Warning: Studying can Seriously Affect your Grades!

 The Guardian reports that two American professors have finally provided proof that there is a direct link between the number of hours spent studying and the final grades that a student achieves.  Apparently, the most significant finding was that having a room-mate who owns a video game has a seriously detrimental affect on a student’s grades. See the full story at:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/nov/17/studying-improbable-research?&CMP+EMCEDUEML376

Posted by Alison

 

 

Horse passports – are you and your horse up-to-date with the law?

 

All horses, ponies and donkeys need to have a horse passport to identify them.

The law changed on 1 July 2009, with the Directive EC 504/2008 requiring all owners to have their equine microchipped before applying for a passport.

If your animal is already microchipped you will still need a veterinary surgeon to verify that information on your passport application form. 

You are responsible for making sure you have an up-to-date horse passport so your horse can be identified. You could be fined up to £5000 if you don’t have one.

The passport must accompany the horse at all times unless stabled or at pasture, or moved on foot when the passport can be made available within 3 hours.

To find out more, visit www.direct.gov.uk/horsepassports

posted by Pippa

Centre for Alternative Technology – Free Entry November 2009 – March 2010

CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology) Visitor centre

 The Centre for Alternative Technology is built in an old slate quarry in the foothills of Snowdonia. The visitor centre has 7 acres of interactive displays, organic gardens, cafe, shop and adventure playground. The aim of the centre is to show people the impact they have on the environment, and help them take steps to reduce that impact whether it is through the big things, such as solar panels and green building methods or by the everyday details of life that can be made more sustainable such as installing energy saving light bulbs.

From November 2nd 2009 to March 27th 2010 entrance to the visitor centre is free as they are undertaking some changes to the centre.  Why not visit and see what we can do to help save the planet. For more information visit their website http://www.cat.org.uk

posted by Lucy

Journals for arboriculturalists @ Moreton Morrell

The LRC has a range of journals covering different aspects of arboriculture.  They can be found on the shelves and the carousel behind Student Services. 

• Arboriculture Journal – International Journal of Urban Forestry
• Arboricultural Association Newsletter (www.trees.org.uk)- published four times a year
• Broadleaf – magazine of  The Woodland Trust – published twice a year
• Essential Arb
• Forest Life – by the Forestry Commission
• Forestry Journal – published monthly
• Quarterly Journal of Forestry – official publication of the Royal Forestry Society – published four times a year
• Tree News – published by the Tree Council (www.treecouncil.org.uk) – published twice a year
• Woodland Heritage Journal – published yearly

We also receive regular information from “The Tree Advice Trust” who provide an Arboricultural advisory and information service covering:

• Arboricultural Practice notes
• Tree Damage Alerts
• Assistance with Arboricultural reading

There are some copies of Arboriculture and Urban Forestry (Scientific Journal of the International Society of Arboriculture) from 2001 to 2007.

So as the nights draw in and the days get colder, pop into the LRC at Moreton Morrell and settle down with some interesting reading.

Posted by Cathy

Working in the construction industry

If you enjoy being part of a team, or like to work with machines, you might want to consider a career in construction. Find out more on what skills you need, opportunities and how to get help in finding a job.

About the construction industry

The construction industry can offer jobs for all kinds of people aged 16 and upwards. You could find yourself building or repairing offices, houses, shops, roads and bridges. There are over 700 jobs in this sector. You could start at a junior level and work your way up to be a surveyor, manager or supervisor.

Jobs in the construction sector

A building project needs many people with lots of different skills. You could be a roofer, a scaffolder or a steel fixer.

You can train to be a crane driver, a road worker or a quarry operative. If you are good at sorting things out you could be a site manager, planner or office staff.

Advantages of working in construction

There are many advantages to working in construction. For example:

• excellent opportunities – there are still a variety of jobs available in the construction industry
• safety standards – many of the jobs are manual and good companies will always provide training to keep you safe and well
• equality – nearly 200,000 women work in this sector and there are good jobs for everyone
• good pay and opportunities – if you work hard you can move up the career ladder and could even set up your own business
• full training – you can train on the job or go to college; It’s your choice

More Information

To find out more information about a career in the construction industry why not visit the Construction Skills website.

New Codes of Practice on Equine Diseases for 2010

Each year, the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) updates and publishes Codes of Practice on:

Venereally transmitted bacterial diseases caused by the contagious equine metritis organism CEMO, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA); Equine herpesvirus (EHV); Equine coital exanthema (ECE); Equine infectious anaemia (EIA); Guidelines on Strangles.

Any of the above diseases can have serious consequences for horse and pony breeding. They can compromise welfare, disrupt breeding activity, cause economic loss to mare and stallion owners and are costly to deal with.

The Codes of Practice set out minimum recommendations for the prevention of these diseases and for their control, should they occur, during horse or pony breeding activities. The recommendations apply to all breeds of horse and pony, and to both natural mating and AI.

 Copies are available FREE from MM LRC, whilst stocks last. 

Download your own copy from http://www.hblb.org.uk/sndFile.php?fileID=58

posted by Steph

Want a fun day out during half term?

Manchester Science Festival 2009

From 24th October – 1st November, explore, discover and enjoy over 150 science events for both families and adults taking place at venues across Greater Manchester.

 

This year’s festival themes are Manchesticity, Mind and body, Our planet and beyond, and Bright ideas. The Festival programme is now available online at www.manchestersciencefestival.com and bookings can be made for events where numbers are limited – vistit the website to browse this year’s themes, use the search options or view the whole programme.

There’s walks, talks, workshops, shows, comedy, exhibitions and more all in the name of science. Enjoy!

Visit www.manchestersciencefestival.com for more information.

posted by Sophie

The Basics of an AquaBrowser Library Search

Performing a search in AquaBrowser Library is easy. Simply type one or more search terms (the words or phrase that best describe the information you want to find) into the search box and press the Enter key or click on the Search button.

AquaBrowser then instantly produces the results: in the center is a list of the most relevant findings; on the left is a word cluster of related findings; and on the right is a comprehensive menu of choices that allows you to point the search in specific directions.

posted by Tim

Say goodbye to the books?

THE FORMER LIBRARY AT CUSHING ACADEMY, NEW ENGLAND, HAS REPLACED ALL THEIR BOOKS WITH INFORMATION AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES!

In addition to desktop and laptop computers, they have installed flat screen TVs that project data from the internet and have purchased electronic readers giving access to millions of electronic resources.

Read more  in this article from The Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/04/a_library_without_the_books/?page=1

What do you think? Add a comment…

Posted by Alison

Wind Farms : do you have a problem with wind?

Government legislation requires that by 2010 10% of electricity supply must come from renewable sources. Wind power is currently the most cost effective alternative energy and produces no greenhouse gas emissions or waste products. There are a number of websites outlining the facts and myths about wind energy and the impact wind farms have on the environment, countryside and wildlife.

 We are all too well aware of the need for alternative sources of energy, however, how would we feel if they impacted on our own backyard?

Currently there is a proposal to erect up to 6 wind turbines on farmland close to the villages of Knightcote, Gaydon, Northend and Bishops Itchington (http://www.starboldwindfarm.co.uk/).

With the very real prospect of windfarms being built in our local area, is it time we found out about the facts and myths of wind energy for ourselves and ask ourselves: are wind farms good or bad for the environment; is beauty is in the eye of the beholder; or are they just a blot on the landscape?

posted by Lucy

New equine pain management website

 

Internal organs

This website provides up-to-date advice and guidance on the subject of equine pain management. Written by equine vets for horse owners, it has been divided into easy-to-use reference sections that cover a variety of topics including assessment, diagnostic and treatment methods. You can download a series of anatomy charts to help you define the parts of your horses’s body. There are also a series of notes to help you read about some of the main procedures and treatments that your horse might undergo during a visit to the vet. For example: ’sedating your horse,’ ‘diagnosing lameness using nerve blocks.’ In addition there is a very useful glossary to help you understand the terminology.

 If you would like to find out more, please go to http://www.equinepainmatters.com/

 Posted by Steph

New Health & Safety books website

From 1 September 2009….

The Health & Safety Executive has made the content of approx. 230 of their priced publications freely available through their HSE Books website. These mainly include HSE’s ‘HSG’ and ‘L’ series of publications.

The content of these priced publications are now freely available in PDF format. Printed hard copies can also be purchased through the new website. The option to view a PDF is shown under the paragraph headed ‘Downloads’ on the relevant page for each publication within the new site.

HSE has from the outset, made some 50 or so of the most popular titles freely available in ‘printer friendly’ format. The remaining titles will be converted to this format by 31 March 2010.

Posted by Steph

What LRC staff can do for you….!

View from upstairs

Welcome to College life in the countryside here at Moreton Morrell.  Getting to the shops may be a bit of an issue, but take a closer look at some of  the things you can access from the Learning Resource Centre right on your doorstep.

We know this is a busy time with lots to take in with inductions, masses of paperwork and form filling. Once you have enrolled & ‘found your feet’ come along to the LRC and meet the friendly staff who are all keen to support you with your studies.

Find out how to log-in to the PCs & check your student email. Come & browse our catalogue ‘Aquabrowser’ & learn how to reserve & renew your books online, even from home. Grab the latest films on DVD before someone else does.

Whether you prefer to find your information on the Web, or curl up in the corner with a good book – we have something for everyone!  We are looking forward to getting to know you!

Posted by Steph

Welcome to the LRC Blog!

A big “Welcome!” to all new students and ”Welcome Back!” to the rest of you! Here’s hoping you had a nice break, and the transition back into ’study mode’ isn’t too hard on the brain!

For those of you that are new to the LRC blog, this is a place where our staff post all kinds of information for your interest and reading pleasure, covering a wide scope of interests, topics and resources relevant to college courses.

Why not drop us a line and let us know what you want to hear more about. This is YOUR blog, YOUR LRC and we want to hear from YOU!

Wishing you all the best in the new academic year and the coming term!

posted by Sophie

HEART OF ENGLAND IN BLOOM @ PERSHORE

An award ceremony was held at Pershore Abbey on Wednesday 3^rd September for winners of the Heart of England in Bloom competition.    Pershore town gained a Gold award in the small town category.  Activities identified within the portfolio were undertaken by staff and students at Pershore College.  Our own Alan Gregg is Chairman of Pershore In Bloom and  Alan would like to thank all those that have supported the development of this year’s entry.

If you are interested in Pershore in Bloom’s work, why not have a look at their website: www.pershoreinbloom.com

Posted by Alison