Posts by Jean Hughes
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I work with children who don't go to school - that includes don't, won't and can't. There are many reasons why children do not got to school - some of those reasons are the school including the buildings, the timetables, the teachers, the other students and the subjects. Other reasons are the children's personal circumstances - health of all sorts, abilities, caring responsibilities, household responsibilities, family support. Some reasons are from the wider community - legislation, attitudes. Fining parents without taking all these into consideration and providing alternatives is just another revenue gathering exercise, shabby and shallow and I think targeted at a certain stereotype of 'truant'.
Would writing to the Governor General with concerns about the democratic process also be an option.
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When did Google take these images, how does that work? I wanted to show my mates overseas the magnificent pohutakawas in bloom down the road, but hey - the trees are still only green. And the tide is out, but it is sunny.
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Well Elim Church aside - I thought Mark Sainsbury's comments right at the beginning when he had to put it all in HIS context, illustrated what the media had gained from all this openness - better coverage and ability to put whatever spin they wanted. His comments were - there was a the lightning story up North and then this story. Either way it would be a fantastic story... blah blah blah.
Two great stories on one day - his cup overfloweth
Has anyone timed the coverage of all the funerals. I feel the TV teams felt the story was over, but had to cover all funerals, each one getting less time - am I correct? -
I just don't get it.
Why are so many posts here assuming and inserting words (pro or agin) into what was actual quote of what Keys said? Do you all assume words in every other politicians quotes? Are you all so generous in assumptions of knowing what the politicians mean. I can see several opposing opinions here. Is everyone here so desperate for change that this now an acceptable way to read/interpret National Party quotes? As I don't see the same leniency with any other Party quotes. The fact he cannot say he made a mistake, and what he really meant, is a real worry as is the fear that this continual practice at evading truth and opinion now seems to be acceptable. Are we being trained by the practice into reading what we want to see in his quotes and then accepting our own interpretation without it ever being confirmed? Am I missing something here? -
With regard to technology it’s pretty much all-pervasive. Our daughter has a Mac notebook which goes with her everywhere and everything is done on it. Again I’m not really up with all the ins and outs but it is a very tech savvy learning environment.
yes - but what happens with the stuff on the macbook - where does it go? get printed and presented or sent as emails, turned into movies, go onto online communities, where your daughter can work collaboratively, blogging for group discussions that are recorded - it's these new technologies I mean and many other newer ones that will be developed in the next 10 years.What if you can't afford a laptop or internet at home? Will work on your prepay phone be as acceptable? Why not? I want to see methods of working opened so understanding can be assessed in formats not limited to the old classroom style - much more inclusive & attractive to those learners on the periphery. It's still so old school. I reckon if it can be assessed by those qualifed to do so - ie teachers etc why not?
And tools and delivery styles that will used in life outside of formal learning establishments - at work, at home, at play - should be the norm for school as well. A 3 year old I know very well can use the remote, for the TV, DVD and stereo and knows which are which. Can log onto a computer (without a password). knows what the internet is, can answer a phone (land and mobile), play with a digital camera, and gets fascinated by the button that makes the paper spill out on the fax - do you think she will be content with sitting in a classroom, writing and watching the teacher all day - she's already out there with her own personalised learning plan - and going for it . -
And why do you get excited about Unlimited?
I am assuming it's not the content or the curriculum that excites - same old same old, but the delivery and choices it offers
I am afraid that is what seems to be missing from this review - though I have only had a quick scan of it.
Where are the exciting new and inclusive methods of delivery that will reflect emerging communication systems and technology ? -
Well - I have missed out on most of this as I was away for a lovely weekend - so here is a small account on how the organisation I work for lets teenagers loose on computers and the internet with great results.
I work for Notschool (www.notschool.net)an online learning community for teenagers 13-16 who haven;t been in formal school for sometime. This is a last resort for young people disengaged from classroom learning because of illness, pregnancy, bullying, phobia, travelling, reluctance to learn, disaffection, exclusion, statemented ( or a combination of these things). They get given a mac (usually mini) cheap digital camera, broadband, printer, access to our community in First Class- http://www.centrinity.com/ - and other software including garageband, amadeus and Appleworks (we can't afford & don't like microsoft). A community has developed over the years where they can post questions and finding, and there are teachers who are in daily contact as well as subject experts. Other than that they choose their learning plan, and what they are to do - so they learn from their own interests. Usually first projects will be biographies of Tupac or similar and often down in voicemail, or photo/image presentations as literacy levels often are low. This quickly develops into examples of their own mcing and djing, we presentations, home pages and we are just starting to offer own blogging capabilities within the community.
Given the equipment and software and access to dedicated teachers (eg Robert Calliau is at present teaching programming using Revolution - http://www.runrev.com/), collaboration with others intereested in same topics, no limit on time spent on a project, great results are usual. Once they have proven ongoing interest they may be given more software to help - eg Photoshop, flash, dreamweaver.
We don't limit access to anything on the internet but do have very robust security systems and often they post links to their own bebo, pizco etc pages.
Here in NZ a 14yr old posted a 10 minute home movie which his Dad filmed on his camera (with extra memory card) showing him cooking pikelets. He wrote and narrated the voiceover, edited the movie, added canned laughter and wrote titles and credits (some misspelt) - not bad for someone who had been in and out of 11 schools up to then. That work gave him moving making, cooking and writing credits.
Some others have presented their own movies and animations at BAFTA, with most going onto jobs in the the computer, games or film and media industries, while others going onto to tertiary education.
And this is all online - no face to face and no set times for logging in - truly asynchronous and a great tribute to the teenagers' own desire to learn and play with the tools.