If you have caring responsibilities, some help with the cost of this is available also.

This workshop is an introduction to the wonderful world of fused glass. Taught by Stacey Galfskiy (BA/Hons Illustration) of Chillilicious, this workshop is for complete fused glass beginners but can be used as a refresher to the craft also.

There are just two spaces left on this workshop so if anyone is interested just contact me on:

steve_mccue@hotmail.com

This morning we are busy today baby sitting Layla age 4, Imogen age 3 and Blaine age 8. So the house is a little chaotic today. Later on today I will be taking Anne's parents to Morrisons to do their shopping. As well as get a little shopping in for us. Layla's mum plays in a brass band and is in a competition today which left me with the three kids.

Blaine is cool he can entertain himself but I have been watching Disney princess videos on  you tube on the telly with the two girls. So we were all having a little boogie in front of the telly lol. 

Right now Blaine is playing Zelda on my wii u and the girls are eating hence I have the time to write my blog. 

 

 

final logo selection

Its a very short blog entry today..........

Ok I have got two different logos. Well they are not that different one is just a little better than the other.

Ok so which do you prefer?

Ta for your help

Ahhhh the joys of a phone contract with 02

I am a very miffed O2 customer indeed. Ever since we moved to our new home I have been unable to either make or receive calls on my mobile phone in or around the house. Can't even get a message not a peep outta my phone. It's a real pain because I use my phone for personal and business use.

This has been going on since we moved here in September 2013. In my old flat about a mile up the road no problems with my phone at all.

So about six weeks ago I decided to tackle O2 about this problem. Now I would have done so a lot sooner but what with moving into a new home, my mum passing away etc I just didn't have the energy to do so.

Now I know you can look online to find out about signal strength and that checker says good signal but I know that's rubbish. Also my missus has an 02 phone too and she has the same problems. She contacted 02 and they gave her some suggestions on how to resolve the problem. None of which worked at all.

On my first call to O2 they tried to be helpful I guess but after over two hours on the phone to them I was bored, I was hungry and I was no nearer resolving the problem. Their suggestion was to go around to my neighbours and ask them about the signal or if anyone visits  my home and they happen to have an 02 phone see if they experience the same problem. Oh the did suggest I could buy myself out of my contract for a shed load of cash.

I phoned them again a while later and the person on the other side of the phone had as much customer care knowledge as a badger has about bee keeping. She was rude, she was evasive and I felt like I was doing something wrong and being untruthful. I think I was on the phone about an hour this time. She gave me a couple more things to do, one of which was to call 02 over my land line and they would try and problem solve the issue. Sigh even though I had told her I could not receive or make any calls from my mobile. I said to her so how is that going to work then? .

I said to here I use my phone for my business as well as personal use. To which she replied that I didn't have business contract with them. Gawd I run a small social enterprise and can't afford to have to run two contract phones.

So here I am a couple weeks later still paying for a phone I cannot use from my own home and no nearer any resolution.

So what are your experiences with mobile phone customer care services?