Posts by BenWilson

Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First

  • Random Play: Welcome to this world,

    Just for Craig, I'll bring a small bag of cheese to put on my popcorn while I watch it.

    I'm also going IMAX on Saturday. I missed out going last night because I got stuck in analysis paralysis deciding whether I wanted to do IMAX, or digital 3D, or Gold Class, and when I finally decided, the only seats left were in the corner of the front row.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    Yeah, but if you want to get rid of anything that's too "difficult"

    It's not difficulty that makes me think modern should get more air. It's relevance. Got no problem with teaching old stuff, it's the groundwork, the basis, the context of the modern world. But it's the modern world we find ourselves in now. It's the modern world kids will be using their English in, hearing it, writing and reading in it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Southerly: Dr Lockwood Smith: End of…,

    The next-but-one to Emma's

    What poor bastard gets stuck in between?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    This teacher influenced you profoundly?

    I'm not sure how gobbetization relates to modern vs archaic ratios. Will a lip curl convey all of this to me? If so, consider: this profound source you suggest is ... modern.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    Internet Translation Issues here: I meant to say

    I understood you. Perhaps my telepathy came on ;-) But by 'dumbed down Shakespeare', I actually meant 'the easy Shakespeare' eg R&J, so maybe the telepathy's gone half-duplex.

    As for modern English, of course most of an English course should be spent on that. Still leaves some room for a bit of older English, and who else you gonna call on but the eternal bard, if there's only room for one?

    Keir, I sort of agree. I personally hated English as a subject, because they made us read shit I basically didn't like, then pore over it in ways that I didn't like, then discuss it with people I didn't like, then write about it in a format I didn't like. Or even worse, they'd make us read it out loud. Fucking HELL I hated doing that.

    My favourite English classes ever were with Mr Wells, an American teacher who pretty much goofed off with the rest of us, whilst weaving in whatever he could from the curriculum. It was fun, classes reminded me very much of PAS, actually. Long rambling discussions that went off topic constantly, dominated mostly by a few, mostly the cool kids, but with the occasional insight from the more timid, which were usually welcome when they came. Others listened and read, some of them just read whatever they wanted to read and wrote whatever they wanted to write. I don't really know why we always sort of felt guilty afterwards...well I do, actually - assessment. There was always this nagging feeling we were going to get poor marks, and that was bad because...dunno. No one has ever asked me, ever, ever, what grade I got in 6th form English, more than 2 months after the grades came out.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Island Life: The World Is Full of Cu*ts,

    Was last seen seeking authentication. You are right to be worried. There could be an im-poster amidst us.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Hard News: It is your right and duty to vote,

    Thanks Lucy, will get me to a Library, to Reed. Hopefully no librarian throws her fingernails at me.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    There is, of course, the peril of putting some of them off.

    I'm inclined to think if they're susceptible to that, then dumbed down Shakespeare won't help. There's a peril in trigonometry of putting some students off maths too, but you do actually need to know trig if you want to continue with the subject. Shakespeare is surely like that wrt English.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    Obviously something's connecting.

    "There's none of you so mean and base that hath not noble lustre in your eyes" finally makes sense to me. Right now today. Here, just then.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

  • Busytown: For the (broken) record,

    Or FLUQ. To send someone back in time, all you need to do is overload their FLUQs capacity. Then they'll be stuck in the library forever, digging ever deeper into the past.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report

Last ←Newer Page 1 810 811 812 813 814 1066 Older→ First