Courses in preparation – Susan Slater Morris

The front pages lists a number of subject areas that I am interested in teaching. This page gives further information about the domestic skills courses that I have prepared, am preparing or would like to teach. These can be divided into two subject areas i.e. living economically and household preparedness

SURVIVING A HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCY was the name I used for the household preparedness course I develoepd after realising that I was getting confused between two different emphases on domestic skills. This area took off during the run up to the millenium with Y2K and all that. However with various subsequent events like the fuel blockade, storms, floods etc it is obvious that it is useful to be ready for a variety of different scenarios. The idea is to look at how to be better prepared for things that could reasonably happen in the UK. There is further information on this course further down the page and here is the shortcut to it . I also set up a course for Surviving a Home Emergency a name that was influenced by the NEOCN who validated it. There are also some ideas for taster sessions drawn from these courses further down this page (see SAHE tasters) You can access the online courses here

MAKING THE POUNDS MEET THE ENDS was the name I came up with some time ago for a course that was aimed to helping people to live more economically. The original idea started with a web site that was developed into a 30 hour course. Making the Pounds Meet the Ends was validated by NEOCN. Parts of the course were split off into workshops or taster sessions. (see MTPMTE tasters)
GENESIS OF MAKING THE POUNDS MEET THE ENDS

This idea started life as an assignment for the course design course that I did. It then expanded into the idea of creating a web site and then a published book. Rather than write a whole book at once, I was going to write certain chapters and circulate them after binding them with soft covers and a plastic comb. It was then realised that it would also be possible to for people who did come into contact with me directly, to download these books from the Internet. The bound versions were supposed to be sold so it felt wrong to offer the downloaded versions without a charge. This led to some exploration of the means of setting up a online shop and developing the facilities to accept payment by credit card. However, I found that other committments made it difficult to continue with this so the book was put on hold however work has continued on the web site intermittently.

Making the Pounds Meet the Ends course workshops offered

leaflet in pdf format about the course and workshops

Making the Pounds Meet Ends web site back to the top
GENESIS OF THE PREPARED HOME

The problem with the above idea was that it was hard to keep the idea of being thrifty separate from the idea of being prepared. In the end I gave up and separated out the two ideas and started working on two separate web sites. The basic idea of writing up various topics and having some to view and some to sell is the same, it is just that the focus is different.

Surviving a Home Emergency course workshops offered

leaflet in pdf format about the course and workshops

The Prepared Home web site back to the top
MAKING THE POUNDS MEET THE ENDS level one

This is a 30 hour level 1 course validated by the North East Open College Network. .

The course covers topics like:

* Where does the money go?
* How to record what comes in and what goes out.
* Some examples of how to set up a spending plan.
* Ideas for spending less.

Making the Pounds Meet the Ends web site back to the top
MAKING THE POUNDS MEET THE ENDS -WORKSHOPS

There are also a series of single session workshops suitable for groups who want a short practical session or talk on a home related issue. I can do these anywhere that I can travel to easily, again that means most of the North East of England.

NOT A BUDGET BUT A SPENDING PLAN
Most of us hate the idea of a budget, because we think that they are designed to hold us in so we cannot breathe. Try learning to breathe again by developing a spending plan.

REAL FOOD, REAL CHEAP
Ideas for cooking cheap and easy meals from real ingredients, rather than from tins and boxes.

STRATEGIES FOR WINNING THE GROCERY WARS
What you can do to make the same amount of money go further.

WE ARE COMING UP ROSES
Using stencils and wrapping paper to make pictures that are good enough to give away.

If you would like any further details on the courses or the workshops, please don\’t hesitate to contact me.

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SURVIVING A HOME EMERGENCY

This course has been validated by the North East Open College Network as a 30 hour level 1 course. The idea is to help people develop a short term family emergency plan to cope with situations like power cuts, flooding fire or winter weather. This course can be offered anywhere I can travel to easily, which means most of North East England. It has also struck me that given the material, it would be possible to develop an online version, once the classroom based course has been established. This would mean anyone in the UK, who wanted to do the course could do, so providing they had Internet access.
SURVIVING A HOME EMERGENCY – WORKSHOPS

CONDUCTING A HOME HAZARD HUNT
The home is one of the most dangerous places to be. This workshop looks at some of the things you need to consider as you try and make your home safer for everyone.

DON\’T GET KNOCKED OUT BY A POWER CUT
Ideas for helping yourself to survive more comfortably and, more importantly, stay safe should this happen to you.

PICKING UP THE PIECES WITH THE HELP OF A HOUSEHOLD INVENTORY
How can you make a household inventory so you know what you have? They can be if you ever need to give such details to the police and/or insurance company. They are also useful when negotiating who owns what in a household.

STAY SAFE – COMMUNICATE
How can you keep in touch if things go wrong? What you need to know to help you stay in touch?

If you would like any further details on the courses or the workshops, please don\’t hesitate to contact me.

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Additional course ideas

These mostly include ideas for mixing learning computer skills with a particular topic.

BUDGETING WITH A SPREADSHEET
The idea for this course is basically to cover the main components of a level 1 spreadsheet course, but to do it from the context of preparing a household budget.

CROCHET AND THE INTERNET
Finding crochet patterns and instructions for new techniques on the internet. Could also include shopping on the internet for yarn, patterns and hooks.

USING A COMPUTER WITHOUT A MOUSE
Some people struggle to use a computer because upper limb mobility issues make it harder for them to use a mouse than it is for other people. The idea of this course is to promote the use of the keyboard as an alternative way of giving commands to a computer.

USING A DATABASE TO DEVELOP A HOME INVENTORY
A home inventory is basically a list of valuable items that can be used to provide descriptions and information for the police or insurance company after a burglary, or the contents of your home have been damaged by flooding or even a fire.

USING A DATABASE TO DEVELOP A CONTACT LIST
A contact list is very useful in an emergency. You can include phone numbers, e-mail addresses and ordinary addresses for family members. The list can be expanded to include other numbers useful in an emergency like medical advice or plumbers.

If you would like any further details, please don\’t hesitate to contact me.

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Topics from A level Religious Studies that could be adapted into adult interest courses

The basic ethical theories i.e. utilitarianism (concerned with consequences), Kantian ethics (concerned with motives and developing universal laws), virtue ethics (concerned with character)
2.

Medical ethics i.e. abortion, euthanasia, transplantation
3.

Scientific ethics i.e. cloning, embryo research, animal experimentation
4.

Environmental ethics i.e. pollution, use of resources
5.

Business ethics i.e. investment/profit, consumerism, relationships to less economic developed countries, business espionage
6.

Scientific and Christian creation accounts
7.

Arguments for the existence of God i.e. argument from design, cosmological argument
8.

Miracles according to the philosophers
9.

Free will versus determinism
10.

Problem of evil including the ideas of Augustine and Ireneus
11.

Religious experience including theoretical ideas about near death experiences, mysticism, visions, revelation, charismatic experiences, conversion
12.

Church authority and the Bible including inspiration of scripture, reliability of the Bible, why were these books chosen to be part of the Bible
13.

Life death and beyond including nature and value of human life, concepts of spiritual life, relative importance of the present life and life after death, doctrines of the last times

If you would like any further details , please don\’t hesitate to contact me.

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