Tuesday 4 September 2007

Is there a chess connection with Glenfiddich?

Well it's a shame that after the Chess Conference we had to do a bit of touring. As you can see here Steve Tobias, Steve Carroll and myself took a break from our demanding cognitive work, to relfect on our experience. The sign had nothing to do with visiting Glenfiddich and nothing to do with having a wee dram. Steve Carroll was thinking hard, as you can see by his frown, about the chess and mathematics connections with visiting a whisky distillery.

Today we dropped Chess-squared initiator Steve Carroll at the airport with his 5 suitcases of presents for his wife Megan, kids Darcy, Jack and Gracie and numerous others he felt needed something from Scotland. By the time we loaded the suitcases into the boot of the car and Steve into the back seat the front wheels were airborne. We had to move Steve to the front seat so I could get the wheels on the road to enhance our steering capabilities.

However while we sat in a lounge with a cappuccino - don't get me started on the appalling coffee here - we began working out the future directions of our chess initiative in schools. One area to follow up is more focused interviews with students about what is going on in their heads when playing chess. What makes chess interesting for them and what makes mathematics interesting and boring?

Lots of ideas to follow up.

Steve Tobias has contact with one of the professors from Turin University who is keen to cooperate with the research the team is doing and to publish a joint paper in italian and English.

This afternoon we are visiting two researchers in Education at Aberdeen University to explore possible networking with schools in Mount Alexander Cluster and Aberdeen on energy conservation.

And I'm going to write to Tourism Scotland advising they need to train barristas. Maybe Edmund from Coffee Basics in Castlemaine, could be flown over.

4 comments:

Steve Carroll said...

Now Sam,
I'm sitting here at Aberdeen airport and I've just realised the difference between maths teachers and english teachers: and that cluster consultants make the best bullshit artists!
In my defense, I allocated a presents budget, had clear instructions, and figured I wont be here again and my kids wont be kids forever.
And interestingly, I unearthed sides of you I never knew Sam- you're a shithouse passenger and a magnificent flaneur!
See you back in Castlemaine, for a REAL coffee!
Cheers
Steve

Steve Carroll said...

Well Sam,
I'm at Heathrow airport safely. Clear focussed and ready to go! I did feel something in my shirt pocket and realised it was the key to my room at Crombie Hall!
Oh dear!
All that fluster and confusion around smelly socks, will I do some washing, what time is the car due back.....I overlooked the basics.
See if yoiu can talk your way out of this one for me!
Seriously though, tell them I will mail it back EXPRESS POST asap.
Maybe if you can get me a name and address to send it to, that might be useful.
I'll update you from Singapore.......if I remember!
Cheers

Steve

Sam Grumont said...

Steve,
I've got the message and will notify the office here. They have put out an all point bulletin for the smelly Australian.

The doc and I walked a lot today along the beach, along the waterfront and into a pub where we drank a black beer.

Sam

Steve Carroll said...

Did you watch the sunset together? It sounds like true love!

That 'Tobias tablet' worked a treat. In Singapore for 2 hrs beforew the last leg.

Seeya fellas.